The one who stands aloof

by: carole l. haines

There was a little boy I observed at one time.  He was in the classroom where I was assigned for a  day.  He stood by himself, alone, away from the other children.  No teacher could coax him in to play.  When another teacher gently picked him up and put him with the other children, he fought and retreated back to his corner, where he must have felt safe.  I walked over to a table near him, got out a puzzle or game, and began to play.  I motioned for him to come over, he shook his head “No.”  I continued to play as he watched me.  I motioned to him again,  he came closer and eventually began to play with me at the table.  As time went on, and I would see him in my music class, I would especially try to fold him in, and he responded.  I was away from work for about a month this summer, and upon returning, was soon placed in his class to finish out the school day there.  There he was with another child, interacting and playing.  We read books, found shapes, sang songs.  His smile was so big.  He was a different child then I had first met.  He and I were there alone until the end of the day, perhaps a half hour at most.  But I played games with him and the laughter we shared was from deep inside of him.  It has been beautiful to witness this healing process in him.  Sometimes life sweeps over us so hard, we need someone to notice us standing in a corner, lost and afraid.  It doesn’t matter what our age is, life can knock us off our feet so hard that we find ourselves feeling like this little child.  Let us watch out for the one who stands aloof, and find a way to fold them in. Jesus does this with our hearts, let us do it for one another. With Christ, none of us need walk alone.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34 NASB)