COME DOWN
When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to Him, “Zacheaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. Luke 19:5-6 NIV
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Has the Lord ever asked you to come down?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Emery but indoor recreation is full; we don’t need any more volunteers for that area. But we do need third grade shepherds.” Bob Emery stood looking blankly at the young woman as she told him what he didn’t want to hear. He didn’t want to be a shepherd. It had taken all his will just to volunteer at Summer Spectacular at all. He had been sitting in church, minding his own business, ready to enjoy the message as one of the pastors talked about the Children’s Ministry event of Summer Spectacular and their need for volunteers. He let the words go right past him, certain they did not apply to him. But then the Lord nudged his heart. So reluctantly he took the flier from the worship folder. As his eyes moved down the list he stopped at indoor recreation. This seemed the safest. Play a few games with the kids and be done; no risk. Being a shepherd was the one thing he did not want to do; He was not shepherd material; he was sure of it. And now he stood at the volunteer registration area being asked to do the one thing he had already decided he would not do.
He was about to decline and walk away when suddenly the Lord was standing next to Him peering at the volunteer form Bob held in his hand. Bob glanced at the woman behind the table and wondered if she noticed the Lord’s presence and what would His reply be if she asked Him to be a third grade shepherd? “Lord, I don’t know anything about being a shepherd”, Bob began but before he could continue with his list of why not he heard the Lord’s voice; you know the one that is able to cut through anything; even excuses, “Come down, Bob.” He had become very familiar with this phrase the Lord seemed to love using these days.
He recalled the first time the Lord had spoken those words to his heart. He and his wife Peggy had just moved to the desert and were looking forward to their retirement years. They quickly settled into their new community and found their church home too; everything was falling nicely into place. It was a Sunday morning and he and Peggy sat enjoying the service when one of the pastors talked about the importance of being in a small group. He was sure the pastor was not speaking to him; he had been a believer most of his life and besides he was retired; retired people go to golf games not small group. The next morning as he sat having his quiet time out on the patio he read about Zacchaeus and when he got to verse 5 where the Lord looked up at Zacchaeus and told him to come down so he could go with him to his house a thought had come to Bob’s mind and he quickly jotted the question into the margin of his bible. He wrote: Does God call us to come down? Just then Peggy poked her head out of the French doors and said, “Bob, phone call.”
Bob made his way to the den still pondering the question of whether God calls us to come down. “Bob, this is Jerry from church. We have several couples in your area who signed up to be in a small group but there isn’t a small group out that way. Judy and I both thought of you and Peggy right away and think you would be great small group leaders. Will you do it?” Bob’s immediate reaction was to begin making an excuse for why he and Peggy couldn’t lead a small group but just as he opened his mouth to speak the Lord’s voice rumbled through his heart as He said, “Bob, come down.” It was then Bob realized that since retiring he had climbed up a tree full of excuses as to why he couldn’t serve the Lord and the Lord was now calling him to come down. “Jerry, the answer is yes. Peggy and I will be glad to serve as small group leaders.” Bob hung up the phone and called to Peggy to join him on the patio. He told her what the Lord had just revealed to his heart. She threw her arms around him and kissing his cheek said how glad she was that he had chosen to come down. That was only the beginning. Every time Bob thought he had things figured out the Lord would ask him to come down; especially if it had to do with his comfort zone.
And here he was again with the Lord calling him to come down from yet another excuse tree, so taking a deep breath Bob filled out the Summer Spectacular volunteer paperwork; checking the box next to third grade shepherd. He handed it to the young woman behind the table who thanked him and assured him the area leader would contact him in the next few days. “Well”, he thought to himself, “perhaps they would misplace his paperwork and the call would never come.” What he couldn’t see through his human eyes as he walked away were the other hands; the nail-pierced ones that were directing the papers where they needed to go nor could he see events unfolding in a little house two cities away.
Emily pulled the blanket tighter over her head in an effort to muffle the shouts coming from down the hall. She heard her father shouting and her mother pleading. Nine year old Emily could not take any more so she opened her window and pushing the screen away just enough she squeezed through and dropped to the ground. She ran across the back yard and climbed the ladder up to the tree house. As she climbed her imagination took off and she imagined she was climbing not into a mere tree house but a tree in a different land. In this new land there was no anger, no shouting, no sadness and no death. She imagined he was here with her now as she sat cross legged on the floor pouring glasses of imaginary ice cold lemonade. She was just beginning to share with him tales of her latest adventures when her mother’s voice rose up from below, “Emily, it’s time to eat.” As she climbed down the ladder the magical land of imagination gave way to the land of harsh reality as she followed her mother quietly into the house.
She carefully looked at her father through the bottom of the glass as she drank the rest of her milk and then wiping her mouth she looked at her mother who simply nodded which was the signal she should leave quietly and go to her room. Her father didn’t look at her as she left the table; he never looked at her any more. She wanted to cry out to him, “Daddy. Daddy, please look at me. Please hold me again, daddy, like you used to when, when he was here.” She hurried quickly and quietly down the hall to her bedroom and closed the door careful not to make any sound that might set her father off in a rage. She got ready for bed and then went to the bedside table and took a picture out of the drawer. Getting into bed she pulled her flashlight out from under her pillow, snapping it on as she pulled the sheet over her head the picture held tightly in her other hand. She looked at the happy scene. Her dad was laughing, her mother smiling and Eric and Emily stood together each with a hand on their baseball trophy.
