The child stands very small,
hidden in a great tall crowd
of ponderers and speculators,
of those who rename and rework
and those who murmur,
“There is no way. I don’t believe.”
She strains to see
who holds their attention,
who is causing such commotion …
but she cannot see.
Their tallness surrounds her
and their voices attempt to drown out
the one voice she is wanting to hear.
But then she hears …
“Come unto me, little children.”
She seems to be the only child
yet he is looking
into the faces of all.
The little one squeezes and pushes
her way through the crowds
who, with feet planted,
are still murmuring,
“There is no way. I do not believe.”
In the clearing … in this place
between the ponderers and naysayers
and the One who said, “Come unto me”,
she finds herself running
with arms open wide,
as any child would run
toward Love.
The little one expected an embrace from the One,
but instead he took her hand and saw the bruise.
“What happened?” he asked
(knowing all along that someone had slapped
her hand for not being a part of
the renaming and reworking and disbelief).
Yes, the little one expected a hug from the One,
but she received hugs from the Three …
the One who whispered, “beloved child,”
the One who healed her tiny bruised hand and
whispered, “Forgive and forgiven,”
and the One who whispered,
“I will not leave you as an orphan.”
It was too mysterious, yet enough for her.
She looked at the huddled-together ponderers
and knew that they saw only the One
and she herself pondered …
“Is that why he called out,
‘Send the little children to me,
for such is the kingdom of heaven?’ ”
The child embraced the Three….
and those huddled together
still saw only the One,
and still murmured,
“There is no way. I do not believe.”
©2010 anna murdock
