GIMMEE!GIMMEE!GIMMEE!

Short story for children

GIMMEE, GIMMEE, GIMMEE!
(Dusty Doesn’t Want to Share)


"Why are my people bringing that tree in the house?" Dusty didn’t understand as he sniffed the sharp tang of a fir tree. I always thought trees belonged in a forest.
It was the Christmas season and Dusty watched all the activity in bewilderment. What he hated the most about this time was how the furniture got moved around. He had all his little rabbit-trails memorized and then they got blocked by chairs or some other thing. It made him so annoyed that he thumped his hind foot and then he felt better.
Lovely songs played (although to bunny ears they were a trifle loud), as Dusty hopped down hall to see what was happening. He had just settled down for a nice snooze when all the commotion happened out in the living room. Being a bunny, he was very curious and needed to see what they were doing.

Dusty stopped in his tracks. His people set out a big basket of hay and they were putting all sorts of animal toys around it. I hope those animals don’t eat too much hay. I want it and it’s mine! What’s she doing anyway?
He hopped over to the basket, pushed some of the animals away and sat down. He sat frowning but felt better since now he could watch how much they ate. Come to think of it, I’m pretty hungry myself. Mmmm. That hay tastes good. He nibbled some that hung over the edge.
He felt the need to investigate further. It was definitely a mystery. He became tired after all the activity, so he decided to take another nap. That’s something else bunny rabbits are good at. Bunnies are very happy when they have lots of food and take lots of naps.
When he woke up, he looked around and realized where he was. Dusty was not happy about this whole situation. There were entirely too many critters very close to his hay. And the worst was, someone was on top of the hay! What’s this? Why, it’s a little person. What’s he doing in my hay? He didn’t know about Baby Jesus.
He was insulted that someone would sit on his food. In the animal world, many animals sit, stand or lie on their food to tell others that the food belongs to them. And here was this little person wrapped in white on top of his hay! Who does he think he is?

Dusty Guards His Hay photo by Crystal J. Ortmann


Well, he couldn’t allow this other guy to take his hay, so he butted his way through the animals and nudged baby Jesus right out of the basket. Then Dusty climbed into the basket and took another nap. He wasn’t a selfish bunny—it’s just what rabbits do to protect their own things.
“Ahh,” he thought, “it’s all mine. Gimmee, Gimmee, Gimmee.”
He was happy because he kept all of his hay and pushed Jesus aside to do it.
Sometimes, though, children and grown-ups do the same thing. We want lots of things at Christmas and either push Baby Jesus aside or forget we are celebrating Jesus’ birthday as we receive our presents. God wants us to share and be willing to give others things that will make them happy.

Dusty Takes Over the Manger Scene Photo by Crystal J. Ortmann©

You can read more about giving and receiving in Luke 6:38 . Although Dusty doesn’t understand about Baby Jesus, we can and we can make room for Him in our hearts.

Life's Blasts

Daily I praised God for the beauty of Autumn. The maple tree outside my window was like a lamp shining into the darkened room. Everywhere I looked, the glory of Autumn shouted for my attention. I took pictures and mentally tried to memorize the different shades of red, orange, yellow, brown and green. Sometimes, it took my breath away.

I noticed the air getting nippier and the birds are flocking to our feeders. Winter is on its way.

Then, with one storm, the leaves were blasted away. This is the same tree as at the beginning, but now this is the view from my window.

Sometimes, when life seems most lovely, we can encounter a storm that rips the beauty right out of our lives. The shock is enormous and we feel bare and stripped of life's joys. That is the time to remember that though a tree looks dead after a storm, it is very much in the process of becoming an even more beautiful tree in the Spring. So it is with any storms that come into our lives--God is doing something unseen that will cause us to be more productive and more lovely after a while. Take heart, He is the Master Artist and we can trust Him with the worst storms of our lives.

Morning Thoughts

Journal—October 26, 2011
Good morning, Lord. The sun shines through the yellow maple leaves outside my office window. The sunrise was spectacular. I’m so glad I was able to grab the camera quickly. Thank You for such beauty to greet the newborn day.
I love You, Lord. Why is it so difficult for our finite minds to grasp Who You are? I suppose for that reason—our minds are finite and Yours is infinite. But, in the little bit of understanding that I possess, I praise You. You could take all the sunrises, every beautiful and majestic mountain, the glory of the sea and they would only be a poor showing for Who You really are. If we could grasp that, how different our lives would be. Help us, Lord to know You better and appreciate You more.