Three days after that picture was taken she and her twin brother Eric along with their dad were playing catch in the yard. Her dad hit a pop up fly ball and Emily had shouted, “I’ve got it!” Well, she didn’t get it and the ball had sailed into the street with Eric in hot pursuit. He didn’t see the car coming and it was all over in an instant; Eric was gone from them in the blink of an eye. Emily closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cold glass of the picture as she cried quiet and frightened tears. “Please, somebody help us”, she pleaded into her pillow. It was all her fault. If she had only caught that ball Eric would be here now and everything would be as it should. Her father wouldn’t be angry and her mother wouldn’t cry in the middle of the night any more. They would be a family again, if only….her thoughts trailed off as she fell into an exhausted sleep.
The weeks passed and Bob and Peggy prepared for their roles at Summer Spectacular: he as a third grade shepherd and she as part of the TLC team. They had their entire small group participating as well and they found themselves looking forward to it. The big day finally arrived. Bob got up early, poured a cup of coffee and went to the den to meet with the Lord. He sat down and He and the Lord talked about the week ahead. “Lord, I feel so inadequate for this. Please help me to be a good shepherd to the kids placed in my care this week. Please bring the kids to my group you want me to minister to. Help me to rely on you every step of the way.” As he finished he heard the Lord’s tender voice say, “I will never leave you or forsake you, Bob.” Peggy’s arms wrapped around him just then and she whispered into his ear, “Bob, you are going to be a good shepherd.” Then looking at the shelf above the desk where a picture of a handsome young man in uniform stood she quietly added, “He would be so proud of you.”
Bob’s voice cracked as he said in a voice so quiet Peggy could scarcely hear him, “I miss him, Peg.” She took a seat on Bob’s knee and he wrapped his arms tightly around her as they looked at the picture of their son Brad. He had given his life on a lonely road in Iraq nearly three years ago now. “Oh Father.” was all Bob could say. Peggy snuggled in closer to her husband as she whispered, “Bob, God knows our pain. Remember, His Son died in a foreign land too.” There in the den as soft morning light fell across the room the Comforter did His work and strengthened these two hearts dearly loved by God and prepared them for what lay ahead.
Emily had circles under her eyes from another long night. Her parents had fought again and this time a neighbor called the police. It had been 3:30 in the morning when the police had finally left. Emily fidgeted as her mother ran a brush through her hair and told her to hurry and get her shoes on. She was being sent somewhere with the Jordan family kids across the street, Summer something or other at their church. Emily did not want to go anywhere. She felt worried for her parents. The police had never been called before and Emily knew things were getting worse and not better. Her mother would not relent and under assurances that she would be fine she put Emily into the backseat with the Jordan children and tried to smile as she waved goodbye but her heart broke as she saw the great sadness in Emily’s eyes as they drove away.
Bob stood holding a sign up high that said 3rd Grade. The doors opened and the auditorium was suddenly filled with parents taking their children to the appropriate grade. Bob suddenly felt like dropping the sign and heading for the nearest exit but instead he called on the One he knew could help him and the Lord reminded him of His promise that He would never leave him or forsake him. Bob imagined the promise was underneath his feet at this very moment and envisioned standing on that unshakeable promise from the Lord and the sense of panic left him just as a group of kids came his direction. Mrs. Jordan introduced herself and then her son Jeff and a neighborhood girl named Emily. Bob held out his hand and little Jeff shook it heartily but when he extended his hand to Emily she just stood there and that’s when he saw it; the great sadness in her eyes. Other children arrived then and Bob’s group grew to 10 third graders. Bob stood with his mouth hanging open as the band began to play and the auditorium sprang to life. He had never seen anything like it – 1200 children dancing and singing about God. He looked over at his kids and smiled at the wide-eyed wonder on their faces and a thought struck him then that God must be smiling too right about now. His attention was drawn to the little girl with the sad eyes as she sat in the middle of the row looking utterly lost.
All around her kids were dancing and singing but Emily sat very still. She had nothing to sing about; no reason to dance. She wanted to cry not sing. The music stopped and the lights went down and a story began to unfold on the stage. She watched quietly as they talked about being transformed and there was a machine called the transforminator. Emily wondered if it worked on families. She listened intently as they were told how true transformation could not be done simply by changing the outside but from the inside out and that change could only come from God. They talked of knowing God’s Son Jesus. Emily had never heard anyone talk about Jesus before; she had only known the name as a bad word. The end of the morning arrived and the band came out again and sang about how God had made and formed them. She sat quietly taking it all in.
That night after dinner a very weary Bob and Peggy sat in the living room sharing their thoughts about the day. Bob ended by telling Peggy about his group of kids and then he spoke of Emily; the little girl with sadness etched into her face. “Perhaps she is why God chose you to be a shepherd”, Peggy said as she reached for her husband’s hand and together they went to their knees to pray for little Emily and her family. As their prayers rose up a little girl with sad eyes lay in bed thinking about God and His Son Jesus who had died. And then she very softly began singing the song about how God had formed her and made her and she fell asleep wondering if there was a God and if He really loved her.
