Bella shut her Bible in frustration and resisted the urge to hiss loudly. She had gone to a revival hour the previous night and rededicated her life to Christ promising to do all that has been commanded of everyone in the Bible but here she was trying to read and meditate on the word of God but the argument going on downststairs would not let her.
Her parent were at it again and the music her elder brother was blasting through the speaker from the room across hers wasn't helping either. She wondered why it seems she was the only one who was touched by last night revival session in church while the rest of her family seems to be unaffected. What was worse is her dad happen to be one of the respected pastor of the church and her mom is the one everyone referred to as "the virtuous woman" perfect model. People looked up to her parents a lot and she and her siblings were often treated by others in that regard. Now and then she often wished people knew how her parents really were but then again they haven't always been that way.
Bella Wilson is a 16 years old girl she is the last born of the family making her the third child. Bella growing up was looked after and doted on by everyone. She was brought up with love which made her a caring, kind , loving and God fearing girl whom everyone loved and whom several parents took as the perfect role model for their children. Bella was very active in church she always helped out in anyway she could and she was a chorister as well. She was very close to her elder sister Rose. She looked up to Rose as her mentor. Rose and Bella did everything together and people were often jealous of the strong bond they shared as sisters. Her sister Rose was also a very God fearing girl who loved to help people in need and was very active in church also. She was very talented and was a fashion designer who made dresses freely for people. Bella loved to wear only clothes made by her sister and sometimes matched dresses with her also.
However, things changed back when Bella was 14 years old and Rose was 16. The two sisters had gone out to deliver dresses Rose had made for the children in the orphanage not far from their home. The two sisters went out talking and singing in Bella's car which she was driving and after giving out the dresses made, they headed back home facetiming their brother Tyler who was 18 years old and was in college away from home. The trio were catching up with eachother when suddenly a car came headfirst with no control heading towards them. Bella looked up and knew the full impact would be on her side, she closed her eyes waiting for it to come but it never came.
Few hours later, she woke up in a bed, she was in the hospital. She had fainted from the shock. Wondering how could she be alive she remembered she never fully felt the impact of the car all she had heard was just the sound of the crash. She opened her eyes tearingly looking up to see her parent and brother at her side and she knew without question Rose was gone. Her sister had swerved the car around at the last minute to take the full impact of the crash in place of her and had died on spot. Bella stood up shakingly and moved to get out of the hospital. Her parent, doctor and brother went after her telling her to take it easy. Few hours later she was discharged and went home. She still couldn't believe her sister was gone. Her parents had to leave for a 6 days crusade few days later and that meant they would miss Rose's burial. Bella pleaded for them to stay back for the burial but her dad said if God tells them to go who are they to say No? They left the following day and on Roses burial day the ceremony went without her parents. The next day Bella visited Rose grave and saw that some pictures had been put there.
Looking at them, she saw a framed picture of Rose with their parent smiling. She felt a sudden anger thinking of how her parents weren't there when Rose died and how they chose to leave for a crusade instead of paying their last respect to their own child. Bella took the frame and broke it to pieces on the floor, took the picture out and tore her parents out of it leaving only a smiling Rose behind. She then pocketed that picture of her sister and walked away leaving all her good personalities and love for God behind. After that Bella became a complete different person.
Signed
Grazie.
MaryAs Note - Grieve has made an atheist out of so many christians who were once willing to lay down their lives for the gospels sake.
I don't know about you, but I feel Bella's pain. I'm rooting for her.
Grazie hereπi would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter so please leave a comment here❤❤❤
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DeleteNice one Grazie, good choice of words. Weldone
ReplyDeleteThanks I really appreciate it❤❤
DeleteHmm! This kind writeup! π. Nice one ma... More ink to your pen I pray.
ReplyDeleteThis means soo much. Thank you❤
DeleteI hope this is not the end?
ReplyDeleteπ€
DeleteTo avoid being judgmental or giving a complicated comment, it would be best to first and foremost make comment on Bella's family.
ReplyDeleteIn any family setting, the family members knows best the flaws of each of the members than the externals. Those other families in the church or outside the church whom we many atimes admire or look up to, have their own flaws also which are not visible to the externals. Our Lord Jesus knew the flaws in his mother(Mary) , his four biological brothers, and sisters. '' Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it'' Luke 8:19-21. Thank God for Jude and James(Jesus brothers) who later changed and became true disciples of Christ and wrote the books of Jude and James.
As Christians, we are not called to live hypocritical life but live and act on the word of God.
Bible tells us in Romans 12:15 '' Rejoice with them do rejoice, and weep with them that weep'' On another occasion, Jesus replied one of His disciples in Mathew 8:21-22 ''... Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, follow me; and let the dead bury their dead''. Some cultures consider it inappropriate for parents to be present in or witness the burial of their youngster. This might be the case of Bella's parent. It might also be they considered it best to be in the presence of the Lord (Retreat), in order to be encouraged and to demonstrate their love for God. The inscribed smiling picture which was mis-interpretedby Bella, could actually mean how much they loved her and also serving as remembrance.
On our pilgrim journey, we should know for sure that offences both within (at home, in the church) and without (outside home and church) will certainly come. People we least expect in our homes will offend and those whom we are serving and least expect in the church will offend us. But as children of God we should immediately discern that it is the devil at work. He wants to discourage us from following the Lord, from attending fellowship and finally make us atheist. When we sense offences coming, we should ask for God's grace and not act foolishly as Bella acted. Thank God for Bella retracing her way back to the Lord during the Revival Message and hope Bella continued her tailoring work and humanitarian service!
God help us in Jesus' Name.Amen
MORE GRACE UPON THE GOSPEL WRITER
Wow!!Thanks for taking your time to analyze this. You'll be able to shed more light on it soon enough but i really love your response.
DeleteNice read, Grazie...I hope to see more
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