The silhouette of the house at the end of the block stood stark against
the peach cream sky. The sun was just about to set. An old man's brown sun
tanned hands reached down to pull out of the soil another group of weeds.
Little fresh smooth new fingers reached not far beyond to pluck a smaller
bunch.
"Grampa, why does God let weeds grow? Why did he make them anyway?" The
little boy gathered his refuse and placed it in the trash container.
The old man eyed his Grandson and stood up straight and arched his
back, suddenly aware of an ache. "Well, I used to wonder about that too." He
pondered the thought. "I guess it's so we'll appreciate the flowers...so we
won't take things for granted."
The smaller version of the man arched his own back working out an
imaginary ache of his own. "God knows everything doesn't He?"
"Yes, He does. He knows everything that can be known, I guess."
"He knows the future?" Sam sat cross legged on the grass.
"Yes, son He does." Grampa squatted down to look into little eyes. "He
knows all about our lives, even before He opened the heavens."
"Then before He made each person He knew whether or not the person
would go to heaven or hell?" Sam pensively blew on the petals of a daisy.
His Grandpa watched the sight. "I guess He does."
"Then why does He make the ones that won't accept Jesus and go to
heaven? If He's a good God why does He want to see some people burn in a bad
place?" Sam carefully removed a weed close to a bloom.
"I don't know, son."
The setting sun blinked it's last ray and sank below the earths rim.
"Lets go to see if Grandma has got a little dinner on the table for
us? Pullin' weeds can take a lot of energy, huh?"
"Sure can." Sam dusted the dark granules off his shorts.
Grampa watched as the little boy made his way around the porch and up
the gray chipped concrete stairs leading to the back door. "Kids can really
think up some humdingers. Yes, some humdingers."
"Slow down Sam it's still gonna be there in a few minutes. "Gramma
placed a fresh napkin next to her grandson's plate.
"Apple pie is good Gram."
"Thank you Sam."
"Gramma, some of the kids are going to the fair later. Can I go, I have
my own money?
"Oh Sammy I don't know. Thats a big event for us." She now picked up
the fresh napkin to just catch a slipping piece of pie off little lips.
"I mean can I go with Ralph? I'm 9 now and Ralph's Mom is letting him
go, he's the same age."
"Well, you know what I think about that. Is she going too?"
"She's working at one of the booths. Ralph's big brother is going." His
big brown eyes accentuated his Gramma's big heart.
"I never met his big brother. Well, if she's going to watch out for you
then It's okay. I'll call her. " She looks at Grampa, he nods. "Don't get
into trouble. I guess it's a safe enough fair, if big brother is going. You
be careful on those big rides."
Brightly colored horses bobbed to the tune "Pop Goes the Weasel" as
little faces shined full of joyful traces. The hooters calling for customers
to take their chances at the games of skill filled the air. "How 'bout you
Mister? Win a prize for the lady?"
Screams and giggles rode high atop the waves of sound and added to the
delight. Bright balloons filled with helium floated on the wrist of each
child as he roamed aimlessly through the crowd. They rose high peeking at all
below.
Tables with hungry faces stuffed cheeseburgers and ice cream. Homemade
pies and aromatic blends of tasty treats made with love filled the nostrils.
Sam and Ralph, his friend when he visited his grandparents sat with
Ralph's older brother and his friends."After this." Sam says between his
hot-dog on a stick bites. "I'm getting a cotton candy."
"Yeah," Ralph added. "Give me my money now Eddie." Ralph stuck out his
sticky fingers. Big brother Eddie stood up and reached into his pocket. "You
kids stay close. We're gonna go on that coaster soon and I want you with us.
So you guys got any guts or what?" Eddie aimed his words in the direction of
his companions.
Alvin looked up at the silver glistening bullet, holding its gleeful
passengers as it glided effortlessly across the undulating structure of the
"Monster Cyclone." "I got guts Eddie, I'm just not stupid."
Tim looked down and kicked a tossed away wrapper. "I don't think
standin' up on a roller coaster shows guts. I think it shows an absence of
brains."
"You and your brains." Eddie stood up. I bet even these little peewees
wouldn't be afraid to stand up on the "Monster." Eddie wrapped his arm around
his little brother.
"I don't think Mom wants us to do anything that might hurt us Eddie."
Ralph looks over at his Mom in a hot-dog booth. She waves.
"I don't think Mom wants us to do anything that might hurt us Eddie."
His older brother animates his face in mock display. "Okay all you cowards
can just watch while I have some real fun."
Sam and Ralph jump up and run as Ralph's Mom offers big pink clouds of
cotton candy.
"Maybe you should listen to your little brother." Alvin reaches into
his pocket to count his change. Why spoil the fun?"
