Sometimes in life, you hear and see things that you don’t understand, yet you remember them forever because you know they are important. This happened to Barabas yesterday.  Barabas overheard Uncle Floyd and Mrs. Potato Head talking about a letter from Frank Heffelfinger.  Frank Heffelfinger is Uncle Floyd’s brother.  Frank Heffelfinger is Barabas’s father.

Now, I know that some of you may not know about Barabas and why he lives with his Uncle Floyd.  When Barabas was a little boy, his family was in a car crash where his mother died and then his father went to jail.  And now Barabas has a scar on his face.  Barabas barely remembers his mother or his father. 

What Barabas overheard yesterday was something about a large sum of money that had something to do with Barabas.  And it sounded like Frank was “going away”. 

“But my father is ALREADY away,” thought Barabas. 

Barabas did not understand what it all meant.  But he could tell by Mrs. Potato Head and Uncle Floyd’s tone of voice that this was something important. 

Barabas remained very still so he could hear a little better.  He distinctly heard Uncle Floyd say “I reckon my brother really loves that son of his.   What matters most to Frank is that Barabas has a good life, even if it means giving up all contact with him.”

And Mrs. Potato Head said “This allows you to be the kind “father” to Barabas that Frank can never be.”

Barabas was very still on the outside, but on the inside, his heart was beating very hard and fast!  It sounds like his father loves him a LOT.  Barabas never knew that.  Barabas DOES know that Uncle Floyd loves him a lot!

 “Things are going to be OKAY,” thought Barabas, slightly out of breath.  He will always remember this moment, even though it will be many years before he talks of it to anyone.

You know, something like this happened to the disciples in today’s lesson. 

Jesus asked Peter, James and John to hike up a high mountain with Him, to be apart from all the others.  It was there that the three disciples overheard Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah.  They knew that this must be important because the whole appearance of Jesus changed to pure white, like he was a shinning star.  Like he glowed!  Jesus was TRANSFIGURED!  And Elijah and Moses, who were the greatest prophets from days of old, (and no longer even alive!) were there with him!  This was truly a moment they would find hard to understand yet would never forget. 

Sometimes in life, but not too often, there are BIG, HUGE, GIGANTIC, IMPORTANT moments that we just can’t understand. 

At a moment like that, the disciples trusted that Jesus, the Son of God, who was TRANSFIGURED, would always love them. 

Barabas trusts that Uncle Floyd will always love him.  Perhaps his father does too.

THE END

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