Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
- Luke 13:1-5
“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
- 1 Kings 8:46-49
Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.
- 2 Chronicles 32:26
Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name.
- Jeremiah 34:15
“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?
- Hosea 11:5
Boilerplate
I’m Harold Dykstra. I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story. My time is well spent. A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel. I did not know she was an angel at the time. The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone. And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy. She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others. She changed my life. Since she was a doll that had come to life, we came up with the term ‘other living.’ She was not a human, an animal, or even a plant, but she was definitely living, and very vibrant. Oh, excuse me, angels have no gender, but the angel indwelled a doll named Bountiful Babs. After seeing the angel in that form for over a year, I cannot see her in my mind in any other form.
This Week’s Question
In the last episode, Babs sent an e-mail to Morrie, and he cleaned his room, in my opinion, a miracle. But now we were going home for a short while.
We arrived late one night, and by noon the next day, Willie, short for Wilhemina, was knocking on the door with a couple of bags of groceries. Babs answered the door.
Willie walked into the entryway. “Hi, Babs, I am so glad you became Dad’s travel buddy. I feel so much more at ease with four eyes watching the road than his two eyes that are getting older. I know what Dad has in the fridge and the freezer, but he needs some fresh vegetables. I know because I came over with Morrie. He told me that he was cleaning the house. I nearly had a heart attack. Morrie rarely cleans his face, and he has never cleaned up his act, if you know what I mean. So, I came over to help. I sorted and rearranged the fridge and freezer. I anticipate Dad to fuss and fume. My idea of organized is different than his and he won’t be able to find anything, but since you know I did it, you can blame me and then call me on speed dial and I can tell you where it is. Oh! I also have a rotisserie chicken in the car. I didn’t want to mix hot with cold. While you put this away, I’ll go get it, and we can talk!”
I was in the kitchen at the time this went on, and I was wondering where the cheddar cheese was. I was thinking a nice grilled cheese sandwich to start the day since Babs and I both slept in. Not sleeping together. She used Willie’s room upstairs, and I used the master bedroom downstairs. Other than food preparation and dining, we did not have to see each other. But Babs wants her Bible studies every day. There must be something about her being ‘other living.’ She seems to hover over me, but she gives me all the room I need when I want to go to bed.
Babs said, “Oh, good! You are studying Willie’s reorganization of the fridge. Rather than let all the cold out, or the heat in. Sometimes, I forget your engineering mind. Willie is bringing in a rotisserie chicken so the three of us can have lunch.”
I nodded, “Willie’s organization. That means the cheddar cheese is right here! It is!! But now with a full chicken coming in, I don’t need a grilled cheese sandwich.”
Babs giggled, “I’m so hungry, I could eat both! We rushed to get here. Then we unpacked. And had showers. I am so glad we did our Bible study on the way here while you were driving. It was so late! And why didn’t you wake me this morning?”
I moaned, “Maybe because I overslept also? I am older than you are. I have examined your driver’s license, and I agree with the woman at the DMV. You could easily be your daughter.”
Babs scrunched her nose. “I hear Willie coming in.”
Willie announced, “The chicken has arrived. I have Cole slaw, potato salad and three bean salad from the grocery deli. Lunch is served.”
I asked, “Did you hide the flatware, like you did everything in the fridge?”
Willie rolled her eyes. “No! They are where they’ve always been, but I have the plastic stuff here with napkins. Dad, you might want to get some more paper towels. You always make a mess.”
Babs snickered, but I added. “Babs is not any better when it comes to eating rotisserie chicken. I’ll put the towel dispenser on the table. It looks like you put a fresh roll on it.”
Willie nodded, “Morrie and I did a lot of cleaning. He emptied the entire upstairs rooms and brought my stuff to me. When I heard he was cleaning up, I had to at least supervise. I was convinced that he had no idea what clean was. But my room was immaculate.”
I did not have the heart to tell her that Babs had made it that way before we left on this extended trip. The only change would be some dust and maybe a cobweb or two. But what I marveled at was that she had purchased the clothing for the doll that was now a living being, and she treated Babs like an old friend without batting an eyelash. Even thinking of Babs as a young woman traveling with an old man should get some eyelash action, but Willie sat down like the three of us were old friends. It must be this ‘other living’ thing Babs has. I was the only one that knew she was not ‘human,’ and most of the time now, I was fooling myself that she was human. Everyone else thought that.