Tuesday found Bob holding the sign once again as one by one his kids arrived and he smiled when he saw Emily enter the auditorium. She actually appeared to be hurrying to get to her seat. As he pinned her nametag to her shirt the music began and while the band played Emily still sat but he noticed her finger was tapping, keeping time to the music. The day flew by and that night Emily’s mother crept into her room and as she bent to kiss her precious daughter she noticed something in her hand; it was a flier about a free family concert to be held Wednesday night. She set it on the night stand and wondered if perhaps she should try to take her daughter to the concert. She had heard her singing earlier – a sound she hadn’t heard in a long time. She tucked the memory into a corner of her broken heart as she turned out the light and closed the door.
That night Bob and Peggy spent quite a while praying for Summer Spectacular. They prayed for the musicians and for the children’s pastor and their staff and all the volunteers and then they prayed for the family concert and then they prayed for Emily and her family. Bob’s sleep was filled with strange dreams. He was in an unfamiliar land and he could hear explosions coming from somewhere in the distance. There were buildings lying in ruins and then he saw Emily. She had apparently climbed up on one of the old buildings and was standing quite precariously on the edge. Suddenly there was an explosion in the building across the street and Bob felt an urgency to help Emily and that is when he noticed him. At first he thought he must be a soldier but as the man stretched his arms up toward Emily he saw them, the deep dark scars in the center of each hand and then the man cried out; his voice shook the heavens, “Emily, come down!” Bob sat bolt upright, sweat mixed with tears running down his face. He was deeply shaken. He grabbed his bible and headed to the den and spent the next 2 hours talking to God about Emily and her family. He especially prayed for the Salvation message that the children’s pastor would be sharing with the children on Thursday. He earnestly prayed that Emily would be one of those who would respond to that message by receiving Christ. It was 3:40 am when Bob finally climbed into bed and as he drifted off to sleep he wondered about the dream and what the Lord was calling Emily to come down from.
Bob slept unaware of the effect his prayers were having as a man in a little house two cities away paced the floor. Jim ran a hand over his face and then through his hair as he tried to calm himself. He was losing it. He loved his family but it all seemed to be unraveling and he felt powerless to do anything to stop it. He played the scene again and again in his mind of hitting the pop up fly ball and then his precious son running out into the path of the car and he couldn’t stop it. “My son, my son,” he sobbed into his clenched fists. And then every time he saw Emily it was like a knife through his heart. He felt accused, guilty and condemned every time he looked at her and so he had simply stopped looking at her. Then there was his wife, Carol. She was one of the most gentle people he had ever met; not a mean bone in her body but he would fly into a rage when he saw her; the deep hurt in her eyes was more than he could bear. He had tried grief counseling but it brought no relief and added to his frustration so he quit going. His emotions were swirling and he felt it was all building with nowhere to go; something had to change and soon. That’s when he heard it; the singing.
The sun was casting its first light through the living room window and seemed to carry with it the soft voice as it sang. Jim listened and followed the sound down the hallway and stood outside Emily’s door. “God made me. God loves me.” She sang. He pushed the door open and she immediately stopped singing as she clutched something tightly to her chest. He walked over asking her to hand him what she was holding and reluctantly she placed the picture in his outstretched hand. Jim looked down at the picture of the four of them; his son smiling with his hand on the trophy. Jim lost it and threw the picture to the floor shattering the glass as he stormed out of the room. Carol heard the commotion and left her bedroom and followed Jim out to the kitchen where he continued his tirade. She tried to calm him; to find out what had happened. “Don’t you get it, Carol?” Jim asked. “She is a constant reminder of Eric’s death. I can’t look at her without replaying that horrible moment again and again and again.” As the words made their way through the house they found their mark and pierced a little girl’s heart. Emily sobbed quietly as she picked up the pieces of her broken family and tenderly placed them in tissue paper and tucked them inside her backpack. Emily opened her window and squeezed the backpack through first and then she climbed out the window and hurried across the yard to the tree house.
Bob kept watching the auditorium door but Emily didn’t come. He wondered where she was and what had happened to keep her away. He and Peggy stopped off for lunch on their way home and he told her about his dream and then how Emily hadn’t been at Summer Spectacular that day. Peggy listened intently and then suggested Bob call Emily’s parents and let them know she was missed today. “That’s a great idea,” Bob said as he squeezed his wife’s hand. They finished lunch and hurried home; Bob had an important call to make.
The phone rang and Carol hurried to answer it as she didn’t want it to wake Jim. Too late…Jim walked in as she put the receiver to her ear and said, “hello?” “Hello, my name is Bob and I am Emily’s shepherd at Summer Spectacular. She was really missed today and I wanted to call and let her know that and also to invite you to the free family concert tonight at 7:00. My wife Peggy and I will be there and we would love to meet you and Emily has seemed to enjoy the music plus it is a great way to spend the evening together as a family.” Bob waited for a reply but when none came he decided to be bold as he asked, “Will you come?” Carol heard herself say, “Ummm, yes. Yes we will be there. 7:00, you said? Yes. We will see you then.” She hung up the phone wondering how she could convince Jim to go anywhere let alone a concert – free or otherwise.
