The Playground(Gordon B. Robey) ‘Miracles of Jesus’
----------------------

‘The Playground’
---------------------


The cries of children playing drifted on the morning air. They were out for the first break. Girls were skipping and jumping over a rope, and boys running around playing tag, while others played leap frog.

In the corner of the playground, sitting on a low wall, was a little girl named Sally Carman. She was seven years old. She wanted to play with the other girls, but she wasn’t happy like them. Her teacher had told her to join in the fun and games, but she never did, because the other girls made fun of her.

John Paulo who was sitting on his own, wasn’t happy either. He laughed sometimes as he watched the other boys playing, wishing that they would let him play with them. John was only six years old. The other boys didn’t like him to play with them, because he talked with a stutter. Like Sally, he was lonely, and always looking at the school gates, waiting for home time.

At the gates to the school, the guard looked at the approaching man and woman. Both were dressed in the clothes of Priests. As they came up to him he said, “Can I help you Father”? The tall Priest smiled as he answered, “Yes young man, we would like to enter the playground, and speak to a girl named Sally and a boy named John”. But the guard shook his head “I’m sorry Father, but you would have to speak to the Principal, before you could do that”. It was the Priestess who answered for her companion. He was looking through the gates at the children.

“Thank you, if you could let her know that we are here and would like to speak with her, we would be very grateful.” She smiled at the guard, who was embarrassed at being spoken to by such a beautiful young woman, even if she was a Priestess. “Yes Ma’am I will ring her this minute.” He came from his little guard hut, almost falling over himself in his haste to please her. “The Principal will see you Ma’am and Sir.”

The Priest smiled at the flustered young guard. “Thank you for your help” He said. “You're welcome Sir, just go along this path to the door at the end, you’re expected.” The Principal was a middle aged woman. She introduced herself as Ms Carver. “My name is Father Jesus, and this is Sister Mary” Jesus said as they shook hands.

“Please have a seat, and tell me why you want to see Sally and John”? Ms Carver smiled then, as she looked at Jesus and Mary. Jesus had already told Mary where they were going, and who he wanted to see. “You have two very unhappy children in your school Ms Carver” She said. “Father Jesus would like to speak with them. He’s very good with children.”

The Principal smiled sadly “It is such a shame that the other children treat them like they do” She said. “After all, it’s not their fault that they are different.” She stood and went to the door. “Let’s see if we can find them Father.” Jesus and Mary followed her out the door and into the playground. She saw John she smiled and went over to him.

When Jesus pointed to a little girl, he and Mary went across the playground towards her. Sally suddenly looked up and saw the two people dressed in white clothes, coming towards her. Suddenly she was scared. ‘Why are they coming over here’? She asked herself.

They were Priests from a church, but she’d never seen them before. Sally was old enough to realize that something could be wrong at home. And then they stood before her, both of them smiling. She didn’t smile back, her Ma had always told her not to speak to strangers.

Jesus crouched down smiling at Sally. “Why don’t you play with your friends Sally” He asked. “Is it not sad to sit all alone”? Sally looked at him shyly before she said, “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers Sir”. Ms Carver smiled as she stood holding a little boys hand, and listening to the Priest. “It’s all right Sally” She said. “You can speak to the Father, while I am here”.

Sally looked at the beautiful Priestess, who was still smiling at her. Then she looked at Jesus shyly. As she looked into his eyes, a smile spread across her face. “They won’t play with me Father, because I can’t run as fast as they can.” The smile disappeared as the Tears came and ran down her cheeks.

As she took her face cloth from her pocket, and blew her nose, she still managed to say, ‘I’m so unhappy here Father, I want to go home”. Mary sat down beside her, and put her arm around her shoulders. “Don’t cry Sally, Jesus will help you”. Jesus smiled and turned to look at the little boy. “And John what about you?” he asked. “Why are you so unhappy”?

Embarrassed John looked at the Principal, and then at the smiling Priest “The… they www..on’t pplay with mmme, because I stu.. stutter”. The children, who had been playing noisily, had noticed the small group in the corner of the playground. They began to walk towards them in groups, wondering what was happening.

As they came nearer the Principal noticed them. “Go and play children.” But Jesus turned and looked at the children. “No” he said “Let them stay, so that they can hear what I say”. In a slightly louder voice he said, “Come closer children and listen what I have to say to you all”. Every child in the playground came as they heard his voice, and stood staring at Jesus.

He sat down on the wall between John and Sally. “Now children, do you believe in Jesus Christ?” There were nods and smiles from most of children closest to him. “And why do you believe in him?” He asked. He watched them as they looked at each other. Then one little girl said, “Because he love us. He loves all little children. And our Moms and Dads and everybody”.

