DanaPratola

Shelving Jesus

I was bored, bored, bored, with nothing to do

And digging myself quite a rut.

It had been so long since I'd done something new

That my mind was rusting shut.

The house was spotless, in which I abided,

My garden watered and weeded.

With all my chores finished, it was then I decided

A hobby was just what I needed.

So I drove to the hobby shop up the hill

- The source of my crafting needs -

There I could find foam fiberfill,

Paints, and dried flower wreaths..

Signs hung from the ceiling showing me the way

To yellow tag sales galore.

There was fabric and candles and all kinds of clay

And at every turn there was more.

Now, I'm not too artistic, creative or neat,

So choosing a hobby was hard,

But when I looked up and saw dangling feet

I whipped out my credit card.

He was up so high, on the very top shelf,

Almost unseen from the floor.

I even thought of pinching myself

Right there in the middle of the store.

It was Jesus, Himself, and although He was not

What I'd had in mind,

The store clerk told me, as she stacked flowerpots,

That He was the best deal I would find.

He could keep me company while I fixed dinner,

Or waited in the DMV line;

I would never find a better listener...

He was simply One of a kind.

But I mulled it over as He looked down

From His perch up on the ledge.

There might be a problem, I thought with a frown...

What do I do about storage?

Wreaths can be hung and paints can be stacked

When they're no longer needed or useful,

And if I were to state the facts,

Be perfectly honest and truthful,

He required a commitment that I couldn't make

And I was beginning to feel fretful.

The pressure was more than I could take

And I turned away, regretful.

I went home, believing I'd done the right thing --

There was just no room in my place...

But why did the thought bring such a sting?

Feel like a slap in His face?

Troubled, in bed I told myself for the last time

Not to be guilty or sad --

A hobby, after all, is a trivial pasttime

And I'd done nothing evil or bad.

But right before I fell asleep,

Almost at peace with myself,

I had a vision that made me weep...

Of Jesus up on a shelf.

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