Take a little time my child,
Stay right here with me.
Take a little time my child,
The hasty often can't see.

Take a little time my child,
And you will have all that you need.
Take a little time my child,
And wait for the fruit of your seed.

Take a little time my child,
And let me be your guide.
Take a little time my child,
And under my wings you can hide.

For I am the Essence of Time,
I am never early, never late.
So listen to me, the Essence of Time,
And do not be afraid to wait.

by MountainWings Subscriber
Anthony Gomez

You discover your real potential
when you have tried over and over again.

The call came in yesterday at approximately 4 PM. Our 5 and 7-
year-old grandchildren were at home with me. It was my
husband's voice on the other end of the phone who through very
labored breathing sounded as if he were having a heart attack.
All he said was "Put those grandbabies in the car and get over
here fast!"

I kept asking him if he was okay but his only response was
"Hurry! Please! I'm at our daughter's house!" I turned to our
grandchildren and told them that their PaPee was hurt, and we had
to get to their Mommy's house fast!

On the way there, they were filled with questions over this
subject; and I tried my best to calmly answer each one. The 7
year old all of a sudden blurted out "I told mommy not to cut
that grass cause that lawn mower was going hurt her!"

Then it dawned on me, it wasn't my husband in trouble - he was
the one who called. Something had to have happened to our
daughter.

As we approached the house, I looked up and saw people standing
everywhere. I tried to go around the bend and proceed to their
driveway, but found it blocked with police cars and an ambulance.
My heart sunk. I backed down pulling into the driveway across
the street; and as I began rushing up their hill, my husband was
coming toward me to get the children and all he could say was,
"The lawn mower turned over on top of our daughter!"

I rushed up to the house to find my daughter surrounded by
paramedics and policemen as she lay there with her body strapped
to that stretcher. I gently touched her arm, "I'm here hon!"

She looked over and replied "I'm okay Mama. Please take care
of my babies!" As they wheeled her up towards the ambulance, I
knew my focus had to be on our precious grandchildren, but
how? My heart was breaking with concern for our daughter. Next
thing I knew, family members were approaching me from all sides
volunteering to take care of the children. We were told not to
worry, and instead were free to go and care for our daughter.

As my husband and I headed for the car, I silently thanked God
for knowing my heart and freeing me to go. It was quite awhile
before either of us could speak.

Then my husband said, "I've never been so scared in my life.
All I could see was her head and all this liquid on the ground.
I thought it was blood. I thought she was dead. I felt better
once I realized it was oil that was all over her, but I didn't
know how we were going to get that mower off her.

"That thing weighs over 1100 pounds. I knew if we made one
mistake while trying to move it, we could kill her. Somehow we
got it lifted and pushed it off but I still don't know how.
She has to be all broken up. She could barely talk and her body
was shaking all over."

We entered the emergency room in silence. Our son-in-law
flagged us down and brought us to our daughter. She was just
lying there motionless; and although, they had cleaned up her
face her hair was still drenched in oil. She tried to talk but
her voice was weak. She was on her way to get x-rays so we
patiently awaited her return.

Finally in about 30 minutes the doctor came in telling us that
although she was pretty banged up, there was not a broken nor
fractured bone in her body. She would be very sore, but aside
from that, it was time to take her home. Praises to God were
echoing off every wall.

It wasn't until later when we were all sitting in her living
room with most of the family members that were at the scene of
her accident that the story of what actually happened began to
unfold.

Our daughter, with her voice still strained and weak, began by
saying that she was mowing the upper part of their front yard
and as she began to turn the mower so that she could cut next to
the retainer wall that was supported by three feet of railroad
ties, the front wheels began to slide. Next thing she knew, one
of the railroad ties cut loose and she was headed for the ground
three feet below her.

When she landed she felt the weight of the mower on top of her
and it seemed to take forever for the blades to stop turning and
the mower to cut off. She felt liquid on her face, but didn't
know what it was. She was alone and needless to say, scared.

"I knew my only chance was yelling out for help. I remembered
there were some utility men working on the power lines in the
field across the street; and I kept trying to yell at them to
help me but with all that pressure on my chest, I just couldn't
get out much more than a whisper.

"I knew they'd never hear me and the more I tried to scream out
the words, the more it felt like my chest was caving in.

