He sipped the coffee and wondered at its taste. ‘I ain’t had coffee this good in a long time.’”
–C. Wayne Winkle (Gideon Parnell: The Beginning)
Welcome, Pard. I was a-wonderin’ if yuh were goin’ to be stoppin’ by this mornin’. Speakin’ of wonderin’, my mind sure does a heap of it. The ol’ mind is like a river flowin’ with wonder; uh, really more like a small creek tricklin’ over the rocks, but it’s still wonderin’. Ha, right now yur probably wonderin’ if I’m ever goin’ to pour yuh a cup of coffee. Comin’ right up, and yuh don’t have to wonder if it’s strong enough.
Pard, I wonder ’bout lots of things. I wonder about the arrogant fools that serve as bureaucrats, then I wonder at the fools who elect them. I wonder how God can allow their arrogance and immorality go unchecked, then that causes me to wonder about His longsuffering and love. I wonder about the grace He offers, then I wonder about those who spurn that grace. I wonder about whether Adam missed walking with God more than he missed Eden. I wonder whether Adam and Eve ever repented.
I wonder about the aroma of a grilled steak and its flavor, then I wonder how God can make something that tastes good like cabbage and broccoli have an odor when its cooked. Pard, I even wonder about the pesky mosquito. Why did God make it, what good does it do? I wonder if in His omniscience He knew that Adam would sin and He already had the mosquito ready when he did. I wonder about pesky flies that always seem to show up when I eat a melon.
Sometimes I scratch my head wonderin’. Why do some people act so foolishly when they drive? Don’t they know they are takin’ the lives of others in their hands and their own, then I wonder if they even care. I wonder how evil seems to be growin’. I wonder about the depth of God’s amazin’ grace. Pard, I even wonder about you, and whether or not yuh check yur cinch. I wonder about time and eternity.
But let me tell yuh, Pard. There’s some things I don’t wonder about. Take this coffee for instance. I don’t wonder whether or not its strong enough or if’n it makes my gizzard take delight in it. I don’t wonder whether or not I’ll like Annie’s pie–that’s a given. I don’t wonder about the love of God, nor that He will not take care of me for I know that He will. I wonder if yuh think I’m off my rocker, but then I don’t really care. In fact, I like to sit in my rocker, peer out in the woods an’ take up wonderin’ some more.
Well, one thing we don’t have to wonder about–the coffeepot’s empty. I know that means yuh’ll be headin’ on down the road. Yuh be havin’ a good week, and don’t worry if’n the shelves at the grocery aren’t full, God will supply yur needs.
Vaya con Dios.