God is LOVE

Its been a bit of a down day; "being there" for children in need - children whose parents are splitting up, children whose grandparents are dying, children who are being beaten at home or who are being bullied in class - can be wearying on the soul.

And yet the job is just as uplifting. And standing as a testament to that, may I introduce "Chaplain Annie's LOVE Project."




This is my personal crusade to paper the walls of this - the Chaplain's Room - room with the word LOVE.

I pray that each person that walks into the room when this plan is complete will be assailed from every corner by the word LOVE: drawn, crayoned, pencilled and sparkly-painted by tiny hands and enormous hearts. They pile in here each morning tea and every lunch time by the dozens - tiny, perfect little creatures with sticky fingers and bright eyes, hats askew and uniforms stained with chalk, chocolate and magic marker - chattering like cockatoos nesting in an ancient gum tree. Their eyes and their hearts are focused so intently on finding just the right piece of paper and just the right marker, so that when they commit themselves to the task, their picture of LOVE is the prettiest of all.





I only wish that people could hear the musical accompaniment that goes with this celebration: dozens of sweet, high, sing-song voices packed into a room no larger than a bus shelter, all calling out at top volume:

"Chaplain Annie, can I colour with you?" "Chaplain Annie, this is my friend Amelia and she wants to play with you!" "Chaplain Annie, Renee is being mean to me and I feel sad. Can I draw a picture with you?" "Chaplain Annie, I can spell love without any help!" "Chaplain Annie, Charly helped me make this LOVE just for you!"

And the sweetest voice of all, the one that lifted me out of my doldrums today and reminded me why it is I am here:

"Chaplain Annie, my best friend is Jesus! And I am drawing this LOVE for my best friend!"



And as I blu-tacked them to the walls, glitter paint sliding off the glossy paper and onto my jeans, I caught myself humming that wonderful ditty "Praise Him Praise Him all ye little children, God is Love, God is Love", and realized that on top of everything, I now have a theme song!