Streams of Mercy

My four-year-old great-grandson shared with me one of his Reading Rainbow Books, given to children living in his county through a joint grant from the county library and Smart Start. The book is Whoever You Are, by Mem Fox.

The message of the book is this: “Every day all over the world, children are laughing and crying, playing and learning, eating and sleeping. They may not look the same. They may not speak the same language. Their lives may be quite different. But inside, they are just like you.”

One comment in the book review states: An essential book that acknowledges in the simplest of terms our common humanity.” (Kirkus Reviews) I thought, what a beautiful book to put in the hands of our children!

I share this simple, beautiful text to bless us all:

“Little one, whoever you are, wherever you are,

there are little ones just like you all over the world.

Their skin may be different from yours,

and their homes may be different from yours.

Their schools may be different from yours,

and their lands may be different from yours.

Their lives may be different from yours,

and their words may be very different from yours.

But inside, their hearts are just like yours,

whoever they are, wherever they are, all over the world.

Their smiles are like yours and they laugh just like you.

Their hurts are like yours, and they cry like you, too,

whoever they are, wherever they are, all over the world.

Little one, when you are older and when you are grown,

you may be different, and they may be different,

wherever you are, wherever they are, in this big, wide world.

But remember this:

Joys are the same, and love is the same,

Pain is the same and blood is the same.

Smiles are the same, and hearts are just the same -

wherever they are, wherever you are, wherever we are,

all over the world.”

Words for all of God’s children to take to heart as we live our lives, wherever we are.

Elizabeth