Sunshine

© Bob Barra, 7-11-061

Pastor Richard Farrell was having a rather difficult Saturday evening. Not only because of the fact it was the day before he was to give the Sunday sermon, for which he still had nothing prepared, nor because his 8 year-old daughter, Melissa, was practicing her piano lessons. With a new church, Richard had to take on a second job. He was not ready to devote full time to his ministry. He and Janet had decided that she would stay at home, while he worked at the paint store during the week, with only one service on Sundays. The congregation was small, but growing slowly. While there was love in his home, things were troubling about making ends meet.2

He was also somewhat troubled about a verse he was reading in his Bible. It was from Zephaniah, the third chapter, seventeenth verse, which read:3

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.”4

He didn’t know why he was unsettled over the verse. He had read the Bible for 15 years, and he knew he had read this passage before, yet for some reason it caught his attention this time, as if he had never read it at all. He had suddenly realized that he may be seeing things in it, or wanted to, for the first time as never before. He was sitting in his den, in his favorite reading chair, just staring at the verse. He was feeling his own smallness; his inadequacy.5

Although Melissa was in the dining room on the piano, he could still hear her tinkling away, like an 8 year-old. He smiled to himself as he could even hear her attempting to play the song she was studying. He could imagine the face of determination as she tapped the keys; it almost made him laugh. While she was trying to play the song she was reading, he could hear in his mind the words, “You are my sunshine; my only sunshine...” It was pleasant, but distracting. He felt the urge to ask her to play later, but, after all, she is only 8. He knew he needed to be patient with her.6

He could also hear Janet playing with their 6 month-old son, Jared. She was cooing to him, and Richard could see in his mind’s eye his son innocently smiling at his mother. Richard saw himself as a blessed man. Melissa was such a blessing, and that only added to the frustration of the eight years before Jared came along. But the frustration was redeemed by the fact he had his son, with a daughter.7

But he must get back to this verse. For some reason he had to look at it, come back later, and read it again. Of course he was praying for insight.8

Hours passed without his noticing. Melissa had long since stopped playing, as all were now heading off to bed, except for him. He still had nothing for his sermon, and he was feeling the stress, especially with the exhaustion. Running a new church, with little help, except for Janet, was tough with a full-time job.9

Another hour had passed and the Pastor was quickly startled to hear crying. It was his son. Not wanting Janet to get up he ran upstairs to get Jared. As he passed the bedroom, he whispered to Janet that he was going to their son. As he opened the door, his heart sank as he could hear the pathetically innocent cry of his son, in the dark. He could barely see his son standing, using the rail of the crib to hold himself up. Without going for the light switch, Richard went for his son, changed his diaper, and picked him up. 10

As he left the room with Jared, he grabbed the bottle of formula in the warmer on the nearby nightstand. He went down the stairs, heading into the dining room. While he still had the unfinished sermon to contend with, he wanted to spend time with his boy. Poor Jared was still whimpering, maybe scared of the darkness about the house. They passed by the piano, and his father looked over at it.11

He held his son closely as he remembered the song Melissa was playing. With it being a well-known song, he could easily recite the words. In the dark, he found himself wanting to sing to his son. He did so, very slowly,12

“You are my sunshine; my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away...”13

He stopped. 14

Pastor Farrell went back to the study with Jared and stared down at his Bible, still open in his reading chair. Feeding his son, he read the words in a whisper, somewhat stammering with emotion, as he began to see what he needed to see.15

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save…”16

Pastor Dave was not only able to retrieve his son from the dark, he was willing. He loved his son, and that was enough to drive him to go upstairs. Even though Janet was closer, he wanted to be there for Jared.17

“…he will rejoice over thee with joy…” 18

Because of his son, Richard felt a great deal of joy. Like Melissa, Janet and he wanted and planned for him. Jared existed because his father wanted him to exist. 19

“…he will rest in His love…”20

Richard looked down at his son, who was now sleeping; Jared was resting quietly in the loving arms of his father.21

“…he will joy over thee with singing.”22

As he looked at his son, the Pastor found desire to sing that tune he knew all too well quietly. He sung quietly for the joy he had for Jared, and for a joy he had forgotten for a little while.23

Pastor Richard Farrell saw what he needed to see.24

He also had his sermon for the next day.25