This is the last devotion I have for now. I will be getting back to writing stories and my regular list of writing prompts shortly (with an occasional devotion or reflection).
1 Corinthians 1: 10-17 introduce the term "sectarianism." To my understanding, it is the label that certain branches of Christians use to distinguish themselves from other Christians. For example, Baptists differ from Lutherans, but Calvinites also exist. Mennonite and Mormon deviate out even farther from Christianity. It can get confusing to think about which one is the "right" approach. There are several different versions of the Bible to consider, different interpretations, historical context translating into current time periods, and literal vs. figurative ideas. How are we supposed to get it right? I don't think we ever can.
1 Corinthians 3: 1-14 continue the discussion a little farther. I believe Paul is trying to say that sometimes, our differences don't matter. At least Christians are better than non-believers. We shouldn't judge or condemn others when God is the only rightful person to do this. Can you imagine what could be accomplished if we could all work together? We are on the same "side" after all.
Showing posts with label New Testament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Testament. Show all posts
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Day 116: I am the Creation
This verse selection comes from Romans 9:17-23, which is as follows.
22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
Everything God does to you or for you, whether good or bad) is willed and intended by Him to be used a lesson to bring you closer to Him. We have no real control over our lives. God does because He created us. He has planned out our lives from before we were born. Our lives resemble a quilt or a clay pot. We can take comfort in this because God's will is the best for us. That means that the best things will happen in our lives.
There is a poem called “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson about a man who tried to run from God, only to find that God kept pursuing him like a hound. It teaches that God strips us of pleasure so we learn that all the real pleasure and joy is in His arms. All things in this world are vanities. Once we accept this and are reunited with God and His plan for us, we can do great things!
For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For
this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in
you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16) 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
Everything God does to you or for you, whether good or bad) is willed and intended by Him to be used a lesson to bring you closer to Him. We have no real control over our lives. God does because He created us. He has planned out our lives from before we were born. Our lives resemble a quilt or a clay pot. We can take comfort in this because God's will is the best for us. That means that the best things will happen in our lives.
There is a poem called “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson about a man who tried to run from God, only to find that God kept pursuing him like a hound. It teaches that God strips us of pleasure so we learn that all the real pleasure and joy is in His arms. All things in this world are vanities. Once we accept this and are reunited with God and His plan for us, we can do great things!
Day 115: Romans 6 & Sin
Now for some devotionals!
Paul is such an inspirational man. He's spirited, bold in the truth, humble to God, and filled with such love in his heart for both fellow Christians and the stubborn Jews. In Romans 6:2, he urges Christians to be dead to sin now, for "...How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it." How can we participate in sinful behavior when we are Christians? Christians don't do such things any more. We have to be examples for others. Once you think about it, that is a lot of pressure on us, but God allows slip-ups. We can't be perfect all the time, but we should try as best we can. When we made the decision to become Christians, we made a commitment to live God's way, not ours.
You might be thinking, "But some sins are so hard to overcome." In verse 14, Paul says, "...sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." Likewise, 1 Cor. 10:13, he later says that God will always provide a way out of your temptation. If that does not encourage you, remember that because we are under grace, we answer to someone higher than on earth. The grace God gives us leaves us indebted to Him.
In verse 21, Paul asks, "What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death." What benefits did come from sinning? For example, did I have any good, lasting fruit from being selfish, mad, or lazy? No, I only got in worse trouble and regret. What about when I was being giving or loving? Sometimes the hard path may not be easy to get onto, but it is worth it once you're on it.
Paul is such an inspirational man. He's spirited, bold in the truth, humble to God, and filled with such love in his heart for both fellow Christians and the stubborn Jews. In Romans 6:2, he urges Christians to be dead to sin now, for "...How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it." How can we participate in sinful behavior when we are Christians? Christians don't do such things any more. We have to be examples for others. Once you think about it, that is a lot of pressure on us, but God allows slip-ups. We can't be perfect all the time, but we should try as best we can. When we made the decision to become Christians, we made a commitment to live God's way, not ours.
You might be thinking, "But some sins are so hard to overcome." In verse 14, Paul says, "...sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace." Likewise, 1 Cor. 10:13, he later says that God will always provide a way out of your temptation. If that does not encourage you, remember that because we are under grace, we answer to someone higher than on earth. The grace God gives us leaves us indebted to Him.
In verse 21, Paul asks, "What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death." What benefits did come from sinning? For example, did I have any good, lasting fruit from being selfish, mad, or lazy? No, I only got in worse trouble and regret. What about when I was being giving or loving? Sometimes the hard path may not be easy to get onto, but it is worth it once you're on it.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Day 97: Lost and Found
"Sometimes in life you have to lose something in order to find it." My mother said this in her yoga class the other day, and the more I hear it, the more I love it. It can be relatable to so many situations. For example...
- My sister says it's her sanity, probably due to the stress that comes from too many responsibilities or tough math problems. I've experienced the pressure that makes you want to throw in the towel. It's through these times that push you to the edge that you get some clarity. Think of Thomas Edison. You struggle and keep coming up with the wrong answer. Nothing seems to work. Your "sanity" could be your patience or ideas. Then, when you think you've exhausted all your strength, you get success and "find" the answer.
- Sometimes when you lose something, you have an epiphany on the journey that it takes for you to find it.
- The most important example is found in Luke 15 with Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son. He lost all he had before he found the truth. This tends to be true for most people before they become Christians. It also reminds me of Britt Nicole's song, "Lost Get Found."
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Day 90: He is Risen!
Based on Matthew 28: 1-6 and Mark 16: 1-6.
Tiberius let out a huge yawn as he leaned against his spear. Not even the most athletic, strong Roman soldier in Jerusalem could defeat those endless yawned that creep up on you. What could you expect though after staying up most of the night. He poked Procleus with his foot, who was sleeping in front of the large stone sealing the tomb's entrance.
"Wake up! It's your turn to take the next shift!"
The burly man growled and cocked his helmet off from his eyes. "It's not even dawn yet, Tiberius! You agreed we'd switch shifts at daylight!"
"But I can barely keep my eyes open, Procleus. Come on!"
The man groaned again as he stood up. "I don't know why we have to watch this blasted tomb anyways. It's just a dead guy. Who's going to want to even go there with the smell of rotting flesh, let alone have any interest in stealing a bag of bones? No one can open the tomb anyways. This stone was sealed in front of it at least five times."
"I know what you mean. There's only been two people who came by in the past three days. One of them was his mother!"
Procleus shook his head as he stood up and stretched. "I don't understand our leaders sometimes."
"We don't have to. Our orders are only to obey." Tiberius laid his spear aside and nudged Procleus' arm right before he was going to sit down. "Look." He pointed to the horizon. "Dawn's light. We're trading off right after all."
Suddenly, the ground trembled right under their feet. Stones clattered loudly against other rocks on the dirt. The trees shook violently, and some even became uprooted. Dirt started slipping into the tiny cracks that were forming not one foot from their feet. Then, behind their heads, came the most terrifying cracking noise they had ever heard.
"Tiberius, look out!" The Roman soldier shoved his comrade out of the way as the round stone cracked symmetrical up the middle and began falling to the ground.
They yelled as they ran away and tried to keep their balance. The rock landed with a loud thud, and the earthquake stopped. The two soldiers breathed heavily and stared dumbfounded at the tomb and broken stone.
