Anger is simmering along side Felicie Boucher’s passionate fascination of family roots. Touring France with Georgette, the self-proclaimed family historian she hears of yet another war memorial.
“Felicie, your great grandfather Philippe Boucher’s memorial is there, second column twenty-fifth name from the top.”
104 years earlier Philippe never saw the adrenaline charged 30 centimeter bayonet find it’s mark, twist, withdraw, and with purpose find the next enemy belly just meters away.
Inherited tears begin to fall and Felicie exclaims, “Where was God? What had Him so busy during all that carnage?”
“I was in My place, receiving My children.”
- 100 words
Written for the weekly Friday Fictioneers hosted by our gracious host Rochelle Wisoff – Fields. This week’s PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook. Read other takes and enter your own here.
Living In Eternity 
Dear Dan,
It’s easy to ask that question when things don’t go our way, isn’t it? I liked the answer in your story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. I was glad the photo was high resolution. I had to magnify it so I could see the building details. That’s when the story started coming to me. You are right,,,,, it is a common question.
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There are some lovely touches to this. I loved the “inherited tears” and the ambiguity of the answer
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During the draft phase,,,,, “inherited” was the last word change. I appreciate you taking the time and checking out “My Children.”
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Well done, Dan. It is always fascinating to search for our roots. It can’t all be filled with only joy…
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Dale, Thanks for the reality check and effort you put into helping me with FF.
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Well now… that is a huge compliment! Thank you.
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and you have a nice :::smile:::.
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Why thank you, kind sir!
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“I was in My place, receiving My children.”
Yes. But.
Doesn’t it go an awful lot further than that? Among other things, war is where we see hell at its plainest; presumably, God is also at his most active there as well? As, indeed, we should be, by opposing war and institutionalised violence of all sorts, whenever, and wherever. Don’t you think?
But you only had a 100 words, and you wrote a good story with an apposite conclusion, so well done!
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I like my gift of self will. You are right, there are those who misuse it. Tyranny is a good example. Thanks for reading “My Children,” and sharing your insight.
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That last sentence really makes sense… after all the carnage was caused by humans only after all.
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Thanks Bjorn,,, once I had the story idea, I actually started with my last sentence first. I had never done that before. There where a lot of throw away sentences.
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Quite right too. God could stop all war at a stroke, but we’d lose free will. Tough choice.
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Thanks for confirmation Liz. BTW I think Jed takes free will a little to far with his daughter.
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I often wonder where God is during war but then you need to wonder who’s God and where that God might be. And then I think it’s not God’s problem. He gave us brains, why do we use our brawn instead? Thanks for making me re-wonder all that with your well-scribed 100-words.
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Thank you for the kind words Alicia. You bring up some great wonderments. What’s important to know is that God loves you more than imaginable, and you have the free will to . . . .
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