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“One thing about Cousin Harry … if you mess up, you gotta face the consequence … he will work with you and hear you out more than Papa, but he's just as strict and fair.”
Col. H.F. Lee smiled in a beautiful morning upon overhearing his ten-year-old cousin Andrew Ludlow describing life in his big cousin's custody so far to his friends Velma (11), Milton (9), and Gracie Trent (8) next door.
“And you kinda figure that,” Andrew continued, “because you figure the Angel of Death is going to get you to the same place as a man nicknamed Hell to Pay, but the process is nicer.”
“Yeah, but, uh,” Velma said, “you still gotta be ready for eternity, either way.”
“Or at least to do your full two days of grounding,” Andrew said, “but it's all good because Eddie [his eight-year-old sister Edwina] and Sonny [his six-year-old brother Grayson] are out now and playing together and doing well.”
“Wow,” Milton said. “Edwina is kind of rough sometimes, and Grayson is as strong as he is quiet, so if they are getting along, it worked!”
“It did!” Andrew said. “I was so relieved!”
“Ain't it the truth,” Gracie said, “because she had to learn to stop breaking bad and I kinda figured running up against Grayson on the wrong day might do it. Grayson is like Robert, but just take all that energy Robert lets out of his mouth and keep it in – not somebody you want to mess with, although he's really nice. He and Col. Lee both are like my dad: quiet, strong, and will take you out if they need to.”
“You know, there's another thing there too, and we know about it because so many members of our family have been through it,” Velma said. “There are people who believe that being grounded is supposed to be enough for you to figure it out, and then there are people who want to come in and work with you through the process of you being grounded to make sure you get it.”
“Papa is definitely A and Cousin Harry is definitely B,” Andrew said. “I've actually talked to Papa about this, and he showed me in the Bible how everyone has right and wrong written on their hearts – in their conscience – so sometimes what God does is slow us down and get us out of the noise of the world long enough to hear His reminder that He has already told us what we need to do, and we need to get in line. Hold on, y'all – I'm going to ask Cousin Harry to show me his receipts on why he does things differently.”
Col. Lee jumped, not entirely prepared for that inquiry, but his long hearing gave him a few moments to get his receipts together before Andrew found him!
“So, we read in Ephesians 4 that while in Acts 2 God gave everyone who belongs to Him the Holy Spirit, He also called men to preach and teach,” he said, and showed Andrew in his own Bible. “Sometimes we need someone to help us to understand the things that we already are equipped to know as we mature in the faith and in life, and so God gives us help with that through people He has gifted to teach.”
“I hear that a whole lot of people come to your lay Bible Study online,” Andrew said. “You're actually really good at this, Cousin Harry – God really gifted you well!”
“Glory to God in the highest,” Col. Lee said with a smile.
“Thanks for the receipts!” Andrew said. “There's no way I can get into that Bible study, is there?”
“Live eight more years,” Col. Lee said.
“I thought I'd ask,” Andrew said with a smile. “I imagine adult Bible Study with veterans is kind of rough sometimes.”
“It is,” Col. Lee said, “but remember: I'm right here. Anytime you want to ask and study something, I'm right here, just like your grandparents are.”
“Thanks, Cousin Harry! … so, y'all, I got the receipts from Cousin Harry, and he said it's in Ephesians 4 … .”
Col. Lee smiled, and then smiled some more as Mrs. Maggie Lee eased up around him from behind.
“You are indeed a gifted teacher, Harry,” she said. “Edwina and Grayson are just sitting in there and doing Legos like they have been there all their lives, and both are very happy. You helped them understand how the Lord was working to bless them and how not to let sin get in the way, and they are just experiencing the joy.”
“Glory to God in the highest,” Col. Lee said. “I just pray my adult students can be given such faith and insight.”
“I heard Andrew trying to tiptoe in there,” Mrs. Lee said, and chuckled. “Poor baby. He really does want to know the Lord and learn all he can, but he has no idea how much more we adults struggle with our own ego and frustrations and resentments when it comes to belief and obedience.”
“And it is our job to make sure he continues to have no idea,” Col. Lee, “and that we in these remaining 6.5 weeks we have with them set him and his siblings up to not have to have so many frustrations and resentments because they see the blessings of belief and obedience already.”
“Like Edwina and Grayson are seeing it, and like their siblings are seeing them,” Mrs. Lee said.
“Yes … glory to God in the highest.”