In the town of Harmony, evaluating the value of love and life.
Winning
The sun cast a golden hue over Harmony as Oliver and Grace sat at their kitchen table, the scent of fresh coffee filling the air. Oliver unfolded the newspaper, his hands trembling slightly as he read the lottery numbers aloud, he felt giddy.
“12, 19, 26, 34, 42, and the Powerball is 9”.
Grace checked their ticket, her eyes widening. “Oliver, they match, they match!”
They stared at each other in disbelief. “We’re millionaires,” she whispered to herself.
Excitement quickly turned into planning. “We can pay off the mortgage, travel the world, start that business you’ve always dreamed of,” Grace suggested.
Oliver hesitated after hanging up the phone on his brother after telling him the good news, he said to her. “Actually, I was thinking we could invest in my brother’s startup. He is looking for capital and we can get in on the ground floor.”
From Nest to Pan to Pod
Ethan, a local teacher and nature enthusiast, strolled through the meadow behind his cottage. He often walked there to clear his mind and enjoy the tranquility of nature.
Today, he noticed something unusual—a nest on the ground beneath a tall oak tree. Inside was a single, large egg, unbroken and warm.
“No sign of the mother,” he murmured. Concerned for the egg’s safety, he decided to take it home, hoping to incubate it.
At home, Ethan researched tirelessly. “It’s an eagle’s egg,” he realized incubating with a 120watt bulb or a hot plate could be tricky. “But without the mother, it won’t survive.”
He contemplated his options. “Perhaps it is best to not let it go to waste”.
Crossroads of the Heart
Across town, Lily sat nervously in a café, her hands wrapped around a cup of herbal tea. Her boyfriend, Noah, joined her, sensing her anxiety.
“Lily, what’s going on?” he asked gently.
She took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
A mix of surprise and joy spread across Noah’s face. “That’s… amazing. We can do this together.”
Lily looked down. “I’ve already contacted Planned Parenthood. I have my career, and we had plans to travel the world.”
Noah felt a surge of raw emotion. “Please, let’s talk about this. I want to be a father to our child.”
Paths
Days later, at Harmony’s community center, a town meeting was held to discuss local developments.
Oliver, Grace, Ethan, Lily, and Noah all attended, each carrying their private burdens.
During a break, Ethan overheard Oliver and Grace’s heated discussion about the lottery winnings.
Grace frowned. “Is this the time you choose your brother over me?”
Nearby, Noah sat alone, his thoughts heavy. Lily noticed and, feeling a pang of guilt, sat beside him.
“I’m sorry,” Lily began. “I didn’t mean to shut you out, but I know what is best for our future.”
He looked at her, pain evident in his eyes. “I feel helpless. I want to support you, but I also want our child to have a chance.”
The Unveiling
After the meeting, the group found themselves lingering outside the center. A gentle rain began to fall, and they took shelter under a gazebo.
Ethan broke the silence. “I did something recently that I mostly regret,” he confessed. “I found an eagle’s egg and I didn’t want it to go to waste, so I cooked it up, very tasty, especially in brown sugar bacon.”
Grace locked into judgement almost without surprise. “They should prosecute you for that, that’s a Federal Crime!”
Ethan thought to himself, the obvious “Apparently, Eagles are protected and rightfully so, but it certainly wasn’t an eagle and I most certainly did not let it go to waste.”
Lily looked away; her guilt suddenly intensified.
Grace and Lily face to face, Grace wondered how she would afford a lawyer, and Lily was not ready to give up a career.
Noah hesitated. “Lily is pregnant, and she wants to terminate the pregnancy. I want to keep the baby, but I can’t legally stop her.”
An uncomfortable silence settled among them.
Ethan sat curious what handcuffs would feel like, perhaps the same as a father impotent to save a child from his mother’s career.
The Twist
Ethan spoke. “Isn’t it strange how the law works? I’m being prosecuted for ending the potential life of an eagle, but Noah can’t protect the potential life of his own child.”
Grace saddened but firm, “My husband will borrow money from his brother to start a legal battle over a destroyed lottery ticket—a wealth that doesn’t even exist, and certainly not to be wasted on his brother.”
Oliver interjected, “Wait, what do you mean ‘destroyed, what do you mean wasted’?”
Grace looked at him sharply. “I burned it.”
“Why would you do that?”
“To make a point, you don’t get to choose your brother over me…”
“Grace, you are going to need a lawyer”.
Lily, looked down at her feet and felt the need to throw up.
The Revelation
While Ethan was thinking it would have been tastier using peppered bacon for his last omelet and said to Oliver and Grace, “Wealth can be a blessing or a curse.”, while rubbing his wrists and ankles, many winners end up losing.
He quoted gently, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Lily felt a warmth in her heart. “I hadn’t considered the future beyond my fears.” Noah stood strong with her and embraced the life yet to come.
GOD IS NOW HERE
Epilogue: The Tapestry of Harmony
Months later, the town thrived.
- Oliver and Grace used part of Bingo Night winnings to open a community center, offering programs for families and youth.
- Ethan’s conservation efforts led to increased awareness and protection of local wildlife. After he served time, he found fulfillment in teaching others to use a little more salt and pepper.
- Lily and Noah welcomed a baby girl, whom they named Hope. Surrounded by love, they embraced their new future building a family together.
Emphasizing God’s Love:
- 1 John 4:7-8: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
- Psalm 127:3: “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
- Ephesians 4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Reflections:
- Discussions about the legal protections afforded to potential life. Why laws protect an eagle’s egg but offer limited rights to fathers in decisions about unborn children.
- Consider legislation that promotes paternal involvement in prenatal decisions, balancing reproductive rights with compassionate consideration for all parties involved.
Remember the words of Psalm 139:13-14: ‘For you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’