Babs broke the ice, which surprised me. “Villie, pronouncing Willie like I did, what do we owe this wonderful pleasure of a visit. We did not even tell you we were coming in last night.”
Willie chuckled, “You must have walked right past the doorbell without noticing. We installed a security doorbell thing. I have it on my phone, but I can put it on your phones.”
Babs shrugged, “I have never gotten a phone. I use Harold’s when I need to. I know his schedule. So, if he is not at a sales call all day, I cut my running around short. I like being in the lobby or the breakfast area when he walks in.”
Willie said, “I’ll buy you a simple phone where you pay for the minutes as you use them. You know, just for an emergency.”
Babs brightened and nodded.
I interrupted, “Before this gets into too much girl talk, you only answered half the question.”
Willie groaned, “Dad, you and your suspicions. But, okay. I want to know what one of you did.”
I said, “Babs says that she used my e-mail account to send a message about the mess upstairs. She also sent some Scriptures about helping widows and orphans.”
Willie reached over and grabbed my hand. “This is not a bad thing, but I never saw it coming. You know Morrie’s two girlfriends from high school? He has quit cheating on his wife. He has been going home to his family every night. He has turned around 180 degrees. See there, Dad. I didn’t say 360 degrees. I did not want your engineering senses correcting me. He has changed. He could clean up his room because of some e-mails about taking care of widows, but this is a life change. He has even asked the pastor about getting baptized again. Maybe he went to the river for that, but people Morrie’s age, you know. It is rare when they have a life changing conversion. Breaking old habits is hard, but Morrie is a new creation.”
Morrie came into the room. “I didn’t know you were back, and the door wasn’t locked. Yes, Sis, I figured that it had to be Babs. Dad would sign off with love or something. She sent Luke 13, at least the first few verses. She sent no sermon. That was Dad’s style. She just sent the reference, and I had to look it up. It was Jesus talking about how we need to repent. A parable followed what she suggested. I wasn’t convinced. I was thinking that repenting was just a New Testament thing. Why didn’t the people in the Old Testament have to repent? Then, I did not write back, but a couple of days later, Babs sent 1 Kings 8. It is where Solomon is praying at the dedication of the temple and Solomon says that if the people stray, they have to repent. Then there was 2 Chronicles 32 where Hezekiah showed off all his wealth to the Babylonians and incurred God’s wrath, but then he repented of his pride. He humbled himself and God backed off. The people would go into exile, but not during Hezekiah’s reign. Then she set things from Jeremiah and Hosea. It is like Babs knew the arguments I was making. I just broke down and realized what a mess I had made of my life, and how my wife was a saint for putting up with me. Yes, I cheated, and I was arrogant. I thought I was untouchable because I was baptized as a youth and God had forgiven me. But He had not done that. I had to surrender to Him and turn from my sin.”
Babs interrupted, “But when you repent, you don’t just turn from your sin. You turn to God.”
Morrie nodded, “I know. And now, I have God in my heart, and I want to correct my mistakes. I thought the first one was to clean my room. If I clean up my life, why not start at the beginning. I knew where the spare key was hidden, so I came in and I was shocked. Babs had cleaned Willie’s room and carefully packed everything, putting it all in my room. I barely had room to open the door. So, Sis, Willie’s room was all Babs. I just dusted and vacuumed. And Dad, Babs, I want to beg forgiveness for the heartbreak I have caused.”
Babs and I got up and gave him a hug. It was thousands of prayers answered. This trip home was the blessing of a lifetime, at least since Morrie was a teenager and started to act out against his mother’s and my wishes.
Maybe I should have Babs lead our Bible studies from now on. She seems to know the right verses for the right time.
Credits
All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife. We would talk about anything and everything. And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.
Morrie’s conversion, at middle age, is like Willie said, hard and rare. There are a lot of excuses that arise and a lot of bad habits to overcome. But God works miracles. Nothing is impossible for Him. And I keep praying for many people that I hold close to my heart, some family and some friends and some not-so-much friends.
And I think any parent would love for their children to return home and throw away all their old junk. That part of this story is a bit on the level of “fantasy.”
But as for how Babs does it? As ‘other living’, she might have more insight into what we need down deep in our hearts, and how to get us to know we need it. That is not fantasy, but a spirit world that we cannot comprehend.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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