We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'
Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake ? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.'
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I
did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his
tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labour, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God , we must become as little children.'
If this has blessed you, please bless others by sending it on. Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
It is better to be liked for the true you, than to be loved for who people think you are.
My brilliant sister-in-law, Dee Ferris sent this to me and it was such a nice surprise I wanted to share it. It came as an email meant to be forwarded (which is cool too, but I wanted to place it here :)
To All,
I just wanted to tell everyone that I am so grateful to have each of you in my life currently or in the past. I pray you all have a blessed day. It was difficult for me to decide who I thought would DO this, but I hope I have chosen the right twelve. Please send this back to me (you'll see why). May every one who received this message be blessed. There are 12 months/ 12 disciples/ 12 tribes of Israel / Jesus' birth celebrated in the 12th month. There is nothing attached. Just send this to twelve others.
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, just a lot of reward. Make sure you pray, and pray believing God will answer.
May today be all you need it to be. May the peace of God rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears. May God manifest himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered. I pray that faith enters a new height for you; I pray that your territory is enlarged. I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and undying love for God.
God Bless and Keep You Well, In Jesus Name, Amen :)
Since the Pledge of Allegiance And The Lord's Prayer Are not allowed in most Public schools anymore Because the word 'God' is mentioned.... A kid in Arizona wrote the attached
NEW School prayer: - Now I sit me down in school Where praying is against the rule For this great nation under God Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites, It violates the Bill of Rights. And anytime my head I bow Becomes a Federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green, That's no offense; it's a freedom scene. The law is specific, the law is precise. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall Might offend someone with no faith at all. In silence alone we must meditate, God's name is prohibited by the state.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.. They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable. We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King. It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls, Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles. But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, No word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess, When chaos reigns the school's a mess. So, Lord, this silent plea I make: Should I be shot; My soul please take! Amen
If you aren't ashamed to do this, Please pass this on. Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father."
Another brilliant email sent to me by Matthew Arnold, Thanks Matthew :)
I have received messages regarding sending Christmas cards to wounded soldiers, and when I checked on "snopes" urban legends, they said that the post office will not really deliver mail that is sent without a specific name. (That is for security reasons, because of possible terroristic intentions, which might access that type of system).
But just now, I was watching Governor Huckabee's show on Fox News, and his wife, who works with the Red Cross, gave the address below, that would allow us to send a Christmas card to a soldier, with the cooperation of the American Red Cross and the Pitney Bowes Corp.
I wrote the address down, and thought that maybe some of you would like to join me in sending some cards to the address below:
Holiday for Heroes P.O. Box 5456 Capitol Heights, MD 20971
I have wanted to do this for a long time, but did not have an address, that I thought was viable to actually get cards with my thanks and prayers, to some of our soldiers.
These will be sorted by the Red Cross and sent to wounded soldiers and others who are in the field, so if we send this message to those on our address list, maybe we could flood those Red Cross locations and see millions of our troops receive a Christmas card, thanking them for their service and letting them know that they are not forgotten, by those who pray for them and appreciate them here at home.
I hope you'll join me in sending them some cards and in forwarding this address to some of your friends. As slow as mail is at Christmas, we would probably need to do this ASAP, in order to insure that it can be sorted and forwarded to get there before Christmas. This will be a wonderful way to share the LOVE OF CHRIST, and I pray that God will reveal Himself to many of our troops, through this open door to reach out to them, at the season of the birth of Christ.
Love and Blessings
What a brilliant email from a friend of my Moms, then sent to me :)
