Sam – Chapter 7

Sam and Mac eagerly entered the house for lunch. After they had washed their hands, which was something Angela was rather particular about, Sam and Mac entered the breakfast nook and sat down.
Mac said, “Carly, you’ve got to see this train, it goes around, and around and you can send it different places, and it can carry wood, and milk, and tractors, it’s cool, If you hit the right button it makes a train whistle sound.”
As she laid out the spoons, Carly said, “Wow, I didn’t know you could have so much fun in the garage on a rainy day.”
“It was fun, I like to make the deliveries with the train,” said Mac. “Ooh, What’s for lunch Miss Angela?”
“Since it was raining and cool I made some chicken noodle soup.” Angela said.
“Oh, can I have it with extra noodles,” Mac pleaded.
“Young man you will take your chances like everyone else,” Angela said, and gave Mac a theatrical wink, then she looked at Sam, “How about you, Mr. Brakeman, how was your morning.
Sam said, “It was great I kept finding boxes of train stuff I haven’t seen in years, I think there might even be some more freight, and more cars to haul it in.”
“Really?” Said Mac, “ I can’t wait to see it.”
Angela ladled up the soup carefully putting extra noodles in Mac’s bowl, there were a lot of noodles in everyone else’s anyway. When she got to Sam’s bowl she topped it off with a most ingenious looking star cut out of red bell pepper.
“What’s this,” Sam said genuinely surprised.
“That is something Carly and I cooked up, that’s your prize for being Johnny-on-the-spot this morning.” She said, she looked at Carly and they both giggled.
“Why thank you, what a surprise!” Sam said, he was tickled pink, Sam just loved bell peppers. “Should I eat it first?”
“By all means, Johnny,” the ladies young and old said together, laughing.
Hmm, obviously they had a lot to talk about this morning, Sam thought a little taken aback.
The Lord said to Sam, “Sam, lighten up, My joy is contagious, you will have to get used to a little chuckling and guffawing, soon you will all be hearing Me clearly, there will be much cause for joy.”
“OK Lord, I understand, thanks,” Sam said silently to the Lord, then he found he couldn’t help chuckling himself.
Sam suddenly pushed his chair back, stood and delivered this oration, “Ladies, you do me great honor and I gratefully receive the Star of Pepperdom from your hands. I will always cherish this occasion, and I will savor this award to the utmost.” He finished his speech and popped the red bell pepper star into his mouth and chewed with obvious delight.
Angela and Carly laughed heartily at his speech, and even Mac, though unaccustomed to lunchtime theatrics, cheered along with them. Sam sat down and they all joined hands and Sam said, “Thank you Lord Jesus for good friends and good food and for watching over us to keep us safe.” Everyone said amen, and lunch began in ernest.
“Mr. Sam, how did you hear the Lord the first time?” Carly asked.
Sam said Lord should I tell her? The Lord said “Go ahead Sam, just tell it in your own words.”
“Carly, you know, I just woke up last night and He was calling to Me. He has been talking to me all morning, I guess it was the right time for me, and of course He knew it.” Sam explained.
“Miss Angela and I have been talking about this, I wanted to ask you how do you know that it is the Lord?” Carly smiled when she said this for she just knew the answer would be a good one.
“Well, for me it is a feeling, something like this is the voice I have always wanted to hear, and now that I’m hearing it I just know that it is Him. It’s like He is the way I hoped He would be, He is kind and considerate, not the way I’ve been taught that He is. It’s like in the bible, I wasn’t completely astonished because I remembered the story of Samuel, and I knew that this has happened before. So I said “I am listening, Lord” and He spoke back to me, It was really neat, it is also like I get tingles when He speaks.” Sam said.
The Lord told Sam, “this is good Sam, tell her that you gave Me the heavy emotional burden you had carried for a long time, and that, your being free from it helped you to hear Me.”
Sam said thanks silently, and replied, “Carly I had a really sad thing that I had always felt, and last night I gave it up to the Lord, He said it really helped me hear Him when I was free of the weight of the sadness.”
“Oh, I like that Mr. Sam I have some things I can give Him, maybe it will help? Carly said hopefully.
The Lord said to Sam, “Yes it will help her to give Me anything that is bothering her, especially if it is something which has been bothering her a lot.”
Sam said, “yes, He says it will definitely help you, He said that you can bring anything that is bothering you to Him, now you can even listen to what He wants to tell you about it.”
