Thought 4 the Day: A Personal Reflection in a Story - What about You?

One day a father of a little boy showed up at a baseball field. It so happened his eight year old son lost a lens from his glasses in centerfield and was searching for it. As the father wandered onto the field nearing his boy, he began screaming at his son for losing the lens.

One of the coaches, David called “Time.” David and others went out to center field to look for the lens. However, the dad kept shouting threats and obscenities at his little son. Then, he cocked back his fist and punched the little boy in the face. The boy went down.

As David painfully observed, he saw the precious little boy lying there stunned. Then he sat up, fighting back the tears. He would not cry.

Immediately, David went to him. Putting his arm around him, David gently said, "Don't worry, you didn't mean to lose it. We'll find the lens. It will be ok." The boy burst into tears.

My heart broke when I heard of  this as I could recall my own personal story wrapped up in this - as a little girl (with my mom). The minute David touched him, this little boy sobbed. His little spirit responded to love.

Do you recall what it is like to be eight? At a moment like that, this little boy was confused. In his young mind, he had done a bad thing in losing his lens. He knew he didn't mean to, but “motives” aren't understood at that age. After all, his dad was mad, so he had to be bad. He had no idea what others felt. As far as he knew, they felt the same way his dad did. Oh, the insecurity this little one must have felt at that moment.

But he also felt another pain: a crushed spirit from the screaming, a broken heart from the fist. Deep within he was created by God to be loved, but no one loved him. He was designed to be valued and treated as significant. So, he held back his tears. If he cried, it could get worse. Everyone might turn on him. He felt so alone and scared. He wanted someone to comfort him. Then a hand was placed on his shoulder and an arm came around him. He heard the soft voice of a kind man who had been playing baseball with him. "Don't worry, you didn't mean to lose it. We'll find the lens. It will be ok." The boy burst into tears. It was love. It was honor. He was rescued. Oh, if only dad had joined in and said, "Will you forgive me?"

Fam, every human spirit longs to be loved and respected. Every human spirit cries out, "Does anybody love me? Am I significant to anyone?"

Looking beyond this little boy, what about you?