Chapter 11 – The Quest
“Are you ever afraid of God?” Jackson asked as he handed Kokum her sweater. She was still sitting on the couch watching Tribal Trails. An old couple was singing a song accompanied by a guitar and Kokum had a hard time pulling her eyes away from the TV to focus on her grandson.
“Afraid of God?” she asked with a puzzled frown. I’m afraid of disobeyin’ him. He seems to have a habit of lettin’ us break all his rules and then just standin’ by to watch while we get into trouble. It used to happen to me a lot. I got real tired of bein’ in trouble all the time.”
Jackson slumped down onto the couch beside Kokum. He watched the old couple sing for a few seconds and then said, “I’m real tired of being in trouble too, but I don’t know what to do about it.” He folded his arms across his chest and hung his head in despair. Kokum didn’t say anything. She just kept watching TV.
“I read your Bible when I went to your room to get your sweater,” continued Jackson. “It said that God would send me a test. It said that the fear of God would be with me to keep me from sinning.”
Jackson sat up and leaned closer to Kokum. “I’ve tried to do the right thing. Honest Kokum, I was going to tell the truth about the bracelet but suddenly I started lying and blamed Austin for stealing it. I guess I failed God’s test.”
Kokum sighed and pulled her attention away from her favorite show. She gave Jackson a long piercing look. “Maybe you need to go on a quest,” she said mysteriously.
Jackson couldn’t figure out what his grandmother was trying to say. There were all kinds of quest games online. They usually involved a journey where you searched for something really valuable. But Kokum didn’t know anything about computer games so what was she talking about?
“In the old days,” Kokum continued, “boys your age would go on a journey into wild places. They wouldn’t take any food or water with them. They would walk a long way to a solitary place and pray for a spirit to guide them.”
“Kokum! What are you saying?” asked Jackson in astonishment. “You don’t expect me to ask some spirit to help me. I don’t want those nightmares to come back again.”
“You belong to Jesus,” Kokum said quietly. “You can ask for the Great Spirit, The Holy Spirit, to guide you. He is the only spirit who can keep you from doin’ bad things every time you turn around.”
“Where should I go . . . on my quest?” asked Jackson.
“When Jesus went on a quest, he walked to a deserted place and fought with the devil there. God’s Word was his only weapon. The Bible is called ‘The Sword of the Spirit’. Maybe you should take my sword with you.”
Jackson watched Kokum struggle to get off the couch. Then she shuffled down the hall in her worn moccasins. She disappeared into her room and reappeared again with her big black Bible. “Tomorrow is Saturday. It would be a good day for a quest. Leave in the morning at sunrise. I will let your parents know what you’re doin’.”
Jackson’s heart fluttered in his chest as he took the Bible from Kokum’s wrinkled hands. He looked down at the cracked leather cover and back up into Kokum’s sharp black eyes. “But I’m supposed to go to the police station with Dad to get the bracelet situation sorted out, he said. “Won’t I get in trouble?”
“I’ll talk to your Dad,” said Kokum quietly.
Dawn smeared a blood-red line on the horizon while Jackson got ready for his quest. He stuffed a book of matches and an extra pair of wool socks into his jacket pockets. Mosom always said dry socks were the key to surviving the cold. He pulled his gloves onto his hands and picked up Kokum’s big black ‘sword’. He felt like a warrior preparing for battle.
Jackson looked out at the red sky. The wind was already starting to kick snow into angry wisps that slunk along the ground. His stomach constricted and his heart raced. It was cold out there. Where would he go? He would have to find some trees for shelter. Too bad he hadn’t made that dug-out by the river like Kokum had suggested.
“Nosisim,” Kokum’s whisper shattered his thoughts and made Jackson gasp.
“Don’t go near Luci’s house,” whispered Kokum. “There is still a dangerous man out there. Go the opposite direction . . . and wear this.” She handed him a black balaclava that his Dad wore for hunting. Then she disappeared down the dark hallway.”
“OK God,” prayed Jackson as he pulled on the balaclava. “You know I want to settle this with you once and for all. You know I want you to fill me with the fear of God that will keep me from sinning. Help me know where to go. Help me pass this test.”
As Jackson crunched through the drifts in the opposite direction of Luci’s house his thoughts were swirling around him like the snow. This must have been what it felt like in the old days when boys went on their quests. Did his ancestors feel the same kind of fear he did as they trudged over the prairie alone? Did they also feel at the mercy of the land, the weather, predators and enemies that ruled here? Were they afraid of what would happen to them on their quest or were they even more afraid that nothing at all would happen? Would he have to fight the devil today like Jesus did on his quest? Perhaps he too would come back as a warrior . . . a warrior for God.
