Kiss It

My Daniel gets the credit for drawing my attention to this one.

We’re in a WalMart checkout line waiting our turn. The only customer in front of us stood a really tough-looking dude, and a toddler with frizzy hair and left-over lunch on her face sitting in the cart seat. She looked agitated, whimpering and patting her knee.

At first, I couldn’t tell what she was saying because, honestly, I just thought she was whining about something. But as I listened closer (which I should always do J ), I found she kept saying two words over and over: “Kiss it. Kiss it.”

Oh. Patting her knee, face contorted, begging “kiss it” – got it. She had an owie. In fact, I think she said that to start out with. I’m just slow when it comes to these things.

So, the tough-dude’s groceries get scanned, he readies to pay, and toddler keeps saying, “Kiss it. Kiss it.”

Finally, she says, “Dad.”

That gets his attention. His voice is surprisingly tender. “What, baby?”

She pats her knee, gives him a distressed look and repeats, “Kiss it.”

Without hesitation, tough-dude leans down and plants a kiss on his daughter’s owie.

Immediately, her expression clears, she stops patting her knee, and says, “Thanks.”

Episode over.

My Daniel looks at me and says, “If only life could be so easy.”

Maybe it should be.

First lesson I learned… was reminded of, rather… don’t judge a book by its cover. At first glance, I could have written an entire story about this tough-dude and his toddler with a smudged face, and I would have been completely wrong.

Second, life bumps and bruises us every day, giving us owies.

And we whine and cry and distress about those owies, wanting most to gain relief.

After a little rubbing and patting, we finally call out to our Heavenly Father. “Dad!”

Guess what? He doesn’t hesitate when we call. He turns and says, “What do you need, baby?”

“Kiss it.”

He does.

How often do we do what that toddler did? Accept that kiss as all it takes to make the owie go away?

Too often, I keep whining.

I bet, though, if she’d done that, and asked for another kiss, she’d have gotten it.

What a loving Father we have.

Do you have an owie? Don’t wait. Call out to Abba, Father, and ask Him to kiss it.

Happy Monday, Dry Ground friends. Be blessed!

(photos by photobucket.com)