Tiberius was the first one with enough courage to investigate. He walked a few steps forward before he stopped again. A light shone from inside the tomb. Tiberius looked back at Procleus, who wore the face of terror. Tiberius looked back at the cave. The light was gone. Both men stayed paused for minute, waiting for something else to happen. When nothing came, they both cautiously approached the tomb, grabbing their weapons as quickly as possible. Tiberius motioned that on "three," they would look inside. Procleus nodded in agreement with the plan. The sunlight was bright enough for them to see that all that was inside the tomb was a white burial robe.
Both men hustled out as soon as humanly possible.
"Did you see any body?"
"No," Procleus answered in a half-whisper. "I didn't hear anyone come up."
"Neither did I."
Then, in the blink of an eye, an angel dressed in white stood in front of the two men. They yelled and jumped back from sheer surprise, which turned immediately to fright when they saw the man shone brighter than any light they had ever seen.
"Jesus has risen from the dead," he smiled. "Isn't that amazing? Praise the Lord!" His voice was illustrious, melodic, and authoritative, but it was just enough to push the men over. Both fainted on the spot. The angel chuckled and entered Jesus' tomb to sit at the edge of the coffin. Daylight had fully broken now, and three women on donkeys could be seen riding towards the tomb.
Tiberius let out a huge yawn as he leaned against his spear. Not even the most athletic, strong Roman soldier in Jerusalem could defeat those endless yawned that creep up on you. What could you expect though after staying up most of the night. He poked Procleus with his foot, who was sleeping in front of the large stone sealing the tomb's entrance.
"Wake up! It's your turn to take the next shift!"
The burly man growled and cocked his helmet off from his eyes. "It's not even dawn yet, Tiberius! You agreed we'd switch shifts at daylight!"
"But I can barely keep my eyes open, Procleus. Come on!"
The man groaned again as he stood up. "I don't know why we have to watch this blasted tomb anyways. It's just a dead guy. Who's going to want to even go there with the smell of rotting flesh, let alone have any interest in stealing a bag of bones? No one can open the tomb anyways. This stone was sealed in front of it at least five times."
"I know what you mean. There's only been two people who came by in the past three days. One of them was his mother!"
Procleus shook his head as he stood up and stretched. "I don't understand our leaders sometimes."
"We don't have to. Our orders are only to obey." Tiberius laid his spear aside and nudged Procleus' arm right before he was going to sit down. "Look." He pointed to the horizon. "Dawn's light. We're trading off right after all."
Suddenly, the ground trembled right under their feet. Stones clattered loudly against other rocks on the dirt. The trees shook violently, and some even became uprooted. Dirt started slipping into the tiny cracks that were forming not one foot from their feet. Then, behind their heads, came the most terrifying cracking noise they had ever heard.
"Tiberius, look out!" The Roman soldier shoved his comrade out of the way as the round stone cracked symmetrical up the middle and began falling to the ground.
They yelled as they ran away and tried to keep their balance. The rock landed with a loud thud, and the earthquake stopped. The two soldiers breathed heavily and stared dumbfounded at the tomb and broken stone.
Tiberius was the first one with enough courage to investigate. He walked a few steps forward before he stopped again. A light shone from inside the tomb. Tiberius looked back at Procleus, who wore the face of terror. Tiberius looked back at the cave. The light was gone. Both men stayed paused for minute, waiting for something else to happen. When nothing came, they both cautiously approached the tomb, grabbing their weapons as quickly as possible. Tiberius motioned that on "three," they would look inside. Procleus nodded in agreement with the plan. The sunlight was bright enough for them to see that all that was inside the tomb was a white burial robe.
Both men hustled out as soon as humanly possible.
"Did you see any body?"
"No," Procleus answered in a half-whisper. "I didn't hear anyone come up."
"Neither did I."
Then, in the blink of an eye, an angel dressed in white stood in front of the two men. They yelled and jumped back from sheer surprise, which turned immediately to fright when they saw the man shone brighter than any light they had ever seen.
"Jesus has risen from the dead," he smiled. "Isn't that amazing? Praise the Lord!" His voice was illustrious, melodic, and authoritative, but it was just enough to push the men over. Both fainted on the spot. The angel chuckled and entered Jesus' tomb to sit at the edge of the coffin. Daylight had fully broken now, and three women on donkeys could be seen riding towards the tomb.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Day 89: Resurrection of the Saints
Based on Matthew 27: 52-53.
A loud coughing could be heard deep in a cave, right after the earthquake ended that erupted after Jesus breathed His last. A white linen-clad body slowly sat up.
"It's dark. What is this this over my eyes?" The mummy removed the bandage that covered his eyes, revealing the face of John the Baptist. "I still can't see. Everything is so dark." He swung his legs over the side of his coffin like structure and stood up somewhat shakily, as though he hadn't used his legs in weeks. John saw a light in the distance that indicated the beginning of the cave. He walked towards it and thought hard about how he got there. He could not remember.
"What's the last thing I do remember? I was... in Herod's jail. Then he called to see me. I was led into a another room, and there was a large guard. They made me get on my knees, and I saw the guard pull out a sword. Then-"
John touched his neck. No scar could be felt. He moved his head around. It functioned perfectly. He looked at his wrists. There was no evidence that chains had chaffed them. It was a miracle. John jumped up and praised God.
In another tomb, a man slowly rose from what had been his resting place for the past...the decades were too numerous to count. He groaned as he took his bandages off and coughed from the dust that arose.
"Oohh, where am I?" The greyed man stared at his surroundings. "A tomb? Yes, that makes sense. I believe I even remember dying, but...what am I still doing here? Now?"
Puzzled, Samuel decided to look around outside. He shielded his eyes from the bright sun.
"Gah! I haven't felt the sun in years!" He blinked as his eyes adjusted, and he nearly had a heart attack. "The land looks so different! So many houses, and they're so funny-looking! And what's that? A temple? It's marvelous! Wait a minute." The old man bent his legs a few times.
"They don't hurt me." He bent down and touched his toes. "Haha! This is amazing!!" He even started to run around. He smiled and laughed as he felt the breeze in his face and no pain at all.
"It's like I'm a new man! God is good!" He stopped short again and felt his stomach. "Man, I'm starving!"
One man walked out of his tomb and seemed to know that he had risen from the dead. He was whispering prayers of thanksgiving to God. When he saw the dark clouds outside, he stopped short and stared towards Golgotha at the three wooden crosses. "I knew I was right. God told me the truth all along. Precious Savior!" Isaiah fell to his knees and wept tears of wonder, thanksgiving, and sorrow for the death of the Son of God.
This was just a few examples of the hundreds of saints that rose to life again on the day Jesus died. These saints stayed close by their tombs until the day Jesus rose from the dead. Without even knowing, they felt it was safe to venture out into town on that day. Most of the older saints went unnoticed by the people that passed them. The Jews didn't know exactly what the saints looked like. The younger ones, those who died several years to a few days ago, gave the people of Jerusalem more of a scare. Here are some of the reactions.
"Ahh! J-J-Jude, you're here! Standing right in front of me!"
"I'm sure I saw him! It was John the Baptist! He walked right past me, and I clearly saw his face!"
"There's this strange man that was talking to me earlier today that acted like he'd never seen the city before. He was dressed in dated, peculiar clothes."
"I think I've been out in the sun too long."
"First, Jesus risen from the dead, and now His followers and the saints, what a miracle! Praise God!"
"I..just got scolded... from the prophet Isaiah. I think I have some praying to do."
A loud coughing could be heard deep in a cave, right after the earthquake ended that erupted after Jesus breathed His last. A white linen-clad body slowly sat up.
