Heartful

Clover

By Jessica TenBrink

To a child of mine I read a story of a dust speck on a clover.
Her fancy demands I read it over and over.
This clover is not the four-leaf green find,
But the hot summer day in South Dakota kind.

I feel small, faint memory of tiny pink bristles
Tickling my face, brushing like thistles.
Such small blooms smell like earth and heaven.
There’s no clover where I live now but I can remember when. . .

Pink clover was entwined with Long Day upon Long Day,
Knock-knock-knock-knock, Can you play today?
I’ll hide, you seek.
I’m almost done—don’t peek!

Pulling my red wagon, riding my new banana-seat bike,
Helping little sister learn to pedal her green trike.
Lazy wind, hot breezes.
Fresh cut grass, nine sneezes.

Pulling up clover a hundred times over,
Giving sweet bouquets to Momma some more.
Daddy working without his shirt.
Boys next door covered in dirt.

Catching ladybugs and making a den
With leaves, twigs, and a clover for them.
Click-click-click-click,
Skipping rope—oops, a miss.

Starting over I spy a darting tail
Chase his buddy up the fence rail.
Resting now; Let’s sit and paint rock faces.
We can sell them door to door of all places.

Everyone buys ‘em, a nickel a pair.
They smile politely as I show them my wares.
Come in now for bath—I have no memory of those.
Though I’m sure they happened—to clean grimy toes.

I just remember lying dreamily in bed,
Gazing out the window with no care in my head.
Listening to crickets chirp long and sweet,
I smell soap and clover and
                                     Go
                                         To
                                             Sleep.

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak: a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleaner; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."

These are the first words penned in the second chapter of The God Delusion by author Richard Dawkins, (copyright 2006 Richard Dawkins, Houghton Mifflin Company, p. 31). Strangely, I was at the library the other day to check out some new kids movies and I decided to check out the religion section. Just inches away from books by Bishop T.D. Jakes and Joni Erickson Tada sat The God Delusion, inviting a glance with its shiny silver cover. Having heard some from the renowned atheist in Expelled, the phenomenal recent documentary by Ben Stein, I was intrigued.

Lately, I have been reading less and less of things I agree with, and more and more of things I do not agree. I've reached a point in my reading whereby I'd like to challenge my thinking more. The last book I read like this was "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. You may know that book because it famously sits on Oprah Winfrey's Book Club. It is also a book that she has studied with her followers in order to realize a higher level of consciousness. Subsequently, they all sit around and define themselves as gods according to Tolle's definition of such.

With regard to Dawkins' comments, I was so angered by the blatant blasphemy against God that I could not make it past the offending first lines of the second chapter. Oh, I will continue to read it. But I had to stop and formulate a heart response. How will I choose to feel about this man who is leading countless people into godless atheism?

The answer came to my heart quickly. I shall pray for him. I was reminded of C.S. Lewis, an atheist who investigated Christianity, was converted, and wrote Mere Christianity, a leading book of our time that gives justification for Christianity and shows millions of readers that Christianity is not a blind faith, but a rational, fundamentally true foundation for morality.

Imagine what could be accomplished in the realm of atheism should Richard Dawkins come to the Lord. Picture the foundation of godlessness being shaken at its core should Mr. Dawkins step off it. Remember that with God, all things are possible. We cannot write people off because it looks impossible to us that they be converted. God can reveal Himself to anyone. Will you pray for him with me?

This photo of Mattea Zoe celebrating her grandmother's bithday (with her own candle, of course) strikes me as a great visual. How many times in my life have I worked really hard at something, only to have a spiritual snapshot taken and realize later that I was working towards the wrong outcome, or pushing in the wrong direction? Too many to count, I'm sure. But there is grace. . . . Mattea was able to blow out the candle, but used much more effort in the doing than was required.