A Difficult Message
Illustration
Stories
Abbie walked through the door, threw her coat on the chair and crashed onto the couch. She grabbed for the remote and flipped through the channels on the television. Nothing caught her eye, so she turned it off. She picked up her phone and checked her message and social media. Nothing new. She tossed her phone on the table and slumped back.
“Why is this happening to me?” she muttered.
Linda yelled from the other room. “You back from work?”
“Yeah. I’m starving. Is there any of that pizza left?
“You ate the last this morning for breakfast. There are some of those toaster things you like. Do you want one?”
“What flavor?”
The sounds of rustling came from the kitchen. “Some sort of berry I think.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Linda appeared in a few minutes with a plate and a can of soda which she handed to her roommate. “Rough day at work?”
Abbie nodded as she devoured the food.
“Anything else wrong?”
Abbie set the plate next to her phone and opened the soda. “I hate my job. I hate my boss. My parents hate me. John doesn’t want to talk to me unless I can pay for his ticket to the concert next week. And I think I’m starting to hate my life.”
“That is lousy,” Linda said.
“You never liked John.”
“No, I never did but I’m not the one dating him.” Linda shrugged. “He seems like a second-rate Steve if you ask me.”
“Steve dumped me.”
“Steve dumped you because you treated him like dirt.”
Abbie opened her mouth and then closed it. She thought for a moment. “Maybe I didn’t appreciate him.”
“You think?” Linda sighed. “Your parents don’t hate you, they are worried about you.”
“They nag me about everything.” Abbie threw up her hands. “They want me to go back to school.”
Linda took a sip from her own soda. “Tell me again how you feel about your job and your boss.”
“I’m paying my dues.”
“You’re stuck in a dead-end job with a boss who is a nightmare.” Linda paused. “Your life is a mess you know.”
“I know.” Abbie sighed. “How did things go so wrong?”
Linda took another drink from her soda.
Abie frowned. “That was a question, Linda.”
Linda put her soda down. “Do you want to hear an answer, or do you want to lament some more?”
Abbie bit her tongue.
Linda went over and put her arm around Abbie. “How long have we been friends?”
“Forever.”
“And we’ve always been there for each other, right?”
“Always...I get the feeling that I’m not going to like what you’re gong to say.”
Linda turned to face Abbie. “You’ve made a mess of your life.”
“Tell me something I don’t already know. I feel like God is punishing me for disobeying my parents.”
Linda shook her head. “Worse. God has left you to live with the consequences of your own actions. You dropped out of school because you wanted money and because of work you stopped going to church. You became selfish when you met John and pushed everything else away from you and he only sticks around because you’ll pay for things.”
“I still believe in God, you know.” Abbie frowned. “Going to church doesn’t make you a good person.”
“Think about this before you answer me. Do you still talk to God or listen to God? You used to read your Bible and pray. Steve sang beside you in the choir, if you remember.”
“I remember.” Abbie slumped over and put her head on Linda’s shoulder. “My life is a mess and I guess I made it that way. What can I do to make it right?”
“Talk to God. Get your priorities in order.” Linda pointed at the calendar on the wall. “When was the last time you spoke to you parents?”
Abbie was quiet for a few moments. “I guess it’s been a while.”
“Then call them. Your Mom misses you.”
“How do you know that?”
“She texts me to find out if you are okay.”
Abbie was quiet for a long time. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, you can.”
“Remember when we first moved in here and my grandmother got sick and you prayed with me?”
“I remember.”
“Do you think we could pray together now?” Abbie wiped at her face with her hands. “I think I need some help getting my life in order and I would feel better if I pray with you.”
Linda took her hands in hers and nodded. “Then let’s pray because it is killing me to see you this way.”
Abbie closed her eyes and both women prayed, cried, and realized that there was love and grace waiting to enter their lives.
*****************************************
StoryShare, August 14, 2022, issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Why is this happening to me?” she muttered.
Linda yelled from the other room. “You back from work?”
“Yeah. I’m starving. Is there any of that pizza left?
“You ate the last this morning for breakfast. There are some of those toaster things you like. Do you want one?”
“What flavor?”
The sounds of rustling came from the kitchen. “Some sort of berry I think.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Linda appeared in a few minutes with a plate and a can of soda which she handed to her roommate. “Rough day at work?”
Abbie nodded as she devoured the food.
“Anything else wrong?”
Abbie set the plate next to her phone and opened the soda. “I hate my job. I hate my boss. My parents hate me. John doesn’t want to talk to me unless I can pay for his ticket to the concert next week. And I think I’m starting to hate my life.”
“That is lousy,” Linda said.
“You never liked John.”
“No, I never did but I’m not the one dating him.” Linda shrugged. “He seems like a second-rate Steve if you ask me.”
“Steve dumped me.”
“Steve dumped you because you treated him like dirt.”
Abbie opened her mouth and then closed it. She thought for a moment. “Maybe I didn’t appreciate him.”
“You think?” Linda sighed. “Your parents don’t hate you, they are worried about you.”
“They nag me about everything.” Abbie threw up her hands. “They want me to go back to school.”
Linda took a sip from her own soda. “Tell me again how you feel about your job and your boss.”
“I’m paying my dues.”
“You’re stuck in a dead-end job with a boss who is a nightmare.” Linda paused. “Your life is a mess you know.”
“I know.” Abbie sighed. “How did things go so wrong?”
Linda took another drink from her soda.
Abie frowned. “That was a question, Linda.”
Linda put her soda down. “Do you want to hear an answer, or do you want to lament some more?”
Abbie bit her tongue.
Linda went over and put her arm around Abbie. “How long have we been friends?”
“Forever.”
“And we’ve always been there for each other, right?”
“Always...I get the feeling that I’m not going to like what you’re gong to say.”
Linda turned to face Abbie. “You’ve made a mess of your life.”
“Tell me something I don’t already know. I feel like God is punishing me for disobeying my parents.”
Linda shook her head. “Worse. God has left you to live with the consequences of your own actions. You dropped out of school because you wanted money and because of work you stopped going to church. You became selfish when you met John and pushed everything else away from you and he only sticks around because you’ll pay for things.”
“I still believe in God, you know.” Abbie frowned. “Going to church doesn’t make you a good person.”
“Think about this before you answer me. Do you still talk to God or listen to God? You used to read your Bible and pray. Steve sang beside you in the choir, if you remember.”
“I remember.” Abbie slumped over and put her head on Linda’s shoulder. “My life is a mess and I guess I made it that way. What can I do to make it right?”
“Talk to God. Get your priorities in order.” Linda pointed at the calendar on the wall. “When was the last time you spoke to you parents?”
Abbie was quiet for a few moments. “I guess it’s been a while.”
“Then call them. Your Mom misses you.”
“How do you know that?”
“She texts me to find out if you are okay.”
Abbie was quiet for a long time. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, you can.”
“Remember when we first moved in here and my grandmother got sick and you prayed with me?”
“I remember.”
“Do you think we could pray together now?” Abbie wiped at her face with her hands. “I think I need some help getting my life in order and I would feel better if I pray with you.”
Linda took her hands in hers and nodded. “Then let’s pray because it is killing me to see you this way.”
Abbie closed her eyes and both women prayed, cried, and realized that there was love and grace waiting to enter their lives.
*****************************************
StoryShare, August 14, 2022, issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
