by Hannah Parks
Jack’s broad face reddened in anger. “Jenny, don’t EVER talk to me like that! I’m trying to support you. I’m sorry that you don’t appreciate my efforts!” With that, Jack rose from the table and hurried out of the door.
Jenny sat pondering for several minutes. Jack’s actions had reminded her of her deceased father. As an unsaved man, he drank frequently, and his temper often exploded in fury. Jenny had been the victim of his fury several times until his death when Jenny was 15. “Dear Father,” Jenny prayed. “I know that I’ve ignored You lately, but don’t give up on me.” Rising from her chair, Jenny began clearing the supper items.
Arguments became commonplace in the Frazier household until Jack left after seven short months of marriage. “I can’t take it,” he complained to Jenny. “You don’t appreciate my hard work. You don’t let a man drink now and then, and you’re just too fussy!”
Heartbroken, Jenny turned to an unsympathetic world. At last, her weary feet retreated to her mother’s door. “I wondered when you would come home, Sweetheart,” her mother said as she stood in the doorway. “Come on in, Dear.”
As Jenny stepped inside, the familiar smells and sights overwhelmed her. Her mother held her tightly as she wept. “Oh, Mamma, I didn’t want it to happen this way. I always dreamed of having a wonderful husband and darling kids . . .” her voice trailed off. “God must hate me.”
Charlotte’s motherly voice warmed Jenny’s heart as she spoke. “Sweetheart, you know that’s not true. God loves you, Jenny, but you’ve been ignoring Him. Your life isn’t over. It’s not too late to serve Him, and I will always be here for you.”
In many ways, Jenny did expect her mother to always be near. However, God calls each of His children Home in His perfect time. Early one October morning, Charlotte’s soul took flight to her Heavenly Home.
Jenny’s stone-like face did not flinch during the funeral service. Her bitter heart beat vehemently within her. “God, You really are mad at me,” she thought. “How could You do this to me? How could You take the last person on earth that I loved?” Only silence and loneliness seemed to be the reply.
The bitterness within Jenny’s heart grew like a cancerous tumor during the following months. She absolutely refused to associate herself with anyone whose countenance revealed the love of Christ.
Several months after her mother’s funeral, Jenny saw an ad in the newspaper for a job involving the training of a killer whale. “Hmm…m…” she thought, “Maybe I should try that again.” Jenny had worked with killer whales during her teen years, but was forced to quit when the organization went bankrupt. With the hint of a smile on her face, she went to apply.
The tall tour guide showed Jenny the layout of the large killer whale resort. “Here is the whale that you will probably be working with,” she said. “Her name is Aerie. She is only about eight months old.”
Jenny’s mind flooded with happy memories as she watched the beautiful whale. Her shiny, black head glistened as the sun reflected off the water. “Oh, I can’t wait to do this again,” she exclaimed.
“Good. I’ll see you on Monday, then,” replied Jaime. Her blue eyes sparkled merrily. “I’m excited about working with you, Jenny.”
Monday morning barely came soon enough for Jenny. “Good morning, Aerie. Are you ready for some practice today?” Jenny asked the whale.
Aerie replied with a bob of her head and a backward flip in the water. That response brought laughter from Jaime as she walked up to greet Jenny.
“She’s very energetic, isn’t she, Jenny?”
“That she is,” Jenny replied trying to suppress her laughter. “I wish I had half as much energy.”
The weeks and months to follow were happier ones than Jenny had experienced for several years. Jaime’s love for the Lord softened Jenny’s hardened, bitter heart as they became close friends. It was this friendship that God used to bring Jenny back to Himself and bring blissful joy back into her soul.
She shared this one day with Jaime as they were putting away the training equipment. “Jaime, I so enjoy working with Aerie each day and watching her learn so quickly.”
Jaime smiled. “You enjoy it so much, Jenny, because you’ve lost yourself in that whale. You’ve learned to love again, haven’t you?”
Jenny’s face grew serious. “We’ve gotten to be close friends, Jaime, and you’ve brought me back to a loving relationship with the Lord. I’m thankful for that, but I didn’t realize that God planned on using a whale to further accomplish His purpose.”
“God works in mysterious ways, Jenny.” Jaime replied as she began to giggle. “Perhaps, I should start calling you ‘Jonah.’”
A Perfect Reflection
The room was brightly lit and held many oblong mirrors for people to survey themselves. Sam stood impatiently in front of one of the mirrors trying to straighten his tie. “If I can’t get this tie straight,” he muttered, “I’m going to change my entire outfit. I must look perfect.”
At last, the tie submitted to its frustrated owner. It was then that he realized his most important problem. His handsome face had resigned itself to a grotesque mass. His hair stood on end and held a dirty-brown hue. His splotchy face continually oozed with white sores. His nose seemed to increase in size as he stood staring. In anguish, he cried, “What is happening to my handsome face? Can this awful mass really be considered the face of a human?” In truth, Sam’s face should have belonged to a hideous monster.
