The Bottom Drawer ‑ How Could She Resist?

Sarah squirmed beneath her covers, idly picking the edge of the frayed blanket. She hardly noticed the angry voices of Tom and mama as she waited for the light in the bottom drawer to beckon her. But her reverie was interrupted by Tom's piercing words.

"Angie, that kid is crazy ‑ sleeping in that blasted drawer! Tomorrow that dresser goes!" Fear choked Sarah as mama whined, "Give the kid a break. Maybe she's really found something ‑ anyway it's real to her." Tom exploded, "I've had it! It's me or the kid. Tomorrow, that dresser better be gone or it's over." Mama's pathetic pleas sickened Sarah, but not nearly as much as the thought of losing the dresser.

Sarah's mind took her back to the day she discovered the secret world in the bottom drawer. In drunken rage, Tom had knocked Sarah down, dragging her on scraped knees to her room. There, crouching miserably in the dark she'd first seen the bottom drawer glowing. The light drew her like a magnet. How could she resist? Forcing her body into the confines of the drawer, she found herself transported to a kingdom of sunshine and music, fragrant with roses like daddy used to bring mama before he died. "Sarah", a man's voice called ever so gently. Panic filled her, but she turned and, looking into his eyes, saw deep pools of love that melted away everything dark and scary inside of her. He picked her up and began washing her sores which disappeared at his touch! And so it came to be that night after night, Sarah was healed of whatever wounds of body or soul she carried into the drawer.

But now she was going to lose all this! At the first flicker of light, she frantically cast herself into the drawer sobbing, "Mama's going to take you away. Don't send me back to the dark. I want to stay here with you forever." "Sarah, don't be afraid", came his soothing voice. "For I will come and live in you and my light will be with you always. Only ask." "But sir, I don't even know your name", Sarah replied. "I am Jesus, the Light of the World and I came to save and live in all who call upon my name."

The moment Sarah whispered "Jesus", she found herself back in her bed. The bottom drawer was dark now but she felt no fear. Her whole being was aglow with peace and her room smelled of roses as she drifted off to sleep. Moments later, the sound of soft weeping wakened her. Mama was kneeling by the bottom drawer crying, "If only I could put my face in that light one more time." Sarah realized mama must have seen it and needed Him too. So she rushed to tell mama how the Light was within her now. "You can have Him too, mama. Only ask." Like Sarah, how could she resist?