Helping Hands

"Hey, Laura, wait up!" Laura turned at the door of her classroom at church and saw Anissa hurrying down the hall toward her. "You have nursery duty with me today, don't you?" asked Anissa. "Let's go."Laura dropped her gaze. "Um, actually, Jessie is going to take my place."Anissa's forehead creased in a frown. "Why? You and I always work in the nursery together. Why aren't you helping today?""Well, I, uh…" Laura squirmed uncomfortably. "I just don't feel like helping in the nursery anymore."Anissa eyed her suspiciously. "Laura, I've never met anyone in my whole life who likes babies more than you do. Something's going on. What is it?"Laura sighed. She knew it was no use trying to hide the real reason she had decided to quit working in the nursery. "Well, it's just…kids have so many contagious illnesses, and I don't want to come down with them myself. There's always somebody with a cold or something. The day after I was in the nursery last month, the Jamisons' baby came down with chicken pox! And now…well, there's the Wilsons' adopted baby who is HIV positive.""So that's it!" Anissa was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Laura, the nursery staff uses special safety precautions with little Peter. Mrs. Snyder can talk to you about it some more if you have any questions, but you don't have to be afraid to hold Peter or play with him. He needs our love and care just as much as any of the other babies. Maybe more." She paused, then added gently, "Remember the sermon we heard last week? What would have happened to the leper if Jesus hadn't been willing to help him?"In her mind's eye, Laura could see the sick, hopeless man kneeling before Jesus, pleading for His help. And then she could see the Savior with His outstretched hand. There was love in His face and in His touch. Thinking about it, Laura made a decision.She looked up and met Anissa's gaze with a smile. "I'll tell Jessie she can go to the worship service after all," she told her friend. "Meet you in the nursery in a few minutes!" -Carolyn A. Penner