There was once a seventeen-year-old orphan girl named Victoria, who lived with her foster parents in a small city in the Midwest. She often had dreams that seemed very real. She dreamed of beautiful things, frightening things, of boys, of jobs, of school, of friends, and the like.
On night she dreamed that she met a handsome, strong, fun-loving guy in a city called Salem. In the dream, she fell in love with him and married him.
When she awoke the next morning, she wondered if such a wonderful thing would ever really happen in her life. She thought about that dream a lot during school that day.
Upon arriving home from school that afternoon, she noticed her name hand-written on an envelope in the mail. As a high school senior, she was accustomed to receiving computer-generated mail: applications and propaganda for colleges, military careers, and other such things. But this letter was different. She excitedly picked up the small, plain envelope, anxious to see who had personally written to her. She glanced at the postmark. It had been mailed five days before in SALEM, but there was no state or zip code readable.
Quickly she opened the envelope to see who had written. Inside she found a greeting card. "Thinking of you" was written on the front and on the plain, blank inside someone had neatly penned:
Dear Victoria,
For many years I've waited for you to be my companion. Though you don't know me right now, I'm sure that we will one day be married. I know all about you, and I have appreciated you for many years. I've waited until now to get in touch with you, because I knew that you weren't ready for the permanent relationship that I desire to have with you. But now, I sense that you are ready. Please come to me. I am sending the money for your expenses to arrive here in two weeks. I know that you'll never be sorry that you came.
Love, Joshua, from Salem
Victoria looked again at the envelope, and found that there were $1000 in cash that she had overlooked.
Now, holding the card and the money in her shaking hand, she was deep in though. Should she go? Who should she ask? And where in the world was Salem? She'd never heard of such a place - except in her dream. How could she travel to a place she didn't know the way to, or even what state or country it was in?
She went and grabbed the family atlas from its place on the shelf and began to search for a place called Salem. Going to the index of the United States, she found six cities by the name Salem: in Massachusetts, in New Hampshire, in Ohio, in Oregon, in Illinois, and in Virginia.
She closed the atlas in frustration mixed with anger. Nobody could ever really love me. She thought. But then she realized that she was still holding two $500 bills in her hand.
That evening as she and her foster parents sat at the table eating, the doorbell rang. Victoria excused herself and ran to see who it was. There on the doorstep was a very good looking guy holding an envelope. As she opened the door, he smiled and said, "Victoria? Joshua sent this to you." He handed her the envelope, turned, and left. She went directly to her room and hid this envelope, unopened, on the bookshelf between some old books. She returned to the table full of though.
With the evening meal finished and cleaned up, she decided to go to the mall, to walk, to think, to dream...
As she walked, her thoughts turned more and more to the $1000 in her purse. What could she buy that she had always wanted? New outfits that would be the envy of the girls at school, a new hairdo, new jewelry more expensive than others her age could afford?
And that's what she did. Within two hours before the mall was closed, the money was gone. She returned home, excited, and anxious for the next day when she could show her new self to her friends.
She though about that unopened envelope, but decided not to open it just yet.
Her friends were indeed impressed with her purchases. She began to be very popular. The most sought-after guys asked her to go out with them. She soon forgot all about her appointment in two weeks. She now had friends!
What she did not know was that Joshua was a multi-millionaire. At the age of 22, he had inherited his family's business. He had everything that he had ever wanted. He had purchased an airline ticket for Victoria, with all the detailed instructions that she would need to come to him in Salem. He had delivered the ticket and instructions to her door himself that evening. He was at the airport in Salem on the appointed day with his seat reserved beside hers, to be her traveling companion on the new journey.
The End
The above parable is about Jesus' gift of Salvation. Will you reject his offer like Victoria? or will you choose to follow the "Way, Truth, and Life" to heaven? Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6B)
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