“Who was that?” Jim asked. “That was Emily’s shepherd from Summer Spectacular. You know she’s been going this week with the Jordan’s kids. He was just calling to say they missed her today and also to invite us to the free family concert tonight at 7. Emily has been singing the songs around the house; it’s been nice to hear her singing.” She finished. Jim remained quiet and then he walked out to the living room and stared out the window in the direction of the tree house. His mind was churning. On the one hand he didn’t want to go anywhere on the other his daughter couldn’t stay in the tree house forever and he had to do something. He’d been everywhere else so maybe going to this concert at the church would be a good thing. “Alright.” He heard himself say. Carol was so surprised but she didn’t want to ruin the moment by saying the wrong thing so she simply said, “Okay” and left the room.
Bob and Peggy sat toward the back of the auditorium so Bob could keep an eye out for Emily and her family. The band began to play and Bob sat back as he realized they probably weren’t coming but then a flash of pink caught his eye and he spotted Emily with her bright pink backpack. She sat with her parents toward the back on the opposite side of the auditorium from where he and Peggy were sitting. The concert was a huge success. It was such fun watching the parents and kids singing and doing the motions together. He glanced over at Emily and her parents from time-to-time; they didn’t sing and they didn’t do the motions. The musician shared about some difficult times he had been going through with his family but still he praised God. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as he shared his heart and spoke of a God who loves and is worthy of praise no matter what is going on in and around us. The children’s pastor shared a short message after that and then more music followed. The concert ended and families left the auditorium together; laughing and still singing. Bob looked over to see Emily and her parents still sitting in their seats.
Bob and Peggy walked over and Emily looked up as they sat down in the row in front of them. “Hi, I’m Bob and this is my wife Peggy.” Carol introduced herself and her husband Jim and then she fell silent; looking at the carpet. It was Jim who broke the silence as he asked, “Do you know this Jesus that guy was talking about?” Bob was taken back and wasn’t prepared for the directness of Jim’s question. He scanned the auditorium looking for the pastor. He spotted him down front talking to a group of people and looked like he would be a while. As Bob continued to look for someone else to answer Jim’s question he heard the Lord say, “Come down.” “Okay, Lord. Please give me the words to say”, Bob prayed quietly and then taking a deep breath he jumped in with everything he had. “Yes, Jim. Yes, we know Jesus.”
Jim’s voice shook with emotion as he told Bob and Peggy about Eric and about how their life was coming apart and they didn’t know what to do or where to go. Bob and Peggy sat holding hands as they listened intently to the heartbreak this dear family was going through and oh how well they knew the pain they were experiencing. It was then that Bob took out his wallet and showed Jim, Carol and Emily a picture of their son Brad. They told of the phone call they had received that their dear son had been killed on a lonely road in Iraq. Bob shared how their hearts had broken as they thought of their boy dying alone in a foreign land, surrounded by enemies and away from those he loved. But then Bob’s voice filled with hope as he shared about another Father, whose Son had also died a horrible death on foreign soil, surrounded by enemies. Jesus had died for their sins and on the third day He rose again. He ended with John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not parish but have eternal life.
Bob was quiet then allowing time for the words to sink into their hearts. In the stillness Bob remembered the dream about Emily standing precariously on the edge of the ruins and he thought he heard the Lord’s whisper thunder through the auditorium “Come down.” Emily’s voice sounded small as she asked her question. She looked directly at Bob and Peggy as she spoke. “God’s Son Jesus died for my sins?” “Yes. That’s right, Emily”, Bob replied. Emily continued, “Well, if my sin caused His Son to die then how can God stand to look at me? Aren’t I a constant reminder to Him of His Son’s death?” She finished. You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed such a question by a nine year old. Bob got down on one knee so that he was eye level with Emily as he spoke. “Emily, your sin caused you to be separated from God which means you couldn’t be with God and God very much wanted you with Him. Remember the verse I told you? God loved. God gave. Once we come to know Jesus God no longer sees our sin because Jesus took it all with Him on the cross. The bible tells us that if we confess our sin God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God loved. God gave.” He finished. “So we are transformed?” Emily asked. Bob nodded. “I want to ask Jesus into my heart”, Emily said.
It was then that Emily opened her backpack and kneeling down on the carpet she tenderly unfolded the tissue paper revealing a once picture perfect family now lying in brokenness. That was all it took and Jim broke down sobbing, grabbing hold of Bob’s hand and whispered from the depths of a father’s shattered heart, “I want to know Jesus too.” And there in the back of the auditorium they knelt as three people prayed and gave their lives to Jesus. When they finished Jim turned to Carol and asked her to forgive him which she gladly did. Then father knelt and wrapped his daughter tightly in his embrace and whispered words of love into her ear. In response Emily tenderly picked up the tissue paper and lifted them up and placed them in her father’s hands and as Bob watched he thought he saw another Father’s hands underneath Jim’s as Emily took all the broken pieces and left them there in her Father’s hands.
Play : Broken Pieces by Matthew West.
