“HELLO LORD.  THIS IS YOUR FRIEND JAMES SPEAKING”

Robocopters and Pink Pumps

Hello Lord

This is your friend James speaking. I wanted to ask you about money. You see there’s this boy in my class called Peter and he has a Robocopter. Now he said that I can’t play with them unless I have a Robocopter too. I asked mom and she said, No.

So it’s up to you Lord. What’s it going to be? Do I get a Robocopter or not? I think it would be a very small thing for you to do seeing as you made stars and planets and the whole universe. Mom says it’s just a craze and the next thing will be yo-yos. Well, I don’t have a yo-yo either. Mine broke. So you might want to think about that one.

Oh and another thing. Please don’t let mom buy me any more clothing and say it’s a present. Clothing just can never be a present. Clothing isn’t a toy. Please help mom to see this clearly.

Thank you and Amen.

Hello Lord

James here again. I wanted to tell you about something that happened at school today. You know that there are those boys that I still can’t play with because I don’t have a Robocopter.

So I decided to fetch my ball at playtime and I bumped into Joanne Kidley. She was crying her eyes out - but sort of in a corner where no one would see. When I asked what was wrong, it took a long time for her to tell me, but you know me. I don’t give up easy.

Anyhow, Joanne said the other girls had told her that she can’t play with them because she wears boys’ clothes and trainers instead of pink pumps. I ask you! Pink pumps! What are you going to do with those in the playground?

So seeing as how Joanne and I seemed to be in the same boat, I asked her to kick the ball around with me and she was quite good. Okay, very good. I know you saw so there’s no point stretching the truth. Anyway, I thought I would ask you to help Joanne too, like you help me.

Thank you and Amen.

Hello Lord,

I’ve got a serious question for you. Oh yes, this is your friend James again. Mom and I were talking about being rich. I said, What’s wrong with money? King David had lots and King Solomon his son had even more. I think he must have been the richest man in the world in those days. Then mom said, What about you – Jesus. And I thought hard. I thought about how you could have had a king’s house if you wanted. But you didn’t really have any house at all. You could have had lots of gold and people to do what you wanted. And you didn’t have that either. Why was that Lord? Why did you have nothing? You made everything here. It doesn’t make sense. Mom says the only things you had were your clothes and people took those and threw dice to see who could have them. That made me feel so weird. Bless mom and me and Joanne Kidley and all the children who want Robocopters and pink pumps.

Thanks and Amen.

Hello Lord

This is your friend James speaking. I had such a great day today so I just wanted to thank you. Joanne invited me over to her house and mom took me over there and we met her mom and her brother, Steve. She has this really cool older brother who teaches her everything about sport and fishing. Can you believe it? My favourite thing! I was so excited, they just laughed at me, but in a nice way, not a nasty way. Then Steve said that he is going fishing this weekend. He has a little boat that they take out on the lake and he said mom and I and Joanne could all come too. It is going to be so great I can hardly sleep for thinking about it. He even said that if we wanted to, we could bring a tent and camp out. I begged mom, Please! And she said, Yes. So thanks for that one Lord. I owe you one!

Your friend, James. Amen.

Hello Lord

This is James again. Today was just yucky. There is no other word for it. I thought things were going so well. Then the kids at school started calling me and Joanne names. They started saying we were boyfriend and girlfriend and singing silly songs. We were both so embarrassed.

All we wanted to be was just friends. So what if she is a girl and I’m a boy? Why do they have to say stuff like that? I asked mom and she said you had a really good friend who was a girl too and her name was Mary just like your mom’s. You helped her out of a bad spot and she stuck by you through thick and thin even when your guy friends got scared.

So I knew, Lord that if it was okay for you then it’s okay for me. I don’t care what the kids say. I hope Joanne and me can still be friends and that we can have a good time at the lake. Please bless mom and all of Joanne’s family and please make us catch lots of fish.

Thanks and Amen.

Hello Lord

This is your friend James speaking. Today everything finally made sense. It was like that picture of a little lightbulb in my head. I know that it was a message that came from you, because I asked you my question.

I knew today that having money doesn’t make you happy. It’s like when you walk into a toyshop and you don’t know what you want because there’s so much stuff to choose from. Mom said sometimes all people think about is the stuff they can get and so they forget about you and what is really important. And that is why you didn’t have any stuff Lord. You didn’t have a big house or fancy car or lots of pocket money, because you were on a mission and you couldn’t be distracted.

And I knew that sometimes kids get so unhappy because they’re thinking, If only I had a Robocopter I would be happy and then when they get that, they just want something else. What is important is to always remember to talk to you, read your book and look after the people and the world you made.

What’s important is to love you and know that you loved us even before that. So thanks for the answer, Lord and bless everyone I know and everyone I don’t know but might meet someday. I was so happy I just told the kids, Knowing Jesus is way better than a Robocopter, or pink pumps. And they just looked at me. Some of them sort of laughed. But some sort of nodded. And the ones that nodded are my friends again.

Thanks and Amen.

Oh, yes. I haven’t forgotten Joanne. Please bless her too. Thanks again.

Hello Lord

This is your friend James speaking. Well, you knew that you made a wonderful world, because in the Bible it says, you knew it was good after each thing. We went camping and you were there. You were with us in the boat on the water. Mom said you also went fishing with your friends. You kept us safe. Then we all spoke to you together and it was wonderful. We caught all those fish. You saw it! Thanks again for that! And we cooked them for supper over our fire next to our tents. You even made mom let me help even though she usually says that little boys and matches are a bad combination.

No one got hurt and the fish tasted better than anything we could buy at the shop. Then the grown-ups were talking and talking as grown-ups always do and Joanne and I were whispering about the great day until we fell asleep. I didn’t even have to take a bath! The next morning, Steve took us for a swim in the lake and I know it was a bit cold, but it was such fun. So I just wanted to say thank you Lord. Thank you for all the good things you made. Thank you for friends like Joanne and Steve and her family and thank you for my mom who told me all about you. You are my best friend, Lord.

Amen, forever and ever. James.