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| THE VIEW FROM KATIES CRIB by Dale Freeman One day, and she couldn't exactly be sure what day, Katie figured out that the fingers wiggling in front of her nose were attached to her. After that, she used them often, clenching and unclenching, flexing digits in every possible order before her bright, inquisitive eyes. Beyond the fingers, and she couldn't tell exactly how far, were streaks of hue that she decided she would one day know as colors. "I'll bet that will be blue," she thought to herself. "Blue...and yellow over there; and that, I'm sure I'll learn, is rosy bright red!" She didn't know the names yet, but she certainly knew a color when she saw one. Surrounding her crib was a beautifully adorned room, its walls covered with smiling cartoon characters, and hanging things that spun and made noise when a breath of air caught them just right. The lights on a tinsel-laden tree flashed in the adjoining room, its branches embracing a rich harvest of wrapped gifts. Beyond that, in a cookie-scented kitchen, a radio hummed about chestnuts roasting on open fires and reindeer that could fly. Her first Christmas had arrived on cold winds, bringing in their wake thick rich snow that blanketed forests and fields alike. Her crib was warm and snug, and she was content. The other beings like her, although decidedly larger, seemed to spend a lot of time working to meet her simple needs. They would feed her, roll her to and fro, pat her back to make her burp, and change her garments when she sprang yet another unseemly leak. They sometimes sang to her, holding her close to themselves, rocking to and fro in a chair to lull her into the familiar land of dreams. They made her feel safe, and she could tell that they loved her very much. She, although she wasn't able to say it, felt the same way, and occasionally gave them a grin just to be sure they understood her intentions. "Katie," a familiar voice whispered. She blinked her eyes, searching past the streaks of color to the being standing above her. "Oh, hello," she sighed. She stretched, reaching her fists outward in search of fresh awareness. "It's you," she smiled. The guardian angel stooped and caressed Katie's round, full cheek with a soft feather-light hand. "I'm just checking up on you," the angel assured her. "You've been sleeping for a long time, and it won't be long before you're hungry again. I wanted a moment with you before your mother comes in." "I'm glad you're here," Katie gurgled. "I feel safe when you're here." The angel smiled and spread its sun-bright wings across the crib. "You'll always feel safe then," the heavenly being assured her. "I'll always be with you, although you won't always know that I am." "Why won't I know?" Katie asked. "I thought I was going to get smarter as I got older. I know that you're with me now. What am I going to do? Get stupid or something?" The angel smiled. "No," it laughed. "You're going to get smarter and smarter. You're going to learn things that you haven't even imagined yet. You're going to see the blue sky with fluffy clouds racing across it, and you're going to discover the smiling bright face of the moon as it shoos away a thousand stars in a cool midnight sky. You'll see waves breaking against rocks and mountains capped with pure white snow, and you're going to learn that two plus two is always four, whether you come to the conclusion by working a calculator or counting on your toes." "I'm going to learn about all those things?" Katie smiled in wonder. "Oh, that's nothing," the angel continued. "You're going to meet grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins. You're going to make friends, sing songs, play games, read, write and explore. You're going to learn about God's love for you, and His Son's sacrifice for you, and about the church, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and..." "Enough," Katie sighed. "I'm getting tired. I can't even take care of my own leaks yet, and you've already got me doing all those other things. I need to get some basics down before I conquer the world." "Fair enough," the angel smiled once again. "You've got plenty of time. Just relax, and gurgle and smile for the folks right now. They find you amusing, and while they're not even noticing, you can continue to grow." "You haven't answered my question," Katie reminded. "If I'm getting bigger and better and smarter, why won't I know about you when you're around?" The angel moved a cherub's breath closer and smiled sadly. "There are some things that people tend to forget as they grow up. They forget about God's provision that they once took for granted so contentedly. They forget what an angel looks like, and sometimes they never see us again." "Never?" Tears gathered in the corners of Katie's deep blue eyes. "Things like trust and faith have to be relearned. Some do it, and they catch a glimpse of us again. They relearn that God loves and cares at all times. I hope that you'll be one of those, dear Katie." The angel dipped its golden head and kissed Katie gently on the cheek. "One thing for sure," the smiling being whispered. "Whether you remember or not, whether you see me or not, I'll always be here. I'm not here because you believe in me. I'm here because God loves you. His love isn't going to end just because you grow and learn a little. I'll always be here." The words still tickled in Katie's ears as the nursery door slowly creaked open. Her mother, a warm smile spread across her beautiful face, moved into the room to examine Katie closely. "Are you wet?" she asked, sliding her hand unceremoniously under the covers. "I need to change you before you eat." The tender being picked Katie up in her arms and, humming a familiar refrain, carried the precious bundle across the room. Out of the corner of her eyes, Katie could see the angelic being standing in the corner. "Live well and be happy," the angel whispered. Katie smiled. "I won't forget," she promised herself. "I may for a while, but I'm going to remember. I'm going to remember that God loves me, and that His angels watch over me. I'm going to live my life the way He would want." It was a sublime promise. She knew that a lot of people would have to help her if she was able to keep it. As far as she could tell, the world was filled with people who would be more than willing to love her, care for her and help her to understand the wonder of God's love. She would depend upon them: her family and the people who knew God and had embraced God's own Son as Lord. Surely they would be more than willing to show her the way. From the crib a hand extends, reaching for the moon, A tender heart, a spirit clean, searching for a tune. Those who love accept the task, and labor from the start, To teach the music of God's love, and His sweet truth impart. |
Copyright ©2001 Dale Freeman. All rights reserved.