An Original Conversations at the Well
Diana Morgan
July 5, 2009
When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to Him, “Zacheaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. Luke 19:5-6 NIV
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Has the Lord ever asked you to come down?
“I’m sorry, Mr. Emery but indoor recreation is full; we don’t need any more volunteers for that area. But we do need third grade shepherds.” Bob Emery stood looking blankly at the young woman as she told him what he didn’t want to hear. He didn’t want to be a shepherd. It had taken all his will just to volunteer at Summer Spectacular at all. He had been sitting in church, minding his own business, ready to enjoy the message as one of the pastors talked about the Children’s Ministry event of Summer Spectacular and their need for volunteers. He let the words go right past him, certain they did not apply to him. But then the Lord nudged his heart. So reluctantly he took the flier from the worship folder. As his eyes moved down the list he stopped at indoor recreation. This seemed the safest. Play a few games with the kids and be done; no risk. Being a shepherd was the one thing he did not want to do; He was not shepherd material; he was sure of it. And now he stood at the volunteer registration area being asked to do the one thing he had already decided he would not do.
He was about to decline and walk away when suddenly the Lord was standing next to Him peering at the volunteer form Bob held in his hand. Bob glanced at the woman behind the table and wondered if she noticed the Lord’s presence and what would His reply be if she asked Him to be a third grade shepherd? “Lord, I don’t know anything about being a shepherd”, Bob began but before he could continue with his list of why not he heard the Lord’s voice; you know the one that is able to cut through anything; even excuses, “Come down, Bob.” He had become very familiar with this phrase the Lord seemed to love using these days.
He recalled the first time the Lord had spoken those words to his heart. He and his wife Peggy had just moved to the desert and were looking forward to their retirement years. They quickly settled into their new community and found their church home too; everything was falling nicely into place. It was a Sunday morning and he and Peggy sat enjoying the service when one of the pastors talked about the importance of being in a small group. He was sure the pastor was not speaking to him; he had been a believer most of his life and besides he was retired; retired people go to golf games not small group. The next morning as he sat having his quiet time out on the patio he read about Zacchaeus and when he got to verse 5 where the Lord looked up at Zacchaeus and told him to come down so he could go with him to his house a thought had come to Bob’s mind and he quickly jotted the question into the margin of his bible. He wrote: Does God call us to come down? Just then Peggy poked her head out of the French doors and said, “Bob, phone call.”
Bob made his way to the den still pondering the question of whether God calls us to come down. “Bob, this is Jerry from church. We have several couples in your area who signed up to be in a small group but there isn’t a small group out that way. Judy and I both thought of you and Peggy right away and think you would be great small group leaders. Will you do it?” Bob’s immediate reaction was to begin making an excuse for why he and Peggy couldn’t lead a small group but just as he opened his mouth to speak the Lord’s voice rumbled through his heart as He said, “Bob, come down.” It was then Bob realized that since retiring he had climbed up a tree full of excuses as to why he couldn’t serve the Lord and the Lord was now calling him to come down. “Jerry, the answer is yes. Peggy and I will be glad to serve as small group leaders.” Bob hung up the phone and called to Peggy to join him on the patio. He told her what the Lord had just revealed to his heart. She threw her arms around him and kissing his cheek said how glad she was that he had chosen to come down. That was only the beginning. Every time Bob thought he had things figured out the Lord would ask him to come down; especially if it had to do with his comfort zone.
And here he was again with the Lord calling him to come down from yet another excuse tree, so taking a deep breath Bob filled out the Summer Spectacular volunteer paperwork; checking the box next to third grade shepherd. He handed it to the young woman behind the table who thanked him and assured him the area leader would contact him in the next few days. “Well”, he thought to himself, “perhaps they would misplace his paperwork and the call would never come.” What he couldn’t see through his human eyes as he walked away were the other hands; the nail-pierced ones that were directing the papers where they needed to go nor could he see events unfolding in a little house two cities away.
Emily pulled the blanket tighter over her head in an effort to muffle the shouts coming from down the hall. She heard her father shouting and her mother pleading. Nine year old Emily could not take any more so she opened her window and pushing the screen away just enough she squeezed through and dropped to the ground. She ran across the back yard and climbed the ladder up to the tree house. As she climbed her imagination took off and she imagined she was climbing not into a mere tree house but a tree in a different land. In this new land there was no anger, no shouting, no sadness and no death. She imagined he was here with her now as she sat cross legged on the floor pouring glasses of imaginary ice cold lemonade. She was just beginning to share with him tales of her latest adventures when her mother’s voice rose up from below, “Emily, it’s time to eat.” As she climbed down the ladder the magical land of imagination gave way to the land of harsh reality as she followed her mother quietly into the house.
She carefully looked at her father through the bottom of the glass as she drank the rest of her milk and then wiping her mouth she looked at her mother who simply nodded which was the signal she should leave quietly and go to her room. Her father didn’t look at her as she left the table; he never looked at her any more. She wanted to cry out to him, “Daddy. Daddy, please look at me. Please hold me again, daddy, like you used to when, when he was here.” She hurried quickly and quietly down the hall to her bedroom and closed the door careful not to make any sound that might set her father off in a rage. She got ready for bed and then went to the bedside table and took a picture out of the drawer. Getting into bed she pulled her flashlight out from under her pillow, snapping it on as she pulled the sheet over her head the picture held tightly in her other hand. She looked at the happy scene. Her dad was laughing, her mother smiling and Eric and Emily stood together each with a hand on their baseball trophy.
