The Lesson
Walking along a dark and filthy street of the dismal town she reaches out to the first man she sees.
He is curled into a cardboard box trying to stay warm in the desolation he calls his life. He sees her reaching out to him and somehow without saying a word accepts her hand. As he does he no longer feels the cold and desolation that was his life. He cannot explain it but he knows he must be near her or lose the wondrous feeling.
As they walk she greets and touches others; each then begins to follow her, quite a crowd is forming. None knows why, as they whisper of her gentleness and the love they feel emanating from her. Who is she and why do they feel such a need to be with her no one knows but they follow.
He knows nearly all that are in the crowd they are the people of the street but what is this wonder that she emits to them. He watches as they walk into a little better part of town and he notices that not all she touches now follow her.
The lady speaks with her thoughts to them but yet not in words, a sweet understanding they sense from her. They feel her love and want more.
Soon they reach the rich part of town she turns to those in the group and finally speaks in a voice that has the softest sweetest melody that anyone has ever heard. As she smiles at them she tells them that she is about to show them what vises can do to a heart. She takes something from her pocket and blows gently on it and a shower of sparkling light explodes in each of the followers’ hearts.
These people have little or nothing but their humble pride that follow her and they understand that soon they will see a darkness that only the light she has given them will save them from.
They walk on she smiles at another on the street a handsome man in a business suit. He is the most handsome man the people have ever seen. The lady tells them to look deeper at the man soon the man starts to change in appearance his face is corroded with deep sores and as they look deeper they see his soul it is black and shows nothing but hate for his fellow man. The people look to her for reassurance; she smiles and tells them as long as they believe this will never happen to them.
The man they look at starts to feel uncomfortable and screams profanities at them telling them to leave his place they are not welcome.
They walk on until they find a place filled with the sweetest and richest food they have ever seen and a woman busily walks among it tasting each tasty looking treat. She is quite a beauty and as she sees the group appear around her, she offers none of them even a morsel of food, although she can see the hunger they possess. She simply screams “Be Gone!” The lady smiles and walks on as the people look as the woman and the food it turns into filth and garbage and the beautiful woman turns into an old crone full of disease.
The people start to become afraid, but somehow know that as long as they are with her they are safe from what they are seeing. They walk on and they see another well dressed and handsome man. They see that his pockets are filled to overflowing with money as he sees the group approach he runs screaming at them “Go away it is mine you cannot have any of it!” Soon as with the others, he turns into a hideous creature.
This continues several more time with several more people.
The people soon gather at a beautiful garden. In this garden the women walks to a high place where all can see her. She smiles at the group and gently speaks, “You have accepted me without knowing me. The true light of the heavenly Father shines in you. The light you saw when I gently blew on my hand was nothing, but the gift of your seeing the light you already have and seeing the things that can make your light become dim, flicker and disperse for eternity. Go now and spread the love and understand of the heavenly Father’s love, that you now understand and show those around you their light and help them to bring light to others.”
The lady then is surrounded by a beautiful light as the light touches her she transforms into an angel. The people bow down before her and she once again speaks, “Do not worship me for I am nothing but a messenger. I have come to show you the things in this life that you thought you must have to be happy and now you understand these things cannot bring you the happiness you seek. You must put your faith in the creator of all and share what you learned with others. I must leave you now. Peace be with you and remember God loves you, as do I.”
The lady disappears and the crowd of people starts to cry out for her to come back until the first man speaks. He smiles at the people and gentle speaks, “Our angel has come to us bringing us the knowledge that we needed to succeed and she hasn’t left us look into your hearts you will find her there. I am no longer going to lay in the gutter thinking how bad things are for me I have been given a gift and I am going to put the gift to use.”
A few years later, the angel appears once again in the small town, but it is no longer dismal and in squalor but it shines with a brightness of God’s love. The little town has become a haven in a world of despair. The first man now preaches the gospel and the town’s people seek out those in need and help wherever they can. The angel smiles up at the sky and hears a voice “Well done my dear and devoted child.”
Joanne Anderson © April 18, 2008
