Short Stories

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Heavenly Manna and Stormy Stew
Taken from Book One of Patricia Backora’s novel
Tough Love in Christ’s Millennium
Which you can order online from: http://www.publishamerica.com

Bruce decided to go for broke. Even if he lost, he would not give her up. The last thing he wanted was for his dad to air his suspicions to Saul Savage. But if he had to skip town sooner rather than later, he would. “All right,” he hissed, “open that bedroom door, Dad, and take a peek yourself. But you’ll feel like an idiot afterward.”

“I have my principles,” said Matt calmly. “The Lord knows who’s been warming your bed at night, and that’s all that matters. But let me tell you, Casanova, play with fire and you get burnt!”

“Get out, you meddling fool!” Bruce exploded. “I don’t need you, or that religion you’re always cramming down my throat! I’m moving far, far away, away from hypocrites like you!”

Stunned, Matt gasped, “Where do you intend to go? You can’t hide from the Lord!”

“We’ll see about that! This is a great big world, Dad, bigger than your narrow mind! But I’m out of here in a couple of days, and you’ll never, ever see me again, or preach at me again! I’ll live my life my way, and you know where you can go!”

Even as the hot tears came, a cold chill gripped Matt’s heart. Never before had his son dared to revile him like that. Now he knew Bruce was beyond redemption. He knew it deep in his soul.

His eyes swimming, Matt could hardly see the walk leading out to the parking area. He heard swells of rollicking laughter. His suspicions heightened. He must be absolutely certain, but how?

Blinded by tears, Matt collided with a youth in a red-striped uniform, who was carrying a big box he’d just unloaded from a red van. “Uh...sorry!” sputtered Matt. “How clumsy of me!”

“Quite all right, sir,” the lad smiled. “I notice you just left Mr. Hansen’s apartment, and he appeared rather indisposed. Should I just come back later in an hour or so?”

“Ah...I don’t know, son. Hey, I’m Matt Hansen, his dad.” He sneaked a peek into the box, packed with pricey gourmet delicacies. He breathed hard. “Why don’t I just take this box in myself? That way you’d be spared from having to return. And I’ll gladly pay for this myself so you don’t have to disturb him.”

“Praise the Lord,” the delivery boy sighed in relief. “This is highly irregular, sir, but he’s a little...”

“Grouchy?” sighed Matt. “I know. He hasn’t been himself these past few days.”

“No offense, sir, but I can’t disagree with you. The Lord forgive me, because I’m not really supposed to deliver through second parties, but I think He’ll understand just this once.” Gladly he handed Matt the box. “And no need to pay, sir. It’s a prepaid order. Just sign this invoice for me, if you will, right here on the dotted line.”

Matt knew his son was nearly broke and someone else would have to foot the bill for these treats. His peeking paid off. There it was, boldly printed on top of the form: Lydia Savage, just above her debitcode. The wife of Saul Savage had done a sloppy job of covering her tracks.

“Oh, son,” inquired Matt, “how long has Mr. Hansen been using Busy Boy Errand Runners?”

“Just a couple of days, sir, so far as I know.”

Matt wondered how Lydia could be so happily engrossed in heaping scandal upon scandal. He had declined his invitation to Saul’s party, at the risk of offending his boss. Matt and his wife were in no mood for merry-making, and hadn’t wanted to spoil the party for the other guests. He, as well as all the other employees of Savatron Enterprises world-wide, had received short notice of a paid week off work. What rejoicing there must have been, Matt reflected. And he had not been entirely ignorant of the underlying reason for their holiday. One of his colleagues had passed a shocking rumor on to him immediately after that disastrous party. Matt suspected that his boss was just keeping a low profile until the scandal blew over.

He groaned. What if he had no job to go back to next week? Worse still, what if Mr. Savage should discover that the son of his chief research analyst was bedding his wife?

Somehow Matt handed the delivery boy a tip. “Thanks, pal, you’ve been a big help. And thank you for being so patient with my son.”

The youth’s eyes lit up. Never had he received a bigger gratuity, and he did not even have to confront the irascible Mr. Hansen today. “Praise the Lord!” he exulted. “God bless you, sir!”

As the delivery van pulled away, Matt thought, I feel horrible, but at least I made him happy.

