Solomon's Porch Read Online Free PDF

dad, honest. I was just coming downstairs for a glass of milk.”
    “What did they say, son?”
    “Walter said you’re a thief and a liar and that you should be in jail “until you drop,” whatever that means. Mommy says you are a phony, trying to use God and me to get something you want.”
    “What did you say, Kev?”
    “Nothing. I walked back upstairs and made a bunch of noise before I came back down so they could hear me coming. I kinda frowned at mommy, got my glass of milk and went to my room.”
    “Daddy?”
    “Yes, son.”
    “Are you a phony?”
    Out of the mouths of babes. The old Peter Carson would have used his son like Julie was trying to, as a tool to hurt the other parent. In the past, not so long ago in fact, Peter had done just that, passing on thinly veiled insults for Kev to hurl at his mother on his behalf.
    “Remember Moses, Kev? What did he do bad before he became a servant of God?”
    “He killed the Egyptian who killed the Jew.”
    “Right. Now a couple of weeks back we talked about King David. What did he do wrong, do you remember, Kev?”
    “He sent a guy to die in war so he could steal his wife.”
    “You are so smart. One more. What did St. Paul do before Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road?”
    “St. Paul hurt and per-se-cutted Christians.”
    “Now, what did daddy do wrong to get sent to prison?”
    “You stole money from people.”
    Over the past few weeks Peter Carson had been doing his best to explain the divine mechanics of sin and repentance to his son. He wanted Kev to understand, even at the young age of ten, that we all sin, but we need not be conquered by it. Most importantly, Kevin needed to know, down deep in his soul, that his father was now a new man, someone whom he could both love and trust, without fear or reservation.
    This was a delicate task. Peter’s goal was to make Kevin safer, happier, and more content, not to make things worse for him at home.
    “Now, Kev. Do you think I’m a phony? A phony is a person who says he’s going to do something, or is something, when he knows that’s not true.”
    “No, daddy. I don’t think so.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because you told me you were sorry, and that if you got do-overs you wouldn’t steal anymore. Because you love me. You never talked to me like this before, daddy. Now you ‘splain things to me so I know what they mean. I’m going to tell mommy you’re not a phony, she shouldn’t say that!”
    “No, Kev, don’t. I’ve got a better idea. Let’s pray for her.”
    So they did, asking God to help Julie Morgan, to protect and prosper her. Peter made sure Kevin understood that his mother was simply making a mistake, and since we all make mistakes, he should be nice about it, not mean. “God,” Peter Carson told his son, “is love and is not mean.”
    They spent awhile going over how the Lord uses our weaknesses to show His strength, to glorify His name. Peter explained how God often times picks men and women who “people think are bad” to show how merciful and powerful He is. Heavy stuff, whether you’re forty or in the fourth grade.
    “Is God using you like that, daddy? Are you like Moses?”
    “Yes, son, God is using me to help you and I hope some other people, and also no, Kev, I’m not Moses or anybody special. I’m just your dad.”
    “I love you, daddy.”
    “Love you too, Kev.”
    Peter was beginning to see the fruits of his labors with his son. Kev was happier, more active, and alert. His schoolwork had improved. He was hoping that Julie might bring him to the camp for a visit, something she had never done during Peter’s incarceration.
    Julie. Julie “Morgan.” Peter still couldn’t adjust to calling her “Morgan.” Mrs. Walter Morgan.
    Unreal, Peter often thought, my wife is married to another man. He wondered, would Julie always be his wife, down deep in his soul where it really counts? He prayed not, but there was a connection between the two of them that could not be