Grace Lutheran Church has helped folks find their way around the valley for decades.
The broad plain between the rolling hills is interrupted only by the occasional oak tree and the steeple belonging to the church helps locals get their bearings.
That's what the church should do.
And, that's why I was heading there this morning, to pick up Pastor Bob and make our way to the next town over to sit down at the diner over coffee (for him) and Mt. Dew and hash through my trouble.
He was standing outside the plain white church as I pulled up, he pulled the latch and hopped in, closing the pickup truck door behind him.
"Hi, Pastor. How's it going?"
"You can call me Bob here, Dave. You've known me now nearly ten years."
"Thanks, Pastor... I'm mean, Bob. So, what do you think your Indians are going to do this year?"
"Same as most years, I suppose. I will get that tattoo when they win it all, but let's just say I'm not anticipating pain anytime soon."
"True enough."
We drove in quiet for a while, looking out over the passing fields. Tractors worked the ground in some places while in others the seeds were germinating underground sending their stems up through the earth.
"How's Harmon?"
"He's doing better Bob, thanks. The doctor expects a full recovery from the broken leg and his black eye is starting to fade. The kid is kinda upset about that. He liked the way he looked with the bruise. He's a kid, Pastor. He's bounced back and is bugging me to take him back down to plant the sunflowers."
"How did that go?"
"I didn't take him."
"What?"
"No, I just can't. I know it was an accident, but he's my grandson, Bob. I could of really hurt him - he might have had permanent damage - he might have.... died."
"But he didn't die, Dave. He's going to be fine, and he's going to need his Grandpa to help him get better."
"I don't know how to do that. I'm afraid."
"I get that. Hmmm, you know, I recently took some swim lessons at school to get some skills back and would you believe the first thing they did when we started was make each of us dive off the five meter platform?"
"What! That's insane - why would anyone start there?"
"They didn't, Dave. That's my point, you don't have to put him next to you and drive on a rough trail through the fields in a hurry. You can get climb aboard back behind the barn and take a nice and easy trip around the pole barn and garden. Take a small step first, then work your way back up. You got a wake-up call to how dangerous this life is and you - and Harmon - lived to tell about it. You can talk to your buddies at Bible class and remind them how quick it could happen to them. You can take extra care and be real careful, but you can't eliminate risk."
"That makes sense Pastor. I thought you were going to get out your Bible and read me something from the book of John that would solve everything. You know Bob, you gotta like an apostle that has a tractor named after him!"
They both laughed and Dave pulled into a space in front of the Koffee Kup Kafe.
Inside, Bob placed a small Bible on the table between them. "You know the Gospel, Dave. Tell me, what's it all about?"
"Uh, isn't that your job? Well, I guess it's mainly about Jesus coming to earth to live a perfect life for us then suffer and die on the cross and rise again so we could have eternal life."
"Very good, you get an A. So, if He died on the cross where did all of our sin go?"
"They're gone, aren't they?"
"That's right - they are gone. And so is that accident in the tractor. You can learn from it, you can teach others how to avoid it, but you are forgiven and since you are forgiven that means there is no reason for you to beat yourself up anymore."
The coffee and soda were sat down in front of them and each took a drink.
"Thanks, Bob. I knew talking to you would help. I do know that, but it helps to hear it again. I appreciate it."
The waitress returned to take their order, hotcakes all around with crisp bacon.
"Now Bob, we need to talk about your problem."
"What's that?"
"Your Cleveland Browns..."
Click here to catch up on all the chapters.
Comments
Post a Comment