Happy Sunday

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 anything, 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 skidrow 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's.

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

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Sweet Little Jesus Boy
They made made you be born in a manger
Sweet Little Holy Child
We didn't know who you were

Didn't know you come to save us Lord
to take our sins away
our eyes were blind, we could not see
We didn't know who you were

You have shown us how
We are trying
Master you have shown us how
Even when you were dying

It's just seems like we can't do right
Look how we treated you
But please Sir, forgive us Lord
We didn't know it was You

Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Born long ago
Sweet Little Holy Child
And we didn't know who you were

Daily Smile:
Editor's Note:
 After reading "A Baby's Hug" and listening to "Sweet Little Jesus Boy", I had tears in my eye and a huge smile on my face... 
Just didn't want to run the moment with a joke... Richard
 
In The News:

Mike Huckabee: Removing God From the Classroom Leads to Violence in Schools
In response to the deadly mass shooting Friday in Newtown, Conn., former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said new laws regulating guns won't deter such shootings, linking the removal of God from the classroom to increased violence in schools, CNN reports. "We ask why there's violence in our school but we've systematically removed God from our schools," Huckabee said on Fox News. "Should we be surprised that schools have become such a place of carnage? Because we've made it a place where we don't want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability. That we're not just gonna have to be accountable to the police if they catch us but one day we stand before a holy God in judgment. If we don't believe that, then we don't fear that. People are going to want to pass new laws. This is a heart issue ... laws don't change this kind of thing." Huckabee made similar comments following the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., earlier this year, saying violent acts should not be a surprise considering the removal of God from public forums.
Islamists Claim Victory on Egypt Constitution Vote
Islamists appear to have won a narrow victory in the first round of voting on Egypt's constitution, though Egyptian rights groups are charging that there were widespread violations, CBN News reports. The opposition umbrella group, the National Salvation Front, condemned irregularities and violations and called for a massive rally against the constitution on Tuesday, Dec. 18. According to rights groups, violations included the presence of Muslim Brotherhood members at the polls, women being prevented from voting because they were not wearing Islamic veils, individuals falsely identifying themselves as judges, and Christians being denied entry to polling stations. Additionally, as polls closed, hundreds of Islamists attacked the offices of one of Egypt's oldest liberal parties. The controversial draft constitution would empower Islamists to enforce the most widespread and strictest implementation of sharia (Islamic law) that modern Egypt has ever seen. One voter, Mohamed Ewais, said: "I cannot accept a constitution with very limited, very limited actually, rights for minorities, rights for women, rights for even children. It's not suitable for Egypt, actually. We are talking about a country that has been in place for over 210 years as a modern state." Israelis are also watching the Egyptian vote with concern, as an Islamist victory could threaten the 33-year peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Atheist Billboard in Times Square Dubs Jesus a 'Myth'
The group American Atheists has put up a billboard in Times Square with an anti-Christian message, WORLD News Service reports. The billboard features a picture of Santa Claus and the caption "Keep The Merry!" above a picture of Jesus with the caption "Dump the Myth!" American Atheists' David Silverman told Fox News: "Most Christians are really atheists who feel trapped in their family’s religion. They need not be Christian to enjoy the holiday season." Silverman said a private donor paid more than $25,000 to have the billboard posted above a nightclub in the crossroads of the world for one month, ending Jan. 10, 2013. "We chose Times Square because it is a place where people go to shop and be festive, which has nothing to do with religion," Silverman said. Lamar Outdoor, the advertising giant that leased the space to Silverman's group, said it wasn't the company's place to censor the message.