Portrait of Tolstoy by Ilya Repin. Photo by Guilhem Vellut, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Today’s “Story of the Day” offers a timeless lesson from Leo Tolstoy:
WHERE LOVE IS, GOD IS
(A short story by Leo Tolstoy, condensed)
Martin Avdeich was a humble cobbler who lived in a small town in Russia. His life had been filled with sorrow — his wife and children had died, and he was left alone. In his grief, Martin turned to the Bible. He read it daily and sought comfort in God’s word.
One night, after reading the Gospel, Martin dreamt that Christ would visit him the next day. He woke with joy and expectation, preparing his little home to welcome the Lord.
That day, as he worked and kept watch, he was interrupted by three people.
First came a poor old man shivering in the cold. Martin invited him in, gave him tea, and warmed him by the fire.
Later, a weary woman carrying a baby stopped at his window. She was poor and hungry. Martin gave her bread, soup, and an old coat to wrap her child.
Finally, a street boy tried to steal an apple from a peddler. Martin rushed out, stopped the quarrel, and persuaded the boy to apologize. He even bought the boy an apple, teaching him kindness instead of anger.
As evening fell, Martin felt disappointed. Christ had not come, though he had waited all day. But then, in the quiet of his room, In the hush of evening, a gentle voice spoke:
“Martin, did you not see me? I was the old man you warmed, the mother you fed, and the child you helped. Whatever you did for them, you did for me.”
Martin opened his Bible, and his eyes fell upon the verse:
“I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me…”
Tears filled his eyes. He understood now: where there is love, there is God.
Read the full story (public domain) on Project Gutenberg:
Grateful thanks to Ilya Repin and Guilhem Vellut (via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0) for the portrait — and to ChatGPT for the concise adaptation of Tolstoy’s original.
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