Absently Matt deposited the goods on Bruce’s doorstep, rang the bell, and hurried away. He managed to stumble back to his car and order its door to open, but felt reluctant to enter it. Emotionally drained, he leaned against the blue vehicle. “Oh Lord,” he cried, “how can I go home to my family with such awful news? My wife has been very brave, but this will break her heart. Why are we going through this? This is supposed to be a happy world. What can I do?”

Just then he felt divine strength flowing into his body and soul. He looked to his right, and saw the softly shining entity who was touching his hand.

“Peace be unto you, Matthew,” the angel said. ”You are right. Your world is a happy Paradise. God will see to that.” He produced a silk handkerchief and dried Matt’s eyes. His sorrow vanished.

The angel smiled brightly. “It is not for you, a righteous saint of Paradise Earth, to suffer such heaviness of heart because of sinners. You have entered into the Joy of your Lord, and it shall never be taken from you. And how can your wife’s heart be broken, if the Lord is its Keeper?”

Matt nodded. “Oh glory, why didn’t I know that before?”

Here,” said the angel, opening the door. “Sit in the passenger’s seat, and I’ll take you home. Your best Friend has visited your family with His peace.”

Matt was awed, but not unduly startled by, this visitation. Supernatural manifestations of God’s intervention were not uncommon in the Kingdom Age. Thank You, dear Lord, he thought. Thank you for being a very present Help in time of trouble. “Yes, kind friend, you may accompany me home, and you may operate the vehicle if you like. It’s automatic drive.”

“I am quite familiar with this mode of transport,” said the angel, settling into the driver’s seat and pressing the appropriate buttons. “I watch over you every day of your life, you know.”

Matt smiled gratefully. “You...you’re my guardian?”

“Yes, Matthew, and the Lord wants you to know that in no way are you or your wife to blame for the rebellion of Bruce. Every one of God’s creatures, angelic or human, is free to either love the Lord or reject Him. I myself faced that choice ages ago when the Archangel Lucifer rebelled and tempted all us other angels to side with him. I could not betray my Majesty on High, for I refused to divert my eyes from God’s utter goodness.”

“I’m so glad you didn’t rebel,” said Matt. “I needed your help today. I was feeling so low, but God sent you to bring me peace. I’m thankful to God that you came to me.”

“Matt,” said the angel, “the Lord knows your concern over your employment. He will not fail to provide better things for you than you have enjoyed in the past. A blessing is in store for you and all other employees who return to the complex in the coming week.”

Matt closed his eyes and enjoyed the sweet peace washing over his soul. Soon he found himself parked in his own driveway. He turned to thank his companion, but the driver’s seat was empty.

Just as expected, he was greeted at the door by a radiant face. “Oh, Matt,” his wife cried, “our Good Shepherd has come to us. Did He not promise in His Word: I will not leave you comfortless, but I will come to you? He is here, Matt, waiting for you in our own living room.”

Matt’s face was alight. “Oh, Renee, that is so incredible! But then again, we live in Paradise!”

The couple and their three godly children found inexpressible consolation in the Presence of their King. A fellowship meal was laid before the enraptured family. How wonderful was this delightful food which seemed more celestial than terrestrial. They all partook of an array of dishes which had strengthened pilgrims in the Wilderness of the Old World: the heavenly Manna of God’s provision; the Sincere Milk of the Word; the Unleavened Bread of Life; sweet Honey out of the Rock; the fish and eggs which bespoke the Good Gifts of the Father. The salt symbolized God’s preserving Power. The basket of choice fruits reminded them of the bounty of their Paradise Earth. The freshly pressed grape juice testified of the Joy of the Holy Ghost which filled the entire earth.

After they had all feasted, they knelt to thank their divine Guest, Who had served them as their Host to heal their hearts. Matt worshipped Him, saying: “You, O Lord, Whom the Father has anointed with the Oil of Joy above all others, have revived us through the Power of Your Everlasting Life.”

* * * * *
“How can you sit there packing your face when I’m so miserable?” Saul’s Aunt Mildred nagged her hen-pecked husband, as she paced the floor, too agitated to join him at supper.

“Easy!” retorted Peter. “Just pick the food up like so, and...”

“How can you be so insensitive?” whinged the loud, brash woman.

