An Angel Child....

   On Friday when I rang the bell for the  Salvation  Army....I met a small angel boy. He was about 6 years old, very tiny . It was so obvious he had multiple birth defects. His ears were not fully developed, his hands had been operated on many times.  There was scarring. He even needed glasses.
    I noticed him watching me from the floral dept . of the grocery. So I rang the bell in his direction and smiled. He was getting excited. So his mom brought him over to put money in the kettle. He dropped his coins in and started to dance a bit. He reached into his pockets and got two more pennies out and put them in the kettle. I said, "God bless your heart, you have given all your money to the poor. Now poor children will have some Christmas. "  The I gave him a small bell we were handing out to children who gave. He started ringing his little bell and smiling .

  Later as his mom was in the check out line, I said  "Nathan,  come ring your bell with me." His mom said okay, he stood next to me and the kettle and rang his little bell. then he says, " let me try your bell, and I let him ring it.  I laughed and so did he...he made that bell sound like a dinner bell.  LOL.  Then his mom took his picture on her phone as he stood by the kettle with his bell.  When he left , I had tears in my eyes. He had the joy of being a child..
  Yesterday, I go back to the grocery. I asked the florist if she remembered the boy and his mom. She said they go to her church. She is explaining who the grandparents were. I did not know them. She tells me then that the mother was working in their office right then. I thanked her and went looking for that young mother.
   I found the mom at the office. I explained that I could not stop thinking of her son ringing the bell and giving all his coins. She said he had been up that very morning ringing his little bell. So I told her I knew a bit about birth defects as my own twins were each born with one.  She told me  her son  had already had 13 surgeries on his hands and was in PT learning to use a new thumb, made from one of his fingers. Your thumb is 50 percent use of your hand . The mother and the angel boy have a long road ahead.  They are in my prayers.
   Just telling this story because that child touched my heart.  Wishing all of you a beautiful Sunday. XO