[Faith-talk] Thought for October 15

[melissa R Green]

That's where I saw it.  Thanks
Erika for refreshing my
memory.
.  

Warmly,
Melissa R. Green and Pj
It is 'where we are' that
should make all the
difference, whether we believe
we belong there or not. 


-----Original Message-----
From: Faith-talk
[mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfb
net.org] On Behalf Of Ericka
via Faith-talk
Sent: Thursday, October 15,
2015 9:24 PM
To: Faith-talk, for the
discussion of faith and
religion
Cc: Ericka
Subject: Re: [Faith-talk]
Thought for October 15

A while ago that was on the
Bible Gateway girlfriends in
God devotional page.

Ericka Short
"Friends are like flowers in
the garden of life"

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 15, 2015, at 2:08 PM,
Roanna Bacchus via Faith-talk
<faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> That's a wonderful story
thanks for sharing it.
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>> On Oct 15, 2015, at 12:49
PM, Poppa Bear via Faith-talk
<faith-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Becoming as little
children.
>> 
>> --Author Unknown  
>> 
>> We were the only family
with children in the
restaurant. I sat Erik in a
>> high chair and noticed
everyone was quietly eating
and talking. Suddenly,
>> Erik squealed with glee and
said, "Hi there." 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, hi there."
>> 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's.
Suddenly a veryold
>> smelly man and a very young
baby consummated their
relationship. 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 labor, 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 unwillingly, 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.
You see, m'am, I never saw my
child grow up. My
>> wife and son were taken
from me in an automobile
accident when they were
>> both too young. I was never
able to get over it."
>> 
>> I said nothing more than a
muttered thanks and "I'm sorry
to hear that."
>> 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...
>> 
>> "I tell you the truth,
unless you change and become
like little children,
>> you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew
18:3 (NIV)
>> 
>>
______________________________
_________________
>> Faith-talk mailing list
>> Faith-talk at nfbnet.org
>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/list
info/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your
list options or get your
account info for Faith-talk:
>>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/opti
ons/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/rbac
chus228%40gmail.com
> 
>
______________________________
_________________
> Faith-talk mailing list
> Faith-talk at nfbnet.org
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/list
info/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your
list options or get your
account info for Faith-talk:
>
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/opti
ons/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/dotw
riter1%40gmail.com

______________________________
_________________
Faith-talk mailing list
Faith-talk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/list
info/faith-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your
list options or get your
account info for Faith-talk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/opti
ons/faith-talk_nfbnet.org/liss
a1531%40gmail.com