Little Girl Lost

Jonas took over his father's heating and cooling firm at the age of twenty-seven. Within three years the firm was dominant in the state of Ohio. The building boom put more business into the firm than Jonas could handle so sub-contractors were hired. Then the end came. The end stated with the declining number of homes being built. Things started to unravel for Jonas and his firm, as well as the rest of the nation and world. When things took a turn for the worse in the economy, Jonas lost his girlfriend, he had to lay off all his employees, and his bank account went to zero. He lost his home, his car, anything and everything of value was now gone. Jonas had rented a warehouse and office space combo at the height of the boom. The warehouse and office were on a forty acre complex housing other warehouse and office combos. Now, the whole complex was empty except for Jonas and his space. Jonas had not paid any lease payments in months. Since Jonas was out of cash, he was using the office and warehouse space as place to live. The whole complex was empty and was quickly overgrowing with weeds. The complex was enclosed with a ten foot tall chain link fence with barb wire on the top of the fence. Every building and unit was totally abandoned except for Jonas's. Jonas took it upon himself to weld all the entry gates shut except for the front gate. On the front gate Jonas put a heavy-duty security chain and padlock. Even the landlord, if there still was one, could not get in without a cutting torch.

The world had gone through not only a financial collapse but a societal collapse. Nations were now waging war against nations. There was looting and riots everywhere. Chaos reigned. Newspapers had folded along with radio and television stations. In the area of Jonas's warehouse and office, there was now one radio station when there had been 12. There was now only one television station where there had been seven.

Jonas had little to eat. His transportation consisted of one of his vans needing work. He had a cell phone but the cell service was intermittent. He slept on an army cot in the office.

Jonas was not a man of God. Jonas was never religious. As the chaos of the world increased, Jonas became more and more a person who turned away from God. Jonas never prayed because Jonas had no faith.

Jonas got his news from a little transistor radio with a hand crank used to keep the batteries alive. Jonas had nothing to do. He invented games to play but there was no one with whom he could play them. The streets outside the chain link fence surrounding complex were meaner than mean. If was not uncommon to see dead bodies along the road. Law enforcement existed because the officers were volunteers. If Jonas ventured out, he took an AK-47 with him for personal protection. The only store within 10 miles was a locally-owned grocery now open only two days a week. Customers had to take a number to make any kind of purchase. The store received shipments via some kind of government program so the customers only got what the government allowed them to have. The civilized world, for all intents and purposes, had come to an end.

Jonas was about to go from his world of chaos to another world altogether.

As he cranked his radio to get the news, Jonas heard a little knock that came from the direction of the outside door leading into his office. Jonas figured the knock was just the building creaking since no one could get into the complex. A few seconds later the knocking continued. Just out of curiosity, Jonas walked over to the door and opened the door. What Jonas saw was a shock. Jonas saw a little girl, perhaps two years old, crying. The little girl said, "Mommy go way. Mommy go way." Jonas did not know what to think or what to do. He stuck is head out the door and looked around. No one was in the complex near his office. No one was around the front gate. Jonas stooped down and looked at the little girl more intently. She looked malnourished, extremely thin, and pale. Jonas took her hand and led her into the office. Jonas asked the little girl her name but all she could say was "Mommy go way." Jonas's heart sank for a myriad of reasons. He could not take care of himself. How could he take care of a little child? He was running out of food. Orphans were overwhelming churches and the agencies still functioning. People were abandoning their children because of the social meltdown. The little girl could not or would not talk except for the few words about her mommy. Jonas decided to do without his next candy bar and he gave the candy bar to the little girl. Jonas had only two candy bars left, or he thought that's how many he had left. When Jonas looked in his backpack, he found six candy bars instead of the expected two. The little girl did not seem interested in where she was or curious about her surroundings, likely because of the trauma of being abandoned. Jonas was still dumbfounded about how she could have found his front door and how she got over the ten foot security fence. Jonas did not know what to do next. Jonas tried his cell phone and found he got a dial tone. Jonas knew of no one to call except his former secretary, Naomi. He called Naomi but her phone was disconnected or no longer in service. Since the meltdown, people had given up the luxury of any kind of cell phone. Jonas looked through the directory on his cell phone and did not see a name of anyone who he thought might help. Not knowing what else to do, he started at the A's in his directory and started calling. Every number he dialed had been disconnected or was no longer in service. Nearly all the phone numbers in Jonas's directory were businesses, but sometimes a cell number was a personal cell number Jonas had picked up when he collected the customer's info. He got down to the D's and the first number was answered. The customer listing was the Denton Tile and Stone Company. A woman answered and Jonas began to explain his situation. The woman said "I can't help you but I will give you the name of someone else." The woman gave Jonas the name of someone named Beatrice Greene. The woman told Jonas Beatrice was quite elderly but she might be a contact to explore. Jonas thanked the woman on the phone and turned off his cell for a moment. He went over to the little girl to see if she was OK. It was 7:30 in the evening and the little girl looked exhausted. Jonas got another cot he had stashed in the storage area and set the cot up for the little girl. Jonas had brought extra blankets with him to the office when he removed what was left of his belonging from his now former house. Jonas fixed up the cot or bed for the little girl, using one of his soft jackets as a pillow for her. Jonas had the little girl lay down on the cot and she fell asleep within seconds. Jonas was a tough guy. However, he was getting really attached to the little girl. As he sat and watched her fall asleep Jonas felt a lump forming in his throat. Jonas had never prayed in his life. But as he sat and watched the little girl, he could not help but say "God, if you are up there. This little kid needs some help and me too." Jonas picked up his cell phone and dialed the number for Beatrice but the cell service was down again. Jonas got up from his desk and walked over to the door coming into the office from the outside and double locked the door. Jonas still couldn't figure out how the little girl could have gotten into his office complex. Jonas decided to set up his cot so he could keep an eye on the little girl. Jonas stretched out on his cot and quickly fell asleep.

