As I walked to dinner

The other day, as I was walking to the clinic, I was hailed by a small shepherd boy I sort of know.

He called out: "Rachel! Hi!"

"Hi! How are you?"

"Fine! Give me your jacket!"

"No!"

"When will you give me clothes? When I come to your house?"

"No. I'm not giving you any clothes."

By now he was following me down the road.

"You will give me clothes tomorrow when I come to church."

"No. I told you, I'm not giving you any clothes."

"Then I won't come to church! I won't come if you don't give me anything!"

"Then don't come! God is angry with you if you only come to church to get something. You know why I go to church? I go because I love Jesus. His word says, 'Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.'"

"It is true."

"So will you come to church?"

"I'll come if you give me candy!"

I looked back and shook my finger at his gleaming smile.

Although it seemed that my haphazard Sunday school lecture was entirely wasted on him, I saw him in church this morning.