*Christina wanted to leave her poor Brazilian neighborhood. She wanted to see the world. Discontent with a home having only a pallet on the floor, a washbasin, and a wood burning stove, she dreamed of a better life in the city. And one morning, she slipped away, breaking her mother's heart. Knowing what life on the streets would be like for her young attractive daughter, Maria hurriedly packed to go find her. On her way to the bus stop, she entered a drugstore to get one last thing, pictures. That's right, she sat in the photograph booth, closed the curtain, and spent all the money she had on pictures of herself. And with her purse full of small black and white pictures, she boarded the next bus to Rio de Janeiro.

Maria knew Christina had no way of earning money. She also knew that her daughter was too stubborn to give up. And when pride meets hunger, a human will do things that were before unthinkable. Knowing this, Maria began her search: bars, hotels, nightclubs, anyplace with the reputation for streetwalkers . She went to them all. And at each place, she left her picture taped on a bathroom mirror, tacked to a hotel bulletin board, fastened to a corner phone booth. And on the back of each photo, she wrote a note. It wasn't long before both the money and the pictures ran out, and Maria had to go home.The weary mother wept as the bus began its long journey back to her small village. 

It was just a few weeks later that young Christina descended the hotel stairs. Her young face was tired. Her face spoke of pain and fear. Her laughter was broken, her dream had become a nightmare. It seemed all hope was gone. Then one day, as she reached the bottom of the stairs of yet another hotel, her eyes noticed a familiar face. She looked again, and there on the lobby mirror was a small picture of her mother. Christina's eyes burned and her throat tightened as she walked across the room and removed the small photo.

Written on the back was the compelling invitation, "Whatever you have done, wherever you have been, whatever you have become, it doesn't matter. Please come home". And she did.

 God the Father has sent his own Son to our world with the same message. Whatever you have done, no matter how far away from God you may think yourself to be, it doesn't matter. God has made His forgiveness available to you, and He is standing with His arms open wide to receive you. This Christmas, isn't it time for you to come home?

Repent, come back to Jesus..
Jesus loves you!!!

*selected....Make the season bright

                       ( David Jeremiah)