Three days after that picture was taken she and her twin brother Eric along with their dad were playing catch in the yard. Her dad hit a pop up fly ball and Emily had shouted, “I’ve got it!” Well, she didn’t get it and the ball had sailed into the street with Eric in hot pursuit. He didn’t see the car coming and it was all over in an instant; Eric was gone from them in the blink of an eye. Emily closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cold glass of the picture as she cried quiet and frightened tears. “Please, somebody help us”, she pleaded into her pillow. It was all her fault. If she had only caught that ball Eric would be here now and everything would be as it should. Her father wouldn’t be angry and her mother wouldn’t cry in the middle of the night any more. They would be a family again, if only….her thoughts trailed off as she fell into an exhausted sleep.
The weeks passed and Bob and Peggy prepared for their roles at Summer Spectacular: he as a third grade shepherd and she as part of the TLC team. They had their entire small group participating as well and they found themselves looking forward to it. The big day finally arrived. Bob got up early, poured a cup of coffee and went to the den to meet with the Lord. He sat down and He and the Lord talked about the week ahead. “Lord, I feel so inadequate for this. Please help me to be a good shepherd to the kids placed in my care this week. Please bring the kids to my group you want me to minister to. Help me to rely on you every step of the way.” As he finished he heard the Lord’s tender voice say, “I will never leave you or forsake you, Bob.” Peggy’s arms wrapped around him just then and she whispered into his ear, “Bob, you are going to be a good shepherd.” Then looking at the shelf above the desk where a picture of a handsome young man in uniform stood she quietly added, “He would be so proud of you.”
Bob’s voice cracked as he said in a voice so quiet Peggy could scarcely hear him, “I miss him, Peg.” She took a seat on Bob’s knee and he wrapped his arms tightly around her as they looked at the picture of their son Brad. He had given his life on a lonely road in Iraq nearly three years ago now. “Oh Father.” was all Bob could say. Peggy snuggled in closer to her husband as she whispered, “Bob, God knows our pain. Remember, His Son died in a foreign land too.” There in the den as soft morning light fell across the room the Comforter did His work and strengthened these two hearts dearly loved by God and prepared them for what lay ahead.
Emily had circles under her eyes from another long night. Her parents had fought again and this time a neighbor called the police. It had been 3:30 in the morning when the police had finally left. Emily fidgeted as her mother ran a brush through her hair and told her to hurry and get her shoes on. She was being sent somewhere with the Jordan family kids across the street, Summer something or other at their church. Emily did not want to go anywhere. She felt worried for her parents. The police had never been called before and Emily knew things were getting worse and not better. Her mother would not relent and under assurances that she would be fine she put Emily into the backseat with the Jordan children and tried to smile as she waved goodbye but her heart broke as she saw the great sadness in Emily’s eyes as they drove away.
Bob stood holding a sign up high that said 3rd Grade. The doors opened and the auditorium was suddenly filled with parents taking their children to the appropriate grade. Bob suddenly felt like dropping the sign and heading for the nearest exit but instead he called on the One he knew could help him and the Lord reminded him of His promise that He would never leave him or forsake him. Bob imagined the promise was underneath his feet at this very moment and envisioned standing on that unshakeable promise from the Lord and the sense of panic left him just as a group of kids came his direction. Mrs. Jordan introduced herself and then her son Jeff and a neighborhood girl named Emily. Bob held out his hand and little Jeff shook it heartily but when he extended his hand to Emily she just stood there and that’s when he saw it; the great sadness in her eyes. Other children arrived then and Bob’s group grew to 10 third graders. Bob stood with his mouth hanging open as the band began to play and the auditorium sprang to life. He had never seen anything like it – 1200 children dancing and singing about God. He looked over at his kids and smiled at the wide-eyed wonder on their faces and a thought struck him then that God must be smiling too right about now. His attention was drawn to the little girl with the sad eyes as she sat in the middle of the row looking utterly lost.
All around her kids were dancing and singing but Emily sat very still. She had nothing to sing about; no reason to dance. She wanted to cry not sing. The music stopped and the lights went down and a story began to unfold on the stage. She watched quietly as they talked about being transformed and there was a machine called the transforminator. Emily wondered if it worked on families. She listened intently as they were told how true transformation could not be done simply by changing the outside but from the inside out and that change could only come from God. They talked of knowing God’s Son Jesus. Emily had never heard anyone talk about Jesus before; she had only known the name as a bad word. The end of the morning arrived and the band came out again and sang about how God had made and formed them. She sat quietly taking it all in.
That night after dinner a very weary Bob and Peggy sat in the living room sharing their thoughts about the day. Bob ended by telling Peggy about his group of kids and then he spoke of Emily; the little girl with sadness etched into her face. “Perhaps she is why God chose you to be a shepherd”, Peggy said as she reached for her husband’s hand and together they went to their knees to pray for little Emily and her family. As their prayers rose up a little girl with sad eyes lay in bed thinking about God and His Son Jesus who had died. And then she very softly began singing the song about how God had formed her and made her and she fell asleep wondering if there was a God and if He really loved her.
