GOD SMIRKS

A little girl is laughing and singing
in a car all the way to church ….
She dances her way
across the church parking lot ….
She delights as she sees sunlight
playing on her maroon coat.
She skips up the stone steps
of the great big grey granite church.
She loves it as she enters
into this joyful crowd
of Sunday morning people.
Standing on the bench
she whispers a loud comment
to her daddy’s left ear.
Heads turn. Then come
the loud looks: ““Shush!”
“Be still!” “Listen.” “What are
you doing here?” “Bad girl!”
She sits and tries to slump
into the hard wooden bench,
but the only thing soft
is her daddy’s hug.
It’s no longer fun to be in church
till she hears
the gospel words,
“Let the children come to me
if you want to see
the kingdom of God.”
She smiles. God smirks
in every child’s heart.*

* Luke 18: 15-17

© Andy Costello, 2008