The Good And The Bad
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"The Good and the Bad" by Peter Andrew Smith
The Good and the Bad
by Peter Andrew Smith
Job 1:1, 2:1-10
John stared at his mother. “I don’t know how you can say that.”
“Why shouldn’t I give thanks to God for my life?” Sadie asked.
“You’re lying in a nursing home bed.” John frowned. “You should be enjoying your golden years instead of being in this place.”
“My problems getting around actually make this a wonderful place for me to be.” Sadie looked at her room. “I can’t be on my own and besides the food is good and the staff is nice.”
“It’s not right.”
Sadie shrugged. “I’m not complaining.”
“You should be. You ruined your health because Dad was gone and you had to hold down three jobs to make ends meet.
“I wish your father hadn’t died so young but he did.” Sadie smiled and reached out her hand. “I don’t regret having to work so hard to provide for you and your sisters.”
John took her hand and smiled back at her. “I wish I could be here more often.”
“You visit or you telephone every day. I can’t ask for more than that.”
John let go of her hand and looked away. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Sadie said. “Your visits bring me joy. They’re one of the reasons that I thank God each day I have on this earth”
“It makes me so angry seeing you crippled up and in pain.” John turned away. “I can’t believe in a God who would treat you this way.”
“What way?” Sadie struggled to sit up. “John, I’m not just saying empty words. I am thankful for my life.”
John helped prop her up with pillows. “How can you possibly be thankful?”
“I have three children I love who I’ve seen grow into wonderful adults. I was able to provide for them despite hardship and loss.” Sadie tilted her head to one side. “I feel richly blessed.”
“You need a wheelchair to get around and I know that you’re in pain. It’s not fair.” A tear ran down John’s cheek. “God should reward you for all you’ve done, not punish you.”
Sadie patted the bed beside her and John sat down. She touched his arm gently “John, do you remember when you first went to little league?”
John nodded. “Sure. I loved playing ball. Some of my best memories are out on the field with you cheering me on.”
“Do you remember the last game you played before we moved to the apartment?”
“How could I forget? That was the playoff game and I scored the winning run. I was telling Timmy about that just the other day when I was driving him to baseball practice.” John grinned.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day.”
“John, that was the day you broke the bone in your ankle and we spent the night in the emergency room,” Sadie said. “Don’t you remember you were still in the cast when school started?”
“Sure. I twisted my leg sliding into home.”
“That doesn’t seem fair. I’m surprised it’s a happy memory.”
“Why wouldn’t it be? We beat the odds and won the trophy. It’s actually one of my proudest moments in life.”
“Yet you suffered.”
John shrugged. “I wish I hadn’t busted my ankle but it was worth it.”
“That’s how I feel.”
John’s face scrunched up. “I don’t understand.”
“I gave to you and the girls all my love and I don’t look at what is happening as a punishment but rather just something that happens in life.” Sadie smiled. “Like the day we were just talking about.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“It seems like it to me.” Sadie struggled to get out of bed. “Can you get my chair for me?”
John moved the wheel chair toward the bed and helped Sadie into it. He couldn’t help noticing her wince in pain a couple of times before she got settled. “You could just stay in bed where you’re comfortable, Mom.
Sadie patted his hand. “I could but today I’m going to the chapel down the hall. I have some things to thank God for in my life and I don’t want to be late.”
She started to wheel herself toward the door and stopped. “You are welcome to come you know.”
“I don’t know what I would say if I did come to pray.”
“Don’t say anything. Sometimes we learn more when we listen.”
John watched his mother wheel down the hallway and slowly followed after her. He still thought her situation was unfair but her words made him wonder if perhaps he did need some more time listening to the witness that his mother was offering to him.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 4, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"The Good and the Bad" by Peter Andrew Smith
The Good and the Bad
by Peter Andrew Smith
Job 1:1, 2:1-10
John stared at his mother. “I don’t know how you can say that.”
“Why shouldn’t I give thanks to God for my life?” Sadie asked.
“You’re lying in a nursing home bed.” John frowned. “You should be enjoying your golden years instead of being in this place.”
“My problems getting around actually make this a wonderful place for me to be.” Sadie looked at her room. “I can’t be on my own and besides the food is good and the staff is nice.”
“It’s not right.”
Sadie shrugged. “I’m not complaining.”
“You should be. You ruined your health because Dad was gone and you had to hold down three jobs to make ends meet.
“I wish your father hadn’t died so young but he did.” Sadie smiled and reached out her hand. “I don’t regret having to work so hard to provide for you and your sisters.”
John took her hand and smiled back at her. “I wish I could be here more often.”
“You visit or you telephone every day. I can’t ask for more than that.”
John let go of her hand and looked away. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Sadie said. “Your visits bring me joy. They’re one of the reasons that I thank God each day I have on this earth”
“It makes me so angry seeing you crippled up and in pain.” John turned away. “I can’t believe in a God who would treat you this way.”
“What way?” Sadie struggled to sit up. “John, I’m not just saying empty words. I am thankful for my life.”
John helped prop her up with pillows. “How can you possibly be thankful?”
“I have three children I love who I’ve seen grow into wonderful adults. I was able to provide for them despite hardship and loss.” Sadie tilted her head to one side. “I feel richly blessed.”
“You need a wheelchair to get around and I know that you’re in pain. It’s not fair.” A tear ran down John’s cheek. “God should reward you for all you’ve done, not punish you.”
Sadie patted the bed beside her and John sat down. She touched his arm gently “John, do you remember when you first went to little league?”
John nodded. “Sure. I loved playing ball. Some of my best memories are out on the field with you cheering me on.”
“Do you remember the last game you played before we moved to the apartment?”
“How could I forget? That was the playoff game and I scored the winning run. I was telling Timmy about that just the other day when I was driving him to baseball practice.” John grinned.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day.”
“John, that was the day you broke the bone in your ankle and we spent the night in the emergency room,” Sadie said. “Don’t you remember you were still in the cast when school started?”
“Sure. I twisted my leg sliding into home.”
“That doesn’t seem fair. I’m surprised it’s a happy memory.”
“Why wouldn’t it be? We beat the odds and won the trophy. It’s actually one of my proudest moments in life.”
“Yet you suffered.”
John shrugged. “I wish I hadn’t busted my ankle but it was worth it.”
“That’s how I feel.”
John’s face scrunched up. “I don’t understand.”
“I gave to you and the girls all my love and I don’t look at what is happening as a punishment but rather just something that happens in life.” Sadie smiled. “Like the day we were just talking about.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“It seems like it to me.” Sadie struggled to get out of bed. “Can you get my chair for me?”
John moved the wheel chair toward the bed and helped Sadie into it. He couldn’t help noticing her wince in pain a couple of times before she got settled. “You could just stay in bed where you’re comfortable, Mom.
Sadie patted his hand. “I could but today I’m going to the chapel down the hall. I have some things to thank God for in my life and I don’t want to be late.”
She started to wheel herself toward the door and stopped. “You are welcome to come you know.”
“I don’t know what I would say if I did come to pray.”
“Don’t say anything. Sometimes we learn more when we listen.”
John watched his mother wheel down the hallway and slowly followed after her. He still thought her situation was unfair but her words made him wonder if perhaps he did need some more time listening to the witness that his mother was offering to him.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 4, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