A voice spoke behind him. “Sam, all your righteousness is as filthy rags in my sight. Come unto Me, and I will give you rest. The wages of sin is death, but my Gift is eternal life.”
Tears streamed down Sam’s face as he replied, “Lord, I believe. Make me in Your likeness.”
The Lord spoke again, “Son, turn and look in the mirror again.” Sam slowly turned and no longer saw the image of an unsaved wretch. Now, he saw in the mirror the perfect image and wondrous beauty of Jesus Christ.
The Letter that May Have Been Written By Emily Dickinson
Dearest Family,
My heart is filled with sorrow as I sit in my favorite writing spot with the challenge of writing you. This challenge has never been greater, for my heart has been broken once again. My closest friend, Reverend Charles Wadsworth, has passed away after a brief illness. I regret that our time together was so limited. His death has dealt a severe blow from which I see no return. I have been knocked down too many times and feel unable to rise again.
Why must death have the victory by showing its ugly claws once again? Why should I, Emily Dickinson, have to face the sorrow of losing those that remain so dear to my heart? I feel that God has intended for my life to be a grueling curse until my last breath. Must I accept such grim reality? I fear that I am unable to do so. Why should I when such fate knocks at my door so frequently? I see no value in such acceptance!
The autumn leaves are falling off the trees in delightful bundles, stirring to bring a smile to each face; however, the smile left my face long ago. I remain doubtful that it will return. I hope all is well for each of you. May you have good health and prosperous days.
With my love,
Emily
Once Upon a Memory
Just as we did as children, children today run and play with carefree hearts and have not a great concept of time or place. “Is it getting dark outside? Oh well,” says a child. “I’ll keep playing until mother calls.”
Another day finds a little girl tugging at her blonde curls and wishing that she could play with the “big kids.” Soon, though, she is content to pour tea for her baby doll and lie in the soft turf.
As we watch the boys and girls swing like silly monkeys from trees, can we not remember the blessings of childhood? Can we recall the blissfulness of frolicking outdoors all day, enjoying the sunshine and not having a care? Was there a sense of urgency? An appointment to keep? Oh, no, just the sweet rapture of childhood waiting to emerge like a morning glory with the dawn. Such was the case with Joshua Dill
ings.
Joshua was a typical little boy in that he loved the outdoors. Nothing made him happier than playing in the dirt and digging for all the live inhabitants of it. He was quite a handsome fellow with sandy brown hair that fell like straw over his forehead. His bright-blue eyes twinkled each time his mouth resolved into a wide smile. His chubby cheeks had been tenderly kissed by the sun, or so his mother told him. No matter to Joshua. He simply enjoyed to the fullest each wiggle, each question, and each moment of curiosity.
His dear mother prepared herself for another question each time Joshua began to wrinkle his tiny nose. As his vocabulary list grew, the predominant question remained, "Why?" Joshua wanted to know why lizards were green, why the tooth fairy collected teeth, and why he had to eat his vegetables. And as most children do, he asked about his vegetables at every meal. Unfortunately, he thought, the answer never changed: He ate his vegetables so that he would grow up to be a strong, handsome, young man.
Joshua did grow to be that young man and left behind the dirt, the animals, and all the questions. He soon came to realize the essence of time. When given advice or asked to do something, he would often reply, “I’m not a child anymore!” or “I don’t have time!”
With a sad confidence in her eyes, his mother would reply, “Joshua, you will ALWAYS be my darling child.” Joshua resented that comment. Perhaps he resented the statement because of the person that he had become.
Joshua had grown a little too independent and had left God out of his life for many years now. The last thing he wanted to be reminded of was the fact that he was still someone’s child. Was he not a grown man? No longer did he enjoy the stillness of a peaceful stream or wriggle his toes in the cool earth. Joshua Dillings was a man with a purpose in his life. He quite often made the statement, “I have things to do. Do you really think that I have time to enjoy life? I’m not a child anymore.”
This comment was usually made in reference to his vivacious wife, Amy. Amy enjoyed every minute to its fullest—not sacrificing the little enjoyments of life but reveling in their very essence. She, too, was an adult, but her relationship with God allowed her to still enjoy life much like a child. Yes, she had responsibilities, but is life to be as dull as to not be enjoyed once a person becomes an adult? Not so to Amy. She had a gentle maturity about her that could instantly stoop to a child’s level and enjoy life from her viewpoint. Her emerald green eyes glistened with mischief as though she were yet a child. Such is life through the eyes of one who walks closely with the Heavenly Father.
As Joshua neared his 40’s, his mother became ill with bone cancer. Nearing death, she called for her son to come talk with her. “Joshua,” she spoke.
