Wayne Morgan bellowed at his wife, Linda, “who the heck keeps on doing this?” as he stomped into the kitchen early one fall morning, laden with groceries, shaking the rain from his overcoat. “What’re you talking about, honey?” Linda said absently, concentrating on the pancakes she was flipping for breakfast. “Some idiot keeps tampering with the garbage can” roared Wayne. “For the last few days, somebody keeps moving the can from the front yard into the alleyway right under the baby’s bedroom window. Is this some crazy kind of joke?” His wife teased, “I know it must be annoying to have to keep on moving the garbage can back to the front, but really it’s no big deal.”
“What’s the fate of the wandering garbage can today, Wayne?”
“Last night, I moved the garbage can into the front yard, and this morning when I was about to leave for the supermarket it was back in the alley, so I returned the can to the front, and when I got home from shopping just now, there it was in the alley again!”
Changing the subject, Linda casually asked Wayne “can you please fix the guardrail on the baby’s window? It’s very loose and now that she’s crawling around and standing, I’m afraid she can drag herself up to the window seat and who knows what could happen?”
“Oh my God,” Wayne shrieked. “You didn’t tell me the guardrail was broken! I opened the window this morning and I took the baby out of the crib before I left for the supermarket.”
The two exchanged a frantic look and raced to the bedroom upstairs. The guardrail was gone from the window, and the baby was missing from the room. Linda screamed and slumped into a nearby chair in panic. Wayne, overcome with guilt, willed himself to look out the open window overlooking the alleyway, expecting the worst.
A mixed, choking sob escaped from Wayne’s lips, half-shame and half -blessing. Linda could not bear to raise her eyes to the window as Wayne’s eyes widened in amazement at the scene below.
Two stories beneath the open bedroom window, a familiar cooing sound came from the baby, whose little arms were flailing energetically as she tried to extricate herself from the cushion of leaves that had softened her fall.
“Look Linda,” cried a weeping Wayne, “the baby is snugly nestled in the garbage can filled with the soft leaves I raked and put there.”
Linda bolted from the chair into the arms of Wayne. They both cried with joy, knowing their child was safe in the wandering garbage can.
God’s angels minister to those in need, especially little children who are His most vulnerable ones. As scripture says, God loves “the little ones” and “He has given His angels charge over them” (Matthew 18 : 10).
Wayne was upset by the “wandering garbage can” because it refused to stay still. When the baby fell into the soft cushion of leaves, however, Wayne and Linda understood.
God was watching over their baby.
—Story, courtesy of Wayne and Linda Morgan.
3 Comments
Adriana Contreras
Dios siempre está al pendiente de aquellos en “necesidad”… de los más pequeños, del desvalido, de TODOS sus hij@s en esté mundo. Bellísima historia. Gracias como siempre padre Duffy por su dedicación y entrega para llevar la palabra de Dios. Me encanta leer sus mensajes, me ayudan bastante y me hacen recordar el AMOR INFINITO QUE DIOS NOS TIENE. Bendiciones.
Hugh Duffy
Gracias, Adriana.
BARTHOLOMEW N OKERE
Fr. Duffy, What an inspiring & breath-taking story. Was holding my breath while reading the story of Wayne & Linda Morgan as you presented it. Was wondering whether a baby trafficker has stolen the baby through the loosed window. Glad, the baby’s guardian angel protected her as she crawled around the window & ended up into the cushion of leaves & not into the cushion of traffickers bed. Thanx!