Bobby , Brian, and Brandon were not happy at all bout visiting their grandparents. It was summer vacation and they wanted nothing more but to play videogames and watch television. But when you’re a kid, parents have a way of getting what they want; so the triplets sat in the back of the car begging to be taken back home. Oh my, did I mention triplets! Yes, and what similar boys they were. Even your eyes could not tell the difference: they dressed the same, ate the same things, and even spoke the same way too. This caused some disagreement between the brothers who thought they were just copies of one another. Even thought their parents told them otherwise, the boys did not believe them.
The car drove down a curvy road to a large white farmhouse. Grandpa and Grandma Jenkins were ready to great them. Grandpa was the first to welcome the boys with open arms.
“Hey, Bobby how’s it going?”
“I’m Brian,” said the boy quickly.
“Oh,” replied Grandpa, who was slightly embarrassed, “well its good to see you. And Brandon,” he said look at the next boy,” you’ve grown up since the last time I saw you.”
“I’m Bobby.” said the young lad.
Grandpa scratched his head.
“Just as confusing as it was last year.” he said slightly shaking his head. “Well, there’s no point in twisting my brian over the matter. Come on boys Grandma has some nice homemade lemonade waiting inside for you.”
After saying goodbye to their mother and father, the triplets raced to the farmhouse for some of that fresh lemonade. By and by the boys were taken to the fair and fishing on the lake, but when Sunday morning arrived church was the destination for the Jenkins household. In Sunday school, the boys memorized a verse from the Bible; and it was easy for them to do, for they were very smart. The verse ran like so:
Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.
Bobby, Brian, and Brandon wondered what it has meant and on the way home they asked.
“Well, now,” said Grandpa, “Its as simple as making lemonade. God has created us all uniquely. We are all different and have different things to do for God.”
The triplets looked at one another doubtfully.
“Not us.” they said in unison.
A few hours later Grandpa and Grandma were baking cookies in the kitchen. The boys came running in, guided by the aroma of the sweet treats.
“COOKIES!” they said as they jumped up and down excitedly.
Grandma, who has been silent for most of this tale, took this time to help the boys understand a most valuable lesson.
“I never thought my grandsons would make my heart so sad.”
“We would never do that,” said Brain.
“But you have. You don’t believe God has made you special.”
“Look at us,” said Brandon. “We are exactly alike. We even have the same gap between our front teeth.”
The boys smiled, which made their grandparents giggle.
“But I can tell you apart easily.” said Grandma.
“Bet you can’t” said Bobby.
So the triplets ran around the kitchen mixing themselves up the best they could. Once they were done, Grandma took three plain looking star cookies giving them to the correct boy as she called their names.
“You did it,” said Brian, “But how?”
“I know you,” said Grandma Jenkins, “just like God does. Brian take a bite out of your cookie.”
He did so and found that it was flavored like cinnamon.
Brandon bit into his.
“Umm, vanilla!”
And finally Bobby took a bite out of his cookie.
“Banana, my favorite!”
“Each cookie looks the same,” said Grandma Jenkins, ” but they have their own flavor. Each batch has a different purpose too: the cinnamon batch will go to the kindergarden class down on Maple lane, the vanilla batch will be sold to help the church, and the banana batch will go to the local food bank.” Grandma Jenkins gave the boys a big hung. “Bobby, Brian, and Brandon, my dears, you may look the same, but each of you have a unique flavor and purpose that God created in you. Never, never forget that.”
The next morning the triplet’s parents came to pick them up. After hugging their grandparents they entered the car and left the farmhouse. Now, I’m not one to read minds nor am I very wise man, but I believe the triplets learned a great deal more abut themselves than what videogames and television could ever had taught them.
