Becky’s Bramble
Part Three
“Joseph and Jessica sat at the lunch table and looked at each other. “Todd’s having a bad day,” Jessica said with a sigh, as they heard loud wails coming from down the hall.
“I’m really glad he didn’t hurt anyone when he threw his truck,” added Joseph. He looked down at his little foster brother. “It almost hit Benny in the head!”
“Now Todd’s truck is broke,” Benny said. “He’s mad, ’cause Gampa gave it to him.”
“But it was Todd’s own fault,” put in Jessica. “He’s been so mad that he’s been breaking things, and that just makes him more mad. I wish…” She sighed again, and then took a bite of sandwich.
Joseph picked up the toy truck and found its missing wheel. “I wish Todd’s attitude could be fixed as easily as this,” he said, popping the wheel back on.
But Todd’s problems weren’t so easy to fix. When he came out of his room, he muttered “sorry” to Benny and ate his lunch in gloomy silence.
“I think it’s about time we read the next chapter in our story,” Mom said, with a smile. “Jessica, can you tell Todd and Benny about Becky’s bramble bush?”
“It is a big prickly bush in her yard that causes lots of problems,” Jessica said. “And now she’s decided she’s going to get rid of it. So Mr. Green is taking her to a place that has weed killer.”
Benny looked at the picture of the bramble bush and his eyes grew big. “It looks scary!” he said.
That made Todd look, but he didn’t act impressed. “I could chop it down with a weed whacker,” he boasted. “Its just a bunch of sticks.”
“You think you could mow down the brambles behind our fence with a weed whacker?” Joseph asked. “I’d like to see you try!”
“Not now,” Mom said with a laugh. “And remember, Becky’s bush is really a big, bad attitude that she can’t get rid of… sort of like anger inside of us,” she said, patting Todd’s leg.
The garden center in Peopleville was full of tools and supplies. “Where’s the weed killer?” Becky asked, looking around. Mr. Green pointed to the man at the counter. “He’ll be able to help you out. He’s a friend of mine and he knows all about gardening.”
“Do you have weed killer?” Becky asked the clerk.
“We certainly do,” the clerk said, with a smile. “What kind of weed are you trying to get rid of?”
“A giant bramble,” Becky said. She saw a weed chart on the counter and pointed. “Like this one.”
“I see,” said the clerk, nodding. “Those are the worst kind around. If you really want to get rid of it, I have something to recommend.” He led the way to a shelf full of bottles and pointed to a gallon jug. “Repentence” it said in big letters. It was really heavy.
“Does it kill brambles?” Becky asked.
“Yes, but with big brambles it is best cut off the branches before spraying,” the clerk said. He read the instructions on the back out loud: “Repeated sprayings may be necessary for deeply rooted plants. For complete eradication, remove the root as soon as the top dies off.”
Becky thought of all the snipping and cutting she had already done. “I’ve tried cutting off the branches, but it just grows bigger,” she said sadly. “I don’t think I can get rid of it.”
“That’s why we’re here,” the clerk said. He pointed to a big sign written in red letters.
“Best Bramble Removal. Pay all you’ve got. We’ll do the rest,” Becky read aloud. “Is it true? Will you get rid of my bramble for me?” She opened her purse. “I only have three dollars.”
“No one has enough money to pay for the whole job,” the clerk said with a smile. “But getting rid of weeds is so needful in our town that the Master Gardener has offered to cover all expenses.”
“The Master Gardener?” Becky asked. “He must be a nice man.”
“The best,” the clerk agreed. At the counter, he took Becky’s money and handed her a paper and pen. “If you fill out this contract with your name and address, we’ll send one of our workers right over.”
Becky tried to hurry home, but the jug was heavy. She had to stop several times before she finally reached her gate. The bramble bush looked like a monster swallowing up her house! For a moment she was frightened again. What if the weed killer didn’t work?
Becky thought of all the weed thickets in the neighborhood. In fact, only Mr. Green’s garden looked really beautiful. “But I want my garden to look like his,” Becky told herself. “I don’t want that old bramble to ruin my life. Mrs. Wise probably doesn’t have weeds in her yard, either.”
At last the bramble remover man came down the street. “This house over here!” Becky called, jumping up and waving.
“So you want that big bramble out,” he said, pulling on some thick gloves. He had a big hedge cutter and strange backpack, too. When he took Becky’s jug, he opened a lid on the top of the pack and poured the liquid inside.
“Is that for spraying on the weed killer?” Becky asked.
“It sure is,” the man replied, pulling a mask over his face. “But first we must remove the branches. If you are ready, stand by the house.”
Becky obeyed, and watched as the man started his hedge cutter. It made a terrible wailing sound as it cut through the giant bramble stocks. Soon prickly branches were falling all over the yard. It looked like a hurricane had come through! At last only the ugly grey stalk of the bramble was left.
After the man had piled all the branches outside of the gate in a huge heap, he turned on the sprayer. Becky felt tears come to her eyes and her throat began to hurt. Was she getting poisoned? The spray looked just like water, but it certainly made her feel sick!
“Repentence weed killer often causes tears and heaviness in the chest,” the man explained when he finished spraying the bramble stalk. “But it is only poisonous to weeds, not people. The bramble should be dead by tomorrow.”
The man went out into the street and began burning up the pile of branches with a torch. As they smoked and crackled in the fire, Becky remembered her terrible dream. But now she didn’t need to be afraid of Burning Day, because her bramble was already being burnt up! Becky smiled, and the glow from the fire shone on her face. At last the blaze died down and only ashes were left.
Becky opened her gate and looked back at her empty yard. No bramble monster stared back at her. “Thank you!” she said.
“I’m glad I could help,” the man replied, gathering his supplies.
But Becky had one more question. “Do you have enough killer left if—if I have any more weeds to kill?” she asked. It was hard to imagine that the bramble was actually gone!
“Yes, and there’s always more at the Center… enough to kill all the weeds in Peopleville!” he said, with a grin.
“Then why don’t you?” Becky asked, surprised. “There are so many bad weeds everywhere!”
“Because the people haven’t asked me to,” he said simply. “I only come when they sign a weed-removal contract, like you did.”
Becky smiled. “I’m glad you came,” she said, shaking his hand politely.
“Call us anytime you need help,” he said with a big smile. “We’re here for all your garden needs.”
“I will!” Becky promised.
“You see,” Mom said as she finished telling the story, “God is able to take the bad attitudes out of your heart, just like that man killed Becky’s bramble.” She smiled down at Todd and Benny. “That’s why we are glad to have you in our home, even when you are acting up and causing trouble. We are praying that you will want Jesus to change your hearts.”
“I liked the part about the Repentence weed killer,” said Joseph. “Didn’t Jesus say, ‘repent and believe the gospel’?”
“Yes,” agreed Mom. “We need to be sorry for how we’ve lived before we can get help. To ‘repent’ actually means ‘change your thoughts’—we need God’s help to do that. And the believing part is just as important. After we realize that we have a big problem inside of us, we have to believe that God is able to fix it.”
Benny had wiggled off the couch to play. Now he handed Todd his toy truck. “Joseph fix it,” he said, smiling.
Todd looked surprised. “Thanks,” he muttered. “Sorry for throwing it.”
“Anger is like a bramble—it ruins things,” Mom pointed out. “But Jesus has the power to save us from our sins. Even big sins. We just have to come to Him and ask.”
“I wonder what Becky will grow in her garden now that her giant bramble is gone,” Jessica said.
Mom smiled. “That will have to be another story, but I’m sure the Master Gardener has just what she needs to make it beautiful.”