 |
Spiritism for
Kids
-
Célia Xavier
Camargo -
Portuguese
Spanish |
|
Year 8 - N° 384
- October 12,
2014 |
|
|
|
 |
Translation
Johnny Silveira
- silveirajohnny@yahoo.com |
|
|
|
The Man With Sad
Eyes
|
|
After a small
domestic problem,
ten year-old
Julia went out
for a walk and
saw a ragged old
man, sitting on
the sidewalk.
|
She took a look
and did not like
what she saw. He
was dirty, had a
long beard, and
was spreading a
funky smell. At
first, she
wanted to get
away from him as
soon as possible.
However, when he
looked at her,
Julia noticed
such a great
sadness in his
moist eyes and
even in the kind
smile with which
he greeted her
that she stopped.
She sat next to
him to talk,
said her name
and learned his:
Al.
- Where are you
going, lovely
girl Julia? -
asked the old
man.
- I do not know.
I got tired of
my home,
|
 |
|
school,
my annoying
friends and the
demands of
everybody. So I
went for a walk
and to forget -
she replied. |
As he looked at
her in silence,
Julia asked:
- And you, Al,
where are you
going?
The man looked
around with his
sad eyes,
shrugged and
replied:
- Nowhere and
everywhere...!
- Oh! I do not
understand.
- It's simple.
Still very young
and diligent, I
studied hard and
became a very
wealthy man. I
managed many
people, had a
loving family,
good health,
many friends and
time to do
whatever I
wanted in life.
The girl looked
at the old man
with her eyes
wide open:
- And then what
happened?!...
The old man took
a deep breath,
his eyes now
showing a
greater sadness,
and replied:
- I lost
everything I had.
Now, I do not
even have a roof
to shelter me.
- But how did
you get poor,
Al? - she asked.
- I just did not
know how to
manage the
resources that
God had
entrusted to me!
- What do you
mean? - asked
the girl, unable
to understand.
- Well, Julia,
all we have in
life are God's
gifts. If we do
not seize the
opportunities
that life gives
us, we lose what
we have received.
Get it?
- Kind of... -
said the girl
still in doubt.
The old man
thought for a
moment and said:
- For example.
We have to give
an account of
the intelligence
that we received
at birth and, if
we do not use it
well, to our
benefit and that
of others, we
will be held
accountable. The
same is true
with the money
we earn and the
authority we
have.
- Ah! I
understand! You
also said you
had good health...
- Exactly, and I
lost it with my
excesses: too
much food,
drinking, not
sleeping enough.
So, I ended up
also losing the
blessing of work.
- And what
happened to your
family?
- The excess of
money and work I
had made them
keep away from
me. I took my
family for
granted and I
ended up alone.
Everyone
deserted me; in
fact, I was the
one who
abandoned them.
Full of pity for
him, Julia
replied:
- Al, but surely
you had many
friends.
- That is true,
Julia. But I did
not appreciate
my true friends
and they started
not hanging out
with me anymore.
I was left only
with those who
participated in
the partying and
the excesses.
However, when
the money ended,
they walked away
from me. They
were only
interested in
the bountiful
life style that
I gave them - he
clarified.
The girl was
really penalized
with Al's story.
Realizing that
he reassured her:
- Do not worry,
Julia. Despite
not having any
more material
things, I
changed
spiritually.
Today I am
connected to God
by prayer,
exercising
humility and
understanding to
those who
humiliate me, I
eat only what is
given to me,
exercising
gratitude, and I
live well
because I
recognize that I
made a lot of
mistakes, so,
where possible,
I try to help
those who are in
the same
situation I used
to be. Thus, I
act with
fraternity and
solidarity. And
believe me,
wherever I go I
always make good
friends!
The girl, with
her eyes full of
tears, hugged
him saying:
- Just like me,
because now I am
your friend!
- See how I have
changed? - he
joked, giving
her a look full
of affection.
Remembering the
reasons that led
her to leave the
house that day,
Julia confessed:
- I'm also
changed, be
certain. I
thought I had
problems, but
now I see that
they are nothing
compared to what
you told me.
Thank you, Al!
Julia invited
him to go live
in her home, but
Al declined,
explaining:
- My little
friend Julia, it
is not out of
pride, OK?
Firstly, you do
not know what
your parents
think about you
taking a
stranger home.
Second, I do not
want to be a
burden to anyone.
If you ask me, I
will accept a
snack at your
home. But that's
it. Then I'll
hit the road
again. I enjoy
meeting new
people, making
friends, leaving
good seeds where
I go.
Julia accepted
the conditions
he imposed and
took him to her
house. He was
well received by
her parents but
left a few hours
later, after
taking a bath
and changing
into clean
clothes. Before
leaving, Al said:
- I promise you,
if I ever pass
through this
town again, I
will pay you a
visit. But now I
have to go.
Everything else
was taken from
me but the
blessing of time
is very
important,
because despite
having nothing
material, I need
to help people
with the one
thing I still
have: love.
The image of
that bearded man
with sad eyes
would never be
erased from
Julia's memory.
She was certain
that it was
Jesus who had
sent him to make
her appreciate
all the good
things in her
life.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
03/09/2012.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
