“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a real blessing."
~ Psalm 127:3
Malik was a selfish teenager; for
him the world that mattered stopped at the tip of his nose.
Later in life, he’d freely admit to spending most of his
adolescent years thinking only about himself and taking care of his own needs.
He wasn’t particularly unkind. He never spoke harshly to children or adults;
other people were simply irrelevant to him.
As the youngest of 5 siblings, Malik busied himself with video games, Netflix
and his own enjoyment.
He never really meant to be selfish. More like emotionally blind, he just wouldn’t
(or couldn’t) empathize with what other people thought or felt. He let older siblings do most of the chores
around the house. It was his parent’s
responsibility to worry about bills and problems.
That didn’t change in college either. He studied hard but only to make his own
life better. Even when he began
exploring his spirituality, it was only to increase his own pleasure.
Malik married before graduation and decided to start a
family. But reality soon became a
nightmare. Newly unemployed, deeply in
debt, and with a new baby on the way, modern life had little sympathy for
spoiled, pampered people.
In time he’d realize that all those struggles were slowly beating
the selfishness out of him one problem at a time. The answer crystallized one night shortly
after his baby boy was born.
He woke in the middle of the night to the adorable sounds of
‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ coming from the cradle. When he reached for his child, Rafael’s tiny
fingers curled around his pinky.
Malik gazed down into innocent, trusting eyes and a smile as
sweet as fresh strawberries. He picked
Rafael up and nestled the infant close (newborns are as nearsighted as Mr.
Magoo), talking softly and soothingly.
Malik felt his heart soar, expanding with love and
pure joy. In that moment, the truth
became clear: it’s by sharing our love with others that we create joy, serve
God, and make this world a better place.
We ourselves are sometimes the love that saves a life, gives
another hope, shows someone the way through, or comforts somebody who is
hurting. We’ll never know how much is
benefitted but we can be assured that if we only try, love will prevail and it
will grow.
The more people you let into your heart, the bigger your
heart gets. The more love you give, the
more love you have to give. It just
keeps growing.
So keep loving then. Keep
living. Keep laughing. Keep caring. Keep sharing. Keep helping our Heavenly Father to heal this
world. Keep growing your heart today,
tomorrow, and always.
Almighty Father, when we look into the eyes
of Your children, we know You are looking back at us. It reminds us of the miracle of birth and all
that has to happen for a child to be born.
We feel Your love; without You we would be numb. Thank You, Amen.
