Should be Day 168. This story is inspired by something a guest speaker in church said. She had been at a low time her life, and she asked God for a sign, significant just to her, to remind her of His love. It was beautiful. My story will come nowhere close to hers, but this is merely to give you an idea.
Aubrey fingered the sculpted porcelain girl that was on her dresser. It was the last thing her mother had bought for her before she left. Aubrey had been so excited when she had brought it home from her stay in Europe. The girl was dressed in a striped beach dress and floppy hat sitting on a rock. Aubrey envisioned the waves lapping against the boulder and wrapping around the beach girl's ankles. Aubrey's mother had told her that they would get a chance to visit the sea together on her next trip. Too bad that never happened.
Aubrey squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to get rid of the bitter memories. She rose from the circular cushion in front of her vanity and brushed out her hair. If she didn't hurry, she'd be late for work. That was the last thing she needed right now.
Last month, her boyfriend of seven months had broken up with her because he didn't feel close to her anymore. He had claimed that she had changed. Aubrey insisted that she hadn't. It was only the effects of finding her mother had abandoned her after never coming back from her last trip. Her mother had always been flighty and irresponsible as an opera singer. The tours were demanding and her mother loved the special attention. Sometimes she had stayed an extra day or two in the city to experience some of the tourist destinations. After two weeks of not hearing from her or being able to get a hold of her, Aubrey knew that she was not coming back. She was nineteen now and fully capable of taking care of herself, but it still wounded her deeply knowing that her mother loved Boston more than she loved her.
Her boyfriend felt sympathy for Aubrey, but almost two months of lamenting her mother's absence as though she had died was too much for him. Aubrey had felt even more alone. Then, her boss laid her off due to budget cuts. Aubrey was already numb from losing her mother and boyfriend to feel very upset about this. She was in that state of mind where she felt her apartment burning down wouldn't have been a surprise. She had sense enough to look for another job and found one as a receptionist in a dentist's office. It was quite a dull job, but Aubrey reassured herself it was only temporary. Despite this promise, she hadn't willed herself to look for another job yet.
"Good morning, Aubrey!" her co-worker Dawn greeted as Aubrey walked in.
"Hi."
"You look good this morning. Wearing black again, I see."
"Black matches everything."
"Your skin is dark enough without you wearing black too. You need to wear more bright colors like pink or blue. It is the spring season."
"I don't feel much like pink right now." Aubrey sat down at her computer and began checking the appointments log for that morning.
The day dragged on as normal. Patients came in and out. An occasional baby wailed, and Aubrey had to stop one boy from giving the walls some artistic flair.
"Your teeth look lovely, Mrs. Walsh," Aubrey half-heartedly complimented the older woman when she came up to the desk to pay.
"Thank you, dear. After the third appointment, I should hope so." She chuckled as she pulled out her wallet. "How much would it be today?"
"After your insurance, $78.65."
Mrs. Walsh rifled through her wallet to get the correct bills when she gasped slightly. "I nearly forgot. Have you ever heard of the Castaways?"
Aubrey smiled. "Yeah, they're a great alternative rock band. Why do you ask?"
"I bought this concert ticket for my son's birthday, but I found out the other day that he is planning a trip for the day of the concert. I can't give him the ticket now, and I can't return it. Would you like it?"
Aubrey's eyes widened. "Sure, I'd love it. Thank you!"
Mrs. Walsh pulled the ticket out of her wallet and handed it to her. "No problem. At least somebody can use it. I heard it was supposed to be really good. They were going to play a couple of their new songs. And it's down by the beach, so there's going to be a bonfire and everything."
Aubrey stared at the ticket in disbelief. She was actually going to a Castaways concert. At the beach. After months, she felt truly excited about something.
I encourage you to spend this week looking out for your own special reminders from God that He loves you.
No comments:
Post a Comment