Crazy Gerald
Illustration
Stories
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5
“Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” Romans 5:18
There was once a guy, in a little town way out in the middle of nowhere, who was known as Crazy Gerald. He was called that because of the odd way he waved at passing vehicles when he was walking to and from town. It is understood, as a common courtesy, and expected that everyone waves at their neighbors on country roads. What Gerald did was uncommon and certainly not expected.
Whenever a car or pickup approached, Gerald’s face would light up, and he would wave wildly with first one arm and then both arms together. Then always, with a big toothy grin, he would take off his hat and bow.
People got used to Gerald’s little eccentricity. When out of towner’s asked about it they would say, “Oh, that’s just Crazy Gerald. He’s always been that way.”
It all came to an end at an election day dinner at the community building one day, when old Mrs. Narvy looked across the table at Gerald, who was finishing his pie, and said, “Gerald, why do you make such a fuss when people pass you on the road? You know everyone thinks you’re crazy.”
Gerald got a quizzical look on his face and said “Oh.” When he looked around everyone else was looking away and acting like they hadn’t heard what Old Mrs. Narvy said. After a while, when the conversation buzz had resumed, Gerald took one last swig of his coffee, got up from the table, left the community building and walked down the road toward home. He never greeted anyone again with anything but a half-hearted wave.
No one said it out loud, but there was a general, unspoken feeling that something essential was missing.
Gerald died just a few months later. The doctor said the heart attack had been a long time coming. Gerald didn’t have any family, so his grave went unmarked for almost a year. Then, one day, a granite monument appeared with name and dates and an etching of a man joyfully waving at a passing car.
On that same day, Old Mrs. Narvy, who had last been seen wiping her eyes as she sat in the back pew at Crazy Gerald’s funeral, was spotted walking on the road outside of town. Whenever a car or pickup approached, her face would light up, and she would wave wildly with first one arm and then both arms together. Then always, with a big toothy grin, she would take off her hat and bow.
The Apostle Paul wrote: “… now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance….” 2 Corinthians 9a
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StoryShare, February 12, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:5
“Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.” Romans 5:18
There was once a guy, in a little town way out in the middle of nowhere, who was known as Crazy Gerald. He was called that because of the odd way he waved at passing vehicles when he was walking to and from town. It is understood, as a common courtesy, and expected that everyone waves at their neighbors on country roads. What Gerald did was uncommon and certainly not expected.
Whenever a car or pickup approached, Gerald’s face would light up, and he would wave wildly with first one arm and then both arms together. Then always, with a big toothy grin, he would take off his hat and bow.
People got used to Gerald’s little eccentricity. When out of towner’s asked about it they would say, “Oh, that’s just Crazy Gerald. He’s always been that way.”
It all came to an end at an election day dinner at the community building one day, when old Mrs. Narvy looked across the table at Gerald, who was finishing his pie, and said, “Gerald, why do you make such a fuss when people pass you on the road? You know everyone thinks you’re crazy.”
Gerald got a quizzical look on his face and said “Oh.” When he looked around everyone else was looking away and acting like they hadn’t heard what Old Mrs. Narvy said. After a while, when the conversation buzz had resumed, Gerald took one last swig of his coffee, got up from the table, left the community building and walked down the road toward home. He never greeted anyone again with anything but a half-hearted wave.
No one said it out loud, but there was a general, unspoken feeling that something essential was missing.
Gerald died just a few months later. The doctor said the heart attack had been a long time coming. Gerald didn’t have any family, so his grave went unmarked for almost a year. Then, one day, a granite monument appeared with name and dates and an etching of a man joyfully waving at a passing car.
On that same day, Old Mrs. Narvy, who had last been seen wiping her eyes as she sat in the back pew at Crazy Gerald’s funeral, was spotted walking on the road outside of town. Whenever a car or pickup approached, her face would light up, and she would wave wildly with first one arm and then both arms together. Then always, with a big toothy grin, she would take off her hat and bow.
The Apostle Paul wrote: “… now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance….” 2 Corinthians 9a
*****************************************
StoryShare, February 12, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
