TITLE: MOST WANTED! By esther robinson 03/17/06 |
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Gerald, a handsome young man, was a Junior Executive in a Service Organization. His piece of mind always added extra elegance to any act. In other words he was the most wanted personality in his office. At daybreak, his mother offered him coffee and asked, “Did you pray and read the Bible today?” Gerald looked at his mother intently for a moment. Then sipping the coffee he said, “Ma, coffee is very nice today. I must really buy a new gold bangle for the hands that prepared it.” “Now don’t you try to evade my question. I know you my dear son. Benny (her second son) prepared coffee for you today. Go and buy a gold bangle for him” so saying his mother laughed heartily. “I think Benny will turn out to be a good chef one day. Blessed is she who is going to be his life partner.” Gerald took the conversation to some other angle diverting his mother’s mind from the most frequently asked question and somehow bid good bye to her.
Everyone in the office had planned to go for an exhibition that evening. At 11’0 clock, his best friend Albert, who had promised earlier to accompany him to the exhibition spot, came into his cabin with a leave slip, saying, “Sorry boss I have to rush home, pick up my wife and then come along. It’s true that I promised you but…” Understanding his situation and accepting it Gerald said, “Oh! That’s all right. You carry on!” and walked away. The clear message was “Albert would not accompany him.” Although Gerald was unhappy with the situation, it did not bother him much at the first instance.
Gerald was busy in his cabin. Important files to be looked into, related paper work to be done, special work to be allotted to his sub-ordinates and policy decisions to be made, besides the routine tasks. Amidst his busy schedule he remembered to call his mother. “Ma! I’ll come home late tonight. Don’t wait for me. Have your dinner and sleep well. I am going to the exhibition. Sunil has promised to come along with me Ma!” all at one stretch. His mother was left only to say, “All right dear, take care.”
It was five in the evening and Sunil did not turn up. As Gerald was pondering over his search for a companion, Michael walked in asking, “Are you going to the exhibition?” “Yes. How about you?” asked Gerald. “Moving right away. Would you like joining me?” “Of course. Are you going by bus?” “Why? I have my bike?” “Well then.” Both of them walked to the parking area. Michael lived just a few houses away from Gerald’s house. “I’ll come back sharply at 8 and I think I’ll drop you at your house.” “Thanks, very kind of you” Gerald accept the help. Both of them rode through the busy streets. An auto in front of them asked the question “Did you read the Bible today?” Gerald looked at it and thought of His mother for a fraction of a second.
They reached the exhibition spot. Michael’s fiancée had happened to come for that exhibition and therefore Gerald was again left all alone. Although every sportive by nature, everything seemed to go out of his comprehension that day. Gerald visited the stalls one by one. He gathered sufficient information pertaining to his industry. At one point, Gerald looked at his watch, it was sharp 8 p.m. Gerald began to think about his return home. He realized that Michael would not be able to help him on that day (Psalm 108:12).
He rushed to the bus stop. An empty bus came. Gerald was a bit consoled. A gentle breeze blew as the bus proceeded and he gave a sigh of relief. Sodium vapour lamps shone. The breeze removed the old leaves and dead tissues of the nearby trees. The dry leaves somersaulted to the ground and the yellow flowers swayed happily. It was a hectic day indeed for Gerald. Gerald began to chew his cud about the day’s happenings. “Today at all angles I have been ditched by everyone. Albert my dearest friend declined to accompany me. Sunil who promised to come along failed to turn up. Michael who volunteered to drop me at home took a different road. No fault of anyone. After all mortal help at some point or the other always fails isn’t it? He told himself (Psalms 60:11).
Loneliness, rejection and some sort of emptiness gripped him. Suddenly a sweet still voice told him, “You are ‘MY MOST WANTED’ today. You forgot to think of Me, speak to Me, and search for Me and therefore I thought of you, searched for you and came to speak to you. Answer My question. Did you pray and read the Bible today?” Gerald was thunder-struck. The same question which he had not answered his mother early in the morning. “All these things happened this day just to help you understand and taste the depth of My love for you.” The compassionate and awesome presence of the Lord filled Gerald with both fear and joy.
The next day before Gerald’s mother could offer him a cup of coffee, he was looking fresh with the Bible in his hand. Mother looked at Gerald for a while. He was sunk in the word of God that he hardly lifted his head. Mother’s eyes rolled as she titled her head to one side of her shoulder as a mark of surprise and lifting both her shoulders up she grinned thoughtfully at his change. How could she know that he was in the most wanted list of God the day before with her question, which is being answered in action today. Gerald was never again in the ‘Most Wanted’ list of God.
“Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction” (Psalm 119:92).
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