"It's dark. What is this this over my eyes?" The mummy removed the bandage that covered his eyes, revealing the face of John the Baptist. "I still can't see. Everything is so dark." He swung his legs over the side of his coffin like structure and stood up somewhat shakily, as though he hadn't used his legs in weeks. John saw a light in the distance that indicated the beginning of the cave. He walked towards it and thought hard about how he got there. He could not remember.
"What's the last thing I do remember? I was... in Herod's jail. Then he called to see me. I was led into a another room, and there was a large guard. They made me get on my knees, and I saw the guard pull out a sword. Then-"
John touched his neck. No scar could be felt. He moved his head around. It functioned perfectly. He looked at his wrists. There was no evidence that chains had chaffed them. It was a miracle. John jumped up and praised God.
In another tomb, a man slowly rose from what had been his resting place for the past...the decades were too numerous to count. He groaned as he took his bandages off and coughed from the dust that arose.
"Oohh, where am I?" The greyed man stared at his surroundings. "A tomb? Yes, that makes sense. I believe I even remember dying, but...what am I still doing here? Now?"
Puzzled, Samuel decided to look around outside. He shielded his eyes from the bright sun.
"Gah! I haven't felt the sun in years!" He blinked as his eyes adjusted, and he nearly had a heart attack. "The land looks so different! So many houses, and they're so funny-looking! And what's that? A temple? It's marvelous! Wait a minute." The old man bent his legs a few times.
"They don't hurt me." He bent down and touched his toes. "Haha! This is amazing!!" He even started to run around. He smiled and laughed as he felt the breeze in his face and no pain at all.
"It's like I'm a new man! God is good!" He stopped short again and felt his stomach. "Man, I'm starving!"
One man walked out of his tomb and seemed to know that he had risen from the dead. He was whispering prayers of thanksgiving to God. When he saw the dark clouds outside, he stopped short and stared towards Golgotha at the three wooden crosses. "I knew I was right. God told me the truth all along. Precious Savior!" Isaiah fell to his knees and wept tears of wonder, thanksgiving, and sorrow for the death of the Son of God.
This was just a few examples of the hundreds of saints that rose to life again on the day Jesus died. These saints stayed close by their tombs until the day Jesus rose from the dead. Without even knowing, they felt it was safe to venture out into town on that day. Most of the older saints went unnoticed by the people that passed them. The Jews didn't know exactly what the saints looked like. The younger ones, those who died several years to a few days ago, gave the people of Jerusalem more of a scare. Here are some of the reactions.
"Ahh! J-J-Jude, you're here! Standing right in front of me!"
"I'm sure I saw him! It was John the Baptist! He walked right past me, and I clearly saw his face!"
"There's this strange man that was talking to me earlier today that acted like he'd never seen the city before. He was dressed in dated, peculiar clothes."
"I think I've been out in the sun too long."
"First, Jesus risen from the dead, and now His followers and the saints, what a miracle! Praise God!"
"I..just got scolded... from the prophet Isaiah. I think I have some praying to do."
Friday, March 29, 2013
Day 88: Good Friday
Heaven, for the second and last time in history, was completely and utterly sad. The first time was when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. The sadness God had felt that His precious creations had sinned had permeated through the air. Now, the angels felt this same thick, depressing atmosphere, but it was unlike anything they had ever experienced. They knew this day would come, but they hadn't expected for heaven to feel so...empty. Every single angel felt some level of sadness. The more cheerful ones tried to keep themselves busy by pruning the Tree of Life. Some of the older angels, wanting to be more industrious, had started making sure there were plenty of rooms available for the huge amount of residents they would be expecting shortly. A majority of the angels could only sit on the clouds, with their legs dangling, or fly back and forth and pace, distraught.
They knew better than to disturb God right now. He was saddest He had ever felt. God is never helpless, but in human terms, this would be the closest word to describing Him right now. His most precious and only Son Jesus, the One had forever existed with Him, was below Him suffering the worst pain imaginable on the cross. The life was draining right in front of His eyes. The pain quivered through every muscle of Jesus' body, and fatigue from the lack of sleep, physical exhaustion, and pain were etched in the shadows of His hollow face. God felt every pain Jesus did, although it wasn't as intense. God wanted more than anything else in the world to snatch His Son right from that cross and place Him safely in His arms. He missed Him terribly. In the very least, He wanted to send more angels down to strengthen Him and remove some of His pain. But God could not do any of that. This was the only way the rest of His dear children could be saved and come into heaven. God missed them just as much. All Jesus had to comfort Him was God's promises, which were strong, but not quite the same. God's heart ached more, and He forced Himself to turn His back on Jesus again. The Lord's cries below echoed in the ears of the Lord above.
The clouds surrounding the Creator grew even darker. The angels shook; they couldn't even see His throne room anymore. Some of the angels couldn't take the grief any longer and began shedding tears that splashed onto earth. Combined with God's intense grief was His growing anger towards those who had harmed His Son and refused to believe in Jesus, to believe in Him. This anger was manifested in the form of an earthquake.
Even though heaven was a scary place for these few brief hours, the angels remembered that this moment was going to lead to something greater than they could possibly imagine. New guests would be coming, Jesus would be with them soon, and heaven would have the greatest triumph over Satan.
They knew better than to disturb God right now. He was saddest He had ever felt. God is never helpless, but in human terms, this would be the closest word to describing Him right now. His most precious and only Son Jesus, the One had forever existed with Him, was below Him suffering the worst pain imaginable on the cross. The life was draining right in front of His eyes. The pain quivered through every muscle of Jesus' body, and fatigue from the lack of sleep, physical exhaustion, and pain were etched in the shadows of His hollow face. God felt every pain Jesus did, although it wasn't as intense. God wanted more than anything else in the world to snatch His Son right from that cross and place Him safely in His arms. He missed Him terribly. In the very least, He wanted to send more angels down to strengthen Him and remove some of His pain. But God could not do any of that. This was the only way the rest of His dear children could be saved and come into heaven. God missed them just as much. All Jesus had to comfort Him was God's promises, which were strong, but not quite the same. God's heart ached more, and He forced Himself to turn His back on Jesus again. The Lord's cries below echoed in the ears of the Lord above.
The clouds surrounding the Creator grew even darker. The angels shook; they couldn't even see His throne room anymore. Some of the angels couldn't take the grief any longer and began shedding tears that splashed onto earth. Combined with God's intense grief was His growing anger towards those who had harmed His Son and refused to believe in Jesus, to believe in Him. This anger was manifested in the form of an earthquake.
Even though heaven was a scary place for these few brief hours, the angels remembered that this moment was going to lead to something greater than they could possibly imagine. New guests would be coming, Jesus would be with them soon, and heaven would have the greatest triumph over Satan.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Day 87: Mount of Olives
Peter, James, and John followed close behind Jesus as he lead them through the trees of Gethsemane. It was dark was out, and their torches flickered in the light breeze, which was also accented with olive scent. In the daylight, this was one of the most scenic places. It was no mystery why Jesus liked to visit it often. It was usually undisturbed, making it a quiet, peaceful place to reflect and pray. The disciples assumed that was what Jesus wanted to do there, but it was unusual for them to visit at night. Yet, it was not quite unusual that Jesus signaled them out to accompany Him. They had been with Jesus during the Transfiguration. He seemed to favor them. They didn't mind it too much. They liked getting the extra attention from Him; it made them feel important. There was something in the back of their minds though that reminded them perhaps Jesus signaled them out because they were the best ones to handle the biggest trials.
