Lennie spoke craftily, “Tell me- like you done before.”
“Tell you what?”
“About the rabbits.”
George snapped, “You ain’t gonna put nothing over me.”
Lennie pleaded, “Come on, George. Tell me. Please George. Like you done before.”
“You get a kick outta that, don’t you? Awright, I’ll tell you, and then we’ll eat our supper….”
George’s voice became deeper. He repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.”
Lennie was delighted. “That’s it- that’s it. now tell it is with us.”
George went on. “Wit us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that cares about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody cares. But not us.”
Lennie broke in. “But not is! An’ why? Because… Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.” He laughed delightedly. “Go on now, George!”
“You got it by heart. You can do it by yourself.”
“No, you. I forget some a’ the things. Tell me about how it’s gonna be.”
“O.K someday- we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ cow and some pigs and-“
“an’ live off the fatta the lan’,” Lennie shouted. “An’ have rabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is on the milk like you can hardly cit it. Tell about that, George.”
“Why’nt you do it yourself? You know all of it.”
“No… you tell it. It ain’t the same if I tell it. Go on… George. How I get to tend to the rabbits.”
“Well,” said George, “we’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hitch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say heck with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof”
………….
The little five year old boy, who had grown up in a world where earthly parents weren’t always kind to him and food was scarce, curled up into Jesus’ lap.
“Jesus, tell me how it’s gonna be.. When I die, and I don’t have to be here anymore.”
Jesus wiped away one of the little boy’s tears with his thumb, and rocked him back and forth.
“But you know that story..”
“I know, but I wanna hear you say it again… Tell me ‘bout the day when I get to eat all I want, and get to be with you.”
The little boy smiled and curled closer in the circle of his maker’s arms as he waited patiently for the story to begin.
“Well someday, you’re gonna wake up and you’ll find yourself standing in the most beautiful country in the world. Everyone there will be smiling and singing and dancing-“
“And eating?!”
The little boy said excitedly as he jumped up in his Father’s lap. Jesus smiled a bittersweet smile for He knew the little boy wasn’t getting the food and love he needed on earth.
“Yes, kiddo, you can eat all you want.”
“And what about you? You said you’ll be there, right?”
The boy settled back down and looked desperately in Jesus’ eyes for he knew that Heaven would be pointless and dull without God there.
“Yes, I’ll be there to hold you anytime you want me too.. And you know what?”
“What?”
His wide eyes looked into the compassionate set of eyes above his own.
“You’ll never go hungry. You’ll never go unloved, and you’ll be happy. There is no suffering where I am going to take you.”
A huge grin played across the face of the boy. Jesus smiled back and wrapped His strong arm tighter around the boy.
“And we’ll-“
“Be together forever?”
The boy finished the sentence for Him.
“Yes, kiddo, we’ll be together forever.”
“That’s gonna be the best part, Jesus, cause I love you a whole lot.”
He rested his head against Jesus’ chest.
“And I love you with my whole heart, my child.”
They sat together in silence for a few minutes just smiling.
“And what about every one else?”
The boy continued the conversation.
“Well, everyone else gets to decide whether they want to be in my family. I give them that choice… If anyone wants to live with us in Heaven all they have to do is follow me there..”
“Why wouldn’t anyone not wanna follow you, Jesus. I think you’re awesome..”
The little boy said a bit bothered by the thought of anyone passing up the generous offer Jesus has given them by dying on the cross so they could be His friend too.
Jesus sighed and a pained look appeared on His face. It hurt Him to know that the very people He cared so much about didn’t want anything to do with Him.
“Because the world doesn’t want me right now… And I need to let them decide who they want for themselves.”
A tear fell down Jesus’ cheek and the boy took his finger and wiped it away.
“I want you.”
The boy said simply.
“I want you too.”
Jesus replied with a smile from ear to ear, and continued to rock the boy to sleep.
… So yeah, that’s where my mind took me while reading that scene in Of Mice and Men.. I hope someone gets something out of it.. The God of the universe WANTS you, and He has a wonderful “Happy ever After” story for your life. Just follow Him.
Oh and another thought… I think we are a lot like Lennie.. Dumb and careless at times. But isn’t it wonderful to know that there is a God that chooses to love us even though we are dumb and ignorant? He let’s us follow Him around and be His friend- not only that, but we get to be His children. The God OF THE UNIVERSE is offering you a home (the greatest home in all the universe, might I add) will you pass that up?
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