Encouragement

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They surrounded me
like bees,
they blazed
like a fire
of thorns.
[Psalm 118:12]
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"Lord, this whole thing isn't
working."

"What, child."

"This THING!
(Impatient squirm.)
You n' ME!"

"Ah."
[LONG NOD.]

"Yeah.
Ya know........I THOUGHT
this was gonna be very
DIFFERENT!"

"What, My precious."

"YOU!"

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"And......ME!"

[CALM NOD.]

"Oh.
(Look hopefully up at ceiling.)
By the way......
HAPPY Rosh HASHANAH!"

[NOD.]
[SIGH OF A LOVING FATHER LOOKING AT
HIS PRECOCIOUS CHILD.]

"WHAT?
(Wide eyed look.)
HEY!
I SAID it!"

[FROWN.]
"And, what does it
mean, My precious?"

"Eh......
(Squint.)
eh..........
eh...."

[SIGH.]

"Eh.....it's....
eh, got somethin' to
do with OCTOBER!"

[DISAPPROVING GAZE.]

"And, eh.......it's,
eh.....near the Day of
ATONEMENT?"

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"Yeah: that's the real
SOMBER day......when
I'm supposed to be ....
FASTING.......and
PRAYING?"

[PATIENT SIGH.]

"Praying and FASTING?"

[CALM NOD.]

"I KNOW what it IS,
LORD!
(Smile.)
It's the NEW YEAR!"

[SMILE.]

"Happy NEW YEAR!"

[GAZE.]

"YAAAAYYYY!"

[PATIENT SIGH.]

"But........
(Whiny voice.)
L...........O.........R.............D!
It's in the MIDDLE of
the Y.....E....A....R....!"

"Whose year, My precious."

"Eh.......the ROMANS?"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]

"Yeah......but, I don't think
they ever CELEBRATED
Jewish HOLIDAYS, LORD!"

[CHUCKLE.]

"So.......I guess,
we're back at the HEBREW
calendar, then."

[SMILE.]

"Huh?"

[PATIENT SILENCE.]

"So.......like......eh,
WHEN are Ya gonna
ANSWER my PRAYERS?"

[AGGRAVATING SILENCE.]

"Aw!
Come ON!
I WISHED Ya, HAPPY ROSH HASHANAH!"

[NOD.]

"Doesn't that count for
SOMETHIN'?"

[FROWN.]

"Aren't Ya gonna ask me
about my TITLE, Lord?"

[CHUCKLE.]

"I just came up with that,
this morning. Ya know:
I figure, that's what
my relationship with You
is like."

[SIGH.]

"Yeah; I stopped along the
way....... to smell the ROSES?"

"Yes.
[WISE NOD.]
Go on, Mein kinderlah."

"Stuck my nose in the
flower to take a big sniff......
And......got BIT!
By a ...Big BEE!"

[SMILE!]
"Yes, but what does
a bee do, My child?"

(Squint hard.)
(Thoughtful silence.)
"Make HONEY?"

[WISE NOD.]
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But I would have fed
you with the finest
of wheat,
and with honey
from the rock
I would
satisfy you.
[Psalm 81:16]

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