Dawn in Midnight
Once upon the time of Queen Victoria, in a far away sea, there was a certain ship, known by the name of Midnight, that sailed from Britain to Australia. Her passengers were a whole lot of unfortunate soul, for they were convicts. Among them there was Peter. Peter was a 12 years old boy sentenced to three years in prison. Not so long before Peter was a carpenter apprentice, very well liked by his kind master.
Yet one night a small penny, not worthy of him, tempted his heart. Feeling that nobody would notice, and excusing himself thinking that nobody would be harmed, he took the worthless coin a placed into his pocket. In short: he stole it. With the short change he bought a large ammount of candy, for money could
buy more in those days. Peter, who still had a kind heart, shared the sugarly booty with his friends. They all thanked him, and told him he was the best of very best friends.
Peter, still not knowing what stealing was doing to his soul, fell three more times in the vice. And yet another three times, but no more. For in his fateful seventh attempt, if my counting is right, he stole a shilling, but it was a trap. The shilling was marked and when the shopper recognized it he took him to the police and the police to the Judge and the Judge to the Midnight which was transporting him to a prison in a land so far away.
As neither was his crime serious, nor was he considered dangerous and he behaved well Peter was allowed to stay on the deck. Soon he was in friendly terms with the crew. Yet it was of little comfort for nobody trusted him much.
One night, when the sea was fair and the wind strong, Peter was asked to make a shift as a lookout. In the quiet solitude his heart grow restless and soon he
could not keep his feet from moving racing through out the ship as if possesed. Then, one hour before the dawn, when the night is darker, he felt a strong hand over his shoulder. Peter turned like lightning, as if to face an enemy, but he saw nobody. Another touch he felt and again he turned, only faster but again he was fooled. After the third touch, completely startled, he finally could see his tormentor: the captain.
The captain smiled, "Fear not."
"Sorry sir."
"I know you mean it. I know you are very sorry for the robbery."
Peter lowered his face, "Yes sir."
"God has told me you are forgiven."
"Thank you, sir," said Peter believing the captain was simply being kind.
The captain smiled and then said grandfatherly, "And now, for God's sake, keep your ears open, or you will sink us all."
"Yes sir, thank you sir."
The old captain then disappeared in the shadows, toddling for his left leg was made of wood.
"How could he...?," Peter wondered.
The night became calmer again but Peter still felt rotten to the core and couldn't believe God had forgiven him. Certainly the boy had not forgiven himself.
"God wants you to be a saint"
Peter almost fell to the deck in a fit but soon calmed. It was the captain again who had placed himself at his side that time.
"Me?"
"Yes, he has just told me."
The boy pondered whether the captain had been on the gin or the beer for a moment but the old man showed no sign of it. "Oh... I see."
"Look, you were a carpenter, weren't you?"
"An apprentince, yes sir."
"Good. If you had to be a saint, you would not mind doing me a little favor, would you?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. I bought a toy for my dear grandaughter, but you see, it is broken," said the captain, taking a wooden baby lamb broken in two pieces from his pocket.
As the boy saw the masterful carving and how awfully it was broken he wondered if he would be able to mend it right. "I don't know if I can do it, sir."
"Then try, it would not fix by itself, would it?"
"As you wish sir, tomorrow maybe?"
"No, right now. I will take your place in the watch, don't worry."
"Yes sir, thank you sir".
"No, thanks to you".
And so the boy departed to the ship's little workshop, and although uneasy about the whole business he put himself to the work, ending much faster and easily than he ever thought. And wonder of wonders, the toy lamb now looked better than when it was first carved. Happy and proud he returned promptly to the deck, to show the result of his effort to the captain.
"Good job," the captain said.
"Thank you sir."
"It could not fix by itself," so it must be I who must thank you. And still you can't believe God has forgiven you?"
"I... guess He can."
"Oh, I will have to do the trick then. It is a bit flashy, and I don't like to resort to it, but some times I need to," and that said, the man took his true form: an angel.
"You are that little lamb," the messenger of God said, "broken and unable to be mended by itself. But God has restored you and made you even better, not because He did it worse the first time, but because now you know his love."
And as the angel disappeared the boy was moved into prayer. He would become as good as a Christian can be and if God allows me and helps me, maybe you will
hear about the further stories of Peter's life in God's good time.
Remember this story if, one day, you feel like Peter, for nobody is immune to sin.
