God Works In Mysterious Ways

                                   This is a first-person account from a mother about her family as they 
                                   ate dinner on Christmas Day in a small restaurant many miles from 
                                   their home.

                                   Nancy, the mother, relates; 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 here." He pounded his fat baby
                                   hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement
                                   and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and
                                   giggled with merriment.

                                   I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a
                                   man with a tattered rag of a coat, dirty, greasy and worn. His
                                   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.

                                   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?" 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 know patty cake? Do you now 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 side-step him to 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 old smelly man and a very young
                                   baby consummated their love 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 labour-gently, so
                                   gently 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 for a
                                   moment, and then 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."

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