We Shared a Song

On a recent tour of Bible lands, I was struck by one cleaning woman’s pleasant appearance and cheerful acceptance of the duties required of her. Toward the end of our stay I happened to be alone with this woman for a few moments. We exchanged greetings, so I knew she spoke English. Impulsively, I asked her to sing me a song of her childhood. Her dark eyes shone, and I knew my request had pleased her. After thinking for a moment, she sang a song in a language I did not understand. When she stopped singing, I said, “Tell me what it means.”

She replied, “It is Arabic and a song of Jesus, who loves me. Now, will you sing one to me?”

I sang my favorite, “Jesus Once Was a Little Child,” learned in Primary years ago. After the first phrase, I was surprised to hear her join me, and we sang together the rest of the verse. I could hardly believe it. In spite of the differences of our cultures and nearly nine thousand miles between our homes, our hearts were in the same place—filled with joy shared in a child’s song of Jesus. Delila G. Williams, Spanish Fork, Utah