Tuesday found Bob holding the sign once again as one by one his kids arrived and he smiled when he saw Emily enter the auditorium. She actually appeared to be hurrying to get to her seat. As he pinned her nametag to her shirt the music began and while the band played Emily still sat but he noticed her finger was tapping, keeping time to the music. The day flew by and that night Emily’s mother crept into her room and as she bent to kiss her precious daughter she noticed something in her hand; it was a flier about a free family concert to be held Wednesday night. She set it on the night stand and wondered if perhaps she should try to take her daughter to the concert. She had heard her singing earlier – a sound she hadn’t heard in a long time. She tucked the memory into a corner of her broken heart as she turned out the light and closed the door.
That night Bob and Peggy spent quite a while praying for Summer Spectacular. They prayed for the musicians and for the children’s pastor and their staff and all the volunteers and then they prayed for the family concert and then they prayed for Emily and her family. Bob’s sleep was filled with strange dreams. He was in an unfamiliar land and he could hear explosions coming from somewhere in the distance. There were buildings lying in ruins and then he saw Emily. She had apparently climbed up on one of the old buildings and was standing quite precariously on the edge. Suddenly there was an explosion in the building across the street and Bob felt an urgency to help Emily and that is when he noticed him. At first he thought he must be a soldier but as the man stretched his arms up toward Emily he saw them, the deep dark scars in the center of each hand and then the man cried out; his voice shook the heavens, “Emily, come down!” Bob sat bolt upright, sweat mixed with tears running down his face. He was deeply shaken. He grabbed his bible and headed to the den and spent the next 2 hours talking to God about Emily and her family. He especially prayed for the Salvation message that the children’s pastor would be sharing with the children on Thursday. He earnestly prayed that Emily would be one of those who would respond to that message by receiving Christ. It was 3:40 am when Bob finally climbed into bed and as he drifted off to sleep he wondered about the dream and what the Lord was calling Emily to come down from.
Bob slept unaware of the effect his prayers were having as a man in a little house two cities away paced the floor. Jim ran a hand over his face and then through his hair as he tried to calm himself. He was losing it. He loved his family but it all seemed to be unraveling and he felt powerless to do anything to stop it. He played the scene again and again in his mind of hitting the pop up fly ball and then his precious son running out into the path of the car and he couldn’t stop it. “My son, my son,” he sobbed into his clenched fists. And then every time he saw Emily it was like a knife through his heart. He felt accused, guilty and condemned every time he looked at her and so he had simply stopped looking at her. Then there was his wife, Carol. She was one of the most gentle people he had ever met; not a mean bone in her body but he would fly into a rage when he saw her; the deep hurt in her eyes was more than he could bear. He had tried grief counseling but it brought no relief and added to his frustration so he quit going. His emotions were swirling and he felt it was all building with nowhere to go; something had to change and soon. That’s when he heard it; the singing.
The sun was casting its first light through the living room window and seemed to carry with it the soft voice as it sang. Jim listened and followed the sound down the hallway and stood outside Emily’s door. “God made me. God loves me.” She sang. He pushed the door open and she immediately stopped singing as she clutched something tightly to her chest. He walked over asking her to hand him what she was holding and reluctantly she placed the picture in his outstretched hand. Jim looked down at the picture of the four of them; his son smiling with his hand on the trophy. Jim lost it and threw the picture to the floor shattering the glass as he stormed out of the room. Carol heard the commotion and left her bedroom and followed Jim out to the kitchen where he continued his tirade. She tried to calm him; to find out what had happened. “Don’t you get it, Carol?” Jim asked. “She is a constant reminder of Eric’s death. I can’t look at her without replaying that horrible moment again and again and again.” As the words made their way through the house they found their mark and pierced a little girl’s heart. Emily sobbed quietly as she picked up the pieces of her broken family and tenderly placed them in tissue paper and tucked them inside her backpack. Emily opened her window and squeezed the backpack through first and then she climbed out the window and hurried across the yard to the tree house.
Bob kept watching the auditorium door but Emily didn’t come. He wondered where she was and what had happened to keep her away. He and Peggy stopped off for lunch on their way home and he told her about his dream and then how Emily hadn’t been at Summer Spectacular that day. Peggy listened intently and then suggested Bob call Emily’s parents and let them know she was missed today. “That’s a great idea,” Bob said as he squeezed his wife’s hand. They finished lunch and hurried home; Bob had an important call to make.
The phone rang and Carol hurried to answer it as she didn’t want it to wake Jim. Too late…Jim walked in as she put the receiver to her ear and said, “hello?” “Hello, my name is Bob and I am Emily’s shepherd at Summer Spectacular. She was really missed today and I wanted to call and let her know that and also to invite you to the free family concert tonight at 7:00. My wife Peggy and I will be there and we would love to meet you and Emily has seemed to enjoy the music plus it is a great way to spend the evening together as a family.” Bob waited for a reply but when none came he decided to be bold as he asked, “Will you come?” Carol heard herself say, “Ummm, yes. Yes we will be there. 7:00, you said? Yes. We will see you then.” She hung up the phone wondering how she could convince Jim to go anywhere let alone a concert – free or otherwise.