Tonight could have been one such trial. The three disciples were still somber after Jesus' speech to them at the Passover meal. They were still confused by parts of what He had said. John secretly intended to write down as much of Jesus' words as possible so he could never forget them. They didn't dare speak a word. It was extremely unusual that Jesus, the most hopeful of them all, would be so distressed. Their hearts ached for Him, but they didn't know what they could say to help them. What can you say to comfort the Son of God? To tell you the truth, they were scared.
Once the four men had traveled a good five minutes away from the other disciples (Mark 14:32), Jesus stopped in a small clearing. There was a large-crowned tree with a rock and some other trees nearby. He turned around to His three remaining disciples. "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch. Pray that you may not enter into temptation." (Mark 14:34 and Luke 22:40).
Peter, James, and John nodded and sat down underneath the large tree and watched as Jesus walked towards the other trees yards away.
"I wish there was something we could do for him," John said.
"I suppose pray, as he said," his brother replied.
"But what do you suppose he meant by not entering temptation? Tempted by what?" Peter demanded.
John shrugged. "Maybe he knows someone is coming that might tempt us to disobey him."
"But how?"
"I wish I knew."
James knelt down and started praying aloud for them, reflecting on the emotions of that night which was filling their minds. They remembered the fear of knowing they would have to suffer terrible things but not knowing what, the pain and sadness of knowing their joyous times with Jesus would come to an end, the helplessness they felt, the guilt of thinking they might have done anything to harm Him, the confusion of the bread and wine, and most importantly, the deep compassion they felt for Jesus' pain. They could see it written all over His face. The Master was innocent. He didn't deserve this. James voice quivered until he couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and the word, "Please" faded on his lips. John gave his brother a hug and wiped away a few tears. Even Peter, the one who hardly showed any weakness in front of anyone, sniffed loudly.
The darkness and silence was actually comforting to them, and they leaned against the tree and closed their eyes, just for a moment. It was too easy for them, and they quickly dosed off. Jesus' gentle voice startled them awake again.
He addressed the disciple closet to Him. "Simon, are you sleeping?"
All three of them started awake.
"Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14: 37-38)
They hung their heads in shame, and Jesus walked back to His spot.
"I can't believe we fell asleep!" Peter spat as he jumped to his feet.
James commented, "I didn't feel like we were asleep for an hour."
"We have been traveling all day, and tonight has been stressful for us all," John added, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"That's no excuse!" Peter replied. "I refuse to let him down." He walked a few feet away and stared into the distance, near to the area was Jesus was praying.
"What are you doing?" John asking, shifting his position under the tree.
"Keeping watch, like Jesus said."
"Good idea," James yawned. "I'll watch this side." He stood opposite from Peter.
"I'll watch from the front," John said, still sitting.
As the minutes stretched on, one by one they eyelids grew heavy. John was the first to drop. James kept yawning and fell asleep standing up. Peter paced back and forth and even jumped a little, but the longer he stared at the endless black, the harder it was to keep his eyes open. He eventually sat down because his feet were tired and fell asleep as well. At some point, each man prayed, but they did not try hard enough.
Tonight could have been one such trial. The three disciples were still somber after Jesus' speech to them at the Passover meal. They were still confused by parts of what He had said. John secretly intended to write down as much of Jesus' words as possible so he could never forget them. They didn't dare speak a word. It was extremely unusual that Jesus, the most hopeful of them all, would be so distressed. Their hearts ached for Him, but they didn't know what they could say to help them. What can you say to comfort the Son of God? To tell you the truth, they were scared.
Once the four men had traveled a good five minutes away from the other disciples (Mark 14:32), Jesus stopped in a small clearing. There was a large-crowned tree with a rock and some other trees nearby. He turned around to His three remaining disciples. "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch. Pray that you may not enter into temptation." (Mark 14:34 and Luke 22:40).
Peter, James, and John nodded and sat down underneath the large tree and watched as Jesus walked towards the other trees yards away.
"I wish there was something we could do for him," John said.
"I suppose pray, as he said," his brother replied.
"But what do you suppose he meant by not entering temptation? Tempted by what?" Peter demanded.
John shrugged. "Maybe he knows someone is coming that might tempt us to disobey him."
"But how?"
"I wish I knew."
James knelt down and started praying aloud for them, reflecting on the emotions of that night which was filling their minds. They remembered the fear of knowing they would have to suffer terrible things but not knowing what, the pain and sadness of knowing their joyous times with Jesus would come to an end, the helplessness they felt, the guilt of thinking they might have done anything to harm Him, the confusion of the bread and wine, and most importantly, the deep compassion they felt for Jesus' pain. They could see it written all over His face. The Master was innocent. He didn't deserve this. James voice quivered until he couldn't hold back the tears any longer, and the word, "Please" faded on his lips. John gave his brother a hug and wiped away a few tears. Even Peter, the one who hardly showed any weakness in front of anyone, sniffed loudly.
The darkness and silence was actually comforting to them, and they leaned against the tree and closed their eyes, just for a moment. It was too easy for them, and they quickly dosed off. Jesus' gentle voice startled them awake again.
He addressed the disciple closet to Him. "Simon, are you sleeping?"
All three of them started awake.
"Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." (Mark 14: 37-38)
They hung their heads in shame, and Jesus walked back to His spot.
"I can't believe we fell asleep!" Peter spat as he jumped to his feet.
James commented, "I didn't feel like we were asleep for an hour."
"We have been traveling all day, and tonight has been stressful for us all," John added, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"That's no excuse!" Peter replied. "I refuse to let him down." He walked a few feet away and stared into the distance, near to the area was Jesus was praying.
"What are you doing?" John asking, shifting his position under the tree.
"Keeping watch, like Jesus said."
"Good idea," James yawned. "I'll watch this side." He stood opposite from Peter.
"I'll watch from the front," John said, still sitting.
As the minutes stretched on, one by one they eyelids grew heavy. John was the first to drop. James kept yawning and fell asleep standing up. Peter paced back and forth and even jumped a little, but the longer he stared at the endless black, the harder it was to keep his eyes open. He eventually sat down because his feet were tired and fell asleep as well. At some point, each man prayed, but they did not try hard enough.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Day 36: What a Bird Saw
The Prompt: A bird is sitting on the wall as Jesus walks by
carrying his cross. What does the bird see, hear, smell? What does he
think?
A little brown bird sat on a wall enjoying the warm sunshine of the morning. He found it a little odd that it was colder than it normally was. The sun was already starting to disappear behind the clouds, and he guessed that it would rain soon. However, he was not going to let the weather spoil his good day. He continued chirping merrily away. The bird's singing was interrupted by a large mob of people gathering into the streets. It curiously watched as they started yelling and watching something coming in the distance. As the speck grew larger and larger, the little bird could see that it was a man haggardly walking and carrying a heavy burden on His back.
The man was hardly wearing any clothes; some thorns were shaped into a circle upon His head; bright red blood was trickling down His sides. Each step he took looked as if he was using his full strength. Men behind him with swords prodding him to go faster. The little bird could see the pain in this man's eyes and felt so sorry for Him. He wanted to do something to help Him, yet he didn't know what he could do. Even though the bird was afraid of the men with swords, it flew closer to the man carrying the heavy wooden burden. It hovered over the man's head and flew with Him as he walked. Upon getting a closer look, it could see that the man's back was covered with painful welts and red stripes. The sweat was dripping off of His nose, and He was now barely moving His feet. One of the men behind Him yelled again then struck the man, making Him cry out. This almost frightened the bird away, but he knew he could not leave the man yet. It could not understand why these people were being so cruel to the man, for it had never seen humans act this way before. The man's mouth seemed to have been moving, yet no sound came out. The bird could tell His pain was unbearable. Then, the bird got an idea: perhaps a song might relieve the man of some of His agony. It opened its mouth and began chirping a high-pitched, melodic tune. The man's head slowly turned towards the bird; their eyes met. Slowly, a small smile crept onto the man's face. Happy to know its plan was working, the bird sang louder. One could see that the man's pace picked up slightly. It continued to sing for a few more minutes as the man walked.
