\u201cCome on, Skippy!\u201d David yelled as he raced across the field. \u201cLet\u2019s see if Papa wants to go fishing.\u201d David found Papa loading tools into his truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, Papa!\u201d he called. \u201cLet\u2019s go catch some of those goggle-eyes in the creek.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can\u2019t right now,\u201d Papa answered. \u201cI\u2019m getting ready to fix Mr. Jack\u2019s back porch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut he can\u2019t pay you for helping. And besides, he\u2019s a real grouch \u2014 always yelling and complaining about everything!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not doing it for money or because he\u2019s a close friend,\u201d Papa said. \u201cMr. Jack needs help, so I\u2019m helping him. Do you remember the verse about doing good that pastor used in his sermon last week?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think so,\u201d David replied. \u201c\u2018Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up\u2019\u201d (Galatians 6:9, NIV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papa smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s it, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing \u2014 serving God by serving others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David\u2019s shoulders slumped. \u201cBut what do you get out of it? And besides, I really wanted you to go fishing with me this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, you have a choice then,\u201d Papa replied. \u201cFishing by yourself or helping me work on Mr. Jack\u2019s porch. If I finish quickly, maybe we\u2019ll have time to fish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t know anything about building stuff,\u201d David whined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen there\u2019s no better time to learn than now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Papa grabbed some boards, and the two of them took off. He showed David how to pull up the old, rotted boards and replace them with the new boards he had already cut. Soon Mr. Jack had a solid back porch. He showed his thanks by bringing Papa and David ice-cold lemonade and fresh molasses cookies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWow!\u201d David exclaimed. \u201cThese cookies are great!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Jack beamed. \u201cI made them myself. Say, I didn\u2019t know you were such a good carpenter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not,\u201d David confessed. \u201cPapa had to show me how.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo shame in that,\u201d Papa said. \u201cWe all have to learn sometime. So, Jack, can we help with anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Mr. Jack answered. \u201cBut I\u2019m so thankful that you and David fixed this porch for me. My little granddaughter almost fell through last month, and I\u2019ve been afraid to let her come over ever since. She\u2019s been so disappointed, and my days are lonely without her. But now she can visit and play safely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, David and I have some serious fishing to do, so we\u2019ll say goodbye and head out,\u201d Papa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
David looked at Papa. \u201cFixing that porch for Mr. Jack made me feel good. I like that the work we did made his home safer for him and his granddaughter. Now I see what God meant about us reaping a reward for what we do for others. It isn\u2019t money; it isn\u2019t hearing others say thank you. It\u2019s knowing that we\u2019re being more like Jesus, who was constantly doing things for others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re so right, David.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cCome on, Skippy!\u201d David yelled as he raced across the field. \u201cLet\u2019s see if Papa wants to go fishing.\u201d David found Papa loading tools into his truck. \u201cHey, Papa!\u201d he called. \u201cLet\u2019s go catch some of those goggle-eyes in the creek.\u201d \u201cI can\u2019t right now,\u201d Papa answered. \u201cI\u2019m getting ready to fix Mr. Jack\u2019s back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1576,"featured_media":32070,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2598],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n