Little Miss No Name

“For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me…Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. Matt. 25:35, 40 (RSV)

She wears a burlap dress with two patches and she has no shoes. Her eyes, huge and sad, drip a tear on her cheek. Her hand is outstretched asking for something. “Little Miss No Name” was a doll made by Hasbro in 1965. Most parents didn’t want to buy her and few children wanted her as a gift. The line was discontinued, but then the magic started.

A vintage ‘No Name’ doll was in a bag given to a charity organization in 1986. They auctioned her off. The bidder returned her the next year and said, “Auction her again.” The largest donation to date is $84,111 in 1996.

A miserly man in one church received a ‘No Name’ doll in the Christmas grab bag. The tear in her eye brought a tear to his eye. He isn’t a miser anymore.

Past owners blog about how much they did or didn’t like ‘Little Miss No Name.’ Their stories teach us a truth about the real ‘no names’ of this world. We see them, but we react differently. They compel us and repel us.

Jesus called us to look with the eyes and see with the heart regardless of appearance, gender, or age. When we do, the magic begins. ‘No names’ are renamed to ‘brother or sister.’ We are “blessed by the father” and “inherit the kingdom prepared for us.” (vrs. 34)

Lord, when we see with our eyes, open our hearts.

© 2009 Jonita D. Shoaff