There once was a child who was walking beside a great river. As he was walking there came to him a calling. He stopped and
listened. What was that call, he wondered. He looked up the river and then down the river, trying to discern from where came that call.
Down the river he saw a large rock right in the middle of the river. He ran to it and asked, “Rock, are you calling me?” The rock did
not answer. The boy sighed and sat beside the river. After a time there came to the boy a small bird who sat on the branch of a
bush. The bird whistled and sang the boy a song.
“That was a nice song!” said the boy.
“Thank you,” said the bird. “I have sung it just for you!”
The boy smiled and then asked, “Bird, have you heard the calling?”
“Yes,” said the bird. “I hear it all the time.”
“What does it mean?” asked the boy, “Where is it from? Who is calling?” The questions tumbled out.
“I don’t know,” said the bird.
“Oh,” said the boy and he again looked to the river. And as he was looking to the river, there came floating down, a boat. “Bird!” he
exclaimed, “there is a boat, an empty boat!”
But the bird had flown away when the boy began to look at the river. “Oh what should I do, “ he said aloud to no one in particular.
Then he heard the words. They were soft and they were clear.
“I am your boat. Come along now. We have many places to go and much to see. Your journey begins now.”
The boy looked up the river and then down the river. He wasn’t quite sure if he should actually get into the boat. The boat said again,
“I am your boat.”
The boat didn’t move further down the river, it just sat in the water and waited for the boy. In truth, it is still waiting… for you, beloved
one, for you.
Your Loving Embrace...10