uninhibited welcome

Beckoning us to follow, he ran ahead pausing only to make sure we were still behind. Our mini-sized personal tour guide was delightedly determined to take us on a proper circle through his village. Exploring all the most important features like the enormous hogs, the baseball field, lop-eared cows (we nicknamed them donkey cows), fields that stretched below a glorious mountain ridge, a nest of humming birds that stopped long enough to perch and pose, a watering hole nestled on the edge of a lush valley, and calves he expertly herded into a barn.He smiled big, took my hand and led me on. At first I wasn't sure if it was wise or safe to follow. But at nine years old, he was already a gentleman...leading me through the fields and holding barbed wire apart so I could crawl through fences.Inviting us into his world, showing us the places that delighted him, all the while taking care to make sure we were OK. Uninhibited welcome. Persistent leading. Delight and wonder compelling. The way clearly shown.Oh that I would smile big, reach for the hand of others...even if they're skeptical, and unabashedly show them the things that delight me. The wonder and things of beauty in my world, used as a way to reach hearts and invite them in. The Way into Life.