.......Give heed
to my groaning.
Hearken
to the sound
of my cry,
my King
and my God,
for to Thee
do I pray.
[Psalms 5:1-2]
***********************
"I'm in a bad mood, Lord."
[SOLEMN NOD.]
"Yes, beloved."
"You don't sound that SURPRISED!"
[WISE SILENCE.]
"Hey, LORD?
How does that WORK,
anyway?
(Make face up at ceiling fan.)
Should I wait till I'm a in good
mood, to PRAY?"
[LONG PAUSE.]
"When would that be,
My beloved?"
(Squint kvetchingly straight up.)
"HEY!
I DIDN'T MAKE this WORLD,
Ya know!
(Point up at ceiling.)
YOU did!"
[PATIENT NOD.]
"Yes, child.
You seem to forget that."
"Nuh, UH!
I NEVER forget!
Who was It Who made
that bad FRUIT TREE?
That wasn't OUR fault!"
[PATIENT NOD.]
"I still don't get that,
LORD!
Why would Somebody
put a bad tree in a
Perfect Place, anyhow?
It doesn't make any
SENSE!"
"Who is Somebody,
child?"
"I dunno."
[SMILE.]
"Who is It?"
(Pouty shrug.)
"Who?"
"Hey, LORD?
Did Ya ever see
'My Cousin Vinny'?"
[PATIENT NOD.]
[CHUCKLE.]
"You DID?
That's weird.
(Squint.)
Anyway:
remember that scene
with the OWL?
Where Vinny was tryin'
to sleep in that log CABIN?
And, there was suddenly
all this loud SCREECHING,
OUTSIDE?"
[PATIENT NOD.]
"And, remember how little
that OWL was?
That was so FUNNY!"
[SOLEMN NOD.]
"I dunno;
when You kept saying
'Who?',
I suddenly thought 'a that."
"Yes, My precious.
And, what does
that teach you?"
(Thoughtful squint.)
"Uh........never judge
a recipe book by its COVER?"
[SMILE!]
"No."
"Don't count your
yellow marshmellow
chickens........ before
they've HATCHED?"
[CHUCKLE!]
"Uh.....a penny a DAY
keeps the GASOLINE
away?"
[PATIENT NOD.]
"Think, child!"
"Eh......
(Frown.)
(Squint.)
Friends of a feather
FLOCK TOGETHER?"
[PATIENT SMILE.]
"Read My Word, child."
"What's that got to
do with 'Cousin Vinny', Lord?
Yeah; sure:
Thou hast
put more joy
in my heart
than they have
when their grain
and wine
abound.
[Psalms 4:7]
(Silence.)
So..........YOU'RE
my JOY, Lord?"
"Am I,
little one?"
"Yeah; I guess.
(Frown.)
(Run fingers through
scruffy hair.)
Is THAT what this
is all ABOUT?"
[NOD.]
(Kvetchy frown!)
"YEAH!
But...........
I'm still in a bad MOOD!"
[SIGH.]
"Yes, My beloved."
"And, I STILL don't
UNDERSTAND about
that piece 'a FRUIT!
(Grimmace!)
Why would BAD FRUIT
be in the Garden of Eden,
ANYWAY? I still
don't GET IT!"
[LONG NOD.]
"I understand,
child. Just remember.....
Who made the owl."
*************************
But let all
who take refuge
in Thee
rejoice;
let them
ever
sing for joy.
[Psalms 5:11]
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