Love from a Child

Drawing by Nico, thanks to Children's Hospital Boston

Don't think that you have to be in an exotic country half way around the world, where the "natives" walk around barefoot in order to help and make a difference. There are so many ways to reach out to others where ever you are.

Although I have lived in third world countries with primitive conditions where I did my best to make a difference,  now I live in England, where I still do my bit to make a difference in the lives that cross my path. It's not impossible!

The other day I volunteered my services as a face painter for the Fun Day party for a charity that I help with. When I arrived I was surprised at how many children were there. The organizers told me that they also were surprised at how many showed up! As soon as I was set up and ready to go, I had a queue of children wanting their faces painted so I got to work.

The event was taking place on a estate in a rough and deprived part of town and I quickly realized that probably most of these kids don't often get the chance to have their faces painted due to economical reasons and it was a real high point for them to get it done. Some of them were a bit "rough" and didn't have the best of manners. But, hey, having raised 5 boys myself, and having a lot of experience taking charge over rowdy boys in the classroom, I was enjoying their spirit and enthusiasm, even if they were shaking the table :"Hey, stop shaking the table--it feels like an earthquake!"

Two brothers who left a mark on my heart came a bit late and wouldn't leave my side, afraid to miss their turn, talking every minute. Have you ever tried to paint someone while a 7 year old is tugging at  your sleeve to get your attention? Finally it was his turn and he then said, "I'll let my brother go before me, since he's younger than me". When his younger brother sat down, the older sibling said to me: "I'll help you by holding his head" and he then proceeded to clamp the head of his brother in a vice like grip. It looked so funny and it actually was a bit difficult to paint the poor little guy that way, who meekly complied. Finally it was his turn and before I knew it, I was packing up and all the kids were gone.

The other organizers were asking me if I was tired as it was none stop, but I could truly say that I wasn't. Truth was, it was an inspiration to me to be able to help in this way. It wasn't only the kids that were happy, but the parents too, many of whom would never normally be able to make their kids happy in this way. My reward was not only the resultant happiness of the children after they were transformed into a butterfly or tiger, but the interaction with them and the reminder of the innocence of children and the simplicity of spirit they possess and the easy way they express love and appreciation. This expression of innocence from them was especially touching for me knowing that many of them faced difficult challenges at home and their life ahead would not be a bed of roses!

 No one handed me a pay envelope at the end of the day, but a little boy with special needs (there were several of them there) handed me an envelope with his scribbles on it, as a token of his appreciation. It was enough.

What is Christmas?

It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.—Agnes M. Pahro

The Boy Who Changed My Christmases Forever

By John London

I hurried into the local department store to grab some last-minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys and wondered if the grandkids would even play with them.

I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about five holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman he called his aunt and say, “Are you sure I don’t have enough money?” She replied a bit impatiently, “You know that you don’t have enough money for it.” The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere; that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll.

After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, “It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it.” I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said “No, Santa can’t go where my sister is … I have to give the doll to my momma to take to her.” I asked him where his sister was.

He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, “She has gone to be with Jesus. My daddy says that Momma is going to have to go be with her.” My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, “I told Daddy to tell Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store.” Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he’d had taken at the front of the store. He said, “I want my momma to take this with her so she won’t ever forget me. I love my momma so very much and I wish she didn’t have to leave me, but Daddy says she will need to be with my sister.”

I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking, I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, “Shall we count that money one more time?” He grew excited and said, “Yes, I just know it has to be enough.” So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it.

Of course, it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, “Thank You Jesus for giving me enough money.” Then the boy said, “I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Momma can take it with her to give to my sister, and He heard my prayer. I wanted to ask Him for enough to buy my momma a white rose, but I didn’t ask Him; but He’s given me enough to buy the doll and a rose for Momma! She loves white roses so very, very much.”

In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Surely this little boy did not belong with that story.

Two days later I read in the paper that the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I couldn’t forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I couldn’t help myself, I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. There she was, holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store.

I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming.

“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”

Family Day Picnic at Regents Park

On May 25th, as part of National Family Week, a new occasion that aims to promote and celebrate family life in the UK, Regents Park, London, hosted a hugh picnic. The picnic was also an attempt to set the Gunniess World Record for largest picnic in multiple venues.

About 25 Family Members, from various Centres around London attended, with their picnics and an extra added item. We brought along thousands of "What Everybody Needs is Love" posters to distribute to the families enjoying the awesome sunshine. The weather prediction had been for thundershowers and it was very overcast, with some light rain in the morning. But a lot of people must have been praying for good weather as the sun came out brilliantly and it couldn't have been better weather for a picnic in the park.

We distributed our Poster to everyone there and it was received with gladness. Even a TV camera crew liked it enough to film a spot with the poster.

It was a wonderful day out and we are happy to have been able to get out God's message of Love to so many people.

Kylie organized and coordinated the Family's efforts that day.Dawn was filmed by ITV for "London Tonight" news programme. The interviewer also took home a poster, which he really liked.

