Barefoot and dirty, the little girl just sat
in the park and watched people go by.
She never tried to speak,
she never said a word.
Many people passed,
but not one person glanced her way,
no one stopped, including me.
The next day I decided to go back to the park,
curious if the little girl would still be there.
Right in the very spot she was yesterday,
she sat perched on high,
with the saddest look in her eyes.
But today I could not just walk away,
concerned only with my affairs.
Instead I found myself walking over to the little
girl. For as we all know, a park full of strange
people is not a place for young children to play alone.
As I began walking towards her,
I could see the back of the little girl's
dress indicated a deformity. I figured
that was the reason the people just passed by
and made no effort to care.
As I got closer, the little girl
slightly lowered her eyes to avoid my
intent stare. I could see the shape
of her back more clearly. It was
grotesquely shaped in a humped over form.
I smiled to let her know it was okay, I was
there to help, to talk.
I sat down beside her and opened with a simple
"hello." The little girl acted shocked and stammered a
"hi" after a long stare into my eyes.
I smiled and she shyly smiled back.
We talked 'til darkness fell and
the park was completely empty.
Everyone was gone and we were alone.
I asked the girl why she was so sad.
The little girl looked at me and said,
"Because I am different." I immediately said
"That you are!" and smiled.
The little girl acted even sadder,
she said, "I know."
"Little girl," I said, "you remind me of an angel,
sweet and innocent." She looked at me and smiled
slowly, she stood to her feet and said, "Really?"
"Yes, dear, you're like a little guardian angel
sent to watch over all those people walking by."
She nodded her head 'yes' and smiled,
and with that she spread her wings and said, "I am.
I'm your guardian angel," with a twinkle in her eye.
I was speechless, sure I was seeing things.
She said, "And when you began thinking of someone
other than yourself, my job here was done."
Immediately I stood to my feet and said,
"Wait, so why did no one else stop to help an angel?"
She looked at me and smiled,
"You're the only one who could see me,"
and she was gone.
With that my life was changed dramatically.
So when you think you're all you have, remember, your
angel is always watching over you. Mine was....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby
some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2
Michael
on a cold winter day,
Took a shortcut through the woods,
and I lost my way.
It was getting late,
and I was scared and alone,
Then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.
Mama couldn't see him,
but he was standing there,
And I knew in my heart,
he was the answer to my prayers.
Oh, I believe there are angels among us,
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hour
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give,
To guide us with a light of love.
When life held troubled times,
and had me down on my knees,
There's always been someone there
to come along And comfort me.
A kind word from a stranger
to lend a helping hand,
A phone call from a friend just
to say, "I understand."
And ain't it kind of funny
that at the dark end of the road,
Someone lights the way with
just a single ray of hope.
Oh, I believe there are angels among us,
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hour
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give,
To guide us with a light of love.
They wear so many faces,
show up in the strangest places,
To guide us with their mercy,
in our time of need.
Oh, I believe there are angels among us,
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hour
To show us how to live,
to teach us how to give,
To guide us with a light of love,
To guide us with a light of love.
There was a woman who had been diagnosed
with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live.
As she begin getting her things "in order,"
she called her pastor and asked for him to come
to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung
at the service, what scriptures
she wanted read, and what dress she wanted
to be buried in. She also requested
to be buried with her favorite Bible
in her left hand. Everything was in order
and as the pastor was preparing to leave,
the woman suddenly remembered one final
request that was very important to her.
"Please Pastor, just one more thing,"
she said excitedly.
"Sure, What is it" came the pastor's reply.
"This is very important to me,"
the woman continued....."I want to be buried
holding a fork in my right hand."
The pastor gazed at the woman, with a loss for words.
"That surprises you, doesn't it ?" the woman asked.
The pastor replied "Well to be quite honest,
I'm puzzled by the request."
The women explained. "You see, Pastor,
in all my years of attending
church socials and potluck dinners,
I remember that when
the dishes were being cleared
after the main course,
someone would inevitably lean over
to me and say, 'Keep your Fork'...
it was my favorite part because I knew that
something better was coming,
like velvety chocolate cake
or deep dish apple pie.
Something wonderful, and with
substance to end the great meal."
The pastor listened intently
and a smile came upon his face.
The woman continued, "So, I just want
people to see me there in the casket
with a fork in my hand
and I want them to wonder....
'What's with the fork?'...
then I want you to tell them:
"Keep your Fork......the best is yet to come".