Do You Ever Have Days Like These?

The past months have been grueling. There is no other word to describe them. Mentally, you can reason out that all of this is good for you, that you are growing in the Lord, and all the cliche`s ad infintum. Those words may be true but when you are in the midst of the storm, it's easy to be blown this way and that, emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. The last thing you want to hear is how God is doing great things in you. What you want is a hug or a hand clasp and the words I love you. I care about you and am praying for you.

I have been the perpetrator of cliche's at times, wanting to encourage and fix the problems of those hurting around me. However loving and valid those feelings are, I need to be aware that this is perhaps the last thing someone wants to hear. I want to be sensitive to the needs of others and that includes listening to them and really hearing what is being said.

Forgive me, Lord, for the times I have flounced into someone's life and rattled off some words or "comfort" and flounced back out. Attune my heart to Yours and allow me to be the conduit of the love You have for each person.

Storing Up Provisions

It's autumn and time to think about storing up things for the winter months. Barns are chucked full of hay and other grains. Domestic animals are assured of warmth, shelter and food within those walls, no matter what the weather. They are protected from predators as well.

Wild animals, especially the furry kinds are busy storing up their own goodies to ward off hunger during the lean months.

They instinctively provide for the long winter by storing food and making snug shelters. Balled up in the nests in trees, squirrels stay warm and snug.

During this time just past harvest, I store up spiritual food and shelter through God's promises to last me through the wintry months of life. I know I am in safe hands when I listen to the Word of God. He provides for me, covers me, keeps me safe, fattens me on the precious, life-giving promises and brings me through hard times.

Cloudy Skies

Have you ever had days when enormous clouds obliterate the sun? Everything seems to go wrong. You are in pain that seems to never stop. You have emotional baggage that is sapping you of every ounce of strength you possess. Disappointments cause you pain and anguish. That longed-for dream ends in disappointment. I have. Some times it is so cloudy that it feels more like fog than a cloud. Or the cloud is so huge and filled with rain, it seems it will never go away.

But, even in the clouds there is beauty. Even when the troubles multiply and the body doesn't work without pain, glorious beauty can come out of it.

God will always use the clouds in our life for our good and His glory. Though they may bring anguish and pain, His healing hand will make the scars of body and soul into things of beauty. Reach out to Jesus, let Him have all that misery. His sun shines also. Sunrises and sunsets are made glorious when clouds are present. The gray and forbidding clouds turn white and fluffy and life goes on.

"A Fresh and Crystal Spring . . ."

While singing from my hymnal this morning, I came across a lovely sentence in one of the hymns. It is called "In the Secret of His Presence" by Ellen Lakshmi Goreh and George c. Stebbins. It goes:
"When my soul is faint and thirsty . . .there is cool and pleasant shelter, and a fresh and crystal spring . . .". My soul was refreshed reading about this cool shelter and crystal spring. Looking into the water, my soul is renewed. Allowing the coolness of the shade to give me rest, I rise with renewed strength and hope. Peace envelops me. I feel at one with the Lord and I go out to meet the demands of the day. I can't always go to a physical place to do this, but I can look at the beauty of nature through photographs or just close my eyes and picture the scene. God has given me this wonderful nature to enjoy and to revel in and find quiet for my turbulent thoughts.

Being Old is not the Same as Being Useless

In the process of aging, it seems as though the older you get, the less useful and productive you are. There is nothing further from the truth! Aside from TV and magazine ads that try to convince you to look like 16 when you're 88, or having to use a trowel to put on your makeup in order to not show wrinkles (why hasn't anyone come up with make up that takes away the turkey-wattle neck?), God sees our aging in a much different way.

Younger people need older people to help show them the way. A battered tree that seems dead gives a resting and nesting place for birds and insects and it also provides

nutrients for a new forest.

