Someone with Skin On

I have always read the Readers' Digest, particularly enjoying the short, true, humorous stories they include. There's one that I remember that came from "Life in these United States" that told of a little girl who was afraid of the dark. Every night, on cue, and despite what her parents did to prevent it, she would come toddling into her parents’ room and climb in bed with them. Patiently and persistently the mother would pick up this little girl and carry her back to her room, usually saying something like, “Honey, there’s nothing to be afraid of. God will watch over you.” Night after night after night this happened.

Then, one night, the little girl came in and climbed in bed with her parents yet again, saying, “I’m scared, I want to be with you.” The mother picked her up and took her back into her own room, saying what she always said, “Honey, there’s nothing to be afraid of. God will take care of you.”

This time the little girl responded, “Mom, sometimes we just need somebody with skin on.”

I loved this. Don't you think that sometimes we really just need someone who is just like us, who will touch us, reassure us, hug us, helping us to develop the faith we need to understand that God is there and certainly will take care of us?

What an opportunity, then for us to be that person, to be aware of the needs of others, to be somebody with skin on.