“Indolent” was high minded, but didn’t realize it. She and “Control” were best friends and wherever they went and whatever they did, they got their way. “Indolent” had a sweet and kind disposition though, and people initially gravitated toward her until they saw the other side of her which was full of pride.

“Indolent”’s mother was partly to blame because when she raised her daughter, she required nothing of her. This unwise mother spoiled her thinking she was doing what was best for the child. Consequently, the untrained one had no work ethics and assumed everyone was supposed to do her work for her.

As for “Control,” she liked the superior feeling she experienced from doing things for others, so for a while the two of them were best friends. That is until the day “Indolent”’s awakening came upon a tailless squirrel’s arrival on the scene. Now ya gotta’ know a tailless squirrel is not the most beautiful thing to behold. Without a tail, most would not know the rodent’s identity, and without glory, no one would know his or her “God identity,” either.

This particular squirrel was sent from on “High” with a lesson to teach “Indolent.” Standing smack dab in the middle of the road that led to “Self-discovery,” she stood up on her hind legs and proclaimed: “I’m Mandy! My name means “worthy to be loved” and I’m a picture of YOU!”

In a rare, unkind moment, “Indolent” who was aghast that THIS CREATURE would think she was anything like her, screeched: “ME”? You look NOTHING at all like me!”

Not deterred by her unkindness or by the haughtiness displayed by the indolent one, “Lovable,” who knew that she was called to convey the truth to this one who was blind, calmly replied. “Don’t you be fretting yourself now. You shall soon have eyes to see, and when you do, you will know that all creatures are worthy to be loved… even YOU! Your problem is that you don’t love yourself and THAT is everybody’s problem.” Heaving a big sigh, she knew her message went right over “Indolent”’s head. Muttering to herself words no one but God could hear, she grumbled: “Why does the Lord always give me the hard cases?” Immediately she heard the “Great One”’s chuckle and Him saying: “Because I know what I’m doing!” and then added: “Because YOU are a nut cracker and so is the one I’ve sent you to!”

“Why yes, that’s right! I am, aren’t I?…. I am! I am! I am that I am!” she bellowed in a happy voice!” How the little creature’s heart melted and became full of joy whenever she heard the Lord’s chuckle and voice.

“Indolent” was becoming more and more perturbed as the moments passed by,.. first by the sight of the deformed squirrel (in her eyes) and now by the “I am that I am!” words. “You are WHAT?? I’ll tell you what you are: You’re in my way!” she retorted, huffing and puffing ready to kick her out of the way.

Not at all dissuaded by what she heard, “Lovable Mandy” calmly looked up at her protege and sweetly told her: “If you kick me out, you’ll not be able to go any further on the road to “Self-discovery.”… Every creature that is sent from the Most High God to you has a message from Him and something you couldn’t learn unless His messenger crossed your path.”

Even though “Indolent” was blind, she could hear the ring of truth in “Lovable Mandy”’s words and was quick to receive it. Sensing this, the squirrel tossed her one of the nuts she carried in her pouch and gently beckoned her to come with her to the side of the road. “Sit on that stump over there,” she instructed. “After you do and after you crack some nuts with me, you’ll be stumped no more. Father’s meat is in these nuts and when you eat it, you and I are going to do the nutcracker’s dance and song together!”

All “Indolent” could do was shake her head, wondering “WHAT have I gotten myself into?” The stump was a special one, well suited for her by the Master… Every person in his or her journey to becoming transformed into a fully grown God-person had to come to the place where they were stumped and could go no further… In the heavens it was called “The Place of The Crossroads” and on earth it was called “The Place of Troubles.”

As she sat there on that stump, “Indolent” could feel something strange going on inside her… Instantly the revelation came to her that she was like a tree cut down too, having roots deep inside her… roots connected to all her soul’s issues. She stared wide-eyed at “Mandy,” ready to give her full attention now.

“It’s time to crack open YOURSELF and the secrets within…. You’re lovable, you know, and so is everyone else!” “Mandy” exclaimed. But “Indolent” didn’t. “Chew on the meat of that nut a little bit more, and you’ll know!”

As “Indolent” sat there chewing, “Mandy” commanded her to look at her rear end. “That’s not exactly what I wanted to see… You got a lot missing, you know!” Of course “Lovable Mandy” knew, and undeterred from her getting her assignment accomplished, she shouted exuberantly: “What’s missing is my greatest ASSet… and yours, too! I’m beautiful! You and everyone else are, too, but the only difference between us is that I know it and you don’t!” With that she began to shake her booty and do a little happy dance, singing:

“You see: our end is to come, a glorious end indeed!

Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit” God decreed!

As we call forth the things that are not and then believe

We will see them come to pass in the time of our need.“

As “Lovable” sang the words over and over again, twinkles of light started forming in “Indolent”’s eyes and she heard the voice of transformation speaking from within the deep recesses of her being. “Every person has come forth into the world with missing parts and unseemly parts…. Everyone has known shame and pain from all the sins that have been committed and compounded…. and all have hated and rejected themselves and others.”

At that moment, able to hear “Indolent”’s inner voice speaking, too, “Lovable Mandy” jumped up and down in joy and interjected: “You became “Indolent personified” through no fault of your own. Likewise it has been the same for others with whatever dominant trait or traits they have. Don’t you know that ALL things can work for the good and shall in the end because faith that works by love can and will make everything beautiful? This place in the crossroads has been designed by the Almighty for you to know this and for you to know you need everyone because they are parts of you…. even the missing parts.”

As soon as she spoke these words, the most glorious, bushy “silver” tail any squirrel could ever have came springing up out of “Lovable”’s back end. A multitude of angels surrounded them blowing horns and decreeing: “This is God’s tail-tale to every man: Love one another and see the beauty in every man before it is seen with human eyes, and when you do, your name will be changed to “Love,”… even the “Perfect Tale.” You will know how beautiful you are and yay!:

You shall behold the coming of the Lord in YOU!