“Yes, Mother?”
“Dear, the Heavenly Father is going to be taking me Home shortly. He has blessed my life greatly, especially with you. Joshua, even when I am gone, please remember that you will ALWAYS be my darling child.”
Joshua’s heart wrenched with her words. No, he did not like being referred to as a child, but his mother held a special place in his heart. He stood there with tears streaming down his cheeks, feeling much like a little boy once again. Bending down, he whispered in his mother’s ear, “Mamma, I love you. Thank you for letting me be your little boy.” A smile framed his mother’s lips as she peacefully slipped into eternity with a prayer that her son’s heart would be softened.
To Joshua, the funeral service proceeded in slow motion. During the service, many of the preacher’s comments caused him to remember the sweetness of his childhood. What had caused him to lose such sweetness? The question haunted him throughout the service and continued to bother him throughout the following days.
At one point, he relayed his troubled thoughts to his wife. “Amy, I’ve realized since mother’s death that my life is lacking something. I had such a wonderful childhood. My mother helped me live life to its fullest. I’m not sure where that changed.”
Amy’s face grew serious. “Sweetheart, I think I understand your point. Are you saying that somewhere between your childhood and now you have lost your enjoyment in life?”
Joshua sighed. “Yeah, I guess that is it, but I am not sure what happened.”
“That reminds me of a verse,” mused Amy. “Luke 12:31 says, ‘But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.’ Joshua, when you leave God out of the picture, life takes on a very dull meaning. Your mother tried to teach you that, but you seem to have forsaken that idea.”
The Holy Spirit pricked Joshua’s heart with Amy’s words, and he realized his folly. He had, indeed, left God out of the picture by trying to prove his own independence. “I’m sorry, Father,” He prayed. “Thank You for helping me to again see that I do need to depend on You, no matter how old I am.”
The years passed and Joshua’s walk with God illumined the relationship that he had with Amy. As he sought God’s leadership and guidance, God “added unto them” by blessing their home with two boys, Kristopher and Kyler. Joshua felt as though his life was being replayed as he watched his boys grow and enjoy a delightful childhood. As he once did, they, too, played in the dirt, collected frogs and snakes, and asked endless questions. Tears welled up in his eyes as he heard Amy comment one day, “Boys, you will ALWAYS be my darling children.”
“Heavenly Father,” he prayed. “Please help my sons to always remember that they belong to You. Keep them from making the same mistakes that I did, and thank You for enriching our lives with these true bundles of joy.”
The angels rejoiced as Joshua entered the gates of Heaven many years later. Joshua marveled at the beauty of the Celestial City, and his heart swelled as he again heard the words of his mother and his Heavenly Father, “You will ALWAYS by my darling child.”
A Father to His Daughter
Mandy’s chubby cheeks glowed as she smiled with her face tilted upward. “Mamma, look! Isn’t my picture pretty? Mamma, Mamma!”
Heather looked down lovingly at her small daughter. “That looks good, Sweetheart. Go show Daddy.” Heather sighed as shiny red curls quickly flounced away above a six-year-old body eagerly seeking Daddy’s approval.
Dinner that evening brought its usual delightful sort of chaos as Mandy chattered. “Daddy, are we gonna go swimming tomorrow? You said that we would.”
Walter grinned boyishly, “Mandy, for the zillionth time . . ..”
“Yes!” the two chorused together, laughing hysterically.
“We’re going to swim so long that you’ll think you are a mermaid, Mandy,” laughed Walter. “If those peas don’t get eaten, though . . ..”
“You seem quiet tonight, Honey.” Walter said as he gently encircled Heather’s waist. “Is something wrong?”
Attempting a small laugh, Heather began to softly cry. “Nothing is wrong at all, Sweetheart. I was reading this morning in Psalms about how the Lord loves each of us as His children and gathers us ‘under His wings.’ That was brought back to my mind often today, especially when Mandy showed you the picture that she colored. I saw a daughter seeking her daddy’s approval, just as we often do with God. I guess I am just overwhelmed with the blessing of that reminder.”
Walter’s words were markedly softer as he spoke, “You’re so right. Your insight always amazes me, Dear. I needed that.”
Kneeling humbly in prayer that night, Heather beseeched His throne. “How many times do we seek Your approval, Father, and fear that we must earn it on our own? Only You can make our 'picture’ colored beautifully with Your precious blood. Is my picture pretty?” she thought.
The Father heard His little girl’s question and gently touched her heart. All was well.
Put the Hammer Down
I am sitting here, hammer in hand, thinking, “Jesus, are You certain that You don’t need help on some of those mansions in Heaven so we can come Home? Once I am in Heaven, I will be perfect, so my lack of building expertise will no longer be an issue!”
