don’t have anything to be thankful for.” Jumping up, he started down the path, kicking angrily at the gravel. “ Come on, Kirk, let’s take a walk down the road.” Catching up with him, Kirk said, “ Randy, I memorized a Bible verse this morning, a real good one. Want to hear it?” “ I s’pose so,” Randy grumbled. “ ‘In everything give thanks’ . . . This is what the Lord wants me to do, because I belong to His family,” Kirk said happily. “ I don’t care what your verse says, I’m not thankful for any thing!” Randy said. “ I don’t like the house we live in, I don’t like what we’re having for dinner to day, and I’m mad at my family ’cause they won’t let me do what I want to — and I don’t have any friends in this old town.” They walked on in silence for a few minutes. Kirk, a seven-year-old Korean-American boy, was thinking. Finally he said, “ Randy, let’s sit down on that big rock; I want to tell you something.” They crossed the road and sat down in the shade of the oak tree. Kirk began slowly, “ Randy, I want to tell you about Korea.” “What do you know about Korea?” Randy asked. “ I was born there, and while I was still quite small, two and a half years old, I believe, I was brought to America. Of course, there’s much I don’t remember about it, but I’ve been told a lot. Would you like to hear about it?” he asked. “ I sure would,” Randy answered. “ There were many of us, all ages, both boys and girls. We didn’t have homes or anyone to care for us. Finally some kind people began tak ing us to what they called orphan ages. Then some of us wer e brought to America to be adopted.” “What would have happened to you if those people hadn’t found you and brought you to America?” Randy asked thoughtfully. “ I probably wouldn’t have had a nice home to live in as I do now. I might have been eating bits of garb age I picked up off the streets. I wouldn’t have had the nice Daddy and Mother and two little sisters I have now and I wouldn’t have had all the wonderful friends I have here. And most important of all, I might not have learned how to be come a member of God’s family. I can’t help being thankful today.” “ If being a member of God’s fam ily makes you so happy,” Randy said, “ I think I’d like to be one too. How do you do it?”
“Good mo.rning, Mrs. Jensen. Mother wanted me to bring this jelly to you for your Thanksgiving din ner. I hope you like it as well as I do.” “Why, thank you, Kirk, I’m sure we will. Please tell your Mother that I appreciate it very much and it means so much to know someone cares about us.” “ Is Randy here?” “Yes, I think he is out on the front porch. He seems so lonely since we moved here.” Kirk stood quietly at the front door for a moment, watching Randy who was sitting on the steps. Sud denly he realized that Randy was crying. “Hi, Randy,” Kirk said, sitting down beside him. “ Aren’t you glad this is Thanksgiving?” “ Thanksgiving! Huh ! ” R a n d y said disgustedly. “My Mom says that we are supposed to be thankful for things, especially today. But I
K ir k w a l k e d s l o w l y down the path toward Randy’s house. himself, “ First Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” “ That is a good verse for today, all right,” he said to himself, “ but ‘in everything’ ? Well, that’s what the verse says, so I’ll do my best.” After breakfast his Mother had called him to the kitchen and said, “Kirk, I’d like you to take this jar of cranberry jelly over to our new neighbors for their Thanksgiving dinner.” “May I visit with Randy for a lit tle while?” Kirk asked. “Yes, but don’t bother his Mother because she will be very busy.” Holding the jar carefully, he climbed over the fence into the Jen sen’s backyard. In answer to his knock, Mrs. Jen sen called, “ Come in.”
Thoughtfully, he said the verse to
38
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook Online document