Lent Day 6

Written by Dawn Whitmore
Little Fiery Red

“Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid of them and don’t be frightened, because the Lord your God will go with you. He will not leave or forget you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Winter is tough. The days are short, it’s cold and dreary. I prefer when the days get longer and the flowers begin blooming. We can take walks, feel the warmth of the sun on our faces, and the kids can play at the park.

I hear him before seeing him. A little fiery red-headed little guy barreling full steam ahead shouting at the top of his lungs, “Jillian!” Scanning the area, my eye is drawn to the blonde-haired girl, who must be “Jillian,” she looks towards ‘fiery red’ and then bolts to her Dad on the bench. Her Dad gently reminds her that this rambunctious bundle of energy is her friend. Jillian smiles and walks over to ‘fiery red’ who is climbing the slide. “Come on Jillian, let’s slide!” he shouts. Jillian does not begin climbing until after she looks back and Dad gives an affirmative headshake.

As I watch, Jillian and ‘fiery red’ on the playground; it is apparent the two interact differently with the men in their lives. “Fiery Red” plays on everything. He climbs, jumps, hops, and slides with no fear and giggles with abandon.  He rarely looks back at his Dad, except for a quick glance every now and then. However, when ‘fiery red’ gets too close to the edge of a platform, his Dad gently says, “Son…” and the boy smiles and steps back.

Jillian is a different story. Every few minutes, she stops and goes back to the bench to see if Dad is still there. Unlike her friend, ‘fiery red’, Jillian doesn’t enjoy the playground with true freedom because of the fear her Dad is not there watching and protecting her.

Deuteronomy 31:6 states, “don’t be frightened, because the Lord your God will go with you. He will not leave or forget you.”  

We all have a choice to make. Will we be Jillian or ‘fiery red’?