Later on, the man could not walk any farther and collapsed under the weight of His burden. The men with swords started shouting orders to find a man capable of helping to carry the burden. The bird had stopped chirping by now, but it was still hovering above the man. He looked like He was about to pass out, but when He stared at the little bird again, He nodded His head again as if to say, "Your work is done." More people started coming, and the bird reluctantly flew away. It still watched the scene long after the man had been nailed to the cross.
A little brown bird sat on a wall enjoying the warm sunshine of the morning. He found it a little odd that it was colder than it normally was. The sun was already starting to disappear behind the clouds, and he guessed that it would rain soon. However, he was not going to let the weather spoil his good day. He continued chirping merrily away. The bird's singing was interrupted by a large mob of people gathering into the streets. It curiously watched as they started yelling and watching something coming in the distance. As the speck grew larger and larger, the little bird could see that it was a man haggardly walking and carrying a heavy burden on His back.
The man was hardly wearing any clothes; some thorns were shaped into a circle upon His head; bright red blood was trickling down His sides. Each step he took looked as if he was using his full strength. Men behind him with swords prodding him to go faster. The little bird could see the pain in this man's eyes and felt so sorry for Him. He wanted to do something to help Him, yet he didn't know what he could do. Even though the bird was afraid of the men with swords, it flew closer to the man carrying the heavy wooden burden. It hovered over the man's head and flew with Him as he walked. Upon getting a closer look, it could see that the man's back was covered with painful welts and red stripes. The sweat was dripping off of His nose, and He was now barely moving His feet. One of the men behind Him yelled again then struck the man, making Him cry out. This almost frightened the bird away, but he knew he could not leave the man yet. It could not understand why these people were being so cruel to the man, for it had never seen humans act this way before. The man's mouth seemed to have been moving, yet no sound came out. The bird could tell His pain was unbearable. Then, the bird got an idea: perhaps a song might relieve the man of some of His agony. It opened its mouth and began chirping a high-pitched, melodic tune. The man's head slowly turned towards the bird; their eyes met. Slowly, a small smile crept onto the man's face. Happy to know its plan was working, the bird sang louder. One could see that the man's pace picked up slightly. It continued to sing for a few more minutes as the man walked.
Later on, the man could not walk any farther and collapsed under the weight of His burden. The men with swords started shouting orders to find a man capable of helping to carry the burden. The bird had stopped chirping by now, but it was still hovering above the man. He looked like He was about to pass out, but when He stared at the little bird again, He nodded His head again as if to say, "Your work is done." More people started coming, and the bird reluctantly flew away. It still watched the scene long after the man had been nailed to the cross.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Never Be the Same Pt. 2
I ran out of time to finish the story before the day passed. I just wanted to include a little bit of what happened afterwards.
The man moved his arm again to make sure it could still move, that it was really there. Yes, it was. He couldn't believe it! He couldn't describe the feeling he had. He felt Jesus' love and forgiveness. He had a sense of peace that seemed like it would last for an eternity. He was too excited to work anymore, so he went home, praising God and praying to him all the way.
During that time, the man got to thinking about his life. He had never really thought about forgiving himself. By not doing that, he had become a bitter man. He didn't mean to, but he knew he hadn't been kind. He resolved that he would always be more kind, compassionate, and forgiving, just as Jesus had shown him. The man knew that this was not enough. He wanted to follow Jesus.
It took him a few days to sell what he had, just as he heard he was supposed to when preparing to follow the Master. After that was done, he headed back to the town where Jesus had been. He found out He had moved on, so the man pursued Him. Before he could catch up, he found out Jesus had died, on the cross. The man was grieved, but he did not let that stop him from believing in the man and wanting to do something.
He had met a few followers of Jesus during his journey, and he lived with them. They taught him more about Jesus' teachings and how to be a follower. Through their discussions, he found out how he could dedicate his life to God. He founded a shelter for injured and sick men and women. He fed them, taught them a useful trade that they could do to make a little money for themselves, and helped them to heal spiritually. There had been this one beggar he helped soon after the shelter had opened. He was old and had a limp. The man had helped him strengthen the leg a bit and talked to him for hours to help the old man cope with his grief.
When their conversation had ended, the old man, tears in his eyes, gave the man a big hug. There was something warm and oddly familiar about it. Then the beggar whispered in his ear, "Well done, servant of God."
The next day, the beggar was gone.
This song came to mind when I thought about the prompt. I bet that's how a lot of people felt after experiencing a miracle from Jesus.
The man moved his arm again to make sure it could still move, that it was really there. Yes, it was. He couldn't believe it! He couldn't describe the feeling he had. He felt Jesus' love and forgiveness. He had a sense of peace that seemed like it would last for an eternity. He was too excited to work anymore, so he went home, praising God and praying to him all the way.
During that time, the man got to thinking about his life. He had never really thought about forgiving himself. By not doing that, he had become a bitter man. He didn't mean to, but he knew he hadn't been kind. He resolved that he would always be more kind, compassionate, and forgiving, just as Jesus had shown him. The man knew that this was not enough. He wanted to follow Jesus.
It took him a few days to sell what he had, just as he heard he was supposed to when preparing to follow the Master. After that was done, he headed back to the town where Jesus had been. He found out He had moved on, so the man pursued Him. Before he could catch up, he found out Jesus had died, on the cross. The man was grieved, but he did not let that stop him from believing in the man and wanting to do something.
He had met a few followers of Jesus during his journey, and he lived with them. They taught him more about Jesus' teachings and how to be a follower. Through their discussions, he found out how he could dedicate his life to God. He founded a shelter for injured and sick men and women. He fed them, taught them a useful trade that they could do to make a little money for themselves, and helped them to heal spiritually. There had been this one beggar he helped soon after the shelter had opened. He was old and had a limp. The man had helped him strengthen the leg a bit and talked to him for hours to help the old man cope with his grief.
When their conversation had ended, the old man, tears in his eyes, gave the man a big hug. There was something warm and oddly familiar about it. Then the beggar whispered in his ear, "Well done, servant of God."
The next day, the beggar was gone.
This song came to mind when I thought about the prompt. I bet that's how a lot of people felt after experiencing a miracle from Jesus.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Day 29: Never Be the Same
The Prompt: Write a short story regarding a person whom Jesus healed. What happened to him after the healing?
Once there was a middle-aged man who lived on the outskirts of town. He liked to keep to himself, mainly due to his injury. He didn't like to think about it much because it reminded him of his foolish past. About ten years, he had been hanging out with rebellious Israelites who wanted to break away from the Roman rule. He had never done anything rebellious himself, like some of his friends had, but he still believed in their cause and appeared to support them with his faithful presence. Then, his friends started a riot with a few Roman soldiers. There was a fierce struggle, and even the man threw a few punches at them. However, his friends drew weapons on the soldiers, who in turn drew theirs. There was more struggling, and then- The man rubbed his left shoulder, feeling the round nub. He had been able to adjust fairly well with only one arm, but he was reminded of his past every day.
