The young man
looked dishevelled and
distraught.
Sat at the
last row of the church.
The memoires
of visiting this church a thousand times as a child flooded his mind as he sat
listening to the dull voice of the pastor.
“Lost, I lost it
all”, he whispered in prayer.
“I'm sorry
grandpa I know it’s too late, but please forgive me wherever you are.
You tried your
level best to stop from going the wrong way
But I didn’t
listen.
Dropping out
of school, joining the band,
Travelling
like a gypsy,
Marrying the
wrong girl.
Losing the
baby.
A broken marriage.
Surviving on odd
jobs.
The list goes
on.
Why didn’t I
listen grandpa!
You didn’t
raise me up to be like this.
I let you and
grandma down.
Also my
parents in heaven and God almighty.
I lost it all”!
Suddenly he
felt a shake on his shoulder.
He looked up,
the church was empty.
An elderly man
who happened to be the pastor was staring at him.
“Ben!” he exclaimed.
Startled, the young man got up, not many knew his real name.
It’s indeed Benjamin!
The carbon copy of his grandfather.
He gave him a bear hug.
“I am so glad
to see you son.
Come with me
to my office.
Handing him a
huge envelope. He said,
Your
grandfather left you a large sum of money and his house.
He was
confident you will come by one day
I have raised
him well, he used to say
When he comes
to his senses he will find his way home again.”
Proverbs 22:6 CJB
6 Train a child in the
way he [should] go;
and, even when old, he will not swerve from it.
Jeremiah 31:11 CJB
11 (12) They will
come and sing on the heights of Tziyon,
streaming to the goodness of Adonai,
to the grain, the wine, the olive oil,
and the young of the flock and the herd.
They themselves will be like a well-watered garden,
never to languish again.
