A Little Boy

[Tim]

There was once a little boy who lived with a loving family. One day he wandered off and got lost in the wilderness. It was cold and dark and as he searched for his way back he came upon a house and looked in the window. There was a warm fire and people were laughing and talking and having a wonderful time. He went in and joined the fun and for a while he felt warm and loved and that he was finally in out of the cold. Then things began to change he tried to interact with others but they seemed not to want him to speak. Then when he would approach people they would stop talking and leave. Finally someone set him outside the door and locked him out. He went to the window and looked in, he saw the warm fire, the people laughing and having fun. Someone saw him and came to the window and asked what he was doing? He said he was cold and wanted to come in. They told him you are welcome here but you can never come inside. He looked at the cold dark wilderness and
he looked inside at the warm fire and the loving friends. He longed to be inside with them but knew he never could. He looked at the lonely wilderness again and and walked away from what he longed for so badly. He wondered in the wilderness for many years and came upon many houses with a warm fire and loving friends inside. Each time he went in and felt, finally I am home, here I am loved, only to find himself rejected and put out and told you are welcome here but you can not come in. Finally he was an old man, his hair was grey and his health was beginning to fail and it was harder for him to wander through the wilderness. One day he sat and pondered his life and wondered would things be different on the other side of death's door? He wondered if there were others like him, who could not come in and join the fellowship in the house with the warm fire and loving friends? He resolved that if he ever had a house with a warm fire that all would be
welcome, not only to look inside from the window, but to come in and enjoy the fellowship and warmth of the loving friends inside. That whatever it was that made them undesirable it would be tolerated and they would be loved the same as those most desireable. The old man sat and thought about it, Yes that is how it must be because my joy could never be full if there was even one who felt the pain of rejection I have felt. He built a fire on the ground and looked up at the stars and asked them, as they looked down on the world, if the saw any that were rejected to tell them he had a warm fire for them. That no matter how or why they were undesireable he would not reject them but would love them and fellowship with them and enjoy the warm fire with them. He pleaded with the stars to tell them there are no walls around his fire and no window you must stand outside of and look in. No, there are no conditions on love and fellowship all will be accepted and loved as they are.
As he sat there gazing at the stars it became clear to him that many are just like him not knowing why they are rejected but fully aware of the pain of that rejection. That there is a star in the sky for each and everyone of us waiting for us to look up and be lead to the unconditional warmth and love of the one who is Love. As this became clear in his mind his heart filled with joy and though his life had been filled with pain his pain was now swallowed up in his joy. All he could desire now was to bring others to this true source of light and love. Then like the stars he could reflect the true light and love to those who are lost lonely and cold.

[moving2zion]

Great story

[Original_Intent]

I love this story. I actually try very hard to see people that I am not loving as children, I try to imagine what makes them the way they are. I look at children and even the ones that can be little turds sometime, it is easy to see in most cases what makes them be the way they are, how a little extra love and attention will help them to overcome their challenges. It is harder to see that in adults, which is why I try to see them as children and really even though they may have more barriers built up, the solution of some extra love and attention is still usually the medicine they need.

Anyway, very touching story. I too am an old man, and often feel like nobody gets me. Even my wife and children who I love beyond anything, I sometimes feel quite alone and not understood. We ALL fight so many unseen battles that no one but ourselves and the Lord knows about. Even many of our own hang ups, we don't understand what the root problem is to any degree compared to the Lord.

Anyway, thanks for the story. I hear you.