On Sunny Lane: Guess Who?

I get lots of unsolicited mail.

Most of it is solicitations. They come from organizations that want money—my money! They are usually good causes. And they really need money. Trouble is I can’t send money to all of them. And, actually, there are some that I don’t want to support. And, some are duplicates, because they come from a mailing list that was submitted from the organizations that I do support.

Last week one of the solicitations contained a letter with a picture of a beautiful one-year-old baby boy. Beside it was the question, “Do you know who this boy is?” Well, that set Sweetheart and me to guessing. Sweetheart guessed it was the President and I guessed it was the new Pope.

We were both wrong.

Turns out it was one of America’s most famous football players. Who would have guessed it by looking at a baby picture? Certainly not Sweetheart and me.

A few days later Sweetheart and I were at a local grocery store. A young boy and his mother were carrying out an empty gumball machine and carrying in a full one.

You have probably seen those machines in high-traffic areas around town. The proceeds usually go to a local charitable organization. In this case, the local charitable organization had discontinued the program and turned it over to this young boy for his benefit.

Well, this eight-year-old took the offer seriously. He, with help from his mother, now services 42 dispensing machines, whereas he started with one. His mother is amazed at his entrepreneurship. She didn’t expect this to happen as she was cradling him in her arms at birth.

That’s just it! How do we know what or who a person will someday be when they are still a baby? We all have great potential to be the best we can be and do with the gifts and talents God gave us.

What a shame it would be if a person’s life were to be cut short—at any stage of life. It would be a loss—not only to the person’s family, but to society in general.

We have all seen news accounts on television of high school or college students who have died as a result of accident, sickness or violence. Family and friends, when interviewed, almost always tell us about what talented people they were and what promise their lives held.

What would our lives be like if they had lived and succeeded? How would society be different if their lives had not been cut short?

Perhaps, it would behoove us to do what we can to protect young lives in all stages of development.

“Truly you have formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I give you thanks that I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works.” Psalms 139: 13-14

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Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com