[blindchristian] FW: A Baby's Hug--A Letter from Larry For November 20, 2015

From: "Victoria E Gilkerson" <vegilkerson@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <carolyn_arthur@xxxxxxxxx>, <blindchristian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2015 10:16:19 -0600

V. E. Gilkerson

From: Victoria E Gilkerson [mailto:vegilkerson@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 10:13 AM
To: tony.jones3639@xxxxxxxxx; tonywayne1967@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: FW: A Baby's Hug--A Letter from Larry For November 20, 2015

V. E. Gilkerson

From: Larry Perry [mailto:larryperry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Larry Perry
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2015 7:08 AM
To: vegilkerson@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: A Baby's Hug--A Letter from Larry For November 20, 2015

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A Letter from Larry

FRIDAY
November 20, 2015

_____

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 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 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, 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. How did God feel when he put his baby in our arms 2000 years
ago.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom
of God, we must become as little children.'

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.

I believe we could all take lessons from God's little children!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'It is better to be liked for the true you, than to be loved for whom

people think you are......'(Amen! )

Much love from the beautiful Smoky Mountains,

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@xxxxxxx and request to be added
to the Letters from Larry list.

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[blindchristian] FW: A Baby's Hug--A Letter from Larry For November 20, 2015

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