CHOCOLATE ARMADILLOS

            Life at the Spice of Life Greeting Cards warehouse was anything but living for Bentley Wordsworthy.  Driving the same old forklift day after day, year after year, of what would soon be over two decades of spiceless boredom had eroded the mind, if not the soul of Bentley.  Bentley Wordsworthy, the dreamer who longed to be a coiner of phrases, even a bard of adages.  If only he could get recognition from just one of the Spice of Life Greeting Card Editors.

            But alas, Bentley Wordsworthy possessed no wordsmith flair.  Seldom is a kind way of saying never did Bentley Wordsworthy surpass the rudimentary roses are red, violets are blue level of poetic expression. And worse, Bentley was the untalented failure of the Wordsworthy family, which included over two centuries of poets, authors, editors and publishing house masters.  Indeed Bentley himself often sighed, "I'm the last and the dead end of the Wordsworthy clan.  That's me, just being all a failure can be."  Be...

            Until one faithful day...  the boredom bent mind of Bentley over indulged in an oft visited daydream.  High through the sky, Bentley Wordsworthy did fly, super hero of the greeting card world.  From his shoulders fluttered the cape of bard-dom and across his chest emanated the magnificent letter "A," standing for ADAGEMAN!! Actually the letter "A" should have been two letters, A.D., standing for ATTENTION DEFICITMAN.  Driving a forklift laden with crates full of greeting cards is no time to dream, let alone fly around a corner a tad too sharp.  From forklift seat ADAGEMAN stomped on the brake a bit too late.  The crates on the forklift remained stable, but the mile high stack the forklift bumped into shook violently. Bentley's hardhat fell off as he craned neck back to see the last rock of the teetering crate on top.  Bentley gasped, "Jesus, save me!!!"  Down plummeted that faith guided missile right between the safety glass wearing eyes of Bentley...

            "Is he dead?" asked foreman Fred.

            No one wanted to know more than Bentley.  So from the concrete floor, flat on his back, Bentley Wordsworthy  opened his mouth and instantly breathed out greeting card gold, "Life is like a box of chocolate armadillos: all slippery, scratchy and none too happy about being dipped in molten chocolate."

            Bentley wrote it down.  Bentley turned it in to the editors of Spice of Life Greeting Cards.  Bentley garnered a new gig.  A coiner of phrases he had become.  ADAGEMAN... MAN... MAN... AN... AN... N born!  Yet, died...

            For the Lord above had up-up-and away far greater heights for Bentley Wordsworthy to fly.  Not only did Bentley live to master the seemingly absurd and funny side of greeting cards, but there were sympathy cards, get well cards, birthday, wedding, friendship, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards to compose.  Indeed His favorite of all were scripturally inspired.  Cards like:  Better a hole in the sock; than a hole in the soul.  Cards like:  The flames of youth, the ashes of regret, the if only of what can never be... Jesus heals it all...

            Yes, ADAGEMAN had died, but Bentley Wordsworthy reigned alive and well as the bard of Spice of Life Greeting Cards.  He even authored a few novels.  But in the life of Bentley, the waters of success never flooded over the banks of humbletude.  "Don't be too proud;" Bentley would say, "the chocolate coating of riches does not a life make; for of faded wisps, once whirlwinds, the dust whispers without thirst." He more than often added, "The spice of life, the very essence of living:  Love the LORD continually; share his love with all; enjoy his every gift.  For who else can turn even a bump on the head into blessing."

            Oh, and in the chair of the bard, the new fantasy of Bentley twas a job well done, driving a forklift...

            (Mark 8:36; Isaiah 29:4) (James 1:17; Colossians 3:17) (Romans 10:13)