FIRE 

By Tessa Harvey

    This is serious and Mrs. Bird puts down her reports. They can wait.
    "May I help you?" she asks quietly. "My brother and I believe in God, but as a God who isn't as personal as Miss Stanton believes, which is fine," she adds quickly, not willing to undermine the young teacher.
    Her brother Eric was an alcoholic. After a disastrous few years he went to weekly meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Now he has been doing well for a whole year. A.A. believe in a Higher Power. However, this is personal and not something to share with others lightly, especially not children.
    Polly smiles gratefully at Mrs. Bird. The three pull up chairs onto the teacher's platform and sit in a semi-circle.
    Colleen Amy Bird is actually the school counsellor and well-respected. 
    "How about you pray, Miss Stanton," Colleen asks, gently.
    "Lord Jesus, you do not judge children. Ellie is blameless in your sight and in ours. Help her to believe this."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FIRE  By Tessa Harvey     Bart slouched down to one of the fields. It needed plowing after the harvest, but everything seemed to take so much effort.      Leanne was being nice but feeling a little sick. Bart knew it was a lovely day. The hospital orderly who knew how to unlock hospital bathroom doors quickly from the outside had visited him and asked him to try every day to think of at least one reason to live. But Bart felt he was sinking deeper into quicksand.     "God help me!" he cried aloud. He did not know if there was a God, but suddenly it seemed like the black clouds in his head rolled back and there was light.     "Yoohoo!" called a woman's voice from near the paddock fence. "I've got Rabbi to pray for you. He's here now."     A tall, slightly stooped older man climbed through the fence. "Timothy," he said holding out his right hand, "I'm not really a rabbi. But could I be a friend and tell you too that there is a ...
Read more
FIRE  By Tessa Harvey     Timothy focussed on his visitor with an effort. He noticed it was a really beautiful day, blue sky, fluffy white clouds, sunshine. The wind was slightly chilly, a reminder of changing seasons.     "Please come in," he ventured, "my housekeeper could get us a drink and some biscuits." "That would be lovely. I'm Sally Elliott."\         "Timothy Winslow." He led the way to the kitchen. The window was open and he could smell the honeysuckle climbing up a wooden trellis near the back door.     An elderly lady came in, smiled and put the jug on. "What drink would you like?" she asked. "I am Kirsty."         Drinks and shortbread biscuits were placed on a nearby table . Kirsty closed the kitchen window and took her cup of tea and biscuits outside.     "The Roberts family could do with prayer help and I wonder if you could help Bart? He needs a friendly bloke. Can you help, rabbi...
Read more
FIRE  By Tessa Harvey     Bart came to and found himself lying in a high hospital bed. Something was very painful, tied high on his left arm. It was tight. It was dark, and then he remembered nothing for a while.     A male orderly was helping him bathe. His left hand would not work properly.     The staff in the ward treated him with disdain. Only after a few days was he sent to physiotherapist who got him to soak the hand in warm water and gave him exercises.     His wife Leanne visited. By now he was feeling very ashamed and asked about Joey, desperate to know if he had survived. Joey was home again, as was Leanne, but he had been a very sick little boy.     Humbly, Bart asked if he could go home. His wife hesitated. "it is only a trial leave for a few days. If you are not managing, you have to return. The doctors are concerned for our safety."     "Why?" Bart demanded, truculent once more. Leanne sighed and left.
Read more