K l n c ’S B u s i n e s s BY MARTHA S. HOOKER
What Really Counts
by Stan Best T i m Jackson whirled through the kitchen door and dropped his Bible on the kitchen table. “Home, Mom,” he called. Mrs. Jackson appeared in the door. “Fine, son,” she smiled. “What did you learn in Sunday School?” Tim’s mother usually went to church because she was a faithful Christian woman but today she had to remain home to care for Tim’s sister, Betty, who had the flu. Tim scratched his head and tried to think what he had heard in his class. The more he thought the less he could remember. Sunday School was never very interesting for him. He always wiggled or flipped through the hymn book pages or stared out the window while his teacher patiently tried to tell what important things the Bible had to say. “I don’t remember v e r y we l l , Mom,” he grumbled. “Honestly, I just can’t seem to get what the Bible is saying—it just seems to be too hard and not very interesting either.” He looked doubtful. “But I guess the real reason is that I just don’t have a very good memory.” Mrs. Jackson looked disappointed. “Oh, Tim, I’m so sorry you can’t tell me anything about the lesson. I wanted to go to church to hear about the Lord so badly today.” Tim took a cookie off a plate and started for the living room. “Where are you going?” asked his mother. “Oh, I’m just going to finish up that new Captain Crash comic book I bought. It has the most interesting stories you ever saw.”
through the pages. All at once he be came so sleepy he could hardly keep awake. He had learned from experi ence that the book of Psalms had short chapters. He found Psalms and almost immediately stumbled on chapter 117. He went through it like lightning not bothering to even concentrate on the meaning of the words. Then he laid his Bible on the table and started to doze off. “Tim!” It was his mother calling at the bottom of the stairs. “Tim, did you read your chapter?” “My chapter—huh?—oh yes—yes I did, Mother.” “Fine,” his mother replied, “I’m proud of you.” He finally turned over and sank into a guilty slumber. The next day Tim was walking to school with Gordon Jennings. Tim liked Gordon. They played on the same baseball team and did lots of things together. But his pal had never been to Sunday School because his parents didn’t want him to go. “What did you do yesterday, Tim?” asked Gordon. “Oh, I went to Sunday School and church in the morning. And read about Captain Crash in the afternoon and watched television, too.” “What do you learn in Sunday School?” asked Gordon wistfully. “Oh, I don’t know . . . I never can seem to remember too much about it,” muttered Tim. Then changing the subject he added enthusiastically, “Hey, you know what Captain Crash does in this issue? He gets lost and then captured by a gang of outer space criminals—but that doesn’t stop
That evening before Tim went to bed his mother called him. “Tim, I would like to pray with you as usual —but I want you to be sure to read from your Bible—I would suggest at least a chapter—especially after all the time you watched television.” Tim squirmed restlessly. His mother always reminded him to read a chap ter but he usually put it off. He just didn’t understand what he read and his memory wouldn’t even let him ACROSTIC M - y soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Luke 1:46; 47 Q — pen Thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law. Ps. 119:18 T — rust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Ps. 37:3 — im that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. John 6:37 C— nter into His gates with thanks giving, and into His courts with praise. Ps. 100:4 D— esf in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Ps. "37:7 remember what he had seen in the Bible. As he climbed the stairs to his bedroom, his conscience dug at him— he knew he really ought to because he loved his mother and well—he did call himself a Christian. He turned on the light and picked up his dusty Bible. Suddenly he felt cold. It would be better if he read in bed. He climbed quickly under the warm blankets and began to fumble
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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