"I started to feel like there was no air out there to breathe.
I tried to move my body but the only parts that were free was
one of my hands and one of my feet. I started kicking at the
flap on the mower hoping that they would hear that, but no one
was coming.

"I kept trying to focus but breathing now was really getting
hard. Then I remembered I had my cell phone in my back pocket.
I worked my hand down until I could get it out, but I couldn't
see to dial it. I fumbled around hoping that I could call 911;
and when I finally got it right, all I could say to them was
'Help me! Please help me; the lawn mower's on top of me.'

'They kept asking me where I lived, but the words just wouldn't
come out. I tried to dial our shop hoping my husband or dad
would answer and when I finally heard my husband's voice all I
could manage to say was 'Help - the mower - please help!'

"I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know if he could hear
me or not. I was so scared, and I was starting to panic.
I thought I was going to die and that's when I blurted out,
NO! I'm NOT going to die! I'm going to pray - please God help
me!'

"That's when I felt it. It was like I was being covered with
such a sense of peace and it felt like someone was stroking my
head in such a soothing way that it was helping me to
concentrate on my breathing.

"Then I saw my dad's truck tires. That's when I knew they heard.
That's when I knew my husband and dad were there with me."

That's when her husband's grandfather, who lives about a half a
mile up the road, spoke up and said, "I was outside and I heard
someone yelling. I knew someone was hurt and needed help.

"I jumped on my 4-wheeler and started to ride the fields. I went
down to those utility men across the street from you and asked
them if they knew who was hurt. They asked me what I was
talking about. I said, 'Can't you hear someone crying out for
help?' They said they couldn't hear anyone and then they
started asking me some questions about some power line. I told
them I didn't have time for that. I had to find that hurt
person. They all just stood there and stared at me like I was
some kind of a nut so I sped off and just kept trying to follow
those cries."

That's when his wife spoke up and said, "Well, I was in the
house and all of a sudden I heard you yelling out for help.
I new I had to get to you fast. I ran out to my car and headed
your way. When I saw you I knew there was nothing I could do
but try to get someone there fast. I saw those utility men in
the field and rushed to them asking to borrow a cell phone.
I called 911 and told them what had happened and where to come."

Her husband then said, "When you called I didn't know who you
were. The voice sounded like someone who had one of those
tracheal tubes in their throat. I couldn't understand what you
were saying cause I could barely hear you. Then I heard the
word mower and I knew. I ran to our 4-wheeler but the battery
was dead. I had just ridden it a few minutes ago and it was fine
but now the battery was dead?

"I ran to your dad's pickup yelling at him that I needed to
borrow it. I started to pull out of the shop and told him to
hurry and jump in. I couldn't talk until we were almost at the
house and that's when I told him that I thought you got hurt on
the mower. When we got to the house, I was panicking over the
time that it took to get his truck into 4 wheel drive cause all
I wanted to do was get up our hill so I could help you.

Then my husband said, "Man, I saw you throw the phone down and
head for your 4-wheeler. Next thing I knew we were speeding
down the road towards your house. I thought something happened
to your grandpa. I had no idea what was going on. Then I saw
my daughter and while you were trying to get my truck into 4-
wheel, I hit the ground and started to run. How we got that
mower off her I'll never know. That thing has to weigh over
1100 pounds."

We found out that our son-in-law's cousin was there because when
he got home from work his wife greeted him by saying
"Something's wrong next door. I feel it. You'd better go and
see what's going on."

We found out that our son-in-law's brother was there because he
drove by the shop and saw it all opened up with no one there.
He knew something was wrong with that picture so he headed for
their house stopping along the way to pick up their aunt and
uncle who were now also walking towards the house because they
were following the sound of the ambulance.

We found out that our son-in-law's father was there because he
saw several police cars down by the end of their road and since
they weren't heading towards the shop, something had to be wrong
at his son's house.

So I sit here in awe:

How did our 7-year-old grandchild know her mommy was hurt?

Why was our daughter mowing grass with a cell phone in her back
pocket?

What made that soft strained voice echo into the hearts of those
2 grandparents leading them to her?

What prompted our son-in-law to respond to that muffled word
"mower" coming from that unrecognizable voice?

What caused the battery to go dead in that 4-wheeler prompting
both my son-in-law and husband to head to her aid instead of
just one of them?

What gave those two men the strength to flawlessly lift over
"1100" pounds of mower off our daughter's fragile body?

