Weary Traveller

Rueby Tuesday by Carlos and Jean Aleman

Once upon a time, a doggie named Reuben wanders into a quaint little village somewhere in the great plains of Florida. He is tired from his travels and seeks refuge for the night.

He knocks on the door of the first house. A man opens the door, looks at Reuben and frowns. "Can't you read?" he asked with a surly look on his face. Reuben sees a sign hanging over the door: "No Dogs Allowed." With a sigh, Reuben trudges away.

Reuben goes to the second cottage. It is small and cozy looking. "Surely they will have room for me," Reuben thinks to himself. He knocks and after a long pause, a woman opens the door. She is holding a baby in her arms and there is a toddler clinging to her skirt. A little boy is banging on pots in the kitchen and a little girl is spilling milk on the counter. "Do you have a place for me to stay tonight?" Reuben asks, though he already knows the answer. The woman shakes her head. "Sorry, but my kids are allergic to dogs." With that she closes the door.

Reuben hangs his head and sighs. "I guess I'll have to sleep outside tonight," he thinks to himself even as he hears a rumble of thunder in the distance.

It was then that the door to the third house opens. It is a small house, a plain house, yet the owner has a big smile on his face. "I've seen you walking on the road, and it's plain to see that you need a place to stay the night. I don't have much room, but you're more than welcome to join me and my family."

Reuben wags his tail in gratitude. "Thank you sir, you are most kind," he says. And so Reuben spends the night with the man and his family. He has a great time playing with the children, and he spends the night sleeping at the foot of the man's bed. The next morning, the man and his family tell Reuben that they have enjoyed his company so much that he is welcome to stay with them as long as he wants.

And so it is with the rest of us as well. Even when no one else wants us, God takes us in, gives us a home, and makes us part of His family.