Jackson stopped and looked up for the first time since he had started walking. His frozen lashes stuck together for a moment as he blinked in surprise. His feet had led him to the door of Kokum’s ice fishing hut. God must have brought me here, he thought as he opened the door and looked around.
The firewood he had gathered was still in a stack on the floor of the hut. The chair was in the same position. But something wasn’t quite right. What had changed? Had Kokum been there recently? The blankets had been tossed against the wall and the food box was ransacked. Candy wrappers and chip bags were scattered all over the floor.
Wait a minute! Kokum didn’t eat candy and chips. Who had been here? Why had someone been here? The lake wasn’t frozen enough to do any ice fishing and this wasn’t camping weather. Maybe someone else was on a quest, reasoned Jackson as he forced his frozen fingers to start the fire.
When the hut warmed up, Jackson opened Kokum’s Bible. The weight of it was heavy in his hands and he felt overwhelmed. “Where should I read?” he asked God silently.
“I have such a hard time understanding anything in this book,” he thought hopelessly.
Jackson tried to remember where he had been reading the night before. He knew it was near the front of the Bible. Maybe he should read something at the back of the Bible this time. The thin pages crinkled as he moved them. He read about Jesus doing miracles. He read about Jesus dying on the cross as punishment for his sin. He read about the disciples getting arrested for telling people about Jesus.
The fire started to die and Jackson got up to put more wood on it. “Where could I find something about the fear of God keeping me from sinning?” he asked God as he remembered the verse he had read the night before.
When Jackson sat down again he notice a piece of paper sticking up between two pages. “Kokum must have put it there,” thought Jackson. Maybe that’s where she was reading the Bible last. I wonder what she was reading about.”
“What causes fights and quarrels among you?” The words underlined in pink seemed to glow on the page. Jackson’s heart beat faster. He was sad about disappointing his parents and fighting with Austin. He’d like to know the answer to this question!
“Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” That was for sure true! Jackson wanted to please his parents and he wanted to impress the kids at school. There was a big battle inside him about that all the time.
“You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” Jackson’s eyes widened when he read the word ‘covet’. That was the last rule on the list he had read the night before. He didn’t know what “You shall not Covet” meant.
In this verse, it seemed to mean wanting something really bad. Like Beyonce . . . like winning the
Twilight Race . . . like the bracelet he stole . . . like getting out of trouble with the police.
It was coveting that got him into trouble every time. He wanted other things more than he wanted to obey God. What could he do?
“You do not have because you do not ask God.” This part of the verse was underlined in green instead of pink. Why did Kokum do it that way? Jackson looked closer at the word ‘ask’. Beside it, Kokum had written down ‘Luke 11:9-13/page 1117. “What kind of trick was Kokum up to now? Was this a treasure hunt?” Jackson flipped back to page 1117.
“So I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;” Jackson read the underlined words of Jesus with awe. “If you then . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
A strange stirring flowed through Jackson’s body. He knew Jesus. He had seen his power over evil spirits. He had grown up going to church. But now he knew, he just knew somehow, that he needed to ask Jesus to give him the Holy Spirit to keep him from sinning. He knew he couldn’t beat this coveting thing by himself no matter how hard he tried.
“OK God, It’s me, Jackson. I need the Holy Spirit. I need him right now to keep me from coveting and breaking all your rules. I can’t do this without you so I sure hope this prayer gets answered.”
Jackson lowered his head toward page 1117 again. Kokum had written something else in the margin. Romans 5 / page 1209.
Jackson turned there and read the underlined words. As he read about Jesus dying for all the wrong things we have done so we could have peace with God, he felt waves of love flow out of him and into him. The little ice fishing shack seemed to glow with warmth that had nothing to do with the tiny fire.
“. . . but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
For the first time, Jackson understood that all the misadventures of the past few months had been allowed by God to bring him here to this place where he knew he needed to ask for the help of the Holy Spirit. That was the test he had read about last night. Would he ask the Holy Spirit help him to keep from doing bad things or would he try to fumble through life on his own?
Jackson glowed with satisfaction. He had just asked the Holy Spirit to help him. He had passed the most important test of his entire life!
Suddenly, the thin plywood wall of the fishing hut rattled violently. “Is that the wind?” Jackson looked up from his prayers. “Is it my imagination or is there something out there? Jackson strained to hear the sounds outside. Was that a wolf sniffing and panting round the base of the shack?”
Jackson saw a dark shadow pass by the cracks of the door opening. He heard the creature circle the hut again in the crunchy snow. A low growl froze Jackson to the chair. Then all was quiet.
Jackson didn’t know how long he sat there looking at the flimsy door. Kokum’s story about the wolves and the deer flooded into his mind. He hoped the wolf was pursuing a dear and not him; then a new sound came to his attention. What was that? Footsteps? Was the deer coming this way? No, those were human footsteps. Who could it be?