Who told their cousin's wife that something was wrong next door
and her husband needed to go there?

What prompted all those people to put their lives on hold and
come forth so that I could go where my heart was crying out to
be?

This is one of those times when I feel that there just aren't
words worthy enough to lift up to our Father in praise for how
He protected, calmed and cared for one of His sheep.

It just puts me in awe that His formula is so powerful and
yet so simple. All we have to do is open up our hearts,
tune out the world and tune in our God. We must always remember
that hearing God's voice speaking to us is one thing. Obeying
God's voice, no matter how silly it may make us look to others,
is another.

Praise YOU FATHER and thank YOU for all Your sheep who are
willing to step out and obey Your every spoken Word. In the
MIGHTY NAME OF YOUR SON JESUS
Amen

~A MountainWings Original by MountainWings Subscriber Diane Ray,
Cleveland, GA~

I'm very particular about my lawn. The height of the mower has
to be just so, the edges need to be cut just right. My lawn is
a great source of pride to me.

So I usually don't let just anyone cut the grass, and certainly
not my husband! If he tries, I usually have to chide him for
the unevenness of the cut and the multiple areas that he misses.

But one day I had to leave early in the day and the grass was just
begging to be cut. Since rain was in the impending forecast, I
responded, "Go ahead," to my husband's repeated requests to help
me out.

When I returned, I found that he had done his usual job, but he
was smiling from ear to ear, thinking that he had improved on
his past efforts. But rather than scolding him yet again, I
found myself unexpectedly praising the work he had done.

He was overjoyed with my response.

It finally dawned on me. Am I trying to grow the most important
relationship on earth that I have?

Or am I trying to grow grass?"

~A MountainWings Original as told by a lady in Ted Janusz's
class, Hilliard, OH~

"How long will you be poring over that newspaper? Will you come
here right away and make your darling daughter eat her food?"

I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only
daughter Sindu looked frightened. Tears were welling up in her
eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with Curd
Rice.

Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has
just turned eight. She particularly detested Curd Rice.
My mother and my wife are orthodox and believe firmly in the
'cooling effects' of Curd Rice. I cleared my throat and picked
up the bowl.

"Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd
Rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear. If you don't, your Mom will
shout at me."

I could sense my wife's scowl behind my back. Sindu softened a
bit and wiped her tears with the back of her hands. "OK, Dad.
I will eat not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this.
But, you should..." Sindu hesitated. "Dad, if I eat this entire
Curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?"
"Oh sure, darling."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine
and clinched the deal.

"Ask Mom also to give a similar promise," my daughter insisted.
My wife slapped her hand on Sindu's muttering "Promise,"
without any emotion.

Now I became a bit anxious. "Sindu, you shouldn't insist on
getting a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not
have that kind of money right now. OK?"

"No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive."

Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my
child to eat something that she detested.

After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes
wide with expectation. All of our attention was on her.

"Dad, I want to have my head shaved off this Sunday,"
was her demand!

"Atrocious!" shouted my wife, "a girl child having her head
shaved off? Impossible!"

"Never in our family!" my mother rasped. "She has been watching
too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled
with these TV programs!"

"Sindu, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad
seeing you with a clean-shaven head."

"No, Dad. I do not want anything else," Sindu said with
finality.

"Please Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?"
I tried to plead with her.

"Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd
Rice," Sindu was in tears. "And you promised to grant me
whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words.
Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra and
its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?"

It was time for me to call the shots.
"Our promise must be kept."

"Are you out your mind?" chorused my mother and wife.

"No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to
honour her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled."

With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes
looked big and beautiful.

On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight
to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom.
She turned around and waved.

I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a
car, and shouted, "Sinduja, please wait for me!"

What struck me was the hairless head of that boy.
"Maybe that is the 'in' stuff," I thought.

"Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!"
Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and
continued, "That boy who is walking along with your daughter is
my son Harish. He is suffering from leukemia."

She paused to muffle her sobs. "Harish could not attend the
school for the whole of the last month. He lost all of his hair
due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come
back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of
the schoolmates.

"Sinduja visited him last week and promised him that she will
take care of the teasing issue. But I never imagined she would
sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and
your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your
daughter."

I stood transfixed. And then, I wept.

"My little Angel, will you teach me what love is?"

~Author Unknown~