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By Miguel de Luis Espinosa
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
Once upon the time of Queen Victoria, in a far away sea, there was a certain ship, known by the name of Midnight, that sailed from Britain to Australia. Her passengers were a whole lot of unfortunate soul, for they were convicts. Among them there was Peter. Peter was a 12 years old boy sentenced to three years in prison. Not so long before Peter was a carpenter apprentice, very well liked by his kind master.
Yet one night a small penny, not worthy of him, tempted his heart. Feeling that nobody would notice, and excusing himself thinking that nobody would be harmed, he took the worthless coin a placed into his pocket. In short: he stole it. With the short change he bought a large ammount of candy, for money could
buy more in those days. Peter, who still had a kind heart, shared the sugarly booty with his friends. They all thanked him, and told him he was the best of very best friends.
Peter, still not knowing what stealing was doing to his soul, fell three more times in the vice. And yet another three times, but no more. For in his fateful seventh attempt, if my counting is right, he stole a shilling, but it was a trap. The shilling was marked and when the shopper recognized it he took him to the police and the police to the Judge and the Judge to the Midnight which was transporting him to a prison in a land so far away.
As neither was his crime serious, nor was he considered dangerous and he behaved well Peter was allowed to stay on the deck. Soon he was in friendly terms with the crew. Yet it was of little comfort for nobody trusted him much.
One night, when the sea was fair and the wind strong, Peter was asked to make a shift as a lookout. In the quiet solitude his heart grow restless and soon he
could not keep his feet from moving racing through out the ship as if possesed. Then, one hour before the dawn, when the night is darker, he felt a strong hand over his shoulder. Peter turned like lightning, as if to face an enemy, but he saw nobody. Another touch he felt and again he turned, only faster but again he was fooled. After the third touch, completely startled, he finally could see his tormentor: the captain.
The captain smiled, "Fear not."
"Sorry sir."
"I know you mean it. I know you are very sorry for the robbery."
Peter lowered his face, "Yes sir."
"God has told me you are forgiven."
"Thank you, sir," said Peter believing the captain was simply being kind.
The captain smiled and then said grandfatherly, "And now, for God's sake, keep your ears open, or you will sink us all."
"Yes sir, thank you sir."
The old captain then disappeared in the shadows, toddling for his left leg was made of wood.
"How could he...?," Peter wondered.
The night became calmer again but Peter still felt rotten to the core and couldn't believe God had forgiven him. Certainly the boy had not forgiven himself.
"God wants you to be a saint"
Peter almost fell to the deck in a fit but soon calmed. It was the captain again who had placed himself at his side that time.
"Me?"
"Yes, he has just told me."
The boy pondered whether the captain had been on the gin or the beer for a moment but the old man showed no sign of it. "Oh... I see."
"Look, you were a carpenter, weren't you?"
"An apprentince, yes sir."
"Good. If you had to be a saint, you would not mind doing me a little favor, would you?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. I bought a toy for my dear grandaughter, but you see, it is broken," said the captain, taking a wooden baby lamb broken in two pieces from his pocket.
As the boy saw the masterful carving and how awfully it was broken he wondered if he would be able to mend it right. "I don't know if I can do it, sir."
"Then try, it would not fix by itself, would it?"
"As you wish sir, tomorrow maybe?"
"No, right now. I will take your place in the watch, don't worry."
"Yes sir, thank you sir".
"No, thanks to you".
And so the boy departed to the ship's little workshop, and although uneasy about the whole business he put himself to the work, ending much faster and easily than he ever thought. And wonder of wonders, the toy lamb now looked better than when it was first carved. Happy and proud he returned promptly to the deck, to show the result of his effort to the captain.
"Good job," the captain said.
"Thank you sir."
"It could not fix by itself," so it must be I who must thank you. And still you can't believe God has forgiven you?"
"I... guess He can."
"Oh, I will have to do the trick then. It is a bit flashy, and I don't like to resort to it, but some times I need to," and that said, the man took his true form: an angel.
"You are that little lamb," the messenger of God said, "broken and unable to be mended by itself. But God has restored you and made you even better, not because He did it worse the first time, but because now you know his love."
And as the angel disappeared the boy was moved into prayer. He would become as good as a Christian can be and if God allows me and helps me, maybe you will
hear about the further stories of Peter's life in God's good time.
Remember this story if, one day, you feel like Peter, for nobody is immune to sin.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Miguel de Luis Espinosa
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
