And Hezekiah said to Isaiah,
What shall be the sign
that the Lord will heal me....?
And Isaiah said...This is
the sign to you from the Lord....
shall the shadow go forward
ten steps,
or go back ten steps?
[2 Kings 20:8-9]
****************************
"I can never remember about
what the GROUNDHOG's
supposed to do."
(thoughtful silence)
"Hey, LORD?
LORD!"
[SILENCE.]
"Do YOU KNOW?"
[SILENCE.]
"What's the groundhog
SUPPOSED TO DO?
Do You REMEMBER?"
[SILENCE.]
"You think I'm being SILLY,
don't You, Lord?"
[SILENCE.]
"Okay.
That's it.
I'll stop asking You
these dopey questions.
OKAY?"
"Ask Me, child."
"Neah.
Forget it.
Anyway, I don't know
if You'd know about this stuff.
This really plump animal,
out in the state of Pennsylvania......"
[SOLEMN NOD.]
"I forgot what his name is,
Lord. These guys put on
1800's clothing, and
wake up this big groundhog,
about 6 in the morning,
on February 2nd."
"Yes, child."
"It's something about
the groundhog seeing
his shadow......or,
NOT seeing his shadow?
I can't remember."
"What is it about, My child?"
"Huh?
Eh......it's somethin' about Spring.
It's about the coming of Spring,
Lord."
[NOD.]
"I have nothin' deep
here to say, Lord."
[PATIENT SILENCE.]
"It's just about a fat groundhog."
[CHUCKLE.]
"That's all it is, Lord.
Just a funny lookin' animal!
(pause)
Why DID You make the
GROUNDHOG, Lord?"
[SMILE.]
"Perhaps,
[MIGHTY PAUSE.]
so My children
would ask Me
about it."
***********************
And, Hezekiah answered,
Is is an easy thing for
the shadow to lengthen
ten steps;
rather let the shadow
go back ten steps.
And Isaiah the prophet
cried to the Lord;
and He brought the
shadow back ten steps,
by which the sun
had declined on the dial.....
[2 Kings 20:10-11]
___________________________
[Author's note: Punxsutawney Phil
is a groundhog who lives in the
town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania,
near Pittsburgh. Phil is also
called a 'woodchuck'; tradition
says he comes out of his hole,
from winter hibernation, to look
for his shadow. If he sees his
shadow, that means six more
weeks of winter - and, he goes
back into his hole till Spring.]
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