Excerpt: None like Thee

After gathering all the trash and burning it, Joe hurried around the barn out back to get some firewood. There was a beetle crawling across one of the logs he was bout to cut down. Joe watched the bug in fascination and let it crawl over his hand. God has created nature to take the hazardous land peacefully, Joe thought, boy am I glad I’m in the country where I can see all of creation. As he was examining the log w/ the bug on it Ronald came up behind him and practically scared the wits out of him. Speedily spinning around Joseph sighted Ronald and let out a sigh of relief and a “oh! It’s you Ron!” Ronald stood watching as Joseph stacked the wood to bring in. “Well are you going to help?” Joseph asked impatiently after a moment or so. “No” was the reply. Ronald followed as Joseph hauled the wood into the house. “Thank you Ron and Joe!” Mr. Godard called from the kitchen table. “You’re welcome, Dad!” Ronald yelled before Joseph could muster a answer. “grr” Joseph said under his breath, he hated it when his brothers took the blessing of the his job.

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At supper, he wore his new coat at the table to show it off. As the green beans were being passed around Luke brought the matter of the coat up, “Father why does Joseph get a nice coat and I don’t?” “Yeah, I want one too.” George added in. Perplexed Mr. Godard tried to reason with them, “Well boys, if I made a coat for all of you it would take a awful long time to make them.” “So you’re saying that this was just the first coat you’re going to make, and you’re going to make one for all of us?” Zebulun asked hopefully. “I’m sorry son” Mr. Anderson replied. Joseph was about to slip away, scared they were about to start feud. The other boys were either sitting as straight up as possible or they were pushing back their chairs and standing up, but all were glaring at their father with anger. “What Nathan asked with jealousy in his heart, “do you love Joseph more than any of us?” Yes” was the answer that came after a moment, “but I still love each and every one of you”. Isaiah was the first to leave, throwing a look of hate at Joseph over his shoulder. All of the rest of the brothers except for Benjamin –and of course Joseph followed Isaiah’s example, but Rueben didn’t look back.