Take out the Papers and the Trash

[phkrause]

Little Shimmy Epstein was afraid of the dark. One night his mother asked him to take out the garbage. Little Shimmy turned to his mother and said, "Mommy, I don't want to go out there. It's dark."

The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. "You don't have to be afraid of the dark," she explained. "Hashem is out there. He'll look after you and protect you."

Little Shimmy looked at his mother real hard and asked, "Are you sure he's out there?"

"Yes, I 'm sure. Hashem is everywhere, and He is always ready to help you when you need Him," she said.

Little Shimmy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called, "Hashem? If you're out there, could you please take out the garbage?”