That afternoon, the man was supposed to go to market to sell some of his goods. So, he packed up his donkey and traveled for a couple hours, getting there at the peak of the customers. There was an unusually large crowd gathered that day. After asking one of his fellow vendors nearby, he found out Jesus was in town. Jesus. The man had heard a great deal about that person. He was an intelligent, compassionate man, unlike anybody any person had ever met. He heard how people's lives had been transformed in one way or another. He had heard of healings too. The man thought often about Jesus healing him, but he always pushed the thought aside. He didn't deserve to be healed by Jesus.
Still, something drew him to the idea, and he could not push it away. No one was buying anything from him today anyways. So, the man packed up his things and went off to find Jesus. That was an easier task than he thought; all he had to do was follow the crowd. People all around him shouted different things to Jesus, praising the man or begging to be healed. The man was excited by their attitudes, and the closer he got, the more he could feel like he was doing the right thing.
When he caught sight of the teacher, he opened his voice and called hoarsely, "Jesus!"
Jesus looked towards him, but it appeared he couldn't make out exactly where the voice had come from.
The man tried again, in a more assertive voice this time. "Jesus!"
Jesus looked directly at him this time and, after excusing Himself, made His way through the crowd. He stood in front of the man, waiting for him to speak, but He looked kind and patient, as if He could wait for him for hours.
"Jesus, I know I'm not worthy to ask this of you, but I wanted to try. I ask for mercy, that you will heal me." He nudged his shoulder towards the Messiah.
"My son, your sins were already forgiven ten years ago. You need to forgive yourself." And with that, Jesus gave him a hug, unlike any the man had ever had in his life. When He pulled away, the man found his arm was restored.
"Your faith has made you well. Go in peace, my son."
The man was speechless, tears welling in his eyes. He mouthed, "Thank you," and Jesus simply smiled at him and walked away.
Once there was a middle-aged man who lived on the outskirts of town. He liked to keep to himself, mainly due to his injury. He didn't like to think about it much because it reminded him of his foolish past. About ten years, he had been hanging out with rebellious Israelites who wanted to break away from the Roman rule. He had never done anything rebellious himself, like some of his friends had, but he still believed in their cause and appeared to support them with his faithful presence. Then, his friends started a riot with a few Roman soldiers. There was a fierce struggle, and even the man threw a few punches at them. However, his friends drew weapons on the soldiers, who in turn drew theirs. There was more struggling, and then- The man rubbed his left shoulder, feeling the round nub. He had been able to adjust fairly well with only one arm, but he was reminded of his past every day.
That afternoon, the man was supposed to go to market to sell some of his goods. So, he packed up his donkey and traveled for a couple hours, getting there at the peak of the customers. There was an unusually large crowd gathered that day. After asking one of his fellow vendors nearby, he found out Jesus was in town. Jesus. The man had heard a great deal about that person. He was an intelligent, compassionate man, unlike anybody any person had ever met. He heard how people's lives had been transformed in one way or another. He had heard of healings too. The man thought often about Jesus healing him, but he always pushed the thought aside. He didn't deserve to be healed by Jesus.
Still, something drew him to the idea, and he could not push it away. No one was buying anything from him today anyways. So, the man packed up his things and went off to find Jesus. That was an easier task than he thought; all he had to do was follow the crowd. People all around him shouted different things to Jesus, praising the man or begging to be healed. The man was excited by their attitudes, and the closer he got, the more he could feel like he was doing the right thing.
When he caught sight of the teacher, he opened his voice and called hoarsely, "Jesus!"
Jesus looked towards him, but it appeared he couldn't make out exactly where the voice had come from.
The man tried again, in a more assertive voice this time. "Jesus!"
Jesus looked directly at him this time and, after excusing Himself, made His way through the crowd. He stood in front of the man, waiting for him to speak, but He looked kind and patient, as if He could wait for him for hours.
"Jesus, I know I'm not worthy to ask this of you, but I wanted to try. I ask for mercy, that you will heal me." He nudged his shoulder towards the Messiah.
"My son, your sins were already forgiven ten years ago. You need to forgive yourself." And with that, Jesus gave him a hug, unlike any the man had ever had in his life. When He pulled away, the man found his arm was restored.
"Your faith has made you well. Go in peace, my son."
The man was speechless, tears welling in his eyes. He mouthed, "Thank you," and Jesus simply smiled at him and walked away.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Day 11: Longing for More
The Prompt: Flesh out the woman from the well who met Jesus and gave Him some water. Who is she? Why did she divorce all her husbands and live with her boyfriend? Why did the other woman not like her? What was her name?
I tried researching an accurate name for her, maybe something that meant "lost" or "sadness", but I couldn't find anything. She shall be named The Woman. As depressing as this story is, it was rather easy to write. You can't judge a person until you've walked a mile in her shoes.
When I was fourteen, I ran away and got married. I know that might sound a little young, but what can I say? I was in love. Pah! Love has never helped me any. I thought I was in love. It turns out my first husband was selfish and saw me only as someone he wanted when he felt like it. Otherwise, he made me clean and keep house until my hands were raw. I think our marriage really fell apart after we lost our first baby during delivery. He wouldn't forgive me for being a failure as a woman. I managed to divorce him by age 17. I married my second husband soon afterwards. I thought we were happy at first, but we grew apart. We really tried to make it work, but something was always missing. I think he met someone else towards the end. I could never prove it. We divorced after four years, and I took our two-year-old son with me.
My life changed forever after I met my third husband. He was my favorite, my only love. The world seemed brighter, everything seemed better with him by my side. I'll never forget the kindness he showed to me, a poor divorcee with a hungry toddler. He could have chosen any woman much better than me to marry. Instead, he chose to love me. I'll treasure that love forever. He always treated me right, and he loved my son like he was his own. He loved our daughter the same way. It's a shame he never got to see what his own son looked like. He was killed during a mob when he went to market one day. A part of me died with him.
The days were a blur after that. Thanks to his sister's kindness, I was not alone when my third child was born. She and her husband helped us out for a few months, giving us a room to share and enough food to eat, but I could not take advantage of her kindness any longer. I left in the cover of night. It was too painful living in a town where everywhere I turned I was reminded of my dead husband.
My children and I traveled for a few days before I finally found a place that was suitable for us all to live. We lived off of the charity of others for a little while, but there is only so much that can provide for three young ones. I had to do something to help take care of them. It went against what I wanted to do in my heart, but I was a desperate woman. I found a man in town who was rich and single, and I used my womanly charm to convince him to marry me. Too bad I have poor taste in men. He was mean and reminded me of my first husband. I think he even looked on me with disdain. Again, that marriage was short-lived, and I packed up my children and left.
By this time my oldest was nearly ten, but I felt like I had aged 15 years since I had him. I tried working out in the fields for a little while, gleaning what I could. Even the children helped when they could. Everyone was so nice to me in that town too. They thought I was a widow struggling to provide for my three children, which was partially true. Why did my younger son have to let it slip that Mommy had left another man before we moved? Public opinion changed towards us after that. Yet, still there was a man who looked kindly on us, who soon became husband #5.
I really think he married me out of pity at first, but perhaps he had fallen in love with me. He did look like he had a broken heart after I told him I wanted a divorce. Sure, call me cruel and heartless if you want. Maybe I was. I was tired an worn. My heart was so scarred you couldn't find a clean spot to stick a knife in it anymore. I couldn't let anybody, not even my husband get close to me. I couldn't bear to go through what happened with my dear third husband again. That's why I refused to love. I did feel guilty after leaving him though. The kids really seemed to like him. I probably wouldn't have left him if I had known I was pregnant. I didn't find out until a couple months later.
