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Friday, February 22, 2019

At Light's Edge - Chapter 37: A New Day's Dawn


Thirty-Seven
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A New Day's Dawn


“Hey, wait up,” Jenny heard Kathy call to her on her way to her first class. Where were you yesterday? Were you sick or somethin’?”
“Not exactly, but sort of. The counselors had me stay home to rest most of the day. Did I miss anything?”
Kathy wrinkled up her nose and answered sharply, “Around here? At school?” Are you kiddin’? The only news we had was that author Flint Jey Blackfeather is comin’ soon to give us a talk on writing and stuff.”
“That’s exciting!” exclaimed Jenny.
Kathy’s only reply was, “I guess so.”
“The whole school, or just—"
“Whole school.”
Jenny felt very pleased with having an author of Mr. Blackfeather’s expertise coming to her school and presenting some sort of lecture, Maybe I’ll get some good tips I can use.

Over the next few weeks a lot of things happened. Kathy moved into the FHG mansion and a new staff member, Henry James Harrison, was hired to work at the home; Mangas Coloradas decided it was in the best interest of everyone involved, as well as for the group home, if he remained living at the residence for the time being; Jenny’s friend, Millie, joined the school’s cheerleading team; and Counselor Cynthia Lafferty, to everyone’s joy and surprise, announced that she was engaged to be married.
One day a card arrived for Jenny in the postbox from Renwick Stone, followed a few days later by a letter. As Jenny read Renie’s words she focused on the word ‘free’ for quite a long time. She knew that freedom was more than just being out of prison. Freedom was a matter of the heart. She tucked Renie’s notes into her diary, grabbed her Bible, and went out into the back garden to sit by the statue of Samson.
“God, will I ever be completely free from my dreams, my past life, from all this baggage that holds me down?” she prayed softly.
A voice, not an audible voice, but a gentle speaking in her inner self, words that felt as though they permeated her entire being, began to overwhelm her like water rushing over a waterfall, You are Free!
Jenny opened her Bible and read Galatians 5:1 over and over again, ‘Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.’
Like the scar a metal spike makes and leaves in a wooden railroad tie after it is removed, Jenny suddenly realized that she, too, had scars, scars from the life she had led. She knew she needed to quit looking at the scars from her life and focus her eyes on the healer of her wounds instead.
“There are consequences to the actions and decisions I have made in my life, Lord,” Jenny continued in soft spoken prayer, “and I know you have forgiven me for everything and that you are always with me. Help me to experience a freedom of heart and mind. I want to live the rest of my life in your service, a service helping teens just like me. Help me to have a strong desire to read and study your Word in the Bible more so I can prepare myself for helping others, Amen.”
Later that evening after dinner Jenny sat on her bed with her diary open. She stared down at the page for a long time before writing, ‘Not everyone gets a break in life, some do and some don’t’. She stretched before continuing: ‘Proverbs 14:4 - Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox’.
Jenny thought for a moment, contemplating, meditating, and analyzing, then wrote, ‘God, I want to take all the effort necessary to achieve my goal of helping troubled teens. It takes more work and longer hours to take care of that ox, but the productive increases because of that ox are great. The more effort I put in to my study of your Word, my life, education, and everything else, will enable me to share that with others. That is what I want.’
Jenny laid back on her pillow staring up at the ceiling before sitting up again to continue with her writing, ‘God… I know my future is in your hands and that you are in total control of my life. Please give me the strength to live that life. I look forward to our future together, whatever that may be… Amen!’
Jenny returned her diary to that special place in her closet, laid down and fell asleep.

As time progressed Jenny grew more mature in her life and in her Christian faith. Life wasn’t easy, but Jenny often remarked that, “Life is a bed of roses with all of its thorns.”
When the time came for Jenny to be released from custody from the For His Glory Youth Home, she stayed on as an employee. She cleaned, cooked and did gardening in exchange for room and board. She especially enjoyed any garden work she could do near the statue of Samson.
Jenny eventually enrolled in college and studied hard to achieve her goal of obtaining a bachelor's degree one day. It took a lot of work and a lot of longs hours, but she was used to that. I’ve wasted years of my life on the streets, now I will enjoy living the years of my life instead.
Ups and downs in life are experienced by everyone and Jenny was no exception. Jenny searched the Bible’s scriptures for the answers to her questions continually. She found solace and strength in those words, words that came alive in her heart.

Jenny’s diary contained one remaining empty page. Once again Jenny sat down in the back garden of FHG and made one final entry into her treasured diary:
‘Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.-2 Peter 1:2-4.’

Well, it looks like it’s time for me to buy a new diary!


Next Chapter: Eclipsing the Darkness

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