Dear Mom,

So awhile back, I don't know if you remember it, it was about three years ago, I posted about a project I was working on. I never did actually post the project but while we were packing the house up I found it and thought I'd share it with of you. It's my interpretation of the David and Goliath story. It was a writing assignment that Emma and I were working on, Emma being my critique. Because I would love it if you could be here to read it too, I'm sending it to you in a letter. 

I call it......

                      Abner the Great

The bright sun crowded the sky, piercing the valley below, and a cold, snapping, wind ran beside it.  Abner, commander of Saul’s army, drew his brows together, scanning the vast spread of earth and rocks.  Before him the Philistine champion, bronze helmet, shining armor, a spear shaft and a bronze javelin slung on a muscular back, stood ominous in the sky, nine feet tall.  The biting breeze cut at Abner’s cheeks.  Goliath from Gath was waiting.

Abner turned to his apprehensive army.  He tried not to show the fear nagging at his usually tenacious nature, the fear begging to sprout wings.  He mounted his horse and rode among his uneasy soldiers, waiting at the battle line.

“Why do you come out and line up for battle?  Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul?” Goliath’s powerful voice climbed the valley wall.  Abner stirred in his saddle.  Morning and night would this utterance never cease?  “Choose a man and have him come down to me.  If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Abner’s Israelite soldiers shuffled their feet and glanced around them.  Abner knew they would gladly turn around if he would just give the word.  “This day I defy the ranks of Israel!  Give me a man and let us fight each other.”

Abner caught an audible, clear voice break the heavy air.  “Why do we stand here like trees?  We have arms and legs; why do we not use them?” Abner rotated in his saddle and looked for the owner of the voice.  “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”  It was David, King Saul’s harpist, speaking with two soldiers who bore an evident resemblance to David.  His brothers, perhaps? 

Abner had seen David before, coming in and out of King Saul’s tent.  He was still a youth, but his sturdy shoulders and eager eyes had caught Abner’s attention.  Now the air about him seemed to dance with hidden authority.  David had a striking boy-ish countenance but at the same time looked a hundred years old.  Abner could not seem to grasp what made him so.  Such vigor and I feel like falling to pieces.  

King Saul should hear of this.  The battle could wait.

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“David, son of Jesse, waits outside your tent, oh king.”

Abner looked up.  A royal messenger had appeared in the tent doorway.  The knotted ropes of red, purple and gold, that hung on the tent walls, danced together as he pushed past them.  

King Saul’s eyes were half closed and his breath sounded short and constrained.  “Send him to me.” he sighed.  The evil spirit from the Lord had left him wasted.

Abner watched as David entered.  The boy knelt at the king’s feet, murmuring, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 

Saul opened his eyes and looked sadly at David. “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” 

David stood up solemnly, his brow set with determination.  “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep.  When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.”  

Abner glanced at the King.  Wonder showed in Saul’s eyes though they were dark with disbelief. 

“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear.” David said.  “This uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.”  His eyes glowed with passion.  “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul stood from his throne and walked the rug floor between David and himself.  He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder.  Abner knew the King was going to refuse the offer so bravely given.  But Saul paused, his hand still on the boy’s shoulder, and his empty eyes were filled suddenly with a hallowed calm, a calm that Abner had never seen in his King.

  “Go, and the Lord be with you,” and King Saul dropped his hand.

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Abner sat on the bank of a flowing stream.  The clear water washed over the river stones, back and forth, back and forth, smoothing their rough surfaces.  Abner was caught up in the motion of it.  Staring down into the flowing river he fell into a daze.  His family was expecting him to come home alive.  Could he live up to that?  He wasn’t feeling very strong at the moment.  If David was killed trying to fight Goliath what would Abner do?  Go and fight the scoundrel himself?

A splash upstream woke Abner from his reverie.  David, leaning over the moving water was dousing his face with the cool water.  He dunked his hand into the river and pulled out five, smooth, river cut stones and placed them in his pouch.  He inclined his head to the bank and closed his eyes.  

Abner, not wanting to disturb David’s prayer, left the quiet scene.

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Abner sat astride his horse, watching as David made his way to the valley’s edge.  Goliath must have seen David too, for a laugh of scorn echoed back to where Abner sat.  His voice ,as rough as leather, stung the air.  “Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?” 

David had reached the valley floor and stood facing the menacing giant of a man.  “Come here,” Goliath said,  “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals.”  David’s head shot up to the sky.  Abner wondered if it was another prayer..

“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin.”  David’s voice was strong.  Did he never wander from the Almighty’s strength?  “But I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty,”  David went on,  “the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”  Wind whooshed between the waiting armies and they shuddered with fear.  David glanced around and swept his hand across them.  “All those gathered here,” he said,  “will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

 “You foolhardy boy, to talk of things you know nothing about.”  Goliath’s words came harsh and venomous.  He cursed David by his gods and moved in rage to attack the boy.  

Abner sucked in his breath as he watched David running to meet the giant.  He strained his eyes and could just see the boy reaching for his pouch where Abner knew the five, sand-worn stones were waiting.  Pulling the sling back over his shoulder David whirled it around his head.  With one mighty jerk, he let the stone fly into the air and straight toward Goliath.  Finding its mark, the small stone hit Goliath squarely on the forehead.   The nine foot Philistine giant, who had defied the armies of the living God, fell like rain on a spring morning, by the blow from a stone from a pouch carried by a boy, a boy after God’s own heart.  

For one awing moment everyone was turned to stone, the enemy of one and warrior of the other, was falling before both.  His massive height crumbled like bread.  With a cry of triumph Abner and his army awoke and rushed toward the Philistines.  The sun beat down, swords rang, and the blood curdling cries of both victorious and defeated swam together in a cloud of glory.

And David son of Jesse raised the giant’s sword and cut off the giant’s head.

                              The End

That's about it. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think.

Love you always!

Your Daughter,

         Grace Kathleen