Whatsoever You Do...

I knew I was staring, but I just couldn’t stop.

The second grade classes were lined up in the hall soon to walk on stage for the annual music program. From my hard metal chair in the darkened gym I squinted to see if my seven year old daughter was among them yet. It was 1pm and I reluctantly shed my sweats and tennis shoes, climbed into something a little more decent and headed to the school even though, as usual, I had a million other things to do. After all, she was the narrator, a very important job I’m told. I did guiltily wonder if this was a waste of time as they’d be repeating the hour long show again that evening and really how many pictures can one mother take? But I came just the same. Searching the lined up kids for my offspring, I spotted what had to be a much older child in the line. That couldn’t possibly be a second grader! She stood almost 5 feet tall and looked…how else can I say it? Pregnant. Of course that wasn’t the case, but I couldn’t stop myself from openly gaping. This poor child. She was everything you wouldn’t want in an eight year old girl. Overweight and clumsy, stringy hair pulled carelessly back in a low ponytail, a raggy print dress that fell to her knees, and ugly black shoes. It was apparent she walked on the outsides of her shoes…at least the one that faced me. Her eyes were tiny non-descript slits. I couldn’t even tell what color. But that stomach. I couldn’t stop staring at that stomach. What went wrong? Could she have such a protruding stomach just from being overweight? Did she have some other kind of medical condition? What? Sitting in the darkened, cavernous gym the bright lights of the hallway surrounded her being. The line stayed put and she stubbornly stayed directly in my sight for a good fifteen minutes. There was no doubt what to do. I began praying for all Gods angels to surround this precious one and change her life. As long as that child was in my view I was going to pray for her. Once in place on the stage she stood and sang obediently with the others. So out of place. Again I prayed. “Lord please pour your blessings on this child, and any others on that stage that need my prayers.”

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40.

I hope she felt my motherly hug across the gym.
It was the least I could do.