faith

Her eyes were sullen and sunken into her head – her cheek bones protruding from lack of nourishment. She sat there alone, in the corner, rocking back and forth with her rag doll – a rag doll…one brown button eye hanging from threads, stray wisps of yarn where once hair graced the head, tattered cloth, and stuffing poking through the patchwork olive skin.

Most people merely glanced at this child and hurried by – who wanted to adopt such a plain, poor girl? So there she sat, in the corner, rocking back and forth with her rag doll. Singing. Singing quietly – so as not to disturb the occasional prospective family. Singing sweetly – a melody known by many but sung by few… “yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me yes, Jesus loves me – the Bible tells me so…”

Her small huddled form brought a rush of tears to my eyes – the sad, bitter kind. Yet her simple melody brought fresh tears – this time to my heart – the comforting, happy kind. Her circumstances were rough, her faith simple, her message true – she ministered to me.