The Scorpion Part 3

In Sterling City lived a man named Martin.  Martin loved his family but was having a tough time getting along with his wife who he loved dearly.  They spent most of their time fighting and arguing, mainly about money and some of the past things Martin had done.  Martin's sins hung heavy over his head but this one day in particular, Martin was having the toughest time.

After a quiet dinner, not in the nice kind of quiet but the kind where there is deep tension and no resolve, Martin stepped outside to smoke his evening cigar.  Martin lit the cigar and took a long inhale holding the smoke in for a few seconds.  "God, if you're listening to me, why did you make me?  I guess you always make those people that just bother people and I guess that's me." Martin said as he exhaled the smoke in his mouth and lungs.  He flicked his cigar and continued, "You shouldn't have wasted your time."

Martin continued to smoke his cigar all the way to the end as he leaned against the side of his house and watched the sun set over the river that has no end.  Martin threw the butt of his fading cigar onto the ground and smashed it making sure to extinguish the embers that glowed on the cement.  He felt some type of resolve after talking to this God he had only called upon when he was in a hard place or needed help on a test in grade school.  Martin decided to take a walk and talk to this God.  Maybe God needed to hear what Martin had to say.  Maybe whatever Martin said would change the way God felt about him.  Maybe those TV preachers were right.  Maybe Martin needed to be saved.  Whatever that meant.

Martin peeked in the back door and told his wife, "I'm going on a walk.  Be back soon.".  He shut the door, slipped his hands in his jeans and started towards the front.  Martin walked with his head down, defeated but with a purpose.  He needed to go somewhere where this God that seemed to be listening would speak to him.  Martin walked on down a few blocks and past the post office.  He came to a lonely dirt road that looked like it led to the river that has no end.  He followed it and came to it's banks.  Martin sat down and watched the water rush by.  The water didn't move quickly but something about the way it was moving flowed with vigor.  

Martin sat in the quiet and kept his head down as the sun set over the Sterling City.  Martin spoke directly to the ground hoping that God was still listening.  "So if you're into this saving stuff, how does it work?"  he said.  Martin plucked a blade of grass and continued, "If you are a loving God, why didn't you save me a long time ago?  Am I that bad of a person?"  Martin said as he plucked a few more pieces of grass and tossed one by one.  "You know what?  I think I'm wasting my time.  I don't think you truly love me.  If you did, you would say something back..." as Martin finished his statement he saw a ruckus to the right of him on the bank of the river that has no end.

Martin saw an older woman down on one knee sticking her hand in a small branch that was caught on the bank and every time she stuck it in she would quickly pull it out as if something was stinging her.  She didn't look crazy or like she had escaped the old folk's home, she just looked like a regular old woman.  Martin stood from his sitting place and walked over to the woman.  He could now see that her hand was swollen and stung all over by a scorpion that was caught in the branch.  Martin grabbed her by the shoulder and said, "Ma'am, no offense but are you crazy?  That thing just keeps stinging you every time you stick your hand in there.  Why are you doing that?  Just let it die!".  

Ann grabbed her hand that was now numb from the stinging and tried to wipe the tears running down her face.  She held her hand tight to her chest and whimpered for a few seconds before responding to Martin.  She looked at Martin and said, "Why would I deny this scorpion a chance at life when it's nature is to sting and my nature is to save?"