Anna and J. C. in the Park

One day when Anna was playing in the park, she saw Jesus sitting on the bench.

"Why are you crying, Jesus?" Anna asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm OK, really. Thanks for asking, Anna. I just cry sometimes. Look at all these beautiful children playing, and their parents. I love them all so much! It hurts me when they get hurt. I always want to make it so they never get hurt," said Jesus.

"You could do that?" asked Anna.

"Pretty much. But if I made it so they wouldn't get hurt, they wouldn't have as much fun. They wouldn't be able to learn as much," said Jesus.

"What do you mean?"

"Look over at Zoey," Jesus said. Zoey had just fallen off a bar, and was crying. "If the bar weren't there, she wouldn't have gotten hurt. But she wouldn't have had all the fun."

"In fact," said Jesus, "Zoey can be a very good gymnast, if she wants. You will probably see her on television someday."

"Look!" said Anna. "Now Zoey's mother is angry."

"Zoey's Mom is just scared. She loves Zoey very much. She always wants Zoey to be more careful. But Zoey *loves* gymnastics. She'll probably fall off the bar again tomorrow, but I think she learned how to keep from hurting herself when she falls."

A very old man with a walking stick made it to the top of the hill. He was very tired, and breathing hard. There was sweat on his forehead. He sat down on the bench before he realized who Anna was talking to.

When he realized it was Jesus, he was *very* surprised.

"Hello Sam," said Jesus. "May I present Anna. Anna, this is Sam."

"Pleased to meet you, Sam," said Anna. She held out her hand and they shook hands. Then Anna curtsied, and Sam smiled.

"You're a very sweet little girl," said Sam.

"Thank you," said Anna, "but I'm *four* now. I'm a GIANT."

"You certainly are," said Jesus, and Sam nodded, too.

Sam said to Jesus: "All my life I wondered if you really existed. I'm so sorry that I didn't believe!"

"Sam, you did believe. Remember when you were a soldier?"

Sam remembered. One time he was so scared that he couldn't move. There were explosions all around him. But his best friend was hurt, and suddenly Sam found himself rescuing his friend -- in spite of being afraid.

Jesus said: "People always say things. It's easy for words to get into your head. But what counts is what you know in your heart. You always knew in your heart."

Sam understood. Then he became very scared. "I'm sorry for all the things I've done that weren't good enough." He felt very sorry that Jesus knew all the things Sam had done that Sam wasn't proud of.

But Jesus said: "It's all OK." The way he said it, Sam knew that it really was all OK. Every time he was angry with someone; everything he had done that was hurtful; all the times he had been scared -- it was all OK.

"We're here to be with each other, and learn and love," said Jesus. "Nobody's perfect. Even I have bad days. We just all do the best we can in every moment. When we make good decisions, life is easier. When we make decisions that aren't as good, life is more difficult. We all get to learn that the way to be happy is to make loving decisions as often as possible, so we all help each other."

"So it was all OK," repeated Sam.

"Yes," said Anna. "It was all OK." When Sam looked in her eyes she said: "It was all wonderful!" and gave him a big hug.

While Sam and Anna hugged, Jesus said: "If you hurry home, Sam, I think you'll get a phone call."

So they all said goodbye.

Anna watched Sam walk away. He was walking much faster than when he came, and wasn't breathing hard at all. Anna winked at Jesus.

JC said, "Let's just say I helped a little."

"And the phone call?" Anna asked.

Jesus said: "It seemed like it would be a nice coincidence if Sam's granddaughter would call. Don't you think?"

Anna gave Jesus a big hug.

She started to run over to the slide -- Anna likes the big slide -- but she stopped and asked Jesus: "Will you come talk to me again?"

"Ah, darling Anna. You can talk to me any time you want. And if you listen quietly -- with your heart -- you will always be able to hear me, too."

Then Anna went down the slide. It was *really* fast. She enjoyed every moment of it.

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