by BobA. Troutt
*****
Giggle Book Three
An Angel’s First Feather
“Lord, I wonder why I haven’t received my wings yet?” asked Josiah as he sat on the edge of a cloud one day talking to the Lord. “Most of my friends have already received their wings,” he said as he swung his feet back and forth.
Josiah reached and grabbed a handful of cloud. Gently, he blew through his hand and created cloud rings.
“Lord, could it be I’m not ready for my wings?” questioned Josiah as he watched the cloud rings slowly fade away against the deep blue sky.
Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name.
“Josiah, Josiah!”
He quickly turned and looked. It was his friend, Little One, running toward him as fast as he could run.
“Josiah,” he cried.
“What is it, Little One?” asked Josiah as he tried to calm him down.
“It’s Michael, the archangel. He wants to see you now,” replied Little One.
“Michael wants to see me? Why? What for?” questioned Josiah.
“Maybe he wants to give you your wings,” exclaimed Little One.
“Do you think so?” shouted Josiah. “Praise the Lord.”
The two of them took off running across the clouds. Josiah ran ahead and Little One followed close behind.
“Come on, Little One,” cried Josiah.
“I’m coming,” he shouted.
When Josiah reached the temple, he stood before a giant golden door with jewels and inlaid with precious stone. There were also two angels, one on each side. Josiah told them Michael wanted to see him. The angel to the right nodded to the one on the left and the one on the left nodded to Josiah.
Slowly, Josiah eased the giant door open. Little One tried to follow him in but the two angels stopped him by shaking their heads, indicating no.
“Josiah, I’ll wait out here,” stated Little One.
“Okay, Little One; keep your fingers crossed,” Josiah said with a smile.
Josiah disappeared behind the giant door. Once inside, he saw Michael and some other angels sitting around a giant golden desk trimmed with pearl and polished silver.
“Sir, did you want to see me?” he asked.
“Yes, Josiah, I do,” replied Michael. “The Lord has informed me that the time has come for you to earn your wings.”
“Praise the Lord!” shouted Josiah as he leaped into the air. The other angels looked at each other and Michael cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry, sir. I am so excited because this is the moment I have been waiting for!” he explained.
“I understand,” replied Michael. “It is something to rejoice about.”
“How do I get them?” Josiah asked. “What do I have to do?”
“It’s not as simple as you think, Josiah,” explained Michael. “Before you earn your wings, you must first earn your first feather.”
“But how do I do that?” questioned Josiah.
Michael looked at him and said, “You must make a child smile.”
Josiah quickly dropped his head.
“You will be sent to earth to bring a smile across a child’s face. Once you accomplish that, you will receive your first feather,” he instructed.
“Is that all, just a smile?” asked Josiah.
“But the smile can’t be just any smile,” replied Michael. “It has to be from the heart. If the smile is received with a blessing, you will get your wings. Any questions?” asked Michael.
“No, sir,” replied Josiah as he turned and walked out the door.
“Did you get your wings!” shouted Little One as he jumped up and down.
“Not yet,” replied Josiah.
“When will you get them?” Little One asked.
Josiah explained to Little One what he had to do before he could get his wings. He told him he had to get his first feather and to get his first feather he had to make a child smile.
“Is that all?” asked Little One. “Bringing a smile to a child’s face shouldn’t be too hard.”
“That’s right, but it has to come from the heart,” replied Josiah. “If the smile is received with a blessing, then I will get my wings.”
Michael stood at the window and watched as the two friends talked. After watching them for a few minutes, he smiled and stepped away. Suddenly, he opened the door behind them. Startled, they turned and saw Michael standing in the doorway.
“It’s time, Josiah,” said Michael.
“Okay, sir,” he replied. “Goodbye Little One,” he yelled.
“Goodbye, Josiah,” cried Little One. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”
Michael and the others bowed their heads as Michael whispered a prayer.
“Lord, thy will be done.”
Suddenly, a mighty swirl of wind carried Josiah to earth. Little One ran and peeped over the edge of the clouds to see if he could see his friend. But, there was no sign of him.
