"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." Isaiah 41:10, KJV
Good evening, folks! I am doing something different today, sharing a concise story with you based on the above verse. I hope it’s a blessing to you as it was for me to write. Enjoy!
The Story
Beads of sweat dripped down Persephone’s face. Anxiously she looked at the clock. It was now 10:27 PM, and in three short minutes, Kirsten would be calling about her crush Charlie.
Charlton P. Henderson, the wealthiest and most handsome man she’s ever seen. Yeah, they were only college students, but there was something about the way he carried himself that made Persephone’s heart flutter. However, this wasn’t the call of her dreams. No, Kirsten identified Charlie as the school’s latest hacker. Can I really do this? Can I go through with what Kirsten is asking of me? What will Charlie think? Will he ever notice me for me again? Will this—
Ring!
“Hello, Kirsten, how’s it going, girlfriend?” Persephone said, quite sheepishly.
“Sephi boo! I’m good and you? Listen, I’m just going to shoot straight with you. Charlton is perfect. I never met a more congenial gentleman, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome,” Kirsten rattled off.
Bewildered, Persephone was about to yell when she heard The Voice again. Don’t get angry; don’t be afraid. Trust Me. Something told her she could trust that voice more than anything else. Okay, I’ll trust whoever You are. Suddenly she felt peace welling within her soul. She wasn’t alone.
“Kirsten, I know why you’re changing your tune. Charlie is either with you or on the other end of this phone call. He is guilty of hacking into the college’s database. Not only did you accurately pinpoint him as the assailant, but you also provided me an opportunity to discover the truth.”
Kirsten’s silence prompted Persephone to keep going. “Charlie, I know you’re there, so you can come off mute. God has given you a special gift to understand the intricacies of computer programming and software. He’s also entrusted you with great wealth and good looks to enjoy and for the advancement of His kingdom.
“I was dreading this conversation because of personal reasons, but this is more than me. You see, although I’m a student like both of you, it is in my power to determine what happens to the future of enrolled students at this university. Charlie, unmute yourself; I know you’re listening.”
“Uh, Persephone, um, I don’t really know what to say, except I’m sorry,” Charlie sighed.
“Your apology, although sincere, is completely unnecessary. You see, before you and Kirsten called, I had already made the decision to invoke the Grace Clause. I was just in turmoil as to whether or not I should go through with it. Because of the Grace Clause, you will remain a student at this university and remain in the program. You will work closely with the CSIT–Cyber Security Initiative Team–to ensure that this won’t happen again from other criminals. Thank you, Kirsten, for initially trying to do what’s right. Never stray from the truth. The looks and money of people should never cause any of us to be afraid and lead us to make poor choices.”
As she hung up the phone, Persephone realized the fear she had was gone. Instead, God blessed her with peace, courage, and confidence, just like He said He would. You see, when she heard The Voice speaking, it was Holy Spirit assuring her that she had no reason to fear.
I’m sure that story was a bit rusty on the creative writing side. But, guess what? Like Persephone, I didn’t focus on the fear of what I’d sound like. I focused on the One who told me I can do it, and so I wrote, for Him, to you.
We do hard things. We do them well, not when they’re perfectly executed but when they are followed through. What have you been holding back from because perfection, procrastination, and fear held you captive? Mention it below or write it in your journal, and choose to decide faith over fear. Keep going!
Love,
Candace
