Praise

I gasp, jumping back a little and then shaking my head, "Do you ever knock?"

"Uh, no hands?"

"Well, you're going to have to start announcing yourself somehow. I'm starting to get a little paranoid."

"I think you know when I'm coming."

"Perhaps, but I never know why," I say with a stiff jaw. 

"Careful, you don't want to hurt yourself." 

If he wasn't right, I would clench my teeth; but he is, so I slowly relax the muscles next to my ears and take a deep breath. 

"Why are you here? If you're looking to gloat, it won't be necessary." 

"What? You don't want me to say, 'I told you so'?" 

"If I concede that you were right, will you leave me alone?"

He starts laughing, beak open wide, wings flapping.

"That's not why you're here," I start to ask timidly, but it becomes indicative before I can add the inflection.

"No," he says in between chuckles.

I look quizzically at him, confused. 

"Not exactly."

"He loves you, you know. He just wants you to trust Him."

"I know He does."

"Remember the time when you had no plan? And you just kept walking, putting one foot into the dark before He could put another lamp at your feet? Remember how scary it was to trust someone that completely?"

"It wasn't scary, because I did trust Him. It felt good to know that someone who knew better was in control."

"..."

"Oh, so that's why you're here?"

Ever the stoic cynic, he tries to suppress a smile, "You've got it."

Humbled, I reply, "Thanks for reminding me between Sundays."

"He's taken pretty good care of you, don't you think?"

"Yes. I wish I knew why."

"Is that the only word you know? 'Why'?" 

"How did I know your new attitude wasn't going to last?"

"No, no. It's not 'how,' it's 'why'?"

I purse my lips, roll my eyes, and walk away.