At the speed of Billy

Like most folks in Four Holes, the days were molasses—sweet, slow—but mostly with the lid screwed tight and sitting on the shelf. The residents moved at the speed of mosey and their excitement came by biting into a good ham sandwich with Durkee’s mustard, a satisfying mellow twang spread on Sunbeam bread—only Sunbeam. A day in Four Holes dripped and never poured. Seems they just knew better and were content with life.

There was one anomaly in Four Holes no one could explain. At the exit to the community there was an acceleration lane turning onto the four lane, and this means leaving because there was not an equal deceleration lane turning into the entrance. But then, in their mosey fashion, the people there were slow-turners and didn’t need a slowdown lane which is why this acceleration lane was a head-scratcher. They figured someone from the highway department laid down some leftover asphalt when locals weren’t looking. Had they known the truth, this “extra” would have caused a stir. But, unknown to the populace, they had been betrayed by one of their own.

Billy Shuler shared all the characteristics of the look-at-me-I-want-you-to-see-me generation that spends a lot of time on social media. One meeting with Billy and you knew he was impatient. He either lacked the mosey gene or he had not yet honed the art. Either way, Billy couldn’t wait on anything or anybody. Well, it turns out Billy had been there when the highway department widened the road and he suggested the acceleration lane so he could get to the city faster by thirty seconds. Of course, he told no one.

Drawing a conclusion Billy was a square peg would be overstating the situation. He just couldn’t wait—on his family, his neighbors, on God, especially God. More times than not, he either skipped church services or left early. He simply wanted to take matters into his own hand and this caused all sorts of consternations and mis-happenings. Billy needed something tangible to hold, to make sense of what he thought didn’t make sense when the preacher said to wait on God. He had 20/20 vision but couldn’t see past his nose or see God or hear Him, so he just kept chasing anything and everything his senses encountered, though the populace thought he had lost his sense.

Wisdom rested with the elders in the community. Each knew without ever expressing their thought in earshot that Billy would one day slow down, learn to mosey, and quit chasing. Billy’s itch probably came about because his parents had sent him to a military boarding school just south of Cope, thus the reason. Billy just couldn’t cope with all the rules and being made to do things he didn’t want to. The preacher assured everyone Billy was experiencing a kind of exodus just like the Israelites and this golden calf moment, his impatience, would pass.

Well, don’t we all get just a bit impatient waiting when God doesn’t seem to answer?