Chapter 7
Meanwhile, Dingo was feeling miserable. His life seemed to be nothing but a daily grind of work, and he was enjoying it less and less. Why hadn't he accepted ozEkoala's offer of help? Why was he shutting her out? He had been wrong to think he could handle it on his own, but how could he admit it now? Nothing would work that day. He ruined several beautiful pieces of timber before he admitted defeat and packed up his tools in disgust. He'd just have to go and see ozEkoala and apologise... swallow his pride, ask for help... whatever it took. When he arrived at the gumtree, hot and out of breath, he noticed the door to his workroom was ajar. Forgoing the lure of a refreshing cup of ozE's gumleaf tea at the house, he detoured and headed for his room. When he poked his muzzle through the door, he was shocked at what he saw. The new employee was sitting at his workbench! "What are you doing in here, mate!? This is my room and I don't like anyone being in here... C'mon - out!" "I've been expecting you," said the man calmly. "Wadda ya mean? I didn't even know I was comin' here meself until 5 minutes ago. Who's been running around spying on me?" Dingo was getting belligerent because he was feeling threatened. He liked this new bloke, but he had a strange way about him, that was for sure. "I wanted to have a word with you privately. ozEkoala has been very concerned about you. She thinks you might be doubting the truth of the manuscript." "No! No... I haven't. It just doesn't seem to be relevant to where I'm at... you know. God doesn't understand me." "That is inconceivable." "Well, I feel like He doesn't... All those rules and things. They make me nervous." "Perfect love drives out all fear, Dingo. You have nothing to fear from God if you trust and obey him." "But that's just the point - I can't obey all those rules. The harder I try the worse it gets!" "Ah, I see you haven't understood the manuscript very well." "Why do you say that? You're right, though. I don't." "God loves you Dingo. Do you remember this part in His manuscript: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." You don't have to prove anything to God you know. Just believe what He has said in the manuscript and He will be pleased with you!" "There's more though... I'm in a bind. I just can't seem to break free of this compulsion to work. It started because I wanted to be as good as ozEkoala, but now I don't even know why I'm doing it anymore... and I can't stop. I've tried."
Dingo pounced on her, instinctively treating her like an intruder, and pinned her to the floor. "Let go, Dingo!! It's me!" "OzE! What are you doing??" When they had sorted out their identities and excuses, they looked up to find that their companion had left the room without making a sound, and they were alone. ozEkoala ran to the door and looked around the yard but couldn't see him, so she and Dingo went up the house and had some tea. They talked about what had been happening, what the man had said, what the manuscript said, what they thought Dingo should do about his problem and whatever else they could think of to say, but by the end were no closer to a solution. Dingo went home that night tired, but with a clearer conscience than when he'd arrived, thankful that at least everything was out in the open at last. ozEkoala went to sleep smiling and dreamed about mysterious men and zebra crossings.
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