Run for Your Life!

After they had joined hands, Lilia's dad prayed. "Dear Father, please bless this food to our use and us to your service, and help us always to remember to put our work in your hands," and everyone closed with, "Amen." The family enjoyed their evening meal. It was a time of sharing a little about what their day had held.

"Can I go first?" Lilia demanded to know with excitement.

"Go ahead, honey," her mom urged her.

"You know how that nasty Jimmy is always pulling my hair and running off so I can't catch him? I can't stand him! Today was the last straw. We played softball at school, and it was my turn up to bat. Jimmy ran over and yanked my hair so hard that I screamed! Then, somehow, he became stuck between me and the catcher, so I threw down my bat, grabbed him, shoved him to the ground, and sat on him! Everyone cheered! I grabbed his arms, and held them down in the dirt while he kicked and screamed! Defeated, that's what Jimmy was! That'll teach him!" Lilia spat out the words so quickly in celebration of her victory over Jimmy that spit shot out of her mouth towards her family, and they hurriedly jumped back to avoid it. She licked it away with her tongue and awaited their congratulations.

The three stupefied faces of her mom, dad, and grandpa stared back at Lilia. She saw startled eyes and slight smirks, but that's all. She couldn't figure out why they weren't seemingly happy for her.

Her grandpa began, "Lilia, in Hebrews 13:5, the Bible tells us 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"

"What does that have to do with Jimmy, for crying out loud?" cried Lilia in complete exasperation. She slapped her forehead with her hand. This feels like a trap, she thought.

"What does that mean to you, Lilia?" queried her grandpa seriously. He gazed at her intently and waited for her to answer.

"It means that when I need God's help, he'll always be there to help." Lilia wondered if this would help at all. Gramps is so smart in the ways of the Lord, she thought.

"Yah, that's partially right. It means that he's always with you, not just if you call him to be with you." Her grandpa could see the dawning of truth in Lilia's eyes, as they grew wider.

"You mean that when I sat on that brat, Jimmy, and held him down, God was there?" This isn't good, Lilia thought.

"Yes, Child," her grandpa admitted simply.

"Oh, this stinks! Now, you're telling me that what I did was wrong and God knows it?" Lilia felt appalled and knew that she was losing ground.

"Yes, Child, he does. You see, Lilia, God is not with us for just inspiration and extraordinary circumstances, he's with us in everything we do, even mucking out the barn or feeding the cattle or riding your horse, King," said her grandpa as he drove his point home. He folded his hands together in front of him in finality.

"Well, if he's always with me, then I'll have to write a song to sing to him while we're working to remind me, something like, 'I'm cleaning the barn, praise the Lord! I'm feeding the cattle, praise the Lord! I'm shucking corn, praise the Lord! I'm hauling hay, praise the Lord!" All the smirks turned into outright laughter. Lilia's dad looked like he needed a tissue for his watering eyes.

Her grandpa brought everything back to the right tone. "You're getting closer. Child, everything that we own or have is given to us by the Lord: the horses and cattle that eat the hay, and the hay itself. If we remember that God is always with us, we can honor him with our work and our actions," he said as he nodded his head in affirmation.

"I guess I didn't honor God today when I sat on Jimmy," reflected Lilia remorsefully. She bowed her head in shame at the realization of the truth.

"No, you didn't," chimed her dad. "Someday that boy will be twice as big as you, and he'll definitely remember that you bullied him. Then, what will you do? Huh?"

"I'll sing 'Praise the Lord!' and run for my life!" Lilia cried with humor, and she could see that they threatened to burst forth with laughter.

Her mom slowed things down a bit. "Think about how you can make it up to Jimmy."

"Do you think he'll forgive me if I say I'm sorry and make him some brownies?" Lilia asked hopefully, mainly to please her mom, since she still held Jimmy in low esteem.

"That is a good start, Lilia. I'll help you after dinner," her mom replied, as she smiled encouragingly at her daughter. Lilia doesn't mean to be a bad girl, she just gets carried away in the moment sometimes, her mom thought. Lilia sighed deeply as her spirit stretched and grew with the Word of God.