“A Little Child Shall Lead Them”
Today, as I taught my little five years old, there lesson about “Faith in Jesus Christ”, I asked them to close their eyes and visualize Him smiling at each one of them. I gave them each my “Angel Lullabies” cd and told them to listen to song number 12, “His Smile is Love”. I encouraged them to each go home and listen to the song with their eyes closed and imagine Jesus smiling upon them as they go to sleep each night. As they squinted their eyes tightly closed, I asked them, “If you can imagine Jesus smiling on you right now, raise your hand!”Immediately, seven little hands shot up in the air in exuberance and enthusiasm. We said our good-byes and I asked them to listen to their lullabies every night and imagine Jesus close beside them each night.
Soon, it became my turn to test my faith in Jesus Christ, visualization skills. During the Sacrament, I realized that I had some forgiving and repenting to do….The following are my meditations and the process of visualizing that I went through….on an adult level.
Truly, God knew what he was doing when he inspired someone to have me teach the five year olds. He knew, I would need a little child to lead me….to Him.
I suppose the art of forgiving is an art that must be learned and relearned…unless of course God grants you with the gift of a forgiving heart. Perhaps, the art of listening, preempts the spirit of true forgiveness. I find it interesting that the word “art”, as well as the word “ear” is in the word “heart”.
Recently, I realized that one of my most precious relationships was in trouble. Because of our busy lives, a friend and I had become dependent upon text messaging, emails and voice mail through which to conduct our business and relationship ties. Slowly, we both began realizing that something was getting lost in the translation. Tone of voice cannot be conveyed through text messaging. Some messages were missed as well as “mixed”.
Soon hurt feelings that transpired all though miscommunications or “mixed communications” transpired. The written words were taken out of context. Now, it appeared that we would have to have a face to face meeting to unravel the misunderstanding that had grown.
A few more text messages and the plot worsened. Now it seemed unresolvable.
I went to church and began to pray for a way to resolve what seemed now to be “irreconciliable differences” between my friend and I. But of us were feeling misunderstood. Both of us yearned to be understood. As I sat in church praying, the words came to my mind…”It is not in your stewardship to judge your neighbor. It is only in your job description to love your neighbor. If you neighbor has hurt you, and isn’t able to put salve into your wounds, bring your wounds to Me. Only I can heal them. Only I can mend your broken hearts.”
In my mind’s eye, I saw myself sitting with the Savior. He was gazing at the wounds now festering in my heart and in my friend’s. He was putting ointment in our wounds and bandaging them up so that they could not only be healed, but sealed up from further infection. Soon, both “little girls” were laughing and playing with each other again.
I marvel upon the gift of a forgiving heart. I cannot heal your wounds. You cannot heal mine. There is only one Divine Physician. The only balm that can heal a broken heart is the healing balm of gilead which penetrates through the layers, rips, cuts and tears of our broken hearts. But, we must bring our hearts to this Divine Physician. We must open our hearts and let him touch the wounds.
There is healing in his finger. There is healing in his hands. There is healing in his heart. There is healing in his eyes. There is healing in his smile…in his voice.
During the Sacrament, I found myself discovering a deepening ability to “see Jesus” in my mind’s eye. I saw my friend and myself…at age five…coming to Him with our heart-wounds exposed…both ready, both waiting, both willing to be touched by the Healer’s Touch.
Reminiscing how the pains got there, trying to share all sides of the story, urgently trying to defend our good intentions….perhaps would have only made matters worse. Sometimes forgiveness means simply, “letting go and letting God” make the divine apologies, pour in the healing salve of salvation, repair the breach and call it, “Good”.