He looks at the inside of us. He cares more about our character than our wrinkles. He sees the tremendous fount of wisdom and experience that come to many with aging. Let's not forget who we are in Him. We are beautiful and worthy of having His only Son die for us, no matter what our age or outward looks. Old and washed up? Not me! I'm just beginning to really enjoy life and no amount of rust or dings can change that when I see it through God's viewpoint.

Pools of Sadness to Lakes of Joy

POOLS OF SADNESS TO LAKES OF JOY
by Crystal J. Ortmann


A prayer request was given in Sunday school for all mothers to come and pray for an infant. She was a tiny, black child with curly hair.
The baby lay quietly in her foster mother’s arms. As I looked down at her, I looked into the deepest pools of sadness I had ever seen. She couldn’t have been more than a month or two old. I reached out and gently stroked her soft, baby hair. Over and over, I caressed her, willing some trust and love into this tiny being. She had broken ribs and had other internal injuries from physical abuse. It broke my heart. How could anyone do something like that to such an innocent and helpless baby? My soul cried out to God on her behalf.
The prayer seemed to last a long time, and during those moments, I kept my hand on her head. When the prayer was finished, I opened my eyes and looked at her. She was asleep in the loving arms of her foster mother. It seemed a sign of trust.
It’s hard for me to reconcile this sort of thing with God’s care, but we Christians and other innocent people can be hurt by the sins of others. All I know is that I pray for God’s complete healing for her life and for her to be a strong woman of God.
Although it was hard to look at that sweet little face and those sad brown eyes, I counted it a privilege to be able to pray for this child. I believe God will take this horrendous situation and bring great joy out of it. I pray also for those children of whom I’m not aware. I pray God will touch their little lives. I want Him to take those terrifying and hideous sins against these little ones and make something beautiful out of them and turn those pools of sadness into lakes of joy.

A Sense of Sadness

by

Crystal J. Ortmann

Darkness still covers the land. It is early morning and I ponder deep things. No sounds intrude and I feel a sense of sadness mounting. You see, it’s almost Christmas.
Frank and I are still struggling with our finances after five layoffs. We just declared bankruptcy. We don’t even know how we will make it financially through the next two weeks. I see others scurrying about, writing cards, buying gifts and getting a tree—things most take for granted.
Yet, it is not for us. There is no money for a tree, cards, stamps, or gifts. It makes me sad. I would love to bless people, especially those I love the most. I don’t want to pity myself, but sometimes the sorrow comes out.

Frank has been a manager most of our married life. We have overcome huge obstacles--financial and otherwise, throughout our 27years of marriage. Yet, now he is driving a delivery truck and I am ill. My writing career seems to be going nowhere. What happened to us? There has been blow after financial blow. We just never get ahead. We lost almost everything--and now, bankruptcy. Self-pity rises like the tide and threatens to break over me. I hate these trials. They make me feel like I’m always on the outside looking in on what normal people are able to do. Why me, Lord?
I feel so badly for Frank and the blows he has experienced. He searches constantly for a better job, but nothing seems to gel. I don’t see how he can stand it--yet, he does. I do too—and I know why. We both love Jesus and we love each other. We committed to be faithful in poverty or wealth. It’s not an option to try to get out of our marriage. The commitment and the grace of Jesus Christ is what holds us together and makes our marriage strong through devastating circumstances.
Our relationship with our Savior gives purpose and meaning to our lives, despite tribulation. It is our faith that helps us through times of doubt and despair. God alone is able to help us recognize the true meaning of Christmas. It doesn’t have anything to do with all the commercialism, frantic activity, trees, cards or gifts. Those are all lovely ways of expressing God’s love to others, but are not the true meaning of Christmas.

During this time of deprivation, I find myself thinking of the blessings that are mine.
• I have a strong, enduring and satisfying marriage.
• We are surrounded by loving and caring people.
• We are secure in our love for God and His for us.
• We have been blessed in the most precious of ways—good friends and loving family members.
• So many have blessed us with their financial generosity and by bringing us food, clothing, and other treats.
• We have many prayer partners who care and share their love with us.
• We are able to be still and enjoy the peace of the Christmas season—stripped of all the trappings that often obscure what it’s all about.

Come to think of it, we are exceedingly blessed. Although success in the worldly sense isn’t ours at this time, we are successful in the eyes of God, because we trust in Him. A sense of sadness comes and goes and is even a normal thing for such circumstances, but we don’t need to live there. God can take our sorrow and make it into a beautiful thing, if we let Him.