At that very moment, the door burst open and threw a swirl of ice and snow into Jackson’s face. The huge figure of a man was outlined against the winter glare outside. The little fire wavered in the cold blast of air, reflected weakly off a gun barrel in the man’s hand and threw a light onto the man’s face. It was Luci’s Dad!
“Stay where you are,” he growled. The gun was pointed right at Jackson by this time. A wild howl could be heard in the distance as Luci’s dad shut the door with his foot. The howling and barking grew louder. Jackson heard several other pairs of boots crunching through the snow.
“This is the police! Come out of there with your hands up, “commanded Officer Terry’s voice, from just outside the hut.
Luci’s dad glanced at Jackson and leaned on the door. He cocked his gun and yelled. “I’ve got a boy in here. If you shoot at me I’ll put a bullet in his head first.”
There was a long silence. The tension in the air terrified Jackson. “God . . . do you see the situation I’m in? Help me!”
“Who’s in there with you?” asked Officer Terry?
Somehow Jackson found the courage to call out, “It’s me, Jackson Little-Light.”
Suddenly Jackson heard a roar that had nothing to do with dogs or wolves. It was followed by a loud crack as the door of the hut broke into splinters and his Mosom fell through the opening. There was fire in his eyes. Mosom’s wild entrance knocked Luci’s dad onto the floor. The gun clattered against the wall. Mosom punched the murder suspect in the face and pinned him to the ground.
Officer Terry walked quickly to the far end of the shack and picked up the gun. When he had put the safety on, he looked over at Mosom. “You crazy old Indian, he scowled. “You could have got yourself killed!”
I told you I would protect my grandson with my life,” panted Mosom.
Officer Terry handcuffed Luci’s Dad and led him into the frozen world outside. The police dog’s tail wagged vigorously as he escorted them to the waiting car.
Mosom brushed himself off and started straightening up the mess he had made of Kokum’s ice fishing hut. He picked her Bible off the floor and closed it gently. A small frown creased his weathered forehead. He looked at the Bible and then at Jackson. “What were you doing here?” he asked.
“Becoming a warrior,” answered Jackson.
LET’S THINK ABOUT IT
Read Exodus 20:17 What is coveting?
What did Jackson want when he was tempted to buy Indian Medicine from Rayna?
What did Jackson want when his iPad game became the most important thing in his life?
What did Jackson want when he misused the name of God?
What did Jackson want when he skipped church to practice running?
What did Jackson want when he disobeyed his parents and ran in the Twilight Race?
What did Luci’s dad want when he committed murder?
What did the dead guy want that caused him to commit adultery?
What did Jackson want when he stole the bracelet?
What did Jackson want when he tried to blame the theft on Austin?
Can you think of a time when wanting something led you into trouble?
Read Proverbs19:23 What does the fear of The Lord lead to?
Read Isaiah 11:2, 3 Where does the fear (or respect) of The Lord come from?
Read Matthew 4:1-11 Where did Jesus go on his ‘quest’? What did he take with him? When Satan tempted Jesus to covet things, how did Jesus fight him? What was his weapon?
What did Jackson take with him on his quest? How did it help him?
Read 1 Timothy 6:12-14 What kind of warrior did Jackson decide to become?
Will Jackson be able to keep following God in the future? Will he continue to be a mighty warrior for God? Read what happens to Jackson when moves to the city and gets involved with gangs in his next big adventure: Jackson Little-Light Joins A Gang.
About The Author
Ellen Hooge’s inspiration for Jackson Little-Light’s story comes from her Grandmother. She was a woman who loved Jesus, her 28 grandkids, her First Nation friends and telling stories about her prairie childhood.
Ellen and her husband Jack have worked and lived alongside the First Nations community for over 30 years. They and their four daughters have had many great adventures with their Aboriginal friends that just beg to be told. So it’s time to pass on some stories to the next generation of kids. Many of Jackson’s experiences are based on true events!
Find more resources for First Nations Kids at:
https://www.pathfindersbibleadventures.com
About The Illustrator
Ray Keighley is a well know
n Cree/Metis artist who was born and raised in the foothills of Alberta and who has family roots on the Sucker River Reserve north of Lac La Ronge, Saskatchewan.
Art has been an integral part of Keighley’s life since early childhood and in 1988 he graduated with a BFA from the University of Saskatchewan. He now lives and works in Warman, Saskatchewan Canada.
He has worked with kids’ art programs through the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon, Art Smart Saskatchewan, the city of Saskatoon and individual schools. He is excited to be able to illustrate Jackson Little-Light’s adventures as a way to share his faith in Jesus.
His work can be found on his website:
https://www.rkeighley.com
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