The story I'm about to tell us is not true at all. It is totally fictional, however, I believe the truths that it present are real. I would like to call it a modern day parable.
The day was hot and the crowd was huge. They lined up and stood in the heat for what seemed to be hours to receive their gifts. The volunteers were tired from the heat and from working to assist the sheer numbers of people who were there to get assistance. Person after person, station after station each one received what was available, most with gratitude, some with the usual " is this all there is" and others just griping because it had become their nature to complain about everything.
Through the line came a small girl. Her sandy hair looked uncombed, her dress a few sizes to big and her shoes definitely worn at the heel and toe. Her face showed the remnant of morning breakfast and the need of a good use of soap and a washcloth. She moved through the procession quietly and politely. As she came got to the first station,she paused and politely asked the man in handing out bottles of water, " can I ask you a question?
"I'm sorry sweetheart but I've got a job to do here," he replied. " All these people need water and it is my job to hand out the water. You'd better keep moving before the people behind you get mad."
Someone from the back yelled, " what's the hold up. Its hot back here and i need some water before I pass out." The man hurried the girl along the line.
Station after station the young girl tried to ask a question, but time and time again she was hurried on by the workers who had so many people to help, so many needs to meet, so much to get done in such a short amount of time.
At the completion of the line, the girl sat down. She had her water. She had a bag full of food. She had a used but new to her dress that was the right size, and she had been given a brand new pair of shoes. She had made quite a haul for a little girl but there was a question on her heart, a question she had tried to ask all day but no one had taken the time to listen to and answer. She sat there lost in her thoughts, her heart burdened with an unanswered question, Eventually, slowly, she went on her way, her arms loaded with food and a new dress, her new shoes but her heart empty.
At the workers meeting following week, the staff gathered to discuss how things had went. They talked about how well they had predicted number of people they served, how organized the supplies were, how quickly each station received supplies, and what a wonderful experience it had been to help those in need. Someone offer a prayer of praise to God for the chance he had given them to share with those who didn't have needed provisions. They thanked God for those that had sacrificed and given so much so that the needs of those that had been served had been meet in such a wonderful way.
Just as the meeting was breaking up, someone asked if anyone had talked to a little girl who had a question. He said didn't have time to talk with her because he was so busy getting things done, but wondered if anyone else had taken the time to talk with her. They all remembered the little girl, but each replied that they too had been busy and they hadn't had time to talk to her. No one had heard her question, no one had taken the time to hear what she add to ask.
"It was ashamed we were to busy," they all said, "but there was so much to be done, so much help to offer, so many important things that had to be accomplished that ... We'll you know how it is."
A few days later, one of the volunteers saw the little girl walking down the street. Remembering the conversation that had taken place, he stopped and asked the girl if anyone had answered her question. With a huge smile she said yes, a kind man had stopped and sat down beside her when she had stopped to rest while going home.
"I told him about all nice things that you people had done for me, all the food, the water, the dress and the shoes but I told him that I had a question that I wanted to ask someone but everyone was so busy that they didn't have time to answer my question. "
He told me that he was not to busy and that if he could, he would answer my question. So, I asked him.
"What was your question," the man asked.
"I told him that my mother had died and that she has told me not to worry, that she was going to go to heaven. I wanted to know how I could make sure that I could go to heaven."
The man asked, "what did the nice man tell you?"
"He told me that God loved me so much that he had sent his only son to die on the cross to pay for my sins, and that if I asked, God would forgive me of my sins because of what Jesus did and that I would go to heaven someday."
The worker smiled and said, "that nice man told you the right answer. I'm so sorry I was so busy that I didn't the time to listen to your question and then answer your question. There was just so much that needed to be done, i felt the pressure to be sure that everyone got all the provisions they needed."
"Oh," said the girl, "that nice man said that he would never be to busy for me to ask him questions. He was such a nice man, and it didn't bother me bit that he had those terrible scars in the palms of his hand, or those scars around his head."