This was written at a time when we were going through one of many periods of unemployment. I pray it will touch someone's heart with hope and blessing.

Having My Ducks All in a Row

Frank and I are trying to cultivate a healthier lifestyle and lose some weight. One of our new and very relaxing ways to do that is to go for a walk in the early evening. Last night, we were treated to a hilarious scenario. First, we got severely scolded by two Killdeers trying to protect their nest. The eggs had hatched and the chicks were so new that they still were wet. The problem is, the nest is in the middle of a small front lawn that is flanked by a sidewalk, so the number of people causing these birds stress is huge (they obviously haven't heard that location is everything!!!) :-)

We continued on and turned by the golf course that intersects our little town. I saw this strange sight. Coming toward us was a conga line of ducks. They were waddling as quickly as possible, came down to the street, stopped, then crossed the street on the crosswalk, still all in a line, and proceeded to continue their silly waddling off into the sunset.

We went a bit farther to the pond. It seemed a race was in progress and two ducklings reared up and came roaring down the waterway, neck in neck. We laughed out loud at them. They couldn't wait to get over to see if we had something for them. There were six ducklings (still downy) and they mobbed Frank, surrounding his feet (actually, it was cupboard love, since someone had spilled cracked corn where he was standing), but we like to think it was Frank--duck whisperer! :-)) We came home energized and filled with good humor due to the silly antics of God's creatures. Our favorite was watching the ducks lined up, giving new meaning to having your ducks all in a row!

Storms of Life

STORMS OF LIFE


Wild-looking clouds threaten.
A storm is on its way.
“Not again, dear Lord,”
Is all I find to say.

Though I’m shaken and disheveled,
He always sees me through.
Why do I always argue?
It’s a foolish thing to do.

Storms of life come often,
But then they always go.
He allows them in my life,
Because He loves me so.

Nothing He sends can hurt me.
I’m safe within His arms.

I’ll rest in that assurance
That not a thing can harm.

By Crystal J. Ortmann, ©2005

Light of My Path

LIGHT OF MY PATH

Sun filters through
A majestic forest.
It beckons me to come.

The way is dark,
And I’m afraid.
Still, it calls to me.

God provides His Light
To show me the way
Through life’s shadows.

He lights the path
Ahead of me
And He will lead me on.

By Crystal J. Ortmann, ©

Columbine

Columbine


Soft fragrance
Wafting from a bloom
Perfectly created.

Tissue paper thin;
Of many hues.
Scent of loveliness . . .

God’s creation
My delight:
A columbine.

by Crystal J. Ortmann

Springtime Beauty

Photo by Frank B. Ortmann

SPRINGTIME BEAUTY


Splashes of purple
Radiant in the sun
Lure the bees and the butterfly.

Spring flowers
Shout aloud
In a sun-soaked Spring day.



By Crystal J. Ortmann©

Whispers of the Lord

WHISPERS OF THE LORD


Hush.
Be still,
And hear the whispers of the Lord.

Sometimes,
It’s more important
To sit at His feet and learn from Him.

Discouragement
Comes when you don’t accomplish
All you planned.

Pain
Stills your creativity,
Draining color and leaving drabness

Clamor
In your thoughts
Whirls your mind chaotically.

Rest.
Sit quietly.
Drink in the beauty of life.

Walk,
With open ear.

Hear the wind whisper its sweet message.

Love.
What God has to give you
As you listen to the whispers of the Lord.

Crystal J. Ortmann
©2003, USA

The Rose

THE ROSE

Soft fragrance
Wafting from a bloom
Perfectly created.

Tissue paper velvet,
One of many hues,
Scent of loveliness,

The rose.




©Crystal J. Ortmann

Summer Flowers

SUMMER FLOWERS

Splashes of crimson . .
Flames amidst
A backdrop of emerald.

Tongues of fire
Blaze in the shimmering
Heat of mid-summer.

Flashes of color,
Lure the darting hummingbird,
The finch, the butterfly.

Summer flowers
Shout aloud in
A sun-soaked afternoon.