“About what, dear? Your good-will mission to spread the glad gossip around? I’m sure it’s old hat by now, and you’re just nettled because someone else scooped you on the story of the century.”

Mildred hissed, “I must warn my loved ones about this reprobate! It says in the Word of God: Those who sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear.”

“Yeah! Fear that if they don’t go along with you, they’ll get backbitten next!”
“There you go, making fun of my scripture!”

“Scripture?” retorted Peter. “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone! Are you without sin, Mildred? If you were, you’d shut up and let me finish my meal in peace!”

“To think,” grumbled Mildred, “how that man’s loaded and he won’t even hire a godly governess with good breeding!”

“I have no quarrel with Susanna,” said Peter. “As for Susanna’s ‘breeding’, she was bred out of the same wild herd as yourself. I suspect you’re kinda’ jealous of Saul.”

Mildred looked at him as if he were a lowly worm. “Now, let’s don’t protect ourselves, Peter, by changing the subject! You scrambled that phone monitor so I can’t track down my brother Seth. How like you to sabotage my work for the Lord!”

“Then why have I used it all this past week for overseas business calls, if it’s so dysfunctional?” he shot back. “Didn’t Seth go from Switzerland to Israel, after receiving a divine call to prepare himself for a special ministry? At least that’s what Saul told us.”

Mildred ground her teeth. “I guess, if that scoundrel can be believed. But this is a family emergency, and I need to find a way to reach him.”

“Rumor has it Seth went to some holy place to devote an entire year of his life to God.”

“Where?” demanded Mildred. “Mount Sinai?”

“Even if I knew, I’m not sure I’d tell you,” said Peter. “Just leave the poor man alone in peace.”

“If you don’t cooperate, Peter, I’ll drive down to that Judgment Hall myself and ask Lord Stephen to track him down him for me. He must know where that religious resort is.”

“If I were you,” drawled Peter, “I’d steer clear of Lord Stephen. Unless you want trouble.”

“What trouble? He’d be thrilled to meet someone who walks in God’s ways.”

“Or, rather, you get in God’s way,” muttered Peter under his breath.

“I heard that, fool! I wouldn’t put anything past you, Peter! I bet you broke my PINphone, too. It’s been on the fritz, and I don’t know how to fix it!”

“Let me see it, dear,” replied Peter, who had already lost his appetite from listening to her continual carping. Life with her was hardly a paradise.

Deliberately doing it manually rather than audibly, Peter dialed a commonly-used phone code to test the little device. He smiled coyly. “Here, dear. Listen.”

It was the local Word of Wisdom line. Mildred scowled at the sound of the mellow, reverent recording on the other end. “And Lord, let the law of kindness govern our tongue...”

“Does it work, Mildred, dear?” inquired Peter sweetly, buttering himself another slice of bread.
“Finally it does. Now I can search for Seth and tell him what his no-good son has been up to. It’s bad enough Saul had to marry the wildest girl in Joystar, but this really takes the cake!”

“How can you be so uncharitable, Mildred?” Peter sighed. “Every last one of us were sinners before our Redeemer saved us.”

“Still,” Mildred growled, “that woman is bad news. Almost 100 years old, and still a rebel against the King. She’ll end up in the Pit for sure, and drag Saul down with her!”

“There but for the grace of God would go you too,” said Seth softly. “Who can tell what wonders He may yet perform in the house of Saul Savage?”

“If a sinner like Saul can clean up his act, I’ll believe the moon is made of cheese! Quiet now, Peter, I’m phoning the Judgment Hall. Aha! Someone’s answering now.”

She heard background music: a violin playing a sweet, somber old hymn:Search Me, O God. Mildred cried, “How dare that ruler put me on hold when my business is so urgent!” Enraged, she flung the phone into her husband’s dinner plate, splattering stew all over his shirt front.

Seth leaped from the table and wiped his shirt with a napkin. “Mildred! Don’t take it out on me! It’s God’s doing, and you’d better not fight Him!”

Mildred threw up her hands in despair. “But it’s my duty to warn the world about Saul Savage! I send messages out, they get lost! The phone panel goes kaput! Instead of help, I get a sob song! Nobody wants to listen to me! Oh, how can I serve the Lord if He won’t let me?”

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