The town thought we divorced because I had an affair. I didn't care what they thought after that. I went back to gleaning. I didn't bring home as much as I used to, even though the harvest was plentiful. I couldn't live like this forever. I had a new baby. I was beginning to think even my children hated me. They needed a provider, stability, but I couldn't get married, not again. So I hung out around various unattached men, trying to see if they liked me enough to let us hang around. I was getting old. My feminine charm wasn't as strong as it used to be, but finally it caught someone's attention.
That's where I am now. My boyfriend and I have a mutual understanding. We like each other and have a good time sometimes, but we know it's not love. He's not sure if he's ready for marriage, and I don't want it. I let him see other women, and he helps me provide for my children. I have a side job, but I'm too ashamed to tell you what it is. It helps me feed my kids, and that's all that matters.
Even though this system works well, I feel a void in my life. I'm going through the motions. I'm not living. My oldest son ran away last year. My daughter doesn't respect me. Even my younger son is starting not to love me as much. Only my toddler loves me. She doesn't know any better yet. I wish I could go back and change everything, but I can't. I just have to live with my miserable existence. No one understands. They just glare at me and remember how I treated my last husband. No forgiveness. No love. How can anyone though, when I can't even feel that way towards myself?
I tried researching an accurate name for her, maybe something that meant "lost" or "sadness", but I couldn't find anything. She shall be named The Woman. As depressing as this story is, it was rather easy to write. You can't judge a person until you've walked a mile in her shoes.
When I was fourteen, I ran away and got married. I know that might sound a little young, but what can I say? I was in love. Pah! Love has never helped me any. I thought I was in love. It turns out my first husband was selfish and saw me only as someone he wanted when he felt like it. Otherwise, he made me clean and keep house until my hands were raw. I think our marriage really fell apart after we lost our first baby during delivery. He wouldn't forgive me for being a failure as a woman. I managed to divorce him by age 17. I married my second husband soon afterwards. I thought we were happy at first, but we grew apart. We really tried to make it work, but something was always missing. I think he met someone else towards the end. I could never prove it. We divorced after four years, and I took our two-year-old son with me.
My life changed forever after I met my third husband. He was my favorite, my only love. The world seemed brighter, everything seemed better with him by my side. I'll never forget the kindness he showed to me, a poor divorcee with a hungry toddler. He could have chosen any woman much better than me to marry. Instead, he chose to love me. I'll treasure that love forever. He always treated me right, and he loved my son like he was his own. He loved our daughter the same way. It's a shame he never got to see what his own son looked like. He was killed during a mob when he went to market one day. A part of me died with him.
The days were a blur after that. Thanks to his sister's kindness, I was not alone when my third child was born. She and her husband helped us out for a few months, giving us a room to share and enough food to eat, but I could not take advantage of her kindness any longer. I left in the cover of night. It was too painful living in a town where everywhere I turned I was reminded of my dead husband.
My children and I traveled for a few days before I finally found a place that was suitable for us all to live. We lived off of the charity of others for a little while, but there is only so much that can provide for three young ones. I had to do something to help take care of them. It went against what I wanted to do in my heart, but I was a desperate woman. I found a man in town who was rich and single, and I used my womanly charm to convince him to marry me. Too bad I have poor taste in men. He was mean and reminded me of my first husband. I think he even looked on me with disdain. Again, that marriage was short-lived, and I packed up my children and left.
By this time my oldest was nearly ten, but I felt like I had aged 15 years since I had him. I tried working out in the fields for a little while, gleaning what I could. Even the children helped when they could. Everyone was so nice to me in that town too. They thought I was a widow struggling to provide for my three children, which was partially true. Why did my younger son have to let it slip that Mommy had left another man before we moved? Public opinion changed towards us after that. Yet, still there was a man who looked kindly on us, who soon became husband #5.
I really think he married me out of pity at first, but perhaps he had fallen in love with me. He did look like he had a broken heart after I told him I wanted a divorce. Sure, call me cruel and heartless if you want. Maybe I was. I was tired an worn. My heart was so scarred you couldn't find a clean spot to stick a knife in it anymore. I couldn't let anybody, not even my husband get close to me. I couldn't bear to go through what happened with my dear third husband again. That's why I refused to love. I did feel guilty after leaving him though. The kids really seemed to like him. I probably wouldn't have left him if I had known I was pregnant. I didn't find out until a couple months later.
The town thought we divorced because I had an affair. I didn't care what they thought after that. I went back to gleaning. I didn't bring home as much as I used to, even though the harvest was plentiful. I couldn't live like this forever. I had a new baby. I was beginning to think even my children hated me. They needed a provider, stability, but I couldn't get married, not again. So I hung out around various unattached men, trying to see if they liked me enough to let us hang around. I was getting old. My feminine charm wasn't as strong as it used to be, but finally it caught someone's attention.
That's where I am now. My boyfriend and I have a mutual understanding. We like each other and have a good time sometimes, but we know it's not love. He's not sure if he's ready for marriage, and I don't want it. I let him see other women, and he helps me provide for my children. I have a side job, but I'm too ashamed to tell you what it is. It helps me feed my kids, and that's all that matters.
Even though this system works well, I feel a void in my life. I'm going through the motions. I'm not living. My oldest son ran away last year. My daughter doesn't respect me. Even my younger son is starting not to love me as much. Only my toddler loves me. She doesn't know any better yet. I wish I could go back and change everything, but I can't. I just have to live with my miserable existence. No one understands. They just glare at me and remember how I treated my last husband. No forgiveness. No love. How can anyone though, when I can't even feel that way towards myself?
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Day 5: In Judas' Shoes
The Prompt: It's always good to get into the bad guy's shoes. So write a story about an evil character in the Bible; see his side of the story. Why did he do this evil deed?
I was going to write about one of the evil kings of Israel and Judah until it occurred to me that it might be more interesting (and easier) to write about Judas Iscariot, the ultimate "bad guy" instead. What caused a follower of Jesus, one of the chosen twelve, to betray the Son of God?
Judas came from a poor home, with little to no family. He was weary of life and pain and hungry for love. I'm sure after hearing Jesus speak for the first time, Judas felt entranced by this remarkable man. Jesus' words were comforting, and Judas felt compelled to follow Him. Jesus offered Judas unconditional love and acceptance. Since the disciples did not suspect who could betray Jesus, he was probably faithful follower, on the outside.
At first, Judas was on fire for Jesus and wanted to serve Him anyway he could, but he was the seed that fell on the rocks. Some things that Jesus said made him feel uncomfortable, such as your riches come from heaven and not earth or that the people who are last in life will be first. Judas pushed the thoughts out of his mind, but they still lingered like a bad taste in his mouth.
As Judas continued to do this, he became bitter and closed his heart to Jesus' teachings. He felt he was entitled to some good things in life after the miserable life he had as a child. He was tired of living the life of a servant, walking for miles with Jesus in the dirt and heat with barely any possessions. He was lucky if he got three meals a day with Jesus asking them to share what they had or rely on the generosity of others. Judas didn't understand the true meaning of following God.
When Judas took the twenty pieces of silver from the Pharisees, he felt it was time to have some money of his own for once. He was willing to betray Jesus because he was angry with Him for all the sacrificing he had endured for His name's sake. Maybe he thought deep down that Jesus could save Himself from the danger. The Pharisees couldn't really hurt Jesus. The biggest force that motivated Judas to accept the bribe could have been that he was too afraid to truly risk all for Jesus and listen to what God was whispering to his heart.
