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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Kids
- Theme: Inspirational
- Subject: Character Based
- Published: 07/06/2024
The Meeting
Born 1945, M, from Farmersburg, United States"Where have you been?” Jacob’s father met him at the door of the house. The 8-year-old cringed under his father’s authority. In Uriel’s hand, he carried the strap. A piece of leather about 16 inches long meant for whipping little boys. Jacob had felt this strap many times before. Just the sight of it in his father’s hand brought tears to his eyes.
“I…I went to see this Jesus. I’m sorry, father I stayed longer than I should.” The child said.
“I will see this, Jesus. You children keep speaking of. Go feed the animals, then come to my office for your punishment,” Uriel said.The small boy hurried to the pens to feed the few sheep and donkey. His rear end tingled, anticipating the strap. Tears leaked from his eyes, dripping off his chin. The feeling came again. How wonderful when Jesus smiled at him. “Jacob, my friend, come set on my lap.”“Me? You want me to set on your lap?” The little boy could hardly believe it. He had seen others set on Jesus’s lap. Sarah and Samuel and some of the others. Samuel was 4-years-old and crippled. He hobbled everywhere. One leg was shorter than the other. Jesus had called to Samuel. The little boy came to where Jesus set. Jacob watched intently to see if this man would reject the boy as others had. Instead, he lifted him up and set the child with his legs out. Then Jesus did something Jacob would remember all of his life. Jesus ran delicate fingers along the crippled leg. Before the eyes of the children surrounding them, the leg straightened out and became like the other one. Samuel, with wonder on his face, looked up at Christ.
“Try it out.” Jesus said, smiling. He set the little boy on the ground. Laughing and singing, the child ran around in circles with no hint of any infirmity with his leg. “I got to show mommy.” Waving at them, he ran into the village. Lifting his hand, Jesus waved to the happy child.
Now he invited Jacob to set on His lap. Jesus held out his hands. Jacob stepped into them. Jesus lifted him up as if he weighed nothing and set him on his knee. Then he spoke to the children gathered around his feet.
“Jacob is a tender of sheep. He is a Shepard like King David of old. A very honorable profession.” Jesus patted the small boy on the back. Jacob’s face burned with shame. He hated caring for the sheep. He often smacked them. “David setting under a tree wrote some of his greatest psalms. David frequently resented the sheep. Yet he cared for the lambs as a mother would her young children.” Sarah raised her hand. “Yes, Sarah.”
“Did he love the sheep? My mommy said he did.”
“Yes, sweet child. He didn’t at first, but grew to love them. He fought a lion and a bear to save the sheep.” Jesus said, smiling. Setting on his knee, Jacob vowed in his heart to treat the sheep better.
“Thank you.” Jesus said to the little boy. Jacob knew He meant about the sheep. After about two hours and many stories, Jacob rushed home. His father waited on the doorstep.
Now, as he fed the animals, he thought of Jesus’ words. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” Jacob said with tears in his eyes. The sheep watched him weary. So many times, he had thrown their feed at them. Tonight, he carefully placed it in their trough. He patted the donkey as the animal ate. The donkey shied away from his touch. Then, knowing it was inevitable, he returned to the house and knocked on his father’s open office door.
His father motioned him in. Jacob stood before him, knowing the strap was coming.
“Do you know what you did wrong?” His father asks as his son stood before him.
“I wasn’t home on time?” Jacob said.
“Yes, you promised your mother no more dawdling. And you received a spanking just last week for this very same thing.” His father said, standing up. He sighed. “So here we are again. Please stand up and bend over.”
Trembling, Jacob stood up. Turning around, he bent over the seat of a chair he had been setting in. The first hit caught him on both cheeks. Tears dripped from his eyes, not so much from the pain. But from his father’s disappointment in him. The next two hits seemed lighter than normal.
“Ok, we’re done. His father said, putting the strap away. Jacob stood before him, rubbing his backside. His father opened his arms. Jacob fell into them, weeping. Uriel held his son until the tears stopped. “Jacob, you know your mother and I love you. We want the best for you.”Unable to speak, the little boy nodded his head. “Now go play until supper.” Jacob ran out of the room.
“Do you think we are being too harsh on him?” His mother said. Watching their son pushing a toy cart.
“I worry about that sometimes.” Uriel said, joining his wife at the window. “We must guide him the best way we know how.”
The next day in the morning, Uriel went to the marketplace. The merchants were setting up their wares. A man came up behind him.
“You seek for me, Uriel?”
Uriel turned at the voice. Jesus smiled at him. Suddenly, Uriel found it hard to speak. “Why don’t we find a place to set.” Jesus led him to a quiet bench away from the sellers.
“I…I want to speak with you about my son.”
“Yes, Jacob is a very good boy. He took the strap as you did when your father punished you for sealing those apples from your neighbor.” Uriel reddened.
“How…how did you know of that? My father promised he would tell no one. “
”Nor did he. He slipped some coins under the man’s door that night to pay for the apples you stole,” Jesus said.
Uriel paled. “You are the messiah. The one sent from God. The one Isaiah spoke of.”
Jesus smiled. “I am the one sent from God.”That day, Uriel became a follower of Jesus Christ. His life changed, as did his business.