Jonas opened his eyes and the morning light was coming through the office window. Jonas looked over to see if the little girl was still there. Jonas had hoped maybe her coming to the front door was a dream. The little girl was motionless. Jonas got up from his cot and sat down at his desk. The creaking of his office chair caused the little girl to wake up. She opened her eyes but did not sit up. Jonas had noticed she did not move unless he told her to do so. She made no requests or demands. She did not seem interested in anything. Jonas figured the trauma of losing her mother was at the heart of her behavior. Jonas looked over at his clock and the time was 7:35 a.m. Jonas began to wonder what he would feed her, especially if they had to live in the office for weeks or longer. Jonas went over to her cot and got her to sit up. He asked her if she was hungry but she made no reply. Jonas went to his back pack to get another candy bar but when he opened the back pack he found small boxes of kid's breakfast cereal. Jonas did not know what to think. Jonas had never purchased kid's breakfast cereal in his life. The thought crossed Jonas's mind, "Maybe God heard me. Maybe there is a God." Jonas did not have anything to drink except half a can of diet soda in his little refrigerator. Jonas went to the refrigerator and to his further shock there were four little containers of milk inside. Like the cereal, Jonas had never purchased a little container of milk in his life. Jonas was beginning to live in a sense of awe he thought of as "woo-woo." Jonas set up a little place for the little girl to eat at his desk and made her a little chair out of some 5 gallon plastic buckets. Jonas led her over to his desk and set her up with the milk and the cereal. Jonas told her to eat the cereal which she did. Jonas did not have to tell her to drink the milk, which she did on her own.

Jonas called Beatrice's phone number and this time the cell service was working. An elderly woman answered the phone and Jonas tried to explain what had happened but he left out what he considered to be the "woo woo stuff," Beatrice told Jonas to come to visit her and bring the little girl. Jonas agreed to meet Beatrice later that morning. Beatrice gave her address and directions on how to find her home. Jonas recognized the area as very rural.

Jonas had what he estimated to be about three gallons of gas in the truck, with two more gallons in a five gallon can sitting at the back of the warehouse. The gas gauge in the truck was nearly to the "E" mark. By Jonas's estimation, he would run out of gas about three miles from Beatrice's home. Jonas figured with all the other "woo woo stuff" going on at the moment, maybe the "woo woo" would keep the truck going long enough to reach Beatrice's house. Jonas took the little girl's hand and led her out to the truck, he buckled her into the front seat, and he climbed in behind the wheel. The truck started but the engine was running rough. Jonas pushed the AK-47 out of sight so the little girl would not see it, and they started off. Jonas unlocked the front gate, pulled the truck outside the gate, relocked the gate, and then they were off. It took 45 minutes to get to Beatrice's property. The gas gauge had not moved any further. Beatrice lived in an old farm house about thirty miles from any major highway. Jonas got out of the truck and unbuckled the little girl from the front seat. Jonas took her hand and they walked up to the front door. The front door opened and a kindly woman with white hair and sparkling eyes greeted both of them with a smile. The little girl was a bit more responsive but not much. Beatrice invited them in and they all went into Beatrice's living room and sat down.

