From Fear to Love. . .
Little Lamb opened his eyes slowly. Carefully he climbed to his feet. “Learn, enjoy and teach. There is much for you to do,” came God’s Voice in his heart.
“Quickly, come quickly Little Lamb. We need your help.” Within the dream Little Lamb opened his eyes. Around him were the animals of the forest. Mouse was scurrying here and there. Raccoon moved out of sight behind a tree stump.
“You must help us Little Lamb,” said Mouse. Fear kept twitching his whiskers. “There is something awful in the forest and you must save us.”
Raccoon moved further behind the tree stump hoping no one would see him.
“Have you looked to see what it is?” asked Little Lamb. “The fear in your hearts will go away when you know what it is you fear.”
Mouse looked at Raccoon and twitched his whiskers angrily. Raccoon slunk further behind the stump.
“We are too afraid to look.” Little Lamb’s heart went out to his friends. He knew he must discover what hid in the darkness of the forest for fear disappears in the light of love. And so off he went, fearless in his Father’s love.
As darkness began to fall, Little Lamb walked deeper into the forest. His friends were far behind him. Deeper and deeper he went. The blackness covered him and he felt alone. He had forgotten his Father would be with him always.
Separated from his friends in a part of the forest he did not know, Little Lamb became afraid. The snap of a branch near him made Little Lamb jump with fright. Now he seemed to be surrounded by rustling and crackling. Little Lamb’s heart pounded in his chest.
“Oh why am I here?”
And as quickly as he had asked the question, the answer came. Softly and gently the words rose from his heart.
“You are in the dream world Little Lamb and you came to help your brothers and sisters awaken because you love them as I love you.” Then Little Lamb knew he was not alone, for his Father was within him. Fear left Little Lamb, and in its place came peace and happiness for he could feel his Father’s love.
For the first time Little Lamb looked up and saw the moon shining through the trees. So brightly did it shine that he could see around him as if it were day. And there, hiding behind a large bush, was an animal.
His coat was golden yellow. A large mane of fur circled his face.
It was a lion.
“Hello Lion,” called Little Lamb.
As he spoke he noticed tears falling from Lion’s eyes.
Gently Little Lamb asked, “Can I help you?”
“I am so lonely and frightened. Each time I come near anyone to say ‘hello’, they run away.”
Little Lamb smiled. So this was what Mouse and Raccoon feared. It was only Lion, lonely and frightened just as they were.
“Come, do not be afraid. Let us be friends and through me you will meet the friends for whom you search.”
As Little Lamb and Lion came out of the woods intothe clearing, Mouse, whiskers twitching, ran behind a boulder. Raccoon scurried under a fern, eyes large and frightened.
“Come. Don’t be afraid,” called Little Lamb to his friends.
“Lion was alone in the forest and needs our friendship as much as we need his. Come and meet what frightened you. For he is the same as you. Lonely and frightened he reaches out for your friendship. Can you say ‘no’ to him?”
And so Mouse and Raccoon slowly came forward. As the animals’ fear began to disappear, friendship and love took its place.
Little Lamb could hear his Father’s Voice speak to all of them in their hearts.
“Today you chose love instead of fear. For without fear, there could only be love.”
Mouse said, “Thank you Little Lamb for teaching us to look through fear to the love that is always there, waiting for us to reach out and accept it.”
With that Mouse reached out his hand and took Lion’s paw. Fear had disappeared and only love remained in all of them.
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