Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: BACK TO BASICS (02/16/17)
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TITLE: Like Grandpa Always Said | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gerald Shuler
02/23/17 -
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Ellen put down her cookbook and invited her son to sit beside her.
“What's on your mind, Chris?”
“I've been doing some studies and...”
“I'm proud of you doing your homework without being told. I knew you would do well in High School.”
Chris fidgeted slightly at the compliment. “I'll do my homework later, but Mom, I've been studying the Bible and I need to ask you something. Was Grandpa really smart?”
She wasn't sure if it was the abrupt, out-of-thin-air feel to the question or the fact that it still pained her to think of her father's recent death, but it was his question so she simply said “I think he was certainly a wise man. He didn't have much formal education but he definately had a unique way of getting a point across. Why? Are you missing him?” This was the first time Chris had talked about him, so now Ellen felt her son may be experiencing some type of late remorse. “You know, Grandpa loved you with all his heart. He wanted to be a part of raising you.”
“Oh, he was... big time.”
“In what way do you mean?”
“I've been listening to you and Dad quote Grandpa a lot. You know, 'Grandpa said this' or 'Grandpa said that.' Like this morning when Dad's boss wanted you guys to host a client dinner tomorrow night and you thought it would be too hard to get it together that fast.”
“I remember the discussion.”
“All Dad said was 'Like Grandpa always said, 'Just make mud pies.'”
“Why is that bothering you?” Ellen was truly baffled by her son's reference.
“Well, that was all Dad said and you knew exactly what he meant. I'm sorry, but I missed the point. Make mud pies? For a client dinner?” Chris turned toward his mother. “Then, after thinking about it, I understood that Dad was just telling you to prepare something that would be easy for you.”
“And that is exactly what I understood.”
“Well, here's the thing. When I was just a kid (remember how Grandpa always held me on his lap?) he told me his prayer was that I find the ancient path. I never asked but I've always wanted to understand what he meant.”
“That sounds like the Sunday School Teacher side of Grandpa. Do you think you understand what he meant?”
“I think so. I've been looking in the Bible and it mentions an ancient path... and in another place it is called the old way. I think they might be the same thing. But the Bible says we lost sight of the ancient path a long time ago. Jeremiah tried to warn the people clear back in his times. But I think I got it figured out, at least a little bit, and I wanted to tell you about it.”
Ellen pulled Chris close to her. “Son, I don't know what to say. Grandpa was, in every way, a fireball when it came to what he believed. But don't let his old fashioned views confuse you.”
“I'm not confused anymore. Like I said, Mom, I've got some things figured out.”
“And your conclusion is?”
“If God had a path for us to follow way back then and we didn't follow it, wouldn't we get lost? Like following a map. You'll start out going to California but end up in Florida if you don't pay attention to the map.”
“That's a good beginning, Son, but...”
“Mom,” he said, “I think Grandpa's prayer was that someday I would find the right map... and I have. I've started looking at the Bible as God's Ancient Path map. All roads on God's ancient path leads to just one place... Jesus. Mom, today I asked Jesus into my heart... I want to live my life as a Christian but I want to do it like Grandpa. I want to use the same map he used.”
Ellen was almost in tears at this wonderful news. Her son was, in many ways, just like his Grandpa.
“After all, Mom,” Chris said, “I'll never reach the last step of the journey without being brave enough to take the first step.” He smiled. “Besides, with the map it's mud pie simple.”
Ellen breathed in deeply. Yep, just like Grandpa.
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