“Who was that?” Jim asked. “That was Emily’s shepherd from Summer Spectacular. You know she’s been going this week with the Jordan’s kids. He was just calling to say they missed her today and also to invite us to the free family concert tonight at 7. Emily has been singing the songs around the house; it’s been nice to hear her singing.” She finished. Jim remained quiet and then he walked out to the living room and stared out the window in the direction of the tree house. His mind was churning. On the one hand he didn’t want to go anywhere on the other his daughter couldn’t stay in the tree house forever and he had to do something. He’d been everywhere else so maybe going to this concert at the church would be a good thing. “Alright.” He heard himself say. Carol was so surprised but she didn’t want to ruin the moment by saying the wrong thing so she simply said, “Okay” and left the room.
Bob and Peggy sat toward the back of the auditorium so Bob could keep an eye out for Emily and her family. The band began to play and Bob sat back as he realized they probably weren’t coming but then a flash of pink caught his eye and he spotted Emily with her bright pink backpack. She sat with her parents toward the back on the opposite side of the auditorium from where he and Peggy were sitting. The concert was a huge success. It was such fun watching the parents and kids singing and doing the motions together. He glanced over at Emily and her parents from time-to-time; they didn’t sing and they didn’t do the motions. The musician shared about some difficult times he had been going through with his family but still he praised God. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as he shared his heart and spoke of a God who loves and is worthy of praise no matter what is going on in and around us. The children’s pastor shared a short message after that and then more music followed. The concert ended and families left the auditorium together; laughing and still singing. Bob looked over to see Emily and her parents still sitting in their seats.
Bob and Peggy walked over and Emily looked up as they sat down in the row in front of them. “Hi, I’m Bob and this is my wife Peggy.” Carol introduced herself and her husband Jim and then she fell silent; looking at the carpet. It was Jim who broke the silence as he asked, “Do you know this Jesus that guy was talking about?” Bob was taken back and wasn’t prepared for the directness of Jim’s question. He scanned the auditorium looking for the pastor. He spotted him down front talking to a group of people and looked like he would be a while. As Bob continued to look for someone else to answer Jim’s question he heard the Lord say, “Come down.” “Okay, Lord. Please give me the words to say”, Bob prayed quietly and then taking a deep breath he jumped in with everything he had. “Yes, Jim. Yes, we know Jesus.”
Jim’s voice shook with emotion as he told Bob and Peggy about Eric and about how their life was coming apart and they didn’t know what to do or where to go. Bob and Peggy sat holding hands as they listened intently to the heartbreak this dear family was going through and oh how well they knew the pain they were experiencing. It was then that Bob took out his wallet and showed Jim, Carol and Emily a picture of their son Brad. They told of the phone call they had received that their dear son had been killed on a lonely road in Iraq. Bob shared how their hearts had broken as they thought of their boy dying alone in a foreign land, surrounded by enemies and away from those he loved. But then Bob’s voice filled with hope as he shared about another Father, whose Son had also died a horrible death on foreign soil, surrounded by enemies. Jesus had died for their sins and on the third day He rose again. He ended with John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not parish but have eternal life.
Bob was quiet then allowing time for the words to sink into their hearts. In the stillness Bob remembered the dream about Emily standing precariously on the edge of the ruins and he thought he heard the Lord’s whisper thunder through the auditorium “Come down.” Emily’s voice sounded small as she asked her question. She looked directly at Bob and Peggy as she spoke. “God’s Son Jesus died for my sins?” “Yes. That’s right, Emily”, Bob replied. Emily continued, “Well, if my sin caused His Son to die then how can God stand to look at me? Aren’t I a constant reminder to Him of His Son’s death?” She finished. You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed such a question by a nine year old. Bob got down on one knee so that he was eye level with Emily as he spoke. “Emily, your sin caused you to be separated from God which means you couldn’t be with God and God very much wanted you with Him. Remember the verse I told you? God loved. God gave. Once we come to know Jesus God no longer sees our sin because Jesus took it all with Him on the cross. The bible tells us that if we confess our sin God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God loved. God gave.” He finished. “So we are transformed?” Emily asked. Bob nodded. “I want to ask Jesus into my heart”, Emily said.
It was then that Emily opened her backpack and kneeling down on the carpet she tenderly unfolded the tissue paper revealing a once picture perfect family now lying in brokenness. That was all it took and Jim broke down sobbing, grabbing hold of Bob’s hand and whispered from the depths of a father’s shattered heart, “I want to know Jesus too.” And there in the back of the auditorium they knelt as three people prayed and gave their lives to Jesus. When they finished Jim turned to Carol and asked her to forgive him which she gladly did. Then father knelt and wrapped his daughter tightly in his embrace and whispered words of love into her ear. In response Emily tenderly picked up the tissue paper and lifted them up and placed them in her father’s hands and as Bob watched he thought he saw another Father’s hands underneath Jim’s as Emily took all the broken pieces and left them there in her Father’s hands.
Play : Broken Pieces by Matthew West.
An Original Conversations at the Well
Diana Morgan
July 5, 2009
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