Once a case was brought to David’s attention and he declared, “That man shall surely die” (II Samuel 12:5). Then the prophet declared, “You are the man!” (II Samuel 12:7). That execution was never carried out! It seems to make a difference WHO is being judged!
God knew David needed love and forgiveness more than any amount of divine punishment. When God forgave him, his friends forgave him and he became “A man after God’s own heart.”
With a little encouragement, almost anybody can make it, but they do need is few genuine friends to let them know they are still loved.
Back Home Again
by Marion Walls
(edited)
The gray bus rolled past the stockyards, rattled across the railroad tracks and into the terminal at the end of Front Street.
Linc, a tall, thin youth, one of the first to step off, was surprised to find his uncle Carl waiting on the ramp.
There was warmth but also a bit of awkwardness in their greeting. Carl explained hastily: “I know you weren’t looking for me but I decided to take the morning off from the shop; I can make up the time later.” He glanced at the bag in Linc’s hand. “Any more luggage?”
“No, this is it.”
Carl led the way inside. “Stacy’s cooking dinner for us; she can’t wait to see you.”
Following his uncle through the station, Linc was very conscious of the oldtimers on the benches, the elderly retirees who came in each day to sit around and observe the arrivals and departures. “Linc is back,” they’d say when they went home at noon, and by mid-afternoon their wives would have spread the word by telephone.
Carl had the same car he’d had eighteen months ago; he kept it waxed and polished, its interior as shining clean as Stacy’s living room. Carl, a big, gentle man who usually had very little to say, was talking constantly now, asking Linc many questions, just telling him how the two boys had grown, each wanting a room of his own; what a fine garden Stacy had; talking about the proposed now shopping center at the edge of town.
They were passing the high school now. It seemed ten years instead of two since he’d been a student there.
Linc took a deep breath. “I’ve been wanting to tell you, Uncle Carl, I’d like to get out on my own now, get me a room closer to town. After I’ve been working awhile I can get a car but right now I don’t need to be stuck in suburbs without wheels.” Before Carl could respond he added roughly: “I don’t know, I might even go to New Orleans and look around; down there they’ve got so many jailbirds one more won’t matter.”
“Linc!” There was real agony in Carl’s voice. “Don’t talk that way, don’t even think like that! Stacy and I—the boys--your friends--we don’t want you to think any of us feel differently. You made a mistake, it’s paid and settled; let’s not think of it any more.”
Already regretting the bitter remark, Linc apologized. He noted, however, that Carl hadn’t argued a bit about his moving to a room downtown.
Stacy, a tall woman with bright brown eyes and a friendly face, greeted Linc warmly. Hugging him, she stepped back, her eyes appraising: “You need a lot more meat on those bones. I’m going to start fattening you.”
The meal she had prepared was delicious, all the things he liked: crispy fried chicken, creamed corn, tender green butter beans and okra, buttered hot cornbread, and peach cobbler pie covered with thick yellow cream. He hadn’t realized he’d been so hungry for home cooking.
Groaning, he had to refuse a second helping of the cobbler. “I’ll have to take a rain check on that—I can’t eat another bite today,” he protested.
Carl looked directly at his wife. “Linc wants to get a room in town, but I don’t see any need for him to hurry. He could stay here for a few days until he has time to look around.”
“Of course he could!” Getting up, Stacy came around the table to put her hands on Linc’s shoulders. “Get a job first, Linc, then you can decide where you’ll live.”
“Oh, it’ll work out all right.” He edged away from the table. “I sure do thank you for the dinner.”
“The boys will miss you.” There was a wistful note in Stacy’s voice, and he knew she was really sorry things had worked out the way they had.
He took the bus back to town and when he got off on Main Street he was overcome by a lonely, lost feeling. What if no one wanted to hire him? He might have to go to New Orleans or Mobile after all. Some fellows liked to travel but he didn’t, he just wanted to go on living in Laurel, a small town boy in a small town place.
--Unquote
Linc rented a room in the only hotel in town. I would like to believe that eventually he was able to buy a car and move in with his family. “If there’s room in the heart, there’s room in the home. “