Going home . . .

  

(source)

A young man named Tom sat on a train, anxious and apprehensive about what he might soon have to face. An older man sat next to him, and after observing Tom's visible distress for a time, he spoke to him, saying . . . "Son, you seem nervous and worried. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Tom thought for a moment and then decided that he could hold it back no longer. He just had to tell someone. He just had to have someone to confide in, even if it were just a stranger. He turned to the man and said . . . "I just got out of prison. I won't make excuses for what I did, but one thing which really haunts me about the mess I've made of my life, is how I've broken my parent's hearts. They're old now and have lived in shame for all of these years that I have been in jail. More than anything I want to go home now that I'm out. I love them so very much . . . but I am so very ashamed of what I did. Going home is the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm afraid of how I will be received, and yet at the same time, I know the type of welcome I deserve." He hung his head down in shame, looking at the floor . . . 

  

 

 

Tom paused for a few minutes, looking out at the bleak bare trees of winter as the train passed by . . . and he thought of his tree at home . . . the one in his back yard. It was winter now and there would not be a thing to see on it's brittle branches, no leaf in sight. He continued to speak to the man . . .

"I wrote to my mom and dad and asked if I could come home. I wouldn't let them visit me the whole time I was in that horrible jail, and so I haven't seen them for a long time. I was just too ashamed for them to see me there." Tom appreciated the way the man just sat there and listened to him speak. He couldn't tell if the man was shocked or just sympathetic, but he was listening and it was a great relief for Tom to have someone to take up these last few minutes of agony.

"I told them that they did not have to let me come home if they were too ashamed of me. We live right by the railroad tracks and all the trains pass by our back yard as they come in. There's a big Maple tree that hangs over the back fence and into the railway lot. Well . . . I asked them to tie a ribbon on that ol' tree if they were willing to let me get off the train." Tom let the alternative go unspoken, but his pause spoke it all the louder.  

 

 

 

 

"We're about there now, and . . . I'm so afraid to look. I can 't blame them if they leave the tree bare. I don't deserve to have a home and the wonderful parents that I've hurt so deeply." 

He began to choke up and looked down to hide his shame. Neither spoke at all for some time and then the train began to slow down for the next station . . . Tom's home town. A few tense moments passed and then the man next to Tom hudged him gently and said, "I think you can look now, son."  

 

 

 

 

 

Tom struggled to look up. There was the tree. His tree. It was marvelously ablaze with hundreds of ribons, all multi-coloured . . . there were red ones, blue ones, yellow, orange and green.

"I'll see you sir," he whispered, "I'm going home."

“God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go.”
― Jeffrey R. Holland, Created for Greater Things
 

(In memory of my Uncle Ronnie, who went home the day before yesterday. I am sure a bazillion multi-coloured ribbons were flying.)

 

 

What a lovely day it was yesterday. The sun was shining and it was fairly mild, so we had the back door open.  I was sitting here and I heard Buzzzzzzz-ing  . . .  and looked up and a big fat bumble bee had made its way into the house and was buzzing at the dining room window against the glass, seeing the outdoors, but not being able to get there.  I pulled up all my courage and opened the window so it could get out.  I was so afraid I was going to get stung, but whew!  I did not.  They say this next week we are going to have a bit of a heat wave.  I sure hope its not the only summer we get this year! (there is always that danger here in the UK, lol) 

 

 

 

Gutted  . . .  had an e-mail from Amazon yesterday saying that Grey's Anatomy was going to be going off Prime at the end of April.  *sniff*sniff*  We are only nearing the end of season 3. There is no way I can get another 10 seasons or so in before the end of April.  And I am hooked.  I LOVE IT.  I don't want it to end.  Guess I will have to start buying the seasons, one at a time.  So annoyed about that.  It was the same on Netflix with Friday Night Lights.  They get you hooked and then they yank it before you finish watching it.  Sigh  . . .

 

  

 

I am so in love with my blanket that I crocheted.  I really enjoyed making it, so much so that I ordered some yarn to make another one.  These are the colours I ordered, plusone more and I have a ball that I had ordered for the last one that I didn't use. 

 

 

 

So I am not sure how I will put them together, but we will see.  Can't wait to get started!   

 

And with that I best leave you with a thought for today  . . . 

 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.There is no better test of a man's integrity

than his behaviour when he is wrong.

~Marvin Williams   •。★★ 。* 。 

 

Spiritual Enlightenment  

 

 

 

In the English Kitchen today  . . .  Lemon & Blackberry Slices.  Seriously addictive.

Have a great Sunday!  Don't forget!

 

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And I do too!