H. J. BIRCH

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IN THE WORLD TODAY, EVERYONE DISTRUSTS AND FEARS EACH OTHER FOR GOOD REASONS, THE WORLD HAS BECOME A DARK SCARY PLACE. IT REMINDS ME OF WHEN I WAS A SMALL CHILD, AND MY GRANDMA TOLD ME TO WALK MY COUSIN FROM MY GRANDMAS HOUSE TO MY COUSINS HOUSE. IT WAS NIGHT, AND TO BE HONEST, I WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK. YET I THOUGHT, I CAN DO IT, I WILL JUST WALK WITH HER TO HER HOUSE, AND THEN I WILL RUN REAL FAST, BACK TO MY GRANDMAS HOUSE. THINKING THIS A GREAT PLAN, I SAID I'D DO IT. ALTHOUGH I WAS SMALL, AND PETITE, AND MY COUSIN WAS BIGGER THAN ME. SO I THOUGHT, THE REQUEST WAS A BIT SILLY. BRAVELY I SET OUT WITH MY COUSIN, TO WALK HER HOME. WE HADNT EVEN GOT HALF WAY, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY COUSIN GRABBED MY ARM, AND PULLED ME DOWN BEHIND SOME PARKED CARS. AND TOLD ME SHHH, I WHISPERED "WHY?" MY COUSIN POINTED IN FRONT OF WHERE WE WERE WALKING... THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, WERE TWO GROUPS OF KIDS, ALOT BIGGER THAN US FIGHTING. AS WE WERE HIDING, IT SEEMED TO ME, IF WE CONTINUED TO HIDE, WE WOULD BE THERE ALL NIGHT. SO I PRAYED, A SILENT PRAYER, AND ASKED GOD, WHAT SHOULD I DO AND SAY, TO MAKE THOSE KIDS STOP FIGHTING AND LEAVE? SO I COULD FINISH THE TASK MY GRANDMA GAVE ME. I REMEMBERED SEEING SOME OF THE KIDS AT CHURCH BEFORE. SO BODY AND LEGS TREMBLING, I FOLLOWED THE PROMPTINGS GOD PUT IN MY HEART. I STOOD UP, AND STEPPED OUT AWAY FROM THE PARKED CARS, WHERE THE KIDS COULD SEE ME, MY COUSIN STILL HIDING, I LOOKED AT THE KIDS, AND SAID AS STRONGLY AS I COULD "STOP!" THEY ALL CAME, AND ENCIRCLING ME, ONE OF THEM SAID "WHO ARE YOU TO TELL US WHAT TO DO!" IN THAT MOMENT, THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON ABOUT BEING A PEACEMAKER LIKE JESUS, CAME TO MY MIND. AND THEN I HEARD MY MOUTH SAY "IM THE PEACEMAKER!" THE BIG KIDS STOPPED, ALL FELL SILENT, THEN TURNED, AND ALL WENT HOME. LEAVING ME, ALL ALONE IN THE STREET. SO I WENT, GRABBED MY COUSIN, WE BOTH RAN TO MY COUSINS HOUSE, THEN I RAN BACK TO MY GRANDMAS HOUSE, AS FAST AS I COULD. AFTER GETTING BACK INTO MY GRANDMAS HOUSE, I FELL TO MY KNEES, AND THANKED GOD FOR HIS MIRACLES, IN SAVING US THAT DAY. AND MAKING IT, SO I COULD TAKE MY COUSIN HOME, AND GET BACK SAFELY. THE WORLD NOW, REMINDS ME OF THAT SCARY DARK NIGHT OF MY YOUTH. YET THAT EXPERIENCE, REMINDS ME, THAT WITH PRAYER, ACTION, HOPE, AND FAITH WORKS MIRACLES. SO WALK FORWARD EVEN THOUGH YOUR SCARED AND PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD. PRAY, THEN FOLLOW WHAT HE SPEAKS TO YOUR HEART. I HOPE MY POEMS I HAVE WRITTEN, WILL HELP YOU AND BRIGHTEN YOUR ROAD, AND LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD.

SINCERELY,

H.J. BIRCH