©Crystal J. Ortmann

LITTLE THINGS

LITTLE THINGS


A dewdrop sparkling in the rain.
The smile when love breaks through the pain.
Soft gentleness of a kiss from the one you love.
Tender words spoken when you feel down.
The honest acceptance by another.
A friend...one who listens and still loves.
The sun, after days of gloom, spilling gold in every room
Talents...always there, yet newly discovered.
The love of your child.
The earnestness of your husband as he shares his hopes and fears.
A little compliment dropped your way.
The smile of another that made the day.
The touch of a compassionate hand.
Walking through the sand barefoot.
The sound of wind in the trees....
Sometimes a breeze, sometimes causing awe.
A glass of water.
Aroma of coffee.
Doing something for others, especially when they don't know who did it.
Making someone happy.
The scent of fresh-baked bread.
Roses, violets, lilacs...all the beauty of sight and smell.

Blue sky, fluffy white clouds.
Walking where it isn't crowded.
Laughter.
Peace.
A good book.
The smell of the forest.

So many little things planned by God to bring us happiness.

Thank You, Father.

Dusty Loves His Friend

Dusty Loves His Friend
by Crystal J. Ortmann

23-Apr-2006

Dusty stretched out his big back feet and legs as he woke up from his nap. “Aah, that feels good.” For a minute, he forgot he had a new friend in the house. The sun coming through the window made him feel sleepy and he yawned.

“Wow!” Cocoa said. “That’s some case of carrot breath you have!” She shifted a little to get out of the way of his next yawn.

Dusty chuckled and snuggled closer to her. “She’s not one of those skinny rabbits. She’s firm and soft and warm. She might want to watch her mouth a little though.” It wasn’t the first time she said something a little bit mean to him. He chose to ignore it.

They started licking each other. He loved it. “That’s one thing I really like and my people don’t do for me. It’s great having another one like me in the house.”

“Why can’t you just lick my fur?” she asked Dusty. “Sometimes, I just want all the attention myself.”

Cocoa had a few habits that annoyed Dusty, but he still liked her. “She is kind of selfish,” he thought. Still, he liked it better with her, so he decided to not pay any attention to the things he didn’t like.

“Ouch!” he yelped. Cocoa bit him to let him know she had enough. “All right! Just say so! You don’t have to be mean.” Dusty licked the bite spot and hopped away. She upset him when she acted so hateful.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Cocoa said as she hopped after him.

“Leave me alone,” he said. Sometimes, he needed to be by himself to figure things out. Her bite made him angry and he didn’t like getting upset.

“Okay, okay, I won’t bother the big baby,” she taunted, then hopped over to the magazine basket and pulled out a page and ate it.

“Cocoa, stop it,” said the lady. Cocoa only listened when she felt like it. Right now, she wanted to be naughty and chew something.

Dusty heard her getting fussed at and he hopped out to see what had happened. There was the lady trying to move Cocoa away from the magazines.

“Why does Cocoa do that?” wondered Dusty. “She knows she’ll get in trouble.” Dusty had a hard time understanding his friend. He never chewed those things. It was almost like she wanted to get in trouble. Still, she was his friend and friends stick together.

Dusty felt sad. It always hurt him when Cocoa was disobedient. He thought, “I like it quiet and peaceful, and she wants to have some sort of mess going all the time.” He didn’t know why she liked to do those things. “I don’t get it,” he thought.

“I wonder why we look alike, but we are so different?” Dusty asked himself. “Well, okay, we are different colors and I’m a boy and she is a girl, but otherwise we look alike.”

He tried to figure her out, but it was too much for him. He decided to take another nap after a quick stop at his food dish. Trying to understand Cocoa made Dusty hungry. He munched his pellets, and then hopped down the hall to a room where the sun shone for another nap. “Maybe someday I’ll know why she’s like she is. But now, I’m ready for a nap.”

Dusty acted wisely. It gave Cocoa time to calm down and change her bad behavior—sort of a bunny time out. He still loved his friend, but knew she needed to settle down before they played again.

Children look pretty much the same on the outside too, but often act very differently. One may choose to do right and the other wrong.

God wants us to live together in harmony. But that doesn’t always happen. Even though we are different, we can still be friends. But when friends act in a bad way, sometimes it is just better to stay away until they change, especially if they are trying to get us in trouble too.