The child

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast 
   and have no compassion on the child she has borne? 
Though she may forget, 
   I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; 
   your walls are ever before me."   Isaiah 49:15-16


Just down the street from our house is St. Victor Catholic Church and school and a statue devoted to the children of the parish.   It has a relief of a toddler being cuddled in a large hand, probably the hand of God.   This is another one of the many woodcarvings located around the area that have a meaning to the people who have commissioned them.   I've always walked past it when training my daughter how to ride a bike in the parking lot there and figured that it was just a meaningless statue for the kids at school.   Today, as I wondered how to frame the shot, I saw the bible passage on the base, hidden by fallen leaves and underbrush.   When I hear the children playing and having a good time on the playground during the week, shouts of joy and excitement filling the air, there is a bit of comfort to know that they are being cared for by the watchful eyes of the teachers and being soothed by the hand of God.