Here is the text from the back of the Poster:

NO MATTER WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE FROM, what religion you believe in or what colour your skin is, your heart is the same as other people's hearts all around the World!—There is no difference! Our desire and need for love and peace and happiness is made by God, and the same in everyone the World over!

WHOEVER WE ARE AND WHEREVER WE ARE FROM, the simple answer to all of our problems is the same as it has always been for every age and every generation: LOVE!—True love, real love, God's Love!

WHAT EVERYBODY NEEDS IS LOVE! This is God's answer to all the problems of today as well as to all the problems of the past!—An answer which has always been so simple and childlike that many people find it hard to believe! But this is still God's solution, even in such a confused and complicated World as we live in today!

IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE: If we love God, if we have His Love in our hearts, we will love and care for each other. We will then follow His rules of life, liberty and happiness, and all will be well and happy as we follow Him!

FOR IT IS MAN'S REJECTION OF GOD'S LOVE AND HIS LOVING LAWS THAT CAUSES MOST OF THE EVILS AND TROUBLES IN THE WORLD TODAY! If people would love God and each other, they would not be mean and selfish! The rich wouldn't rob the poor, those with plenty wouldn't let their neighbours suffer hunger, disease or overwork without helping them, and they certainly wouldn't fight cruel wars in which they kill and wound each other!

THIS IS WHY JESUS SAID THAT THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT IS TO LOVE!—To first of all love God, and then to love your neighbour as yourself! In fact, He said that these two simple laws fulfil all the laws of God! (Matthew 22:37-39) In other words, Love fulfils all the Law!—God's only Law is Love!

OF COURSE, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, "OH, I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD!" But if you were to ask them if they believe in love, they'd probably reply, "Of course I believe in love!" Well, if they can believe in love, then they can believe in God!—Because the Bible says, "God is Love!" (1John 4:8) So real love, God's Love, is all the religion you need, because God is Love, and Love is God!

GOD IS NOT ONLY LOVE, BUT JESUS ALSO SAID THAT "GOD IS A SPIRIT!" (John 4:24)—He is the Great Spirit of Love that created you and me and this beautiful World and the entire Universe! He is so big and so great that He is far beyond our human understanding! But God loved us so much that He wanted us to somehow know and love Him, so to show us His Love and to help us to understand Himself, He sent His Own Son to Earth in the form of a man, Jesus Christ.

JESUS WAS LIKE A PICTURE OF GOD, to show us what God Himself is like.—And that picture is a picture of Love, because all Jesus did was talk about love and show love and live love. Then finally, in love, He gave His life for you and me, so that we could have God's Love, forgiveness and free Gift of Eternal Life if we would just receive Him into our hearts.

SO IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LOVE, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T YET FOUND GOD'S LOVE BY RECEIVING HIS SON JESUS!—There is a hollowness, an empty spot that He has placed in each of our hearts that only He can fill, and that nothing else will ever truly satisfy. So if you'd like Him to fill that spot in your life, all you have to do is open your heart to Him.

TO RECEIVE GOD'S LOVE IS SO SIMPLE that Jesus said you must become as a little child to enter His spiritual Kingdom of love and joy! He said, "Unless you humble yourself and become as a little child, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!" (Matthew 18:3)

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS CONFESS THAT YOU'RE NOT PERFECT, that you have made mistakes and that you need God's forgiveness. The Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) In other words, we've all done wrong, so we all need to be forgiven, because without forgiveness of sin, we'd be separated from God's perfect Love.

BUT YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF! The Bible tells us, "by grace (God's Love and mercy) we are saved through faith, and not of ourselves or our own good deeds. It is the free Gift of God!" (Ephesians 2:8,9) No matter what good things you do or how religious you try to be, it's impossible to save yourself!—It's a Gift of God! And the Gift God gave is JESUS!

"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD (you and me), that He gave His Own Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in Him should never die (be separated from God's Love), but have Everlasting Life." (John 3:16) God loved you so much that He gave Jesus to die in your place, to take the punishment that you deserve for your sins.—And all you have to do is believe and receive Him!

JESUS PROMISED THAT IF YOU OPEN UP YOUR HEART, if you ask Him to come in, He will come in. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door (of your heart), and knock: If any man hear My voice, & open the door, I will come in to him." (Rev.3:20)

YOU CAN RECEIVE JESUS RIGHT NOW by praying this simple prayer: "Dear Jesus, please forgive me for all my sins. I believe You are the Son of God and that You died for me, and I now invite You into my heart. Jesus, please come in and help me to love others and tell them about You so they may find You too. In Jesus' name I ask, Amen."

IF YOU PRAYED AND MEANT THIS PRAYER, Jesus is now in your heart! And you have Love that you will never lose, that will never let you go, for you are His child forever!—"For he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life!" (John 3:36)

WE HOPE THESE WORDS OF LOVE HAVE HELPED YOU TO FIND THE LOVE YOU NEED TO MAKE YOU HAPPY!—And that others will find happiness through your love too! God bless you & make you a blessing with His Love!

Happy Valentines Day!