The Special One
"Mommy, what's that?" Jessa pointed at the object slowly moving in the sky.
Anna looked up. "What?" She squinted her eyes to see better. She examined the blue sky, partly cloudy, searching for the mysterious thing that her daughter was asking about. Her daughter already knew about birds, planes, and helicopters, so the question made Anna curious. She continued to search for it, when a woman with a golden brown and white Cavalier walked by.
"Look, a puppy!" Jessa exclaimed, pulling on Anna's hand, wanting to meet the dog.
"Yes, I see that, sweetie." She said, trying to calm her down.
"Can I pet it?" She put on her biggest smile and pulled out her puppy dog eyes, obviously trying to persuade her mother into letting her pet the dog.
"She's already halfway down the trail. Maybe if you see another dog you can pet it."
"But that one's special."
That's what Jessa said about every animal she came to know. Yeah, they're all special. "I know it's special, honey, but the lady looks like she's in a hurry."
"She's in a hurry because she needs help."
There she goes, making up her little stories, again. But Anna didn't mind her daughter's creative mind. Jessa had always done well in her preschool classes and her teachers thought that she'd do well in the creative world. But she didn't want her daughter to get confused with fantasy and reality.
"Honey, it's not storytime. You don't get to say things about other people that aren't true." Or else Jessa could be in for some major trouble down the road.
"But it is true!" Her daughter protested.
"Lying isn't okay. We're going to leave right now, and when we get home you're going to march right up to your room. Understand?"
"But, Mommy-"
Anna looked around, seeing if anyone was watching, then walked her daughter over to a more secluded area. "Do you understand?" She said in the calmest voice she could muster.
"Yes, Mommy."
As they started on the trail to the parking lot, where Anna's vehicle was, Jessa suddently decided to bolt in the direction of the woman with the dog. She had never done anything like it before, so it shocked Anna. Her daughter was practically a perfect angel most of the time. Why the sudden change?
She chased after her, quickly running out of breath, determined to catch her. "Jessa!" She ran harder. "Sweetie!" She started to close the gap, but not soon enough.
She watched as her daughter threw herself into the woman's arms. Standing there, her heart broke into pieces. "Jessa?" The woman was holding the child tightly in her arms, crying. What's happening to my little girl? she questioned, yearning for an answer.
The woman looked up and made eye contact with her. Jessa on her hip, she stepped closer to Anna and outstretched her hand. "Hi. I'm Linda Jonston."
"I'm Anna Parkers. Jessa's mom." She returned the handshake.
Linda looked from Jessa, back to Anna. "I'm sorry. This must be strange for you." She gathered her thoughts. "You see, my husband left me last week and took custody over our daughter. I've been an emotional wreck ever since, and when your daughter hugged me like she did, it felt as if she was supposed to come to the park today just to comfort me."
Because she needs help...
Her daughter's words echoed in her mind. She was right. That woman did need help.
Jessa looked into her eyes, and she saw a gentle kindness that she must have overlooked when she thought that this was all just for a simple dog. "Mommy, can I pet the puppy?"
"Of course, you can." Logically, she knew it wasn't right to let her daughter have her way like that. But this time, this one time, it was okay. Somehow, someway, her daughter knew that the woman needed help.
During the car ride home, after the two jammed out to a few of their favorite songs, Anna turned down the volume and asked, "How did you know that the lady needed help?"
"Because Jesus told me." She smiled brightly.
Jesus? She hadn't brought her daughter to church in 2 years, ever since her husband's job added more pressure to their lives. She had only went because his parents were Christians and she wanted to impress them with their wonderful family life-going to church, building a nice home, having a family, doing everything the way they were supposed to. She didn't personally believe in Him. He seemed like this controlling religious figure that people feared. She didn't want to add fear to her life on top of their hectic lifestyle.
"Did you know that Jesus loves you, no matter what?"
If that was true, than He wouldn't have given up on her all of those years ago when her family pushed her out of their lives, He wouldn't have ignored her heartbroken prayers-begging for things to change, He wouldn't have taken her husband away-constantly working, He would have made things better-things right.
"MmmHmm. I'm sure He does."
