Short Stories

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My name is Johnny and I can remember how I always wanted to do
things my own way. I never took anyone's advice. I never listened to or obeyed my father.

My father was a big, strong man but gentle and loving. There were three of us, all boys. My brothers did everything that my father wished and he always rewarded them, either with gifts or clothes or just plain love. I always thought that my dad liked them more than me because they were smarter than I was and they did everything right, in his eyes. They did everything to please my father and I did everything to please me.

My father, even when he rewarded my two brothres with something, would always look for me first to tell me how much he loved me. I could never understand why my father did that. I always felt that I was the black sheep of the family. My father even though I was a troubled kid that never listened to him and even when I did something bad, he would always forgive me and tell me how much he loved me,I thought he was teasing meand being sarcastic.

One day, When I was fifteen years old, I was at home and feeling really bored and I began playing with matches. This playing set my mother's beautiful curtains on fire and the whole living room went up in flames. I felt so scared that I ran away. I had no money and nothing to eat. I just got out of the house as fast as I could. I knew that this time, my father wasn't going to take this lightly and that he was not going to forgive me for burning down his house and everything in it.

So, I ran to a place where my father once took me and my brothers
camping and fishing. It was about twenty minutes away, by car, but it took me two hours to walk to this place by foot. While I was walking to this campsite, I started telling my-self, "I'm just about a growm man now I think I can really do this, I'll build my own little tree house and I'll learn to hunt and fish and just live in the woods". I'll survive". But the further I got away from my home, the more scared I became. I started to realize the sense of security that I had with my family.

As I was walking, I came across a cute little rabbit and it came right up to me.

"Hi there little fellow, What's your name?" I asked.

"My name is Cotton, Where are you going and why are you all alone? Cotton replide.

"Oh, I'm a big man now. I don't need to be taken cared of anymore. "I can take care of myself just fine." I said.

"OH, Really, so why do you look so lonely and scared?"
Cottin asked

"I'm not scared I'm just tired and hungry, that's all. "I replied.

"Oh, I see your lost." replide Cottin.

"What do you mean I'm lost? "I'm not lost, I know exactly where I'm going!" I snapped.

I was so angry at the rabbit, I chased after him saying, " Beat it, beat it before I beat you Cotton. You don't know anything about me" I continued.

Not being able to catch Cotton, I slipped and twisted my ankle on a small rock by the road. "Owe man! My ankle, now what! I thought about the times my father used to wrap my ankle with ace bandages after basketball practice. "Man, I wish dad was here." I said. Stubborn as I was, I got up, tolerated the pain and kept on going.

As I reached the wooded area, I was really thirsty and I remembered when my father used to take me to drink water by the lake, so limping and in pain as I was, I headed that way. When
I got to the lake I was feeling very hungry.I thought about the times my father brought me and my brothers here to
learn how to fish. But me feeling like the black sheep of the family and all, I would wonder off by myself. Really thirsty, I just sat by the lake on a large rock and scooped up some water to drink.

When I was done drinking my fill of nasty lake water, I saw a group of ducks just having a jolly old time, diving for fish and eating and one was swimming my way.

"Hi there little ducky. What's your name?" I asked.

"My name is Donald, why do you look so sad?" replide Donald.

"Oh, I'm just hungry that's all." "Why don't you catch some fish from the lake?" asked Donald.

"Well, my father used to take me and my brothers fishing here but I always stayed away and did my own thing. Besides without my father's fishing poles, theres nothing I can do." I answered.

"Oh, I see you ran away from home. "replide Donald.

"No! I didn't run away from home." I said sarcastically.

"So you must be lost". Donald replide.

"Lost! "Lost! I'm fifteen years old! I'm no kid, I'm not lost!" I said.

I got up in a rage, picked up a rock and proceeded to throw it at Donald. But when I threw the rock, I slipped on the wet marshes and fell into the lake. I was lucky that the water was shallow because I never learned to swim (My father tried to
teach me but as always, I did my own thing).

Now I am hungry, cold, wet, and I have a sprained ankle. Worst of all, it's almost night time, and theres no kind of light to lead me anywhere. So I got up

and started walking and thinking I could still make it through the night (If I just found some shelter). "Man, I wish I was home where it's warm." I thought. "But it's too late to turn back now". I said to myself. " My father will never take me back. He probably doesn't even care that I am gone, after what I did to our house. "I thought to myself.

I proceeded to walk, limping, hurting, hungry and cold until it was completely dark. Now for the first time, I was starting to get scared. I remember my father telling my brothers and me the stories about animals that come out to hunt at night, like mountain lions and bears.

By feeling my way around, I came across an abandoned cabin. It had no doors or windows but I was so scared, I went in anyway. Inside there was just an old, beat up mat to sleep on and right next to it was an old and dusty bible.

As I laid down on my mat, I looked at the bible and I remembered the times I spent at church with my family. So I picked up the bible and held it tightly in my arms for dear life.

I was really scared, for it was completely dark outside and I began to hear the creepy sounds of the animals of the night. Shaking and shivering, I held the bible tightly and I thought about verses from the bible that I never forget in Luke 15, the parable about the lost sheep that Jesus will leave 99 in the field and go look for the one lost sheep until he finds it, and
when he finds his lost sheep he will rejoice and celebrate.

Well I started to cry because I finally realized that I was lost. I was alone and I was scared. Trembling with fear , I started screaming for my father, "Daddy! "Daddy! please help me. "I need you Daddy! "I need you! "Help me! "Help me! I screamed.

I got up and looked out the window, just crying and calling for my father. As I looked out of the window , I saw a flicker of light in the distant.

"Could it be a firefly? " I said to myself.

As I screamed for help, the light was starting to get bigger, brighter, and closer to me. "Help me, "Help me! I yelled from the top of my lungs.

Finally, I saw a shadow of a man holding a flashlight. I heard the man yell. "Son, Son! Is that you?"

"Yes, its me it's me" I answered.

"What are you doing out here? "Come out of that abandoned cabin. Don't you know you can freeze to death out here?" my dad said.

I was so happy to see my father that I ran to him and hugged him like I never hugged anyone in my life. "Father I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I did. Please forgive me." I said. "Son there's nothing you can ever do for me not to

forgive you. Nothing!" "You are my son. "You are my flesh and blood and I will always love you. Now give me your hand and let me lead you out of here. At first, I was lost but now I'm found.

Story by Marcelino R

Did anyone understand this parable? well if not then lets let the Holy Spirit explain it. Johnny just like you and I, was a rebellious child of God. He did not understand the abundance of God's love and teachings because like many Christians when Johnny went to Church he did not listen and he did his own thing. So when he committed a very bad sin he thought that the Father was not going to forgive him so he left the house of God and tried to live his life without God and run on his own will. Going into the woods are were we all go when we brake away from the Father. Talking to the rabbit and the duck were God's way of trying to communicates to Johnny as He try's to communicates to everyone of us every day. Still like many who rebel and think they don't need the Father Johnny did not listen he got angry
and went his own way. The further Johnny ran on his own will the darker things got for him. Going into the abandoned cabin represents were many who are lostwind up such as shelters rehabs and jails. While in the cabin Johnny finally realized he was lost and that he really needed his loving Father God. So he did what we all do when things go bad and when we cant find our way home he began to read the bible and call out to the Father.
Seeing the flick of light is the Hope we get while our faith begins to grow while reading and hearing the Word of God. The shadow of the man is when the Father looking for His lost sheep and finding him. Then by taking his hand God leads him out of harms way.

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