Jesus looked at the smiling little girl. He smiled to put her at ease.
“Yes he does love everyone, very well said Joanna.” Joanna looked at Jesus in surprise “How did you know my name Father”? She asked looking at the Principal, wondering if she had told him.

“I know everyone’s name Joanna” Jesus said smiling at her.
“Now I will ask you all something” He said looking around. “If you love Jesus, and you know that Jesus loves all children. Then why do you not play with John and Sally”? One boy shouted, laughing “We can’t understand what he says Father”.

The laughter spread through the listening boys, as a girl’s voice said “And Sally can’t run very fast Father. The games we play mostly, we have to run about. And she can’t keep up with us”.

Jesus looked around at them “I will tell you a story” he said.
“A long time ago,” Jesus began, “There was a little girl like Sally, her name was Elli. One day the Kings daughter was playing with her ball. It bounced high and got stuck fast in the lower branches of a tree”.

Jesus stopped speaking and looked around, seeing that most of the children were sitting on the grass. “The little Princess couldn’t reach it” Jesus continued. “Nor could those who tried to help her. When Elli came limping along she saw what had happened. She asked the Princess why she was crying. ‘My ball is fast in the tree, and I can’t reach it’ she answered.

Elli looked up and saw the ball in the small branches ‘I will get it for you’ she said. And using all the muscles in her good leg, she jumped higher than anyone else had done. She grabbed the ball, and down she came to her feet. But because one leg was shorter than the other, she lost her balance and fell backwards, banging her head on the ground. The princess ran to her side ‘Oh are you all right, are you hurt?’ she asked.

But Elli didn’t answer, she lay on the ground unmoving. ‘Papa, Papa’ she shouted. The King came running thinking she was hurt. The Princess told the King what had happened. He picked Elli up in his arms, and with the Princess following, took her into his palace. ‘She‘s only banged her head’ The Doctor said ‘She’ll be all right”.

Smiling, Jesus slowly got to his feet, looking at all the silent children. With a quick look at the smiling Principal, he said “Elli became the Princess’s constant companion for what she did, children”. As Jesus looked at the children he could see that they were ashamed of the way they had treated John and Sally.

Suddenly a voice said “Come and play with us Sally, we want you to”. And then the rest of the girls shouted “Yes, come on Sally, come and play with us”. The Principal looked at Jesus in amazement “You have an excellent way of talking to the children Father. Where did you hear that story”?

Jesus smiled. “I had not heard it before Principal. I made it up as I went along.” As he watched Sally running with the other girls, He smiled. She hadn’t noticed the she was no longer limping. He looked at John who was staring after Sally, he was smiling as Jesus asked him, “And now John what would you like to happen for you”?

"I would like to talk without stuttering Sir” John said. “Then I could play with the other boys”. Ms Carver let out a gasp of surprise as she said, “John you didn’t stutter, not one word. Oh it’s wonderful you don’t stutter anymore”.

The boys, who had stayed with them, looked at each other in surprise. “He didn’t stutter” One of them said laughing. “Come on John you can play with us now, we can understand you now”. But John looked at Jesus first, “Thank you Sir, you stopped me stuttering”. Jesus put his arm around John and hugged him. "Go and play with your friends” he said.

“Oh my God” The Principal said in a whisper. “Look at Sally, she’s running like all the others”. Mary smiled as she turned to look at Ms Carver. “Yes she is, isn’t she.” Ms Carver looked at Jesus. “You did that didn’t you? You cured Sally and John.”

Suddenly she couldn’t take her eyes from him. “Father Jesus, who are you really”? Jesus was looking around at the children, watching Sally and John as they played happily. “I am he who can perform Miracles to those who deserve. You said, 'Oh my God', when you saw Sally running. I say to you Sister that you were praying to God my Father”.

The Principal looked at Jesus in amazement at the reply from him. Suddenly she knew beyond a doubt. She went to her knees before him. “Is it really you lord Jesus? Is this really happening to me”? “Yes Ms Carver.” Mary answered for Jesus. "This is Jesus Christ, and it is really happening to you.”

“The Lord be praised” Ms Carver said in a whisper. “I’ve seen the son of God.” Jesus went to stand with Mary and said, “Keep up the good work Sister. Teach the children about me and my Father.” As he and Mary turned and walked back towards the school gates, the Principal was still kneeling on the grass.

As they passed the guard Jesus said, “Thank you, God be with you”. The guard answered almost without thinking, “And with you Father”. As he watched the Priest and the Priestess walking away down the street, a feeling of warmth spread through his body. Mary smiled as she looked back. “Another conversion Lord Jesus”?

The End

---