I Promise!
By: Jean Boonstra
Christmas is a wonderful reminder of Jesus’ time on Earth as a baby. It’s also a wonderful reminder of His promise that He will come again. Mr. Simon reminded Logan of this promise on a recent visit to Trekkers.
“Mr. Simon,” Logan asked as he slumped against the counter at Trekkers, “My parcel still isn’t here?”
“Not yet,” Mr. Simon answered double checking the shelf where the parcel deliveries were kept.
Logan sighed. “No one keeps their promises anymore, Mr. Simon.”
“Well, that’s not quite true,” Mr. Simon answered.
“That’s how it feels,” Logan said with a frown. “The company promised that the parcel would arrive today.”
“Have a seat, Logan,” Mr. Simon said. “You look like you could use a story.”
Logan sat on a crate by the counter, and Mr. Simon started the story.
“Once a long time ago, there was a little boy,” he began. “He was five years old. Now, this little boy loved to spend time with his grandfather in the mountains.”
“Like our mountains?” Logan asked.
“Yes,” Mr. Simon answered. “In those days the grandfather set traps to catch food. The little boy would go with him to check the traps. One evening the boy and his grandfather were out late.”
“Past dark?” Logan asked leaning in with interest.
“Yes it was dark and the grandfather had to go a little further up the mountains to check some traps. The little boy’s legs were tired and he couldn’t keep going,” Mr. Simon continued.
“What did the grandfather do?” Logan asked.
“He found a large rock high off of the ground with a hole in it,” Mr. Simon said showing with his hands how high the rock was. “He set the boy in the hole. Then he said ‘Don’t be afraid, nothing can harm you here. I’m going just a little further up the mountain. I’ll come back and take you home.’”
“What did the little boy do? Was he afraid?” Logan asked.
“He was a little afraid,” Mr. Simon said lowering his voice. “The little boy’s imagination started to hear things that weren’t there. But his grandfather had said ‘I’ll come back’ and the boy believed him. So he fell asleep.”
Logan crinkled his brow. “He fell asleep?” he asked. “I don’t think I could do that out in the dark all by myself and I’m a lot older than five! What happened next?”
“The grandfather came back and carried him home, just like he promised,” Mr. Simon replied with a big smile.
“Mr. Simon was that story supposed to make me feel better about not getting my parcel,” Logan answered a little disappointed.
“Well, maybe not. But, I hope it made you feel better knowing that there are people who keep their promises,” Mr. Simon answered.
“That was a long time ago, though,” Logan said.
“It was,” Mr. Simon answered, but promises don’t expire.
“Expire?” Logan asked confused.
“Like the promise made by Jesus that He will return again,” Mr. Simon replied.
“That’s a promise I can believe in,” Logan answered. “I wish that I believed in this company’s promise.”
The doors of Trekkers opened and Logan’s mom walked quickly towards them.
“Logan!” she said.
“Mom?” Logan asked.
“Look at what arrived!” Mrs. Lewis explained holding out a brown box.
“My parcel!” Logan said reaching for it. “But…”
“They delivered it to the school by accident,” Mrs. Lewis explained.
Logan smiled as he ripped open the brown box. “Mr. Simon, I guess they kept their promise after all!”
Listen to the podcast episode called, “I Promise” here.