"It's not storytime, Mommy. I'm telling the truth."
Maybe she was. But how did she know about the woman? Maybe it was God. Maybe she still had a chance to be loved by Him. She made a plan to chase after God that night, maybe her husband's parents were right after all. Anna would call her mother-in-law that night and find out. Once she knew the answer, she'd share it with her family. She'd chase after God like she'd chased after her daughter, except faster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for taking the time to read this story. Jesus does love you, no matter what. I hope you have a wonderful day. God Bless You.
~The Inspired One
"Love well, laugh often and live well for Christ."-Karen Kingsbury
"Honey, it's not storytime. You don't get to say things about other people that aren't true." Or else Jessa could be in for some major trouble down the road.
"But it is true!" Her daughter protested.
"Lying isn't okay. We're going to leave right now, and when we get home you're going to march right up to your room. Understand?"
"But, Mommy-"
Anna looked around, seeing if anyone was watching, then walked her daughter over to a more secluded area. "Do you understand?" She said in the calmest voice she could muster.
"Yes, Mommy."
As they started on the trail to the parking lot, where Anna's vehicle was, Jessa suddently decided to bolt in the direction of the woman with the dog. She had never done anything like it before, so it shocked Anna. Her daughter was practically a perfect angel most of the time. Why the sudden change?
She chased after her, quickly running out of breath, determined to catch her. "Jessa!" She ran harder. "Sweetie!" She started to close the gap, but not soon enough.
She watched as her daughter threw herself into the woman's arms. Standing there, her heart broke into pieces. "Jessa?" The woman was holding the child tightly in her arms, crying. What's happening to my little girl? she questioned, yearning for an answer.
The woman looked up and made eye contact with her. Jessa on her hip, she stepped closer to Anna and outstretched her hand. "Hi. I'm Linda Jonston."
"I'm Anna Parkers. Jessa's mom." She returned the handshake.
Linda looked from Jessa, back to Anna. "I'm sorry. This must be strange for you." She gathered her thoughts. "You see, my husband left me last week and took custody over our daughter. I've been an emotional wreck ever since, and when your daughter hugged me like she did, it felt as if she was supposed to come to the park today just to comfort me."
Because she needs help...
Her daughter's words echoed in her mind. She was right. That woman did need help.
Jessa looked into her eyes, and she saw a gentle kindness that she must have overlooked when she thought that this was all just for a simple dog. "Mommy, can I pet the puppy?"
"Of course, you can." Logically, she knew it wasn't right to let her daughter have her way like that. But this time, this one time, it was okay. Somehow, someway, her daughter knew that the woman needed help.
During the car ride home, after the two jammed out to a few of their favorite songs, Anna turned down the volume and asked, "How did you know that the lady needed help?"
"Because Jesus told me." She smiled brightly.
Jesus? She hadn't brought her daughter to church in 2 years, ever since her husband's job added more pressure to their lives. She had only went because his parents were Christians and she wanted to impress them with their wonderful family life-going to church, building a nice home, having a family, doing everything the way they were supposed to. She didn't personally believe in Him. He seemed like this controlling religious figure that people feared. She didn't want to add fear to her life on top of their hectic lifestyle.
"Did you know that Jesus loves you, no matter what?"
If that was true, than He wouldn't have given up on her all of those years ago when her family pushed her out of their lives, He wouldn't have ignored her heartbroken prayers-begging for things to change, He wouldn't have taken her husband away-constantly working, He would have made things better-things right.
"MmmHmm. I'm sure He does."
"It's not storytime, Mommy. I'm telling the truth."
Maybe she was. But how did she know about the woman? Maybe it was God. Maybe she still had a chance to be loved by Him. She made a plan to chase after God that night, maybe her husband's parents were right after all. Anna would call her mother-in-law that night and find out. Once she knew the answer, she'd share it with her family. She'd chase after God like she'd chased after her daughter, except faster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you for taking the time to read this story. Jesus does love you, no matter what. I hope you have a wonderful day. God Bless You.
~The Inspired One
"Love well, laugh often and live well for Christ."-Karen Kingsbury
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