MARBLES

Mrs. Miller, the wife of the store owner, was bagging some early potatoes for a customer. A small boy, ragged but clean, was hungrily eyeing a basket of freshly picked peas.

“Hello Barry, how are you today?” Mr. Miller asked.

“H’lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas, sure look good.”

“They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?”

“Fine. Gittin’ stronger all the time.”

“Good. Anything I can help you with?”

“No, sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.”

“Would you like to take some home?”

“No, sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ‘em with?”

“Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?”

“All I got’s my prize marble here.”

“Is that right? Let me see it.”

“Here tis. She’s a dandy.”

“I can see that. Only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?”

“Not zackley, but almost.”

“Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way you let me look at that red marble.”

“Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller.”

Mrs. Miller told the customer, “There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one.”

Several years went by and Mr. Miller died. Three young men stood in line at the viewing waiting to speak to Mrs. Miller. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore dark suits and while shirts, all were very professional looking. Each of the young men approached Mrs. Miller, hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly and moved on to the casket. Each one stopped briefly and placed his hand over the hand of Mr. Miller and then left wiping their eyes.

Mrs. Miller said to those with her, “Those were the three boys I told you about. They just told me how much they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size, they came to pay their debt.” With loving gentleness, she lifted the fingers of her deceased husband and resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The above story illustrates that we will not be remembered by our intelligent words, our great business acumen, or our vast wealth. We will be remembered by our kind deeds. It has been said that it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but an entire lifetime to forget them. “Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

--Lamar