"Hi, Mom. We've been missing you but Dad fixed a pretty good supper last night, uh, even though it wasn't as good as your cooking."
"I'll second that," Mr. Jensen agreed.
"Where's Joshua, Mom? Can we see him?" Julie asked.
"Look right behind you."
#29- Whose necks?
A Character story about integrity.
How excited the twins were to be able to see their new brother for the first time! Twice their dad had to tell them not to run in the halls of the hospital. Finally they were walking briskly down the fourth floor hall to their mother's room.
"Hi, Mom!" Julie greeted with face beaming. She ran over to give her mom a big hug.
"Hi, Kids," she returned, rising to meet them.
"Oh, Mom. Don't get up! You stay in bed," Julie ordered.
"I'm fine, Dear. After all, I'm not sick. Hi, Jason."
"Hi, Mom. We've been missing you but Dad fixed a pretty good supper last night, uh, even though it wasn't as good as your cooking."
"I'll second that," Mr. Jensen agreed.
"Where's Joshua, Mom? Can we see him?" Julie asked.
"Look right behind you." Julie whirled around and found herself standing in front of a small glass bed with a sleeping infant inside.
"Oh, Mom, he's so tiny!" Julie said in a coarse whisper. "I can't believe it. Did they just bring him in?"
"Oh, no. He's been here with me all day though, of course, most of the time he's been sleeping."
"Can I hold him?" Julie asked.
"Yes, but wait until the nurse brings a mask."
"Yeah, you might scare him," Jason teased.
Julie gave her brother a stern look but was soon grinning.
"I think the purpose is to keep germs away, not to hide your face," Mr. Jensen added. "Hey, Kids, look at these tiny hands."
"Yeah," Jason said. "Tiny, but perfect. Just like a miniature. I think his whole hand is about as big as one of my fingers."
Just then the nurse came in. "So, the whole crew is here. If you would like to hold your brother, you can take turns putting on this coat and mask. The buttons go in the back."
Julie was first to don the apparel and then sit in the chair. Now Mrs. Jensen picked up the tiny bundle and laid him in Julie's arms. Her eyes revealed a big grin concealed under the mask.
After Jason and his dad each took turns holding the new baby, he was gently placed into the bed, soundly sleeping through all the excitement.
"Was I that tiny when I was born?" Julie asked.
"No, you were even smaller," her dad answered, "by almost two pounds."
"That's hard to believe. Could we see his feet too?"
"Sure," her mom answered.
Mr. Jensen pulled the blanket back, revealing the baby's tiny feet. "Remember a few months ago when we read in Psalm 139 the verse that says, 'I was made in secret...'? Well, the secret is out. This is God's handiwork that he was making while we waited patiently. It is indeed a miracle, isn't it?! A perfect design by the hands of a Master Craftsman! It's hard to see how people can believe we are just the result of a series of accidents when they see a new life like this."
After a few moments of silence, Jason asked, "Who do you think he takes after?"
"I was asking myself that today," Mrs. Jensen confessed. "He has dark hair like the rest of us and of course his eyes are blue, though they might change colour later. And he has long toes like his dad and unlike his mom."
"I just hope he doesn't have my neck," Mr. Jensen commented.
"Your neck?" Jason asked, puzzled.
"Right. I hope he didn't inherit my neck."
"I don't see anything wrong with your neck, Daddy," Julie added. "Why don't you want him to have a neck like yours?"
Mr. Jensen was grinning. "I was thinking of a verse I read yesterday in my Bible reading time in Second Kings. I'll look it up." He took the Bible from the bed table and paged a few moments. "Here it is in chapter seventeen and verse fourteen. It says, 'they would not hear but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, and did not believe in the Lord their God.' It seems that most every time the neck is mentioned in the Bible, it is stiff, not from sore muscles but from an unwillingness to bend it humbly before God. This verse says that these people were stubborn against God's commands, just like their fathers had been. Then it says that this caused them to receive God's judgment."
"But Daddy, You're not like that," Julie assured him. "You obey God."
"Well, I want to, Sissy, but many times I fail. You know, we each have a responsibility to Joshua here. We must be the right example before him so that he learns how to do right by watching us."
"Yes," Mrs. Jensen added, "and not just Joshua, but anyone who might be watching us should be able to see in our lives that we act like a Christian."
"Well," said Jason, "I understand what you mean. But if Joshua is like you, Dad, then I think he'll be a pretty good brother!" And Julie agreed.