The pastor's eyes welled up with
tears of joy as he hugged
the woman good-bye.
He knew that this would be one
of the last times that he would see her
before her death.
But he also knew that the woman had
a better grasp of Heaven then he did.
She KNEW and trusted
that the best was yet to come.
At the funeral, everyone that walked by
the woman's casket saw her wearing a beautiful dress
with her favorite Bible held in her
left hand and a fork held in her right hand.
Over and Over the pastor heard
people ask the question,
"Why is she holding a fork?"
and his smile began to get larger
and brighter each time. During his message,
the pastor told the
people about the conversation
that he had with the woman shortly
before she died. He explained the fork
and what it symbolized to her.
The Pastor told everyone how he could not stop
thinking about the fork
and how he hoped that they would
not be able to stop thinking about it either.
That fork and the meaning of it
to the woman had quite the impact
on everyone and they are still
sharing the story with people they meet.
And now it has been shared with you......
so the next time you reach for your fork,
let it remind you, oh so gently,
that the best is yet to come...
....
Like any good mother, when Karen found out
that another baby was on the way,
she did what she could to help her 3 year old son,
Micheal, prepare for a new sibiling.
They found out that the new baby is going to be a girl,
and day after day, night after night,
Micheal sings to his sister in Mommy's tummy.
The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen,
an active member of the Panther Creek
United Methodist church in Morristown, TN.
Then the labor pains come.
Every five minutes...every minute.
But complications arise during delivery.
Hours of labor. Would a c-section be required?
Finally, Micheal's little sister is born.
But she is in serious condition.
With sirens howling in the night, the ambulance rushes
the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit
at St. Mary's hospital, Knoxville, TN
The days inch by. The little girl gets worse.
The pediatric specialist tells the parents
"There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst."
Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery
about a burial plot. They have fixed
up a special room in their home
for the new baby
and now they plan a funeral.
Micheal keeps begging his parents
to let him see his sister.
"I want to sing to her," he says.
Week two in intensive care. It looks as if
a funeral will come before the week is over.
Micheal keeps nagging about
singing to his sister
but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care.
But Karen makes up her mind.
She will take Micheal whether
they like it or not.
If he doesn't see his sister now,
he may never see her alive.
She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit
and marches him into ICU.
He looks like a walking laundry basket,
but the head nurse recognizes
him as a child and bellows,
"Get that kid out of here now!
No children are allowed!"
The mother rises up strong in Karen,
and the usually mild-mannered
lady glares steel-eyed into
the head nurse's face,
her lips a firm line.
"He is not leaving until
he sings to his sister!"
Karen tows Micheal to his sister's bedside.
He gazes at the tiny infant losing
the battle to live. And he begins to sing.
In the pure hearted voice of a 3 year old,
Micheal sings:" You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine,
you make me happy when skies are gray,"
Instantly the baby girl responds.
The pulse rate becomes calm and steady.
"Keep on singing, Micheal."
"You never know, dear,
how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away - - -"
The ragged, strained breathing
becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr.
"Keep on singing, Micheal." "The other night,
dear, as I lay sleeping,
I dreamed I held you in my arms..."
Micheal's little sister relaxes as rest,
healing rest,
seems to sweep over her.
"Keep on singing Micheal."
Tears conquer the face of the bossy nurse.
Karen glows. "You are my sunshine, my only
sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away......"
Funeral plans are scrapped.
The next day- - - the very next day,
the little girl is well enough to go home!
Woman's day magazine called it
"the miracle of a brother's song."
The medical staff just called it a miracle.
Karen called it a miracle of GOD's love!
Never Give Up Oo The People You Love.
I said, "God, I hurt."
And God said, I know."
I said, "God, I cry a lot."
And God said, "That is why I gave you tears."
I said, "God, I am so depressed."
And God said, "That is why I gave you Sunshine."
I said, "God, life is so hard."
And God said, "That is why I gave you loved ones."
I said, "God, my loved one died."
And God said, "So did mine."
I said, "God, it is such a loss."
And God said, "I saw my son nailed to a cross."
I said, "God, but your loved one lives."
And God said, "So does yours."
I said, "God, where are they now?"
And God said, "Mine is on My right and yours is in the Light."
I said, "God, it hurts."
And God said, "I know."
Posted on the wall at the
Oklahoma City bombing site
by K. C. and Myke Kuzmic
Stockton, CA
