Chapter Ten: The Journey Home

Grace jumped out of bed and ran to embrace Forgiveness. "I just want to go home," she said, "but I’m afraid to face Him." "I know," replied Forgiveness, "Repentance is a hard step to take, but you know it is the right choice. Come, take my hand." With that the two stepped out of the room and walked through the house to the front door. "Are you ready?" asked Forgiveness. With a whisper so quiet it could barely be heard, Grace gave her timid answer: "Yes". The companions stepped through the door that led to the heavenly realm, and entered the Maker’s kingdom.

As Grace and Forgiveness took their first step in the Maker’s kingdom, Grace fell to her knees and began to sob. "Oh, how good it feels to be free from flesh and sin," she said. Tears of joy, stained by a broken heart, streamed down her face. She felt a heaviness on herself that had never been present in that place before, and she knew then what she must do. "Thank you," she said to Forgiveness, "but I must finish this journey on my own. I will go to see the Maker now, and I must go alone." Forgiveness smiled an understanding smile and released Grace’s hand. She turned away and walked towards her home. Now standing alone, Grace was overwhelmed with her situation. She could not believe that she was finally home, yet it did not feel the same to her. She knew that she was burdened by her sin and that the only way to become truly free was to kneel at the Maker’s feet and beg for forgiveness. With those thoughts in her mind she began to walk down the familiar streets towards the Maker’s abode. She was terrified, but something inside of her was pushing her to do the right thing. She knew where her mistakes had lead her and now was the time to turn the other way and choose life. That was the force that drove her now, a strong desire within her heart to experience life and freedom. She concentrated on these things as she approached her destination.

All was quiet on the streets as Grace neared the Maker’s home. She walked up the sidewalk with fear and trembling, but a quiet assurance within her told her that she was making the right choice. Suddenly, she looked up to see the Maker with a broad smile on his face, running towards her with open arms. Before she could react he had caught her in a full embrace and swept her off her feet. He swung her around in the air as tears of joy streamed down his face and he repeated "My daughter was lost, but now she is found!" Still holding her in his arms, he walked up the sidewalk to his home and through the front door, placing her in her favorite purple linen chair in the living room. Grace leapt out of the chair to her knees and began to weep, her tears mingling with his as he reached down to embrace her once again. "Forgive me," she said, "Oh, can you ever forgive me?" "It is done," he said. With that he took her hand and lifted her to her feet. Now standing face to face the two embraced as father and daughter, master and servant. "But after all that I have done, how can you forgive me so quickly, without a thought?," she said. "I don’t remember what you have done. It has been cast to the depths of the ocean, to be remembered no more." Grace returned to her seat, and the Maker sat across from her. She felt the heaviness lift from her and her heart become truly free as she accepted the Maker's forgiveness. "I believe we have much to talk about," he said. "If you are ready, my child, I have an assignment for you." "But what if I fail again?" she said. "How can you trust me again so quickly?" He replied by saying, "It is not a matter of trusting you now. I love you with all my heart, and I want to give you a chance to earn my trust once again." "I will go wherever you ask me to," she said. "Unto the ends of the earth, I will serve you. Your words will be mine and your thoughts my thoughts." The Maker replied by saying, "Here is your task. You will be sent to the home of those gracious people who took you in not very long ago, the parents of the lost child you encountered in Chicago, and you will guard their home and protect them. You will be my vessel to bring healing to their family and hope to their hearts. This is the task I give to you." Grace was overwhelmed with the Maker’s acceptance and love, and when he finished speaking she again fell to her knees at his feet. "It will be done, my king. My heart is forever bound to yours, and what you desire, I will do." They stood and embraced once more, and Grace left the Maker’s abode to return to her own home after a very long journey.

Copyright © 2005 by Jamie Madera. Reproduction is forbidden without permission. Contact me at jamielynne87@yahoo.com.

The Heavenly Man

"I am a heavenly man! I live in Gospel village! People call me Morning Star! My father's name is Abundant Blessing! My mother's name is Faith, Hope, Love!" This is what Christian brother Yun shouted as he was arrested in Communist China. He feigned insanity, shouting at the top of his voice so that he might warn the other believers nearby of the danger at hand. Soon after the incident he was taken to prisen. After faithfully fasting for over 50 days, being repeatedly shocked by high voltage, beaten, and humiliated, Yun was still very much alive in his spirit. His body, however, was reduced to under 70 pounds. During his fast he didn't even drink water.
This is the kind of faith that changes lives. This man lived in China when Christianity was a crime and mercy was only received by renouncing Jesus. Our dear brother refused to do so, and he suffered greatly for it. I am amazed at his words. After riding for miles in a van with his wrists handcuffed to a bar on the roof, his wrists were dripping blood, seared so that the bone was showing. After asking God to receive his spirit and being so overwhelmed with pain and fear that he could hardly breathe, this is what he said: "In my proud heart I had been thinking that I was important to the church, that they needed me to lead them. Now, I vividly understood that he is God and I am but a feeble man. I realized that God didn't need me at all, and that if he ever chose to use me again it would be nothing more than a great priviledge. Suddenly the fear and pain left me." Can you believe his faith!!! I want that faith, I want a heart like that!
The story of Christian brother Yun can be found in a book called THE HEAVENLY MAN. You should read it - it's changing my life.

