Lil Bit and Grandma - Jesus eats the grapes

 

Lil Bit Helps Grandma

By Nita Wilson

 

Punkin Seed was peeling big purple grapes for Lil Bit to put in Jesus’ mouth to the giggling audience of small children sitting under the big tree.  Jesus wasn’t as fond of big purple grapes as he was of the small green ones, but the chorus of children’s happy giggles made the big grapes taste better than any grape he’d ever eaten.

He had been listening to prayers from earth when grapes began to fall on his head from the big tree.  He looked to see two mischievous little angels sitting in a tall branch dropping grapes on his head.

“Come down here you two.  Why are you wasting the vine’s bounty?”  He brushed at the top of his hair to make sure there were no grapes left on his head.

“Now what is this all about?”  He asked the two angels.
”We told the children we could make you laugh, and they wanted to see.”  Jesus looked to see all the children come out from their hiding places and sit at his feet.  Then Lil Bit popped a peeled grape in his mouth and the children went into fits of giggles.  Just as she was about to pop another one, Jesus playfully snapped and barked at her hand and scared her half to death.  The children fell into fits of laughter.  Jesus was their favorite person in all of Heaven, but there was one little boy sitting quietly away from the others with his head in his arms crossed over his knees.  Jesus looked at Lil Bit who nodded her head toward the little boy and mouthed to Jesus... “His grandmother was supposed to come today, but she didn’t.”  Jesus got up and walked over to the little boy and picked him up in his arms and cradled him to his heart.

“Now, we can’t have sadness when so many are laughing.  Would you like for me to send Lil Bit to find your grandmother?”

“Oh, yes please, my Lord.  I miss her and I know she misses me.”  Jesus sat down with the little boy on his lap and nodded to Lil Bit to go find his grandmother on earth.

Lil Bit felt in her heart for his grandmother and found her in a hospital in

Mobile, AL.  The accident she and her grandson had experienced with the drunk driver left her lying in a coma attached to so many wires and tubes, she appeared to be caught in a large spider’s web.  Lil Bit approached and breathed into her heart.

“Are you still there?  Can you hear me?”  She saw the heart was only beating when the machine told it and the same for the lungs.

“I’m over here.”  She said.  Lil Bit turned to see Grandma’s soul sitting in a chair across from the bed, sad and confused.

“What’s going on?”  Lil Bit asked her kindly and took her hand.

“I don’t know what to do.  I don’t know if I should stay or go.  I want to find Jordan, he needs me.”

“Well, you’re in luck.  Come with me.  The machines will be turned off eventually and you can get a head start.”  Lil Bit was pleased; this would be easier than she thought.  She had been afraid Grandma would be living and not ready to come home.

“Is there anyone you would like to say Goodbye to before you come home?”

“No, my daughter left Jordan with me after he was born and we haven’t heard from her since.  She is a selfish daughter and I’d like to kick her in the pants.  That would be my good bye to her.”

“Oh, well come on then.  Maybe you shouldn’t leave without giving her this wake-up call.  Jesus will be disappointed in her for leaving her baby.  She needs to make things right.”  Lil Bit pointed to a distant spot and they were suddenly standing on a beautiful beach at sunset.  Jordan’s mother and her boyfriend were sitting lovingly together; no worries, no problems, just enjoying each other and their free-from-responsibilities, lives.  Lil Bit flew into the mother’s heart and spoke to the mother’s guardian angel for a quick second.  When she emerged Grandma looked at her with a million questions on her face.

“Her guardian angel has been remiss in her duties.  She has allowed your daughter to rule her own life and has not tried very hard to sway her.  I think you will see a difference very soon.”

Both Grandma and Lil Bit stood enjoying the beautiful sunset until they heard the mother turn to her boyfriend. 

“I have something I feel I need to tell you.  I have a son.  He is five and lives with my mom.  I would like to see him.”  The boyfriend was horrified.

“You have a son?  How often do you see him?”  He had to look twice at this woman he thought was so special.

“Never.  But I think I need to change that.  I think he might need me and I know I need him.”  The boyfriend watched as her tears began to stream down her face.  She had never missed her son before this time, oh on rare occasions she would think of him, but never ‘missed’ him in her heart.  She didn’t know why ‘now’ this moment she should feel like this.  Maybe it was the sunset or maybe it was because for the first time in her life a good man loved her.

Her boyfriend didn’t know how to act.  She was genuinely sorry for neglecting her son.  Maybe she would make it right.  Maybe she was still the woman he loved.

“I have to think about this.  Let’s go find your son and then we’ll see what our future will be.”  He kissed her on the cheek and took her hand.

“I would like for my mother and Jordan to live with us.”  She wiped tears from her eyes.

“I would like that, too.”  The boyfriend said.

“Now, she will have to deal with what she has done, but he will be there to help her through it.  Sometimes when we hurt other people, in the end we are hurt more.”  Lil Bit took the Grandma’s hand.

“I don’t want her to suffer.  I’m sorry we did this.”

“Would you rather her suffer now, and make her life better for it, or when she has to report to our Lord when she goes home?”  Grandma saw the wisdom of Lil Bit’s plan, but no mother likes to see their child go through what her daughter was about to go through.  She would ask Jesus if she and Jordan could come back and say Good bye later.

“That’s a great idea.”  Lil Bit said, reading Grandma’s mind.

“Now, I will take you to Jordan.  I have a feeling I will be sent back to deal with a man who drinks and drives.”

Jesus was standing next to Jordan at the big gates waiting for Grandma.

“Look over there, child.  I think someone is glad to see you.”  Jesus pointed to a small hill in the distance.  Jordan looked over to see his Grandma with a spring in her step coming over the rise waving and laughing.

“GRANDMA” Jordan screamed and ran to meet her.

“Good job, Lil Bit.  Thanks for helping the young mother.  And you’re right.  I think there is a man down there who has allowed his dependence on too much fire water to interfere with my father’s plans.”  Jesus laughed at ‘fire water’ he’d always thought that was a good name for alcohol.  He kissed Lil Bit’ halo and said.  “Think fast.” and threw her a grape which landed in her quickly opened mouth. “I trust you can find the man and ask him to change his ways.”

Children came to gather around, laughing at Lil Bit’s surprise.  They’d been waiting all morning for Jesus to play his trick on her.

“You’re gonna love it here, Grandma.”  Jordan was walking back through the big gates holding her hand.