Since the last World War many people in the countries in Europe have found it very hard to make a living and provide for their families, and many have come to live and work in the richly blessed countries of the United States and Canada. Perhaps you have some little boys and girls in your class at school who have not been in this country long, and who are just learning to speak English. This fall I met, in a pleasant park near our house, a dear little brother and sister who could only speak German, for they had only recently come over the ocean, and could not yet speak English.
Now I would like to tell you of another little German boy who had come with his parents to live in the United States some years ago. His father was seeking work, but could not find anything to do. Dear Hans was often hungry and did not have warm clothes to wear when it was cold. So what do you think Hans did? He wrote a letter, yes, to Jesus! Perhaps you think that that was no use, because Jesus is in heaven, and a letter could not reach Him there. You are right in thinking that, but Jesus could see and read Hans’ letter as he was writing it, couldn’t He? And He could send an answer!
This is what Hans wrote in his childish way,
“Dear Jesus, I have prayed so hard to You, but I guess You could not hear me so far off, so I am going to write You a letter. We came over a big ocean when it was summer-time. My mother has been sick all the time. Can You send her something to make her well? And, dear Jesus, please send my daddy some work to do, so he can buy us some warm clothes and something to eat. Please do it quick, for we are cold and hungry. Nobody knows I am writing to You. I thought You might send us something for a surprise. Hans Brahm.”
Then he folded the letter up, and put it into a little envelope, which he addressed to “Jesus, in Heaven.”
Now I will tell you how the Lord answered Hans’ letter. In the Post Office where this letter was posted, the young lady who sorted the letters was a Christian who knew the Lord as her Saviour. When she saw the strange address, she opened the letter. As she read it, her eyes filled with tears. “The child’s letter and faith must be answered,” she thought.
That evening the young Christian spoke to some of her friends, and they were all anxious to help her send a box to little Hans. They found where to send the box, and in it they put some nice warm clothes for the family, some food, and some toys for Hans. At the very top they put a ten dollar bill!
The young lady wrote a letter to Hans to go with the box. She told him that his letter had been received, and Jesus had sent one of His servants on earth to help him, and that a box was on its way to him. Before long she received a letter of warm thanks from the little boy’s father, and soon after he wrote again saying that he had found work.
ML 11/08/1953