Baby Face

by: Joe Talhelm

As a minister, I visit many hospitals many times of the year. I try to be with families during emergencies, surgeries, births and deaths that occur at the hospitals in the area. I have spent numerous hours in the hospital. Whenever I go to a hospital I try to stop in at the floor that the babies are located. I just can't resist going to the nursery window and checking out the most recent newborns. I love looking at their faces, their hands and their feet. There is nothing like a baby face. I just get this urge to reach out and touch their little faces, and even kiss them, if I could. Baby faces. So sweet, so tender, so soft and so innocent. Even when they crinkle up their face it is cute. While crying their face is still a thing of beauty. There is nothing like the face of a baby!

Go with me to the nursing homes in town and you will find that time has a way of changing some of those faces. Some of the faces are now worn and frazzled. Some have frowns and glares that show the years of hurt and pain. Some faces have drooped and look forlorned. Some faces look like they are in a distant land or lost in time. However, there are some faces that still have that baby-like glow to them. Something has kept that smile and shine intact. Maybe older, but still friendly as ever. Maybe wrinkled and worn, but still the sweet baby face from the beginning.

A lot of times our faces show what is going on inside of us. If problems are raging our face may be downcast. If stress is prevalent, the face will show it. When there is sorrow, the face can't hide it too well. When there is laughter and fun on the inside, the face will surely show it as well. Sadness on the inside will express itself on the face and all who see it knows.

Question! Have we been ignoring the faces around us? Have we overlooked the sadness and pain seen on our neighbor's face? Have we reached out to the downtrodden faces of our community? Are those with worried faces being overlooked? Have we passed by those with the face of loneliness, recently.

The face - a window to the inside of others.