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Your mission. Should you accept.
These were the words he heard. As his Mother and Father stood over him, dispensing his punishment.
The crime?
Mud.
Coming home. Late. Covered in mud. It was only 9:00 am and the new day had just begun.
Dang it.
The creek was too darn enticing. Too darn inviting. What was he to do? Walk past with out touching the clear creek water. Without the toss of small rocks and pebbles with a perfect skim atop the water. Stick a toe in? C’mon.
Temptation is making me wait.
All of the sudden.
Splash, Plunk, Hurray!
It wasn’t his fault he was destined to fall in the water. (He smirked under his breath during the parental interrogation as he knew, he KNEW that was exactly the plan)
So did Doggo.(AWA)
This was not a miraculous, creative show. For the masses. For the world to see. It was a kid. And.His dog. Trying to figure out this messy, messy world.
Problem number two brought up during the interrogation: He forgot to wash his hands and take his shoes off and ran through the house. And. He was not alone on his journey.
Partner in crime. On the mission. Doggo. His right hand “man”. Doggo was in worse shape as he jumped in to save his “boss”. What occurred was an early morning of unfettered frolicking and a host of bug bites to document the splendid early morning at the creek.
But now.
The price to pay.
The clean up.
Of so called impurity. At the hands of another.
Worse of all.
He was late...Already late for church services. The parental interrogation could only but stop. Father said he had better “hop to it”. Don’t bother getting behind the ears, they yelled, just hurry up and get in the car. Clean up and put on a collared shirt. Like yesterday.
Poor Doggo. He would also have to be dealt with later. Into the laundry room for some quiet time was his fate. Until after church. Doggos internal spirit did not reflect his fluffy, muddied coat.
Hurry.
Out the door for words of wisdom now commenced. We walked in as my Mother flicked and licked mud from my ear and straightened my collar.
She smiled lovingly. We took a seat in a pew😂😂😂. And began to listen.
My ears perked up. When the big guy began to talk. Ironic. Even.
Today’s message was about cleanliness. Impurity. Evil spirits. (cool) Although not quite what I expected.
Today’s message was specifically about impurity.
Check.
Today’s message was about discrimination.
Check.
Today’s message was about labels.
Check.
Today’s message was about touching.
Check.
Wait. What? Yuck.
Nope.
The big guy went on.
The healing kind of touch.The grateful kind of touch. The sneak behind a guys cloth to touch their cloth kind of touch. For a connection. Of mercy, faith, justice. (Should I choose to accept)
O.k. I am listening now. I straightened myself up in the pew and thought, hey, this guy is on to something.
Why did I ….. jump in?….(my mind wandered a bit..)
The mud.
The big guy went on.
“And there was great calm.”
Huh?
I thought.
The big guy was talking about some guy named “Mob” (gnfmm/New Testament)
They arrived on the other side of Galilee. (aka creek) at the territory of Gerasenes. (aka creek north) Met by a man who came out of the burial caves.
Wow.
This evil man who ran up to Jesus, had an evil spirit in him and lived among the graves. Nobody could keep him tied with chains any more; many times his hands and feet had been tied, but every time he broke the chains, and smashed the irons on his feet. He was too strong for anyone to stop him.
Wow.
Day and night he wandered among the graves. (creepy) (think Frankenstein) and through the hills and cutting himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, “Jesus, Son of the Most High! What do you want with me. For God’s sake, I beg you, please don’t punish me!”(nt)
My ears perked up again.
I forgot.
My punishment await me when I get home.
I felt safe all of the sudden. Here in God’s house.
The big guy went on.
The evil spirit said his name was “Mob”. There are so many of us.
Please do not send the evil spirits out of that territory!” The spirits begged Jesus. The large herd of pigs came by. They begged again.
Let us go with them.
Let us go with you.
Clearly. These evils were lost, I thought.
Whew. This was quite a morning. Jesus is a busy guy. He walked on.
Jesus made His way across the other side of the lake. Among another crowd of people, he came upon a hemorrhaging woman. Twelves years she had been bleeding. (Wow. I thought) He felt her touch his cloak. He turned around and asked asked who had touched him
He felt her touch.
She felt his touch.
Some had thought. She had died.
He touched her. He took her by the hand, “Talitha, koum!” Translation. “Little girl, get up!” She got up and walked around.
No way!
Way!
Jesus healed her. Of impurity. With the touch of his mighty hand. While others who stood about were amazed. The two of them were not amazed. They believed in the most High.
”Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” The big guy said aloud. For all to hear.
Who may listen?
Time will tell.
It usually does.
Well. Time to go. From this safe place. To meet my fate. Doggo is probably sleeping, I thought. Good ole Doggo. Resting up on this day of rest. He is gonna need a serious bath.
To my surprise. The interrogation did not occur. As I feared.
I was to write a list of what I am grateful for.
”That’s it?” I thought
Easy. Peasy.
Take one hour. Write it down.
Bring it back to us.
I grinned. At my parentals.
I got it.
I get it.
Won’t be smooth sailing—like my dump into the creek and my swim with the unsanitary, impure, Lord knows what bugs and amoeba-🦠like things floating by💩
The title of my gratitude list:
”What goes around comes around.”
Grateful for:
- Mob and his cluelessness.
- Mob and his arrogance.
- Mob and his hope for change.
- The reality my parents love me, at all and every cost.
- The reality Doggo has my back.
- The fact Doggo is a good dog.
- The big guy at service this morning, a good and prudent storyteller.
- My bed.
- My Mom’s cooking.
- My Dad.
- My brother from another mother.
His name? His name is Jesus.🙏🏻🙂
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