heaven's very special child

They will not realize right away

The leading role they're asked to play,

But with this child sent from above

comes stronger faith and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given

in caring for their gift from heaven.

Their precious charge, so meek and mild,

is heaven's very special child.

excerpt via: 

http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Heavens_special_child.html

Even though in many ways she wasn’t so different from other little girls her age, she was far from “normal” in some ways that made her so very special and it seems to me GOD gives people like her – and perhaps especially such young little ones as her - a knack for bringing out the best (patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness etc.) in some people. 

GOD placed some very special people in my life who were far from normal and used few, if any, to teach and change me as much as they did and so I can only imagine the multitude of ways GOD likely used the brief 3 1/2 year life of such an adorable and fragile little person to impact ordinary people in extraordinary ways. I think it's pretty telling about what a special little girl she was, to consider that GOD's sovereign plans and purposes for her life were fulfilled in such a brief amount of time leading me to believe that from the moment she was conceived she got right to work doing exactly what she was created to do - and that she did it so effectively because of how fearfully and wonderfully and far from “normal” the LORD knit her together in her mother's womb.

As part of her church family and with that being my vantage point, I now count her life and the lives of those I watched faithfully (could choose so many other adjectives here but I think this one is best) love and tenderly care for her among the special few that have impacted my own life in ways that it seems GOD has graciously used to lead me a bit further on this journey toward “Far from Normal” too. 

-

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, 

the calf and the lion and the yearling together; 

and a little child will lead them. 

Isaiah 11:6 NIV

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said:

 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, 

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child 

is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 18:2-5 NIV