Purity
Readers of my novel 'Afternoons With Mister D' will find this story interesting.
This is in response to a reader who said,
"I wondered if I was going to read more about Molly Boyd."
Jimmy Klein and Molly Boyd are two characters who appear in the story 'X-Country'
If you haven't read 'Afternoons With Mister D' and are looking for a really good Christian based novel, follow the link below and God Bless.
"What are you thinking about?"
Jimmy Klein stood at the window looking out over the snow covered fields. They were standing in the dining hall of the seminary. The holidays were all passed. The snow piling up on the lawn was a product of January. The best snow, as per Lucy in the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.
"It's beautiful," Jimmy added
"You think," the other said, sarcastically. His name was Herbert Grainger. His family had moved north from the deep south a couple years before he decided on answering God's call. He had yet to acclimate to New England weather, or so he claimed.
"No really... I mean the peacefulness. The snow... the way it covers the ground, the way God covers over all the scars made by man. You can't see anything like this in the south, or in any big city."
"Point taken," Herbert replied. "Just take note that I don't agree. The weathermen are calling for a foot or more. That means shoveling, icy sidewalks.
"This is God's doing. Everything out there is His, the mountains, the trees, the fields. The city is man's, concrete, pavement, brick. God creates beauty. Man creates ugliness."
Herbert moved to the window beside him.
"Purity," Jimmy said. "This reminds me of someone very special to my heart. She speaks to me over the pure landscape." He chuckled, then added, "Then we clean it up with salt and sand... and the beauty is gone. Those are her words."
"Special someone?" Herbert asked.
"Her name was Molly... Molly Boyd."
"Is this a relationship that nearly trumped your calling to the priesthood? We all have them. Mine was pretty unremarkable."
"I knew I wanted to be a priest when I was a small child. I loved everything about the church. Being a member of the clergy was my goal in life. Did I ever tell you I was a pretty decent distance runner in high school? I loved to run like the wind. My coach thought I had real potential. Maybe he was right. I'm not sure."
"And what does that have to do with this... Molly?"
Jimmy's smile broadened as he looked out over the snow. "One afternoon at practice, this girl shows up. I was taken by her."
"Beautiful?"
"She would have never said that about herself, but she was. She had a brain tumor. She was the bravest person I ever met. I fell in love with her strength, then I fell in love with her. She wasn't very good, running. There were coordination issues. I ran with her every day. Helped her finish a race once, even though it disqualified her. My coach told me I was going to lose out on certain colleges. That wasn't important. She was."
"What happened?" Herbert was almost afraid to ask.
"She went to Jesus, with a smile on her face, despite the pain. Molly had a real joy in her heart. God brought her into my life for a brief moment. She was the purest person I'd ever known. It was like she was untouched by the world. After she passed, I stood at her gravestone, in a snow storm like this, God called me again. Molly needed her time with me as much as I needed mine with her. She taught me more about living in a short period of time, than I have learned over all my years since."
"And this time you answered His call."
"I don't think He stopped calling. I don't think I stopped listening. Our Lord wanted me to run beside Molly Boyd. He wanted me to see that He is not confined to a building or a tradition. He was all over every trail we ran together, speaking to both of us, reminding us that we were His."
"And so, to you, snow is beautiful?"
Jimmy Klein smiled and looked at his friend. The kind of love he had for Molly Boyd was difficult to explain. It was even more difficult for some to understand. Herbert Grainger was a man with his own calling from God. He was a good man. Someday a Molly Boyd would touch his soul as well. Jimmy turned back to the view outside the window. He hadn't answered Herbert's question. He decided to answer as lightly as the new fallen snow, "Something like that."
copyright 2023 - Donald P James Jr
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