I was going to write about one of the evil kings of Israel and Judah until it occurred to me that it might be more interesting (and easier) to write about Judas Iscariot, the ultimate "bad guy" instead. What caused a follower of Jesus, one of the chosen twelve, to betray the Son of God?
Judas came from a poor home, with little to no family. He was weary of life and pain and hungry for love. I'm sure after hearing Jesus speak for the first time, Judas felt entranced by this remarkable man. Jesus' words were comforting, and Judas felt compelled to follow Him. Jesus offered Judas unconditional love and acceptance. Since the disciples did not suspect who could betray Jesus, he was probably faithful follower, on the outside.
At first, Judas was on fire for Jesus and wanted to serve Him anyway he could, but he was the seed that fell on the rocks. Some things that Jesus said made him feel uncomfortable, such as your riches come from heaven and not earth or that the people who are last in life will be first. Judas pushed the thoughts out of his mind, but they still lingered like a bad taste in his mouth.
As Judas continued to do this, he became bitter and closed his heart to Jesus' teachings. He felt he was entitled to some good things in life after the miserable life he had as a child. He was tired of living the life of a servant, walking for miles with Jesus in the dirt and heat with barely any possessions. He was lucky if he got three meals a day with Jesus asking them to share what they had or rely on the generosity of others. Judas didn't understand the true meaning of following God.
When Judas took the twenty pieces of silver from the Pharisees, he felt it was time to have some money of his own for once. He was willing to betray Jesus because he was angry with Him for all the sacrificing he had endured for His name's sake. Maybe he thought deep down that Jesus could save Himself from the danger. The Pharisees couldn't really hurt Jesus. The biggest force that motivated Judas to accept the bribe could have been that he was too afraid to truly risk all for Jesus and listen to what God was whispering to his heart.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Day 2: Confessions of a Pharisee
Day 2: Describe how a Pharisee saw Jesus standing on the steps of the temple. What did he see and hear? Use all the senses.
I had just been in the middle of my third prayer that day to the Almighty Lord, Ruler of all, when I saw him. Actually, I didn't see him right away. Someone bumped into me while trying to see him while I was praying.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you ruffian! You could have ruined my best robe." I dusted it off and carefully inspected it for any marks.
"I'm s-s-sorry, sir," the young boy stammered. He backed up a cautiously for a couple feet then turned around and continued running towards the temple.
It was then that I had become aware of the crowd gathering. Dozens of people were hastily following the boy's path. I was amazed that I could have even droned out this noise before. There were shouts of joy and desperation. The voices that mingled together made it impossible for me to think anymore, and more people were coming all the time.
"Do you see Him yet?" a young woman asked as she strained to see above the crowd.
"No," said a man, presumably her husband. "Let's move in closer."
"I hope we haven't missed too much of His teaching."
I was confused about who this man was that the crowd was hurrying to see. I doubted that it was the High Priest. I followed the throng of people and took advantage of my right to push my way through them. The closer I got to the temple, the thicker the people became. Soon I had to literally shove men out of my way to get closer. Their clothing felt coarse and damp, probably from the heat of the day. The sun had been beating over my head for a good fifteen minutes now. I was repulsed when my fingers went through some holes of one person's clothes as I was making my way through. His skin felt moist and wrinkled. I turned to see an old man with a crutch struggling to get off the ground. Other people were helping him.
A voice started to tower above the rest. It was loud yet mellow, powerful yet subdued. There was a certain warmth in it that I couldn't recognize, a warmth that comforted me in a way nothing had ever done before. I shook off the feeling and moved in closer to see this speaker. The sharp stench of sweat, disease, and the beggars was almost unbearable, but I pressed on. The voice got louder and louder, and I could finally start making out what he was saying. It was something about loving other people like yourselves. I wasn't sure what that even meant.
Then I saw him. He was dressed in average clothes. He did not possess any stunning good looks or other features. His face looked lean and worn, as if he hadn't eaten very much or slept in a while. Despite his weariness, he seemed animated as he spoke, captivating everyone including myself. Then his eyes locked on mine. They were a soft brown. It is difficult to describe what I saw in them. It was as if all the love, joy, hurt, pain, and hope in the world were wrapped up in one. I even detected a sparkle in them. But they were also piercing. I felt like he was penetrating the depths of my soul. I stood fixated. I couldn't move away from his gaze if I tried. It was the worst feeling in the world. All other noises were in the distance. Then he turned his head to look at someone else. I shook my head and started studying my surroundings again. There were one, two, three...twelve men near to him. Then it occurred to me.
"This is that Jesus fellow that everyone has been talking about." My eyes turned cold. "The fraud. He's trying to put us out of a job." I stalked away with a big huff. I never did forget those eyes. They have haunted me ever since.
I had just been in the middle of my third prayer that day to the Almighty Lord, Ruler of all, when I saw him. Actually, I didn't see him right away. Someone bumped into me while trying to see him while I was praying.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you ruffian! You could have ruined my best robe." I dusted it off and carefully inspected it for any marks.
"I'm s-s-sorry, sir," the young boy stammered. He backed up a cautiously for a couple feet then turned around and continued running towards the temple.
It was then that I had become aware of the crowd gathering. Dozens of people were hastily following the boy's path. I was amazed that I could have even droned out this noise before. There were shouts of joy and desperation. The voices that mingled together made it impossible for me to think anymore, and more people were coming all the time.
"Do you see Him yet?" a young woman asked as she strained to see above the crowd.
"No," said a man, presumably her husband. "Let's move in closer."
"I hope we haven't missed too much of His teaching."
I was confused about who this man was that the crowd was hurrying to see. I doubted that it was the High Priest. I followed the throng of people and took advantage of my right to push my way through them. The closer I got to the temple, the thicker the people became. Soon I had to literally shove men out of my way to get closer. Their clothing felt coarse and damp, probably from the heat of the day. The sun had been beating over my head for a good fifteen minutes now. I was repulsed when my fingers went through some holes of one person's clothes as I was making my way through. His skin felt moist and wrinkled. I turned to see an old man with a crutch struggling to get off the ground. Other people were helping him.
A voice started to tower above the rest. It was loud yet mellow, powerful yet subdued. There was a certain warmth in it that I couldn't recognize, a warmth that comforted me in a way nothing had ever done before. I shook off the feeling and moved in closer to see this speaker. The sharp stench of sweat, disease, and the beggars was almost unbearable, but I pressed on. The voice got louder and louder, and I could finally start making out what he was saying. It was something about loving other people like yourselves. I wasn't sure what that even meant.
Then I saw him. He was dressed in average clothes. He did not possess any stunning good looks or other features. His face looked lean and worn, as if he hadn't eaten very much or slept in a while. Despite his weariness, he seemed animated as he spoke, captivating everyone including myself. Then his eyes locked on mine. They were a soft brown. It is difficult to describe what I saw in them. It was as if all the love, joy, hurt, pain, and hope in the world were wrapped up in one. I even detected a sparkle in them. But they were also piercing. I felt like he was penetrating the depths of my soul. I stood fixated. I couldn't move away from his gaze if I tried. It was the worst feeling in the world. All other noises were in the distance. Then he turned his head to look at someone else. I shook my head and started studying my surroundings again. There were one, two, three...twelve men near to him. Then it occurred to me.
"This is that Jesus fellow that everyone has been talking about." My eyes turned cold. "The fraud. He's trying to put us out of a job." I stalked away with a big huff. I never did forget those eyes. They have haunted me ever since.
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