Short Stories

---

In the land of Shame
lived a spunky girl named Essie.
Her most overpowering feature
was that she could always be
found in the middle of things.
No matter what was happening,
she was in the thick of it.

Being as she grew up in Shame,
this meant she was always in trouble
and in as many troubles as there came,
she was in them, right in the center.

But one day a stranger came to town
with a lantern and a tall cane
and stopped at her house for the night.
As was her nature, Essie was right
there talking to him and
getting to know him.

The first thing Essie noticed
was that this stranger was not
versed in the customs of the land
and so she experienced a new culture
that she longed to understand.
It almost felt odd, because it’s ways
were so foreign.

The stranger left just as he
was beginning to not be a stranger.
But he gave her a gift and said
“This is for your lips.”
which was a jar holding the balm of truth
which was sealed by his very own lips.
With that he left saying
“Good-bye and if you get a chance
come and visit.”

A few seasons passed
and Essie was still remembering
the warm glow of his lamp
and the burning power of his words
that cast the light of truth
making the darkness hide.
With just a swipe of balm left in the case,
Essie knew she must hurry
and visit the not-so-strange stranger
with the lamp to get a fresh supply.

In the direction that he left,
was the direction she set out.
With the last swipe of truth
speaking “Follow the light.”
Essie came upon a hill
with a halo glow
so she knew the man
with the lamp was on
the other side.

She finally reached the top,
right about when she almost
gave up and there it was the sign
marking the border of Grace.
There she got the strength to keep moving,
though for awhile
truth had dried from her lips.

She met him on his porch.
Since he was no longer a stranger,
she called him friend.
And he asked “Did you come to stay
or to visit?”
and Essie said “As with my name,
I do nothing halfway,
I’ve come here to stay.”
And her friend lifted his lamp and said
“That why they named you Essence!”

Then he gave her a second gift
“Looks like a magnifying glass.”
said Essence. “Not just any old glass,
It’s to magnify truth through discernment.
Just point it to my lamp
and anything that doesn’t have my signature stamp,
it will get burned from your thoughts.”

And you can find Essence today
walking the streets of Grace
speaking truth,
and solving mysteries through
the lense of discernment.
Always, yes always,
getting to the heart of the matter.


H. Stone © 2005

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE