[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: A Baby's Hug

Fri Oct 15 15:22:04 UTC 2021

I love this Mike.  Very Good. 

Wan

From: Ohio-Communities-of-Faith [mailto:ohio-communities-of-faith-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael Moore via Ohio-Communities-of-Faith
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2021 8:14 AM
To: 'Nfb of Ohio Communities of Faith Mailing List' <ohio-communities-of-faith at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Michael Moore <mmoore11 at kent.edu>
Subject: [Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] FW: A Baby's Hug

From: Larry Perry [mailto:larryperry at performancepress.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of Larry Perry
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2021 8:11 AM
To: mmoore11 at kent.edu
Subject: EXT: A Baby's Hug

Letter from Larry

Friday

October 15, 2021

Good Friday Morning Everyone:

A Baby's Hug

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik

in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly seated and talking. 

Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded 

his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes we 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 whose 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 that 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 but not 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 very smelly old man 

and a baby expressed 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 labor, cradled

my baby. 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, 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. The child saw a soul, and his mother

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,

"Unless you change and become like little children, you will 

never enter the kingdom of heaven." ( <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0014VLDSf6-lvWxWm072N2kQgnjyb1A9ATsnmDCf6k9X97ojqpJErb_cAIpzTeRNuxqd7R_mfvY-2j5kb93Er4VrMXSKA92t2b_J_rP9O1kJa2xbHuMCiDDo4h-d0DzImBm5536jTgUbcav05OQn78WBgbi7atQx99ZgegWPJCup5l4yHvo0gh7-3Hw65QaGFe01IPPDMl43jTqeYSjWjB_X7yvOdthAiQI&c=C2SuDMcFYuF9DvwyPEBjiZvsaIcMW10hoiHF2mGHgTIAFUaMfU-xNQ==&ch=6wFJuGw0Aglg8lq1NZcDllhf1Fb93GuY-wS5j3VtEkCjkaC8g7Z_-w==> Matthew 18:3) 

 I pray God will bless you in ways you never even 

Dreamed.

YOU are LOVED !!

Larry 

NOTE: This letter is sent to anyone interested in receiving these inspirational notes. There is no charge and you are encouraged to forward these to anyone you think would benefit from reading them. If you would like to receive them direct, just send an email to me at larryperry at att.net and request to be added. 

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