“Where am I,” mumbled Josiah as he looked around. He sat in a long, dark alley. He could hear the busy traffic and sirens in the distance. There were people talking and laughing in the midst of giant buildings that seemed to touch Heaven. Suddenly, Josiah heard something. It sounded like someone crying. He slowly walked down through the dark alley in the direction of the sound. Cautiously, he eased up behind a trashcan. There he found a little boy.
“What’s wrong?” asked Josiah.
“Oh, nothing,” replied the little boy, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“My name is Josiah,” he said. “What’s your name?”
“Billy,” the little boy said as he wiped his eyes. “Your name is Jo-sah—Jo-sah,” he stuttered.
Josiah just laughed.
“It’s sort of hard to say,” he giggled.
“May I just call you Joe?” asked Billy.
“That will be fine,” laughed Josiah. “Joe, it is.”
The two boys sat and talked for a long time. Josiah learned a lot about his new friend. Billy was a homeless child living on the city streets. He worked odd jobs and lived in a wooden box under a bridge. He had been abandoned when he was little. He lived in different homes until he ran away to the streets.
“What about you, Joe?” asked Billy. “Where are you from and why are you on the streets?”
“Oh, I’m not from around here,” said Josiah. “I’m only passing through.”
The two boys were instant friends. They ran and played about the city. They gathered bottles and cans; they recycled them to get money for food. They loved fishing along the river and swimming, if no one was looking. But, no matter how hard Josiah tried to get Billy to smile, he would not even grin. Josiah worked hard to help Billy get through each day and he tried to help him spiritually. However, Billy was filled with a lot of hurt and anger. He was even angry at God.
As time passed, Christmas came to the big city. The streets were decorated with lights and ornaments. The nippy air of winter blew hard across the river, through the city and through the cracks in the old wooden box.
“Billy, if you had a Christmas wish and you could wish for anything in the world what would you wish for?” asked Josiah as the two boys sat and talked one day.
Billy sat and thought a minute.
“You know, Joe,” replied Billy, “what would really be good and something I miss?”
“What’s that?” asked Josiah.
“It would be to smile again,” said Billy, “and to be happy.”
“It would,” smiled Josiah.
“Yes, it would, but I can’t,” he said.
“Yes, Billy, you can. All you have to do is open up your heart,” replied Josiah.
“I don’t have anything to smile about anymore,” replied Billy. “It’s all gone,” he said as he dropped his head.
When Josiah heard that, he was ready to give up. He was beginning to wonder if getting his wings was worth it. On Christmas Eve night, Josiah stood on
the banks of the river and looked up into the sky.
“Lord, God,” he said with a trembling lip, “I have tried everything I know to help Billy and to earn my first feather. But it seems everything I have tried has failed. I don’t know what else to do. I have not only failed Billy, but I have failed you. Lord, what am I to do? Lord, should I give up and come back home?”
Josiah slowly turned to walk away when he suddenly heard a whimpering sound coming from the river. He quickly ran to the banks and looked. He saw a little puppy struggling to stay afloat. Josiah leaped into the river, grabbed the little puppy and swam toward the bank.
“What is it, Joe?” Billy asked as he ran up. “What is it?” he cried.
Billy reached over and pulled Josiah upon the bank.
“Wow, a little puppy!” yelled Billy. Whose is he? Where did he come from?” questioned Billy.
“I don’t know,” replied Josiah.
“May I keep him?” cried Billy. “May I, please?”
“I don’t know,” replied Josiah. “I guess so. Why not, he’s probably a runaway.”
Billy hugged the little puppy. A big grin crossed his face and he had a twinkle set deep in his eyes.
“Joe, I have someone now to love and someone to love me,” he said as he smiled from ear to ear.
Josiah knew it was a smile from the heart.
Billy looked over to Josiah and said, “I’m going to call him Little One because he is such a blessing.”
Josiah knew in his heart it was time for him to leave. He told Billy the time had come for him to leave.
“I’m going to miss you, Joe. I will always remember you,” said Billy.
“You’re a good friend, Billy,” replied Josiah. “Always remember that God loves you.”
“I believe you are right, Joe,” stated Billy. “It feels good to smile again.”
They both started laughing and praising the Lord.