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Homesick

“We just wanted Jesus to hold our child. I guess you’d say I thought it would be like for a blessing, for good luck… you know… Jesus is more than a rock star or governor or Santa Claus. Or High Priest even.  And just try to get one of those guys attention, that is, if you’re not doing something wrong.

“Anyway, we stood in line a long time but before we could get our turn a couple of his lieutenants rolled up on us, chatted me up, all smiley and palsy-walsy like we were old friends, you know? As if!

“But I felt it coming, you know? I was born on a Saturday, but not last Saturday. They’re still being all smiley, but I can tell their smiles don’t match their intentions and sure enough, here it is; they break into telling me that I ought to be more sensitive to Jesus’ time and that there were people who really needed healing or something and if my child wasn’t blind or sick or deaf or something then we needed to move out of the way and not take up his time.

“So, me, I start getting all smiley right back at those two. Yeah? You see? Now I’m all grins and I say we’d been waiting a long time to see Jesus, and we’re fine just where we are and we don’t mind waiting longer, and it’s so nice of them to be concerned but maybe they could go help somebody else, right? I mean this is my kid. I want my kid to see Jesus for Priest’s sake! No way two goons gonna push me away when I’m this close to getting my little darling up there with Jesus!

“Then their smiles turned upside down and the mood gets testy, right? And they did that ‘arm on the shoulder thing’ like they was gonna escort us away, all the while talking and saying how they appreciated me but I needed to step aside for more important stuff.

“I was feeling somewhere between embarrassed and angry; I was discouraged, and truth is, I had this urge to punch these guys in the face but thought better of it, you know? But they just kept running their mouths and I’m feeling this heat rise up the back of my neck and my ears are ringing so loud from my pulse pounding and then I heard…

His voice.

“… Jesus shouted over at these two guys and said, ‘ Brothers? Hey! What’s up?’ And they started to answer him, but it was like he already knew what was going on. He spoke again and said, ‘Hey! Jimmy! Johnny! C’mon! Don’t do that. Let anyone with kids come on up here to the head of the line.’ Then he motioned for us to come right on up to him and he took my little girl and put her on his lap and they started talking… like… like…

“…like… I’m sorry, I don’t even know why I’m crying like this… but he’s talking to my little girl and she’s talking back so fast like I’ve never seen her talk to anyone before… and she talks a lot! Always has! Came out of the womb a regular motor mouth …

“And then, after what seemed like a long, long time of him just talking quietly to my baby, her talking back to him in cute, rapid whispers… quiet but sometimes laughing, sometimes excited, sometimes so serious I can’t even imagine what they’re saying…

“Then Jesus said loud enough so everyone could hear him, but never taking his eyes off my daughter, ‘Be sure to let the kids come up to me. I really can’t do all the other stuff I need to do if I don’t get to talk to a kid every once in a while.They’re the only ones who make me feel at home…’ “

Steve has been a minister for almost 5 decades; and for more than 40 years married to the wife of his youth and partner, Lisa. Steve has spoken in Madison Square Garden. He's swam the Hudson River to raise money for his favorite charity. He’s the writer, producer and director of an award winning short film. He’s an author, speaker, and father whose messages are hilarious, soulful and life changing. When he's not trying to sell, ride or make friends on a motorcycle, you can find him in Portland, Oregon where he is happily serving with the https://portlandchurch.org

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