Amazing Grace

Amazing grace, how sweet though art, to have an no armed boy of about 4 years old come up to you and want up on your lap during the church service. Up he wiggles and moves like all boys do. But there are no handles with this one. I ever realized how much I counted on a child’s arms to steady them on your lap. There is, however, a smile and a set of eyes that can pierce and touch my soul.   During the service it was time for us to cross ourselves, so I did so for him wondering in my heart had he ever had this done for him before.  Since I didn’t know his name, I turned and prayed believing that the Holy Trinity must surely know this boy already or there would be no need to ever cross myself again? Like children everywhere he wanted down, so I put him down and off he ran to be with other kids. I thanked God for the touching moment completely satisfied that this small boy with no arms had touched me.  I few minutes go by then all of a sudden I feel someone kicking the back of my folding chair and he is back and wants back up on my lap.  So up he comes and the next thing I see is he is leaning over me and sticking his tongue out at Tess who is sitting beside me.  This kid has both of us laughing during mass.  Tess whispered that she had done it to him when we were giving him his physical. Then I realized just how trusting this child is of me since just the other day I stuck him on the earlobe to get a drop of blood to check his iron level.  He not only came back to me, but wanted to get attention from me - that was just such a heartfelt, loving moment that rarely happens. It was amazing how someone so bright and small, I don’t think he weighed more than 35 pounds, could have such an impact on me. I found out later that night, from his school medical records, that he is 8 years old.  But like most children in Haiti they are much smaller than they would be at that age in the USA.  This boy was so full of happiness, love and trust that I couldn’t help but feel that he was the definition of grace.  It was truly amazing to see him so full of love and hope and trust. His faith and God’s love have already touched this child of God; it is me that is the crippled one! May God someday give me this boy’s faith? Amazing grace how sweet though art? Who put his faith in me?     

sent in by John Mutin