XCV

THERE WILL BE MORE JOY IN HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER WHO REPENTS THAN OVER 99 JUST PERSONS WHO NEED NO REPENTANCE

LUKE 15:7

SEVENIA (GIRL PROPHETESS)

I felt such joy as I watched Devin Easton rise out of the watery grave into newness of life. Baptisms always filled me with wonder. First and foremost, the representation of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. This coupled with the believer’s following His example and ceremonially acknowledging that the person wants The Lord as their personal Savior.

I watched Lexi hand Devin their two year old daughter as he stepped onto the bank of Cotton Creek. I recalled Lexi’s own miraculous conversion. I marveled at how often romance played a role in a person’s spiritual journey. It’s easy to see why we are instructed to not be yoked with unbelievers in regards to intimacy.

I stepped over and received my own hug from Devin and then Lexi. When I turned away, one of my favorite people on the planet replaced me in offering congratulations. It was Destiny. When she finished speaking with Devin and Lexi, she aimed a smiling face at me, and I began to have one the most profound “already seen” experiences of my life. Or as the French would say, Déjà vu.

“Hey, Kiddo,” she greeted, using Captain Kirk’s frequent term of affection for me. I could have mouthed her greeting with her, for I seemed to know it was coming. Then for the next few minutes, everything was eerily familiar. To make it even more strange, I had had a dream regarding Destiny the previous night. It had to do with a couple I had recently talked to.

“Say, Dee,” I began, after we exchanged some brief small talk. “Have you considered doing anymore of those romance, slash, conversion stories for my dad’s podcast again?”

She winced, scrunching up her pretty face and pulling at her honey blonde ponytail. This too was as if I had experienced it before. “No, not really. But why do ask?”

I told her about three couples from a sister church on the other side of the city that had interesting love stories. All three involved some form of sin, struggle, or hardship, coupled with forgiveness and redemption.

She pursed her lips, and I knew what was coming next, she put a finger on her chin in deep thought. “I don’t know?”

“One of the stories is similar to yours and Brock’s,” I told her. “By that, I mean they both were from different locations when they had known each other. They then had been separated for several years, and then coincidentally crossed paths again right here at Cotton Creek Cove.”

(Destiny and Brock’s story can be read in depth in the e-book ‘Knight Storm’ by Johnathan Embers).

“You don’t say,” she said with wonder. Then I grinned because I intuited what was coming next. “I guess I could manage doing three more.”

“Wonderful,” I beamed, clapping my hands.

“So, who are they?” Destiny wanted to know.

“The Duncan’s, the Hubbard’s, and the Bradley’s,” I replied, and she frowned. “What’s the matter?”

“Can you tell me a little about them?” She inquired. “I admit, I don’t know these three families all that well, but none of them strike me as extraordinary.”

So I told her.

“Well,” she said, and sighed pleasantly. “I don’t know that any will ever be made into a movie, but they certainly are not your typical love stories.”

“But you’ll do it?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Great, let’s go tell Dad.”

“Sevenia,” Destiny said, grabbing the crook of my arm as I began walking toward my dad, who was talking with Brock and Jake Weston. “Why do you seem to want me to do this so bad?”

“To be honest, Dee,” I said. “I’ve seen the feedback my dad got from the other ones you did. I know there were some things you didn’t like about doing it the first go around, but they really did move some people. Plus, my dad almost had me talked into doing it.”

Destiny put her hands on her hips, smiled slyly and poked the tip of her tongue into the corner of her mouth. “You’re pretty sneaky, Sevenia.”

“I wasn’t doing anything sneaky,” I said, making my eyes wide and innocent. Then I frowned. “Was I being sneaky?”

“No, Sweety,” Destiny said giggling. “I’m just teasing, you can tell your dad I’ll do it.”

“Guess what, Daddy?” I said as we approached the three men.

“Daddy?” My dad laughed. “Are you about to ask for something?”

“No indeed,” I replied. “As a matter of fact, I just did something for you. I talked Dee into doing your podcast. You know, the romance segment.”

“Wonderful! Splendid!” My dad barked with an English accent. Destiny and I both giggled, and Brock rolled his eyes. My dad seemed to be overflowing with energy, to the point his whole being seemed to vibrate.

“Seven, where were you when we all walked down to the creek?” Destiny asked. “You didn’t miss Devin’s baptism, did you?”

“Not on your life, Blondie,” Dad replied and then cackled.

“Dad, why are you acting so strange. You aren’t drinking again are you?”