The third time was most definately the charm!

I saw Pride & Prejudice for the 3rd time last night and it was better than both of the other times I had seen it. The audience was very interactive, laughing and sighing, and it was so enjoyable to hear the others around me enjoying the movie. I do have to admit, though, that it was less the great literature that excited me and more the romantic theme :) A girl can get herself in trouble allowing too many thoughts of romance. My friends and I returned home in high spirits, yet knowing that we would have to come to terms with the fact that our Mr. Darcy would not make himself known for years to come. I suppose that is the exciting part of being single, learning to love life even while you know that something amazing, your ver own Mr. Darcy, waits for you just around the corner.
I apologise to the guys reading this, knowing that your perspective is quite different. I would like to know what you are thinking about during a movie like this. I think you know that the girls are swooning (well, maybe not all of the girls - I certainly wasn't) or at least dreaming of marriage. So what do you think about during a romantic comedy? What you had for dinnner? How well the acting is? I could use some feedback here.

Pride and Prejudice

I saw Pride and Prejudice for the second time today and it was just as good. I am planning on seeing it again Thursday with a different friend. I love it so much, I think I might have to read the book again sometime soon! Hope you are all enjoying your holidays. If you want to read a fun story you can see it here. Good night!
- Ruth

What a time we had!

We are back from Mexico as of last night, and what a time we had! I'm sure you don't need a play by play, so I'll just give you the short(er) version :)

We arrived in Mexico City late Saturday afternoon, went through a several hour process of trying to find our luggage, which they had taken off the plane in Dallas because of excess weight. We finally left with one bag, the rest still in America. We took a 3 hour buss ride from Mexico City to Puebla. It would normally take only 2 hours, but the celebration of the virgin of guadalupe was in progress and millions of pilgrims were walking to Mexico City as pennance (a very sad sight to see) Entire families carrying paintings or statues of the virgin walking 60-80 miles over a mountain pass in order to work thier way to Heaven.
Our week began with a spanish church service at the church of the orphanidge we were working at (they provided us with a translator). We ate out after church, which was a big mistake resulting in a very unpleasant day Monday. I couldn't even hold down water (it was not fun!). So we were pretty much better by Tuesday and we spent the next three days watching four young children who were not old enough to go to school. I taught several violin lessons, and we also helped supervise the kids (over 80 of them from age 14 months to 20 years) while the staff had a retreat on Thursday. Friday we traveled downtown and went to the town market. I say town, but actually it was a city of about 3 million people. We returned home last night having received 2 suitcases on Tuesday, 1 on Wednesday, and the final one when we arrived at the airport to return home. We are alive and well, and I have never appreciated water pressure or a good sewer system more! I thank God for all the experiences, good and bad, that He gave us and I am excited to say I am experiencing a heart change because of all the eye-opening things I saw. If you want to find out about the orphanidge or sponsor a child I'd love for you to visit thier web site at www.thecityofhope.org. God bless!

Here we go!

My family and I leave tomorrow morning for Puebla, Mexico. Hope to tell you lots about it when we get back!

Bloggs to Visit...check these out!

Ok, here is my top ten list of blogs to visit, though I don't think there are actually ten. Give me some feedback and let me know what you think (hey, that was redundant, wasn't it? I think I just repeated myself) :-D
1. www.eucharisto.blogspot.com
2. www.myspace.com/joelclarkson
3. www.what-comes-next.blogspot.com
4. www.takejoy.blogspot.com
5. www.gracestjohncross.blogspot.com

Ok, I guess it was a top five list. Well, that should keep you buisy for a while ( a few hours, at least, if you really read like you're supposed to!)

That Christmas Morning Feeling...

I woke up today feeling like it was Christmas Morning. You know, that happy feeling you have inside knowing that you will jump out from under your covers to freezing cold air, you will drink hot chocolate or tea, and then you will read a book or sit by the fire. That is not what is on my calendar for today, but simply being able to enjoy an afternoon studying at Starbucks is enough to give me that "Christmas morning feeling". I played my piano jury this morning, and now I am off to Starbucks to study for my music theory final, which is in the morning. I will play a 4th and final Christmas concert tommorrow night, as I acompany the Temple High School Choir, along with about 50 other hired orchestra members. I have sung and played and listened to so much Christmas music that I feel Christmas should be over by now, but it is just starting! Friday will mark the completion of my semester as I watch my three students perform thier own concert, then my family will leave the next day for Puebla, Mexico to work with orphaned children for a week. Maybe my Christmas joy for today is simply a prelude for what is to come - many more happy days by the fire enjoying the Christmas Season. I wish you all an early Merry Christmas!