Child of God

Once there was a man whose wife had gone, so he he was left to raise his daughter all alone.
His heart grew cold, cause he could no longer hold, the best “love” he thought he’d known.
One day he was stopped by a homeless man, who asked him for a helping hand.
He replied, “Sir, my wife has left me with our child, and I feel like I could die.
I have problems of my own, so leave us alone. Please sir, just step aside.”

As they began to walk away from the man, the girl turned around to look again.
She had not noticed the crown of thorns on his head, or the nail prints in his feet.
She didn't see the tears of blood that rolled down his face.
She never noticed the hole in his side.
But she heard the man when he softly said,
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for it is God they shall see."

The very next day, while they were on their way, almost late for school.
The homeless man appeared once again
Afraid to approach them, as if he was breaking a rule.
“Sir can you help me please, I need something to eat, and a place to sleep”.
Then he heard the father reply,
“Eat whatever you can find, and rest here on the street
I cannot help you right now, I just don't have time.”

As they walked away once again, the girl watched from the corner of her eye.
She watched carefully, but didn’t see the spot of blood that appeared on his side.
He said, "Come unto me all ye who are weary, and heavy burdened,
and I will give you rest.”
He walked away slowly, as more precious blood
appeared in stripes on his back, and on his chest.

On Saturday morning, the day was very boring, so they went to the park to play.
They looked up again and saw the homeless man, and once again heard him say,
“Sir please can you help a needy friend?”
The father pretended to smile and said to him,
“I don't have any change now, but maybe next time I’ll give you something,
The girl watched again as they walked from the man towards the other way.
The homeless man raised his head, looked towards heaven, and began to pray.

Sunday came, not a sign of rain, as they headed for Easter morning service
Down the street where they’d usually meet the man who was poor and homeless.
This time he wasn’t there. No traffic, no people, no noise.
The streets were unusually bare.

After the service they began to leave from there,
when the girl heard her name whispered through the air.
She turned around to see the homeless man,
not alone, but standing with two of his friends standing there.

She released her father's hand, and she ran towards the homeless man.
“I didn't put your money in the basket”, she said.
“I just knew that I would see you again.
I wanted to give it to you face to face”.
The man smiled at her, and gave God thanks.

He raised his head, and aloud he cried,
“I praise thee Father, that she saw the light.
You hid these things from the learned, and the wise.
With all the knowledge in the world today,
The purest love and compassion comes from children,
and the greatest wisdom is spoken through babes”.

As he reached forth to receive the child’s offering of love
He smiled at her and said,
"your mortgage is paid in full,
on a mansion above”.

She looked at him very closely, and then looked at his friends.
Fully aware that there was something different about this man.
She held his hands gently inside of hers;
she looked at his face, and looked down again.
As she searched upward for his eyes,
Then she began to cry, and she said,

"Lord, what happened to your hands?"


Dedicated to Devon M. Donelson

John L. Donelson
Prodigal Son Productions
Copyright © 1998

Look for the entire book, "Those Trying Times" online at www.RevelationsChristianMedia.com