Beatrice said, "Please tell me about what has been going on. I was expecting your call this morning. I had a dream about our meeting." Jonas said, "Uh, more woo-woo stuff." Beatrice smiled and said, "What is woo-woo stuff?" Jonas fumbled for words and said, "Well, I've had a lot of things happen in the last few hours I cannot explain. I had food appear in my backpack that was not there a few hours before and I did not buy any food. I had milk appear in my refrigerator I did not buy and I did not put the milk in there. I suppose the biggest woo-woo was this little girl appearing at my office door. There is no way she could have climbed over a ten foot chain link fence with barbed wire on the top. There are hundreds of units in my complex, all are empty except my unit, and she found mine. I do not believe in God but I prayed God would help the little girl and me and then all this woo-woo stuff starts happening." Beatrice asked, "Do you have any other place to stay other than your office?" Jonas replied, "No, I lost my home and the office is all I have. The lease expired months ago but the landlord likely filed bankruptcy and whoever took over, if anyone did take over, did not know I was in the complex. I fear for the little girl. I have no food, or at least I didn't have until this woo-woo stuff started happening." Beatrice asked, "Do you know anything about gardening and farming?" Jonas said "Not enough. My grandparents owned a farm and I was on the farm a lot but I would have to learn a lot before I could do everything needed to produce a crop or raise livestock." Beatrice then said, "Jonas, I am not able to grow my own food, but I know how to grow it. I have about 200 acres here on this farm, with a few beef cattle, a few chickens, and a dairy cow. I had someone to come in and take care of things until a few days ago but he has disappeared. My husband died about ten years ago. We were going to leave the farm to our church down the road but our church was abandoned about a year ago because everyone left. We had not had a pastor for over four years and things dwindled down. Jonas, if you would be willing to try to keep the farm going, I will give you the farm, let you stay here, and I would be able to help you try and help this little girl. Jonas, do you have any other options for survival?" Jonas spoke and said, "No, I have no other options. I would like to at least give it a try, especially for the little girl's sake. I have no idea who she belongs to, where she came from, or how to find her family. I know families have been abandoning children everywhere because of all the chaos. To tell you the truth, I do not think I have enough gas in the truck to get back to the office." Beatrice replied, "OK, let's try farming. I have plenty of food canned and waiting to be eaten."

Beatrice motioned for the little girl to come over to her and the little girl complied. The little girl's attention was drawn to a picture of an angel sitting on a lamp table next to Beatrice. The little girl said, "Mommy. Mommy. Mommy. Mommy." Beatrice picked up the picture and handed the picture to the little girl and the little girl kept repeating the word "Mommy" over and over. Beatrice asked her, "Is this your mommy?" and the little girl shook her head "Yes." At that moment, there was a silence in the room. It was the kind of silence prevailing over persons who are in the presence of God. Jonas was befuddled but sort of melting down in his heart. Beatrice was touched and had tear-filled eyes. The little girl clutched the picture with love only a child could show. Time and the world stopped for awhile. No one spoke. No one had to speak because a truth revealed as deep as this truth was beyond spoken words. There were no words because the room was filled with unseen beings with flapping wings.

Beatrice finally spoke to Jonas and said, "I am a Christian woman. There many things about God and Christ I know but I know very little. I know even less about angels or angelic beings. I know angels protect people. I know angels are beings of love. I suspect an angel carried this little girl over your tall fence and placed her at your front door. I suspect an angel put food into your possession where no food existed. I suspect an angel made my telephone work for a few minutes during the last year so I could receive your call. I suspect this little girl's mother became an angel, was an angel, or was helped by an angel as her mother crossed over into heaven. Of course, I do not know for certain any of these things. In the world today there is darkness covering the whole earth, but I know the light of my Lord Jesus still shines." Beatrice hugged the little girl and asked her, "Can you tell me your name?" The little girl said "Mary."

Jonas was still stunned and trying to process all he had seen. The one thought that kept running through his mind was "Thank you Jesus."

This message first appeared in March, 2009, in the Virtual Church web site at http://www.findthepower.com