Mac looked up from the second bowl of soup he was demolishing, and said, “Mr. Sam should I give Him the things that make me sad too?”
The Lord said to Sam, “This is what I’m looking for, I want to heal Mac of some terrible wounds. Tell him that he can tell Me about anything he wants to.”
“Mac, He really wants to hear from you, you just tell Him anything that’s bothering you and then wait to hear what He wants to tell you.” Sam said.
“OK, it’s still raining can I go sit in the tent after lunch?” Mac said hopefully.
“Sure Mac, but we better check and make sure that it’s still dry.” Sam said.
“It was dry when I left, and I zipped it all up. It should be OK.” Carly volunteered.
“Oh, good,” Mac said lifting a spoonful of noodles to his mouth.
“Sam,” The Lord said, “I am going to sit with Mac for quite a while, children usually don’t have to struggle with unbelief, so don’t be surprised if he tells you that he saw Me.”
“That can happen Lord?” Sam said almost forgetting to say it silently.
“Oh yes, Sam that’s one of the reasons that the bible talks about men walking with Me, you usually walk with someone you can see.” the Lord said casually.
“Well Lord, I’m almost as astonished as I was last night!” Sam said.
“Sam, people usually don’t see Me because they don’t expect to see Me, they’ve been taught that they can’t, or that it’s irrational. You know a lot of things became easier for humans after My resurrection and after the Holy Spirit came. I didn’t mean to surprise you, but I thought I should prepare you for what Mac might say.” The Lord said.
“Thanks Lord it would have been a surprise, and I might have said the wrong thing.” Sam said.
Yes, Sam, be careful how you treat little children who have imaginary friends, sometimes it is Me.” Jesus said plainly.
Sam’s radar came on at this, “what about the other times?” What is it then?”
Jesus said, “sometimes it is just imagination, and sometimes it is the enemy. Very often though, I will comfort a child who is mine and who is having a particularly bad time, like Mac is. You see, I am the friend they can talk to when they can’t, or don’t feel like they can talk to anyone else.”
“Ooh, I get it, what’s eating him Lord?” Sam said.
“He will tell you about it in his own time.” the Lord said, and paused, “Yes, he will get around to telling you I think.”
“So, You are telling me and not telling me?” Sam said.
“Yes, Sam I respect peoples’ privacy.” The Lord said.
“Alright, I’m beginning to get the picture.” Sam said.
“I knew you would.” the Lord said and chuckled.
“Yes, I guess you do know,” Sam said and chuckled himself.
“Sam?” Angela said, looking across the table at him with curiosity, “remembering a joke or a funny thought?”
“Yes I’ll tell you about it soon, … real soon,” Sam said smiling.
“Mr. Sam, I’m finished with lunch, can I go to the tent now?” Mac asked.
“Sure,” Sam said putting down his napkin, “ Let’s go see if it’s dry enough.”
As Sam and Mac walked across the yard, there was a fine misty drizzle falling. Mac had seemed eager, but now seemed a little bit afraid.
Mac asked, “Mr. Sam, is God mad when He talks to you?”
“No Mac, he has always been really nice, and He tells me how much He loves me too.” Sam felt God stir sort of like clearing His throat.
“Sam, tell Mac that I will be pleased to sit with him and listen to what he wants to tell Me. I am his friend and friends share their troubles with each other.” Jesus said.
“Mac He says that he will be glad to sit and listen to what you want to tell him, because He is your friend and that’s what friends do for each other.” Sam said, hoping he had not left anything out.
“When He talks to you is it loud, like thunder, or something?” Mac asked.
“Oh no, Mac I guess He is speaking through my heart, but it’s like I can hear him in my head, and it’s kind of quiet.” “How am I doing Lord” he thought.
“You are doing fine Sam, now get him set up in the tent, and I’ll have a chat with him.” the Lord said.
“Ok Mac, here we are and it’s as dry as a bone. Hop in.” Sam zipped the door up after Mac had gone in. “Lord is he going to be alright?” Sam whispered.
The Lord said “Better than alright Sam we are going to work some things out.”
Sam felt pretty good to be cooperating with Jesus, it was something that he had never really thought could happen before last night. He lightheartedly felt the urge, but resisted whistling on the way back across the yard in order to be quiet for Mac. He did grin a lot though.