"Or maybe Eddie is right. It might be fun to see the look of shock on
Mrs. Matthew's face as we wave to her from our lofty perch." Tim snakes his
arm through the sleeve of his jacket. "I guess I'm game. Maybe we can make it
our last ride. Kinda like the icing on the cake."
Eddie reached down to snatch a large section of his now present little
brother's candy puff. "You ain't puttin' it off are ya?"
Tim looks disgusted. "If I didn't want to do it I'd tell you."
" Okay then we'll make it the last ride. A ride on the wild side." Eddie
retorts.
"A ride we'll never forget." Tim almost states this as a question.
Now dust, the sky is gray with a half sun, half moon glow. The boys
stare at the "Monster Cyclone" as it looms present before them, dwarfing
heir image. Almost beaconing, its whispers can be heard in the wind, through
the swishing wheels against metal. "Come take your chance on the thrill of
your life." It seems to say. Look at the happy faces when they spin with me.
Wild ride, fast ride, the wheels grid out."
The carnival worker snaps the security bar down on the two little ones
first. The car only seats two in a row so a just arriving girl is placed in
the middle seat next to Alvin. Tim and Eddie are last to take their seats in
the front of the car.
The car descends its first hill. Eddie stands up waving his arms,
"Eeeeeeh," he yells to the crowd below, looking at startled faces. "Stand
up," he calls to Tim who is only holding on.
"Your not supposed to stand up you know." The girl is glaring at the
two. "That is so stupid." The car now jugs its way up another even higher
mound.
"Just obey the rules you guys, isn't it easier?" Alvin agrees with his
new found ally.
"Come on Tim I just did it and it was fun." Eddie tugs on his friends
jacket. The coaster releases its no longer chugging car, hurling it downward
once again. The captive groups held in its grasps scream. Eddie stands up.
Tim wobbles to his feet and raises his arms with great effort. When he lets
go of the bar holding them in, it flies up and the two boys fall out.
"I guess it was a faulty bar." Grampa looks out the window of his
kitchen and holds the phone a little tighter to his ear. "I don't know. Yes,
a real tragedy. Yes, I'm sure. No Sandy, Sam is fine. Don't worry. All right,
see you then." Grampa reached down to brush the hair out of his Grandson's
face. "Lets go do some weedin'."
"I'm glad you didn't do the same foolish thing those older boys did. I'm
proud of you son." Grampa pulled on his garden gloves.
"I knew it wasn't a very smart thing to do." Sam grabbed the trash bin
and moved it closer. "But I've been thinkin' about it and it makes me
understand some things about God and life a little better."
Grampa raises his brow. "God and life? Sounds serious."
"It is." Sam looked up at his Grampa.
"What about God and life do you understand better, son?"
"Well, remember when I asked you why God makes the people that he knows
won't get saved? And will get burned in a bad place?"
"Yes, I remember."
"Well, I think he makes them anyway, knowing what they'll do so others
can learn."
"I don't think God makes bad people on purpose. It just happens that
way. Man's will is free, he can choose what he likes. God gives him life and
hopes he'll choose what's right. It's kind of like throwing a hand full of
sand out on the ground. No matter how many times you through it out it's
never going to land the same." Grampa throws a pretend handful. " Thats what
happens when God makes people, they're all different."
" God didn't give us a weakness to do bad?" His grandson's posed a
question.
"No if anything He tries to get us to do good."
"I think if He only made the good ones because He knows the future. Sam
begins. Then maybe they wouldn't be good anymore. Maybe it takes one to make
the other?"
"Maybe that's what happened in heaven." Grampa points to the sky.
"With Satan? I wondered why God would make him, if he knew what he
would do. I think I understand now. If he wasn't the Devil maybe someone else
would have been?" You know, sometime, somewhere, somebody would have stood up
in the roller coaster..."
Grampa squints his eyes. "And if nothing happened to them, somebody
else would stand up and pretty soon maybe everybody."
"Sammy squints back. "When we see the bad we know the good is better."
"Maybe some go down there, so some don't have too?" Grampa points to
the ground. Kind of like the weeds we pull up? We wouldn't know how nice the
daisy." He plucks a flower. "If we didn't have the weeds." He plucks a weed.
"Yeah, how would we know." Sam grins.
"Pick one." Grampa holds out the two plants. The common daisy never
looked so pretty.
"The daisy is best it's plain to see, now that's it's held up, next to
the weed." Sammy grabs the pretty white and butter yellow bloom.
"Hey you two." Gramma is at the back door. "We're going to be late."
"Lets go." Sam races to the sound. "Gramma, I picked you a flower."
"Hey, I picked that! Kids can sure come up with some humdingers, some
real humdingers." Grampa scratched his head and arched his back.
What are you, a Daisy or a Weed?
Contributed by By Marjeana Martin .
Comments/Feedback are welcome at her
e-mail box.
Originally appeared
on Daily Wisdom
Plain Papers on the Holy Spirit
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