“Not on your life, Sweet Pea,” he replied and then giggled.

“He’s hopped up on caffeine,” Zella said as she approached our little group. My dad’s wife and my stepmother explained. “Mrs. Thompson called right when services were getting over. The pilot light on her water heater was out, and she needed to take a shower before she went to a wedding this evening.”

Mrs. Thompson was a sweet little widow who lived on an acreage right next to my dad. But that didn’t explain my dad being hopped up on caffeine. When my dad stopped drinking alcohol a year or two ago, he eventually gave all stimulants, including coffee, tea, and pop.

“I ran over there with him,” Zella continued. “Not only did Mrs. Thompson brew a pot of coffee, but I also noticed it was expresso. When Seven was lighting her water heater, I warned her that Seven didn’t usually drink coffee. She looked hurt and I know she just wanted to do something nice for Seven to repay his help. Y’all know Seven can be obnoxious, but he’s also got a big soft heart.”

“Hey!” My dad interjected with sad hound dog eyes, that seemed to jiggle in their sockets. “That’s hurtful.”

“Oh, it is?” Zella replied with a coy smile. “Okay, maybe it’s not such a big soft heart.”

“I meant the obnoxious part.”

“If the shoe fits, Honey.”

“I may still like to tease, but I’m not mean spirited anymore. At least I hope not.”

“I’m just teasing too, Honey,” Zella said, and kissed my dad’s cheek. Then she giggled. “You should have seen poor Seven when she offered the coffee. He politely declined. Then with sad eyes, Mrs. Thompson told him it was gourmet coffee and her doctor told her she shouldn’t drink it, but she couldn’t let it go to waste either. And the next thing I knew, Seven and I drank a pot of expresso, and then expressed back here for the baptism.”

“How come you don’t seem to be vibrating out of your skin?” Brock asked.

“I guess I’m not quite as sensitive to caffeine as my husband,” she said as she looped an arm with my dad. “But to be fair, I couldn’t fall a sleep right now to save my life.”

“Overture, hurt the lights,” my dad began to sing the Looney Tunes theme song and also dance to it. Zella joined him. “This is it, we’ll hit the heights. And oh what heights we’ll hit, on with the show this is it.”

We all laughed, and then Brock made a comment that prolonged the laughter. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m heading to Mrs. Thompson’s for a cup of coffee.”

The next day, my dad’s eyes looked a little bloodshot because he slept poorly. Nonetheless, the Duncan’s arrived to be interviewed by Destiny. They walked in hesitantly, and Mrs. Duncan stopped, bit her lip, and shook her head.

(DESTINY’S BIBLE STUDY NOTES AND QUOTES)

(THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT PART 15)

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs.” Matthew 7:6

The Savior never passed by one soul, however sunken in sin, who was willing to receive the precious truths of heaven.

To publicans and harlots Jesus’s words were the beginning of a new life. Mary Magdalene, out of whom He cast seven devils, was the last at the Savior’s tomb and the first whom He greeted in the morning of His resurrection.

“Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7

The asking, makes it manifest that you realize your necessity; and if you ask in faith, you will receive.

When you ask for the blessings you need, that you may perfect a character after Christ’s likeness, the Lord assures you that you are asking according to a promise that will be verified.

“Seek.” Desire not merely His blessing, but Himself. “Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace.” Job 22:21. Seek, and you shall find. God is seeking you, and the very desire you feel to come to Him is but the drawing of His Spirit. Yield to that drawing.

When we beseech the Lord to pity us in our distress, and to guide us by His Holy Spirit, He will never turn away our prayer.

Do not forget that in coming to God as a father you acknowledge your relation to Him as a child. You not only trust His goodness, but in all things yield to His will, knowing that His love is changeless.

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even to them.” Matthew 7:12

Christ teaches that our anxiety should not be, how much are we to receive? But how much can we give?

In your association with others, put yourself in their place. Enter into their feelings, their difficulties, their disappointments, their joys, and their sorrows. Identify yourself with them, and then do to them as, were you to exchange places with them, you would wish them to deal with you.

The golden rule is the principle of true courtesy, and its truest illustration is seen in the life and character of Jesus. What softness and beauty shone forth in the daily life of our Savior! What sweetness flowed from His very presence! The same spirit should be revealed in His children.

God leads us to abhor our own hardness of heart and to open our hearts to let Jesus abide in them. Thus, out of evil, good is brought, and what appears a curse becomes a blessing.