The Meeting(Darrell Case)
"Where have you been?” Jacob’s father met him at the door of the house. The 8-year-old cringed under his father’s authority. In Uriel’s hand, he carried the strap. A piece of leather about 16 inches long meant for whipping little boys. Jacob had felt this strap many times before. Just the sight of it in his father’s hand brought tears to his eyes.
“I…I went to see this Jesus. I’m sorry, father I stayed longer than I should.” The child said.
“I will see this, Jesus. You children keep speaking of. Go feed the animals, then come to my office for your punishment,” Uriel said.The small boy hurried to the pens to feed the few sheep and donkey. His rear end tingled, anticipating the strap. Tears leaked from his eyes, dripping off his chin. The feeling came again. How wonderful when Jesus smiled at him. “Jacob, my friend, come set on my lap.”“Me? You want me to set on your lap?” The little boy could hardly believe it. He had seen others set on Jesus’s lap. Sarah and Samuel and some of the others. Samuel was 4-years-old and crippled. He hobbled everywhere. One leg was shorter than the other. Jesus had called to Samuel. The little boy came to where Jesus set. Jacob watched intently to see if this man would reject the boy as others had. Instead, he lifted him up and set the child with his legs out. Then Jesus did something Jacob would remember all of his life. Jesus ran delicate fingers along the crippled leg. Before the eyes of the children surrounding them, the leg straightened out and became like the other one. Samuel, with wonder on his face, looked up at Christ.
“Try it out.” Jesus said, smiling. He set the little boy on the ground. Laughing and singing, the child ran around in circles with no hint of any infirmity with his leg. “I got to show mommy.” Waving at them, he ran into the village. Lifting his hand, Jesus waved to the happy child.
Now he invited Jacob to set on His lap. Jesus held out his hands. Jacob stepped into them. Jesus lifted him up as if he weighed nothing and set him on his knee. Then he spoke to the children gathered around his feet.
“Jacob is a tender of sheep. He is a Shepard like King David of old. A very honorable profession.” Jesus patted the small boy on the back. Jacob’s face burned with shame. He hated caring for the sheep. He often smacked them. “David setting under a tree wrote some of his greatest psalms. David frequently resented the sheep. Yet he cared for the lambs as a mother would her young children.” Sarah raised her hand. “Yes, Sarah.”
“Did he love the sheep? My mommy said he did.”
“Yes, sweet child. He didn’t at first, but grew to love them. He fought a lion and a bear to save the sheep.” Jesus said, smiling. Setting on his knee, Jacob vowed in his heart to treat the sheep better.
“Thank you.” Jesus said to the little boy. Jacob knew He meant about the sheep. After about two hours and many stories, Jacob rushed home. His father waited on the doorstep.
Now, as he fed the animals, he thought of Jesus’ words. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” Jacob said with tears in his eyes. The sheep watched him weary. So many times, he had thrown their feed at them. Tonight, he carefully placed it in their trough. He patted the donkey as the animal ate. The donkey shied away from his touch. Then, knowing it was inevitable, he returned to the house and knocked on his father’s open office door.
His father motioned him in. Jacob stood before him, knowing the strap was coming.
“Do you know what you did wrong?” His father asks as his son stood before him.
“I wasn’t home on time?” Jacob said.
“Yes, you promised your mother no more dawdling. And you received a spanking just last week for this very same thing.” His father said, standing up. He sighed. “So here we are again. Please stand up and bend over.”
Trembling, Jacob stood up. Turning around, he bent over the seat of a chair he had been setting in. The first hit caught him on both cheeks. Tears dripped from his eyes, not so much from the pain. But from his father’s disappointment in him. The next two hits seemed lighter than normal.
“Ok, we’re done. His father said, putting the strap away. Jacob stood before him, rubbing his backside. His father opened his arms. Jacob fell into them, weeping. Uriel held his son until the tears stopped. “Jacob, you know your mother and I love you. We want the best for you.”Unable to speak, the little boy nodded his head. “Now go play until supper.” Jacob ran out of the room.
“Do you think we are being too harsh on him?” His mother said. Watching their son pushing a toy cart.
“I worry about that sometimes.” Uriel said, joining his wife at the window. “We must guide him the best way we know how.”
The next day in the morning, Uriel went to the marketplace. The merchants were setting up their wares. A man came up behind him.
“You seek for me, Uriel?”
Uriel turned at the voice. Jesus smiled at him. Suddenly, Uriel found it hard to speak. “Why don’t we find a place to set.” Jesus led him to a quiet bench away from the sellers.
“I…I want to speak with you about my son.”
“Yes, Jacob is a very good boy. He took the strap as you did when your father punished you for sealing those apples from your neighbor.” Uriel reddened.
“How…how did you know of that? My father promised he would tell no one. “
”Nor did he. He slipped some coins under the man’s door that night to pay for the apples you stole,” Jesus said.
Uriel paled. “You are the messiah. The one sent from God. The one Isaiah spoke of.”
Jesus smiled. “I am the one sent from God.”That day, Uriel became a follower of Jesus Christ. His life changed, as did his business.
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