Whatever Daniel used for pen and paper in the 6th century BC, he knew he had to be ready to write down the words of prophecy. The one he received about the time of the evening oblation was the one he earnestly prayed for. It was the most important one anticipated for centuries and argued over for centuries more after it had finally been fulfilled.
As Daniel began his supplication, his prayer, Gabriel was sent. Before Daniel ended his prayer, Gabriel arrived bringing the skill and understanding Daniel would need to write down the vision.
Daniel would have preferred living his life in Jerusalem, but here he was in Babilopolis. He would have preferred serving a real king, but here he was serving Nimrodwannabe, a king of sorts, true, but so shockingly not what Nimrodwannabe could have been that compassion overpowered the natural disdain in Daniel for this king of sorts.
Every evening and every morning and throughout the day and even when he was asleep at night his mind – no, his heart – was elsewhere. People understandably thought he seemed distant or tagged him as odd, but wherever he was he was right where he was supposed to be telling Nimrodwannabe the meanings of those strange tales that troubled the king’s dreams.
For all that and much, much more Daniel was thankful. Gratitude kept him so busy he didn’t notice – or perhaps care – if it was darkening evening or shiny morning or wondrous daytime or that sleepy, dreamy nighttime so long as he was ready when the words were spoken to faithfully hear and write them down even when the prophecy was too mysterious for him to understand.
Although Nimrodwannabe’s love for the magicians was nonexistent, he did favor Daniel who arrived in Babilopolis after Nimrodwannabe subjected Jerusalem to his will. Unlike your run-of-the-mill magician Daniel was able to interpret Nimrodwannabe’s dreams so well that Nimrodwannabe placed him over all of the unloved magicians and gave him the Ring of the Dream Whisperer.
Daniel was also made a eunuch.
I know, I know that might sound shocking – and maybe I got the story wrong – but think how shocking it would have been to Daniel considering that the operation (however it was done) was nonetheless done in the 6th century BC! On the bright side, it would mean that Daniel didn’t have to worry about the teasing, the battings of eyelashes and all of the other forms of witchcraft coming from the less loyal cuties of the royal household allowing him to focus his attention on some of the more jealous magicians who liked Daniel even less than Nimrodwannabe liked them.
But in spite of everything and although Daniel himself longed for Jerusalem, he was quite happy in Babilopolis as the royal dream whisperer and ruler of the those pesky magicians.
When Daniel got tired of writing King Nimrodwannabe’s dreams and his interpretations of them he’d let his visions fly to YouTube looking for a video that would give him enough refreshment to get back to work. Rapidly scrolling past an incredible amount of click bate garbage he found a video on how to make a paper airplane that would return to sender like a boomerang, but where was he going to get paper in Babilopolis in the 6th century BC?
He eyed the parchments upon which he was recording the dreams Nimrodwannabe lost in the land of forgetfulness wondering how well it might fold. He was sorely tempted.
However, if he didn’t continue writing, 21st century scholars with their interminable doubts that he or even Nimrodwannabe ever existed would have nothing material in their hands to doubt. He went back to work.
When the Lord told Jonah to tell the Ninevites to repent so He wouldn’t need to destroy them, Jonah got on a boat and fled in the opposite direction. An horrendous storm refused to calm until Jonah was tossed overboard to his death and burial in the belly of a whale.
The cost of disobedience is death.
However, after three days and three nights – after three sunsets and three sunrises – the fish vomited Jonah onto the shore and back to life so the Lord could tell Jonah once again to tell the Ninevites to repent so He wouldn’t need to destroy them. The sight of Jonah – who looked (and likely smelled) like the walking dead – and the reluctant words coming from his mouth freaked out the inhabitants of Nineveh to such an extent that they all repented and were spared against Jonah’s wishes.
It gets you nowhere fleeing from God.
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Denise offers the prompt word “need” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
While trying to fill a six sentence story with words Greg realized he hadn’t a clue what to write that made any sense. A few blocks away neither could Bethany make any progress on her story.
Later that afternoon they found themselves sitting next to each other in a coffee shop in the last two available chairs complaining about their fruitless attempts to come up with decent stories. They whined and laughed while drinking their coffees.
That afternoon in the coffeeshop was how it all started. Over the years came the children, the grandchildren and even stories that made sense.
After re-reading the letter forgotten in a drawer he was cleaning out, Brian decided to tear it into pieces. George died years ago. Sarah was far away. The betrayal was painful, but it transformed into blessings beyond imagining and forgiveness should have settled it long ago.
Then Brian regretted tearing up the letter wondering if he should tape the pieces back together.
To make sure he didn’t, Brian took the pieces to the sink and burnt them.
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Denise offers the prompt word “tear” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
The family of four, Adam and Evie with their son and daughter, stopped for lunch. They each made a choice of drink and foot-long sandwich which was heated and sliced in two. After paying for the food Adam followed his family outside to a table in the park that Evie selected.
A woman, homeless and without food, sat at one of the tables they passed. Before sitting down, Adam took one of the halves of his sandwich and gave it to her.
Blessings flowed through the kingdom of heaven.
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Denise offers the prompt word “choice” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Matthew 25:40 KJV – And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
This completes the Apple Poof Delight tales.
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One of my poems, Light and Dark, was published yesterday in Whispers and Echoes. I am grateful to the editor for selecting it.
After Lilith was gone, those she vanished earlier reappeared.
Professor Weissalles suddenly walked through the door of his home surprising his wife who had spent many evenings in tears over the past months. She ran to him telling him to never leave her again which he was only too glad to promise.
The graduate student, John, who wasn’t sure just what he was, suddenly realized he wanted to be a man which would be easy to achieve since he already was one.
Emperor Dunklematerie’s chief advisor and fallible pilot for the realm apologized for lying to the Emperor about not eating Apple Poof Delight, but with the new and improved Apple Delight Without Poof neither of them had to lie to anyone anymore about how much they ate.
Later that year all of them attended the wedding of Adam and Evie.
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Denise offers the prompt word “pilot” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Yesterday, one of my poems, “Library”, appeared in Whispers and Echoes. I am grateful to the editor for selecting it.
Since the alternatives weren’t working, Evie decided to yield to grace rather than self-justification as she apologized to Adam when she and Lilith ran into him again.
Lilith quickly clarified that what Evie meant was they were not going to tolerate Adam’s abuse any longer and there would be severe consequences if he refused to cooperate with their demands which she took from her bag and began to read.
While Lilith was running her mouth Adam wondered if Evie’s sudden change of heart meant she didn’t know as much about what was going on as he thought. Deciding to gamble on Evie being deceived, Adam shifted his attention to Lilith abruptly interrupting her “demands” and telling her to “get the hell out of here”.
Offended by such rude behavior Lilith made a mistake – common among humans and common among her own kind – thinking she could take brief detours from her assignments to get even with someone who deliberately ticked her off and thereby expose her more authentic voice as a hiss and her more authentic body as that of a serpent now rising slowly above Adam’s head.
Standing his ground Adam baited the snake (or demon, or whatever it might turn into next) to increase its arrogance – bolder, louder, meaner – for all to see until it realized that it had to obey and the fastest way that this particular whatever-it-was knew how to obey was poof.
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Denise offers the prompt word “yield” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
One of my poems, Perfect Peace, appeared this morning in Whispers and Echoes. I am grateful to the editor for selecting it.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 