The Thirteenth Chapter
This is my testimony. Or a very small part of it. But it's also the testimony of many others, who may feel that they are the only ones that are going through this. It may not be the same as theirs, but it has it's point. The names are omitted, as well as the reason. Because there are many reasons why this would happen to other people. Pick one.
God willing, this will help someone else through theirs.
"Dear Lord, please help these people. I don't understand them, and not sure that I want to. Please take me away from this. I don't want to be here."
"Are they really that bad?"
"Yes!"
"Go back in."
"Ok..."
"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the blessings that you have given us, and they joy that it brings to know your work. And we ask that you accept this child into your loving arms, to take them into Salvation..."
"God? Are you still there?"
(Chuckling) "Yes."
"Can you help me? I don't want this any more. It hurts."
"Do you really want me to? You know what you need to do."
"But can you save me from it?"
"I can give you life, through my Son. I can give you freedom from earthly things. And, yes. I have the power to save you from that."
"But that doesn't guarantee that I'll live."
"I will do what I do. But I will promise everlasting life in the Kingdom of Heaven, and that I will always be there."
"Will anybody else get hurt with this, even if I'm messed up?"
"No."
"It's a deal."
(Joy, elation, awesome power and relief, sadness, a kaleidoscope of emotion and understanding. Peace.)
"...Amen."
"Amen." (sniffs) "I'll be right back."
"That was so cool! That was... probably the best thing that I've ever seen. Thanks! I know that there are still things that I'll have to do. And that I'll still hurt. But I know now that I have Your help, and that I'll never be alone. At least I have Somebody who understands, that I can tell all the time. Any time I want to. I can't tell anybody else. But I can always tell You, can't I...
"Yes."
"I want to scream, and shout, and tell everybody!"
"Yes. And I want you to."
"But... they already hate me. And they already think I'm a freak..."
(Feelings of a trick question) Do you regret your decision?"
"No! No. I just don't know how..."
"Trust in Me."
"But..."
"Trust in Me."
(Knocking on the door) "Is everything alright? You've been in there for quite a while."
(Throws the empty box from the tissues away and heads for the door, eyes red and nose stuffed)
"Yeah, I'm ok."
"Welcome to your new life. Let's talk about your baptism. Or do you need more time?"
"It's cool."
"Do you want a hug?"
(flinching) "Nah. That's cool, man."
God? It still hurts. This thing that's in me. I know that it'll be gone when it's time. But is it trying to take me over?"
Yes. But you have given yourself to Me. And it can't.
"Ok... is it what's making me feel this way?"
"Yes. Sometimes."
"I can't do this. Are you still there, God?"
"Yes. Always."
"Ok. That feels better. I think I can do this. But if you don't have the time..."
(chuckling)
"Right. Never mind." (smiling)
"God?"
"Yes."
"You're still here." (smiles)
"Yes."
"God, this hurts. I can't do this. I've got to find something that works."
"Trust in Me. Glorify in Me. In all things. Keep doing My Work."
(the pain leaves for a time) "I'm so sorry. I know. But it's hard."
Yes.
"Dear Lord, thank you for the blessings that You have given us. Thank you for giving us Your Son, and the Salvation that He brings. Thank you for this day... and... thank you!"
(chuckles) "What else can I do for you?"
"... I forgot." (feelings of comfort and happiness, and fits of giggles)
(emptiness, despair, loneliness, lack of control. Followed by comfort, love)
"Thank you."
"Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Thank You for the blessings that You have given us, and for the opportunity to see and do Your Works. Thank you for the life that You have given these people, and the Mercy that You've shown them. And please help them to recover, as I know that You will. Thy Will be done, forever and always. Amen."
(feelings of happiness, and wonder. Spirits lift, and people help each other. A child tugs on a coat tail)
"Thank you." (a stuffed animal is almost dropped, and hugs are wrapped tightly around unstable legs)
"Now, that was just cool. But You did it. You should have the credit."
(chuckles)
"Dear Lord, can You take these useless emotions away from me, PLEASE. I can't do this! It hurts too much!"
(feelings of resounding emptiness)
"I can't feel You." (panic) "Where are You!"
(The panic rises, insanity is eminent)
"No... NOOO!!!!"
"Ok. I deserved that. But I'm keeping my promise. Everything I do will be in Your Name. I still believe in You, even though I can't feel You now." (crying)
(comfort. Peace)
"Thank You." (still crying)
"Thank You, Lord, for everything that You have given me..."
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, kid. It's cool."
"You sure? I could get some help."
"Nah. It'll pass. I just have to get moving. And it's not like it used to be. Right?"
"Never sure about you."
(laughing) "And please help this child to not worry so much."
You could always teach them to give it all to Me."
"I'd say 'better late than never', but that just sounds too lame. No excuse. It should have been done before"
(chuckles)
"Thank You."
"Dear Lord, thank You for this day..." (pain lessens) "...and please have mercy on them, because I know that some days people are just plain stupid."
...
"Sorry. How do I help them, though? Am I capable of helping them? Do they even want to be helped? What's the best thing to do. Whatever You need me to do here, I'll do it..."
(people appear, and just happen to be better equipped for the given situation)
"Thank You, Lord!" "Oh, and thank You!"
"You said that" (chuckling)
(giggling)
"Dear God, it's happening! Ok, what do I do. I need to get ready! This is so cool!"
(comfort, peace, happiness)
"Thank You! You ROCK! Woot!" (gospel song gets stuck in head, singing unconsciously)
"I've always wondered about that." (turns page) "What is it with all of those extra books that they talk about. I've only known the one version of Your Word. But what's right?"
"Trust in Me."
"Should I not read those other manuscripts then?"
"Trust in Me."
"...
Yes." (laughing) "Thank You. I'm just really... I just wanted You to know that..."
"Yes."
[To Be Continued...]
Amen.
God willing, this will help someone else through theirs.
"Dear Lord, please help these people. I don't understand them, and not sure that I want to. Please take me away from this. I don't want to be here."
"Are they really that bad?"
"Yes!"
"Go back in."
"Ok..."
"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the blessings that you have given us, and they joy that it brings to know your work. And we ask that you accept this child into your loving arms, to take them into Salvation..."
"God? Are you still there?"
(Chuckling) "Yes."
"Can you help me? I don't want this any more. It hurts."
"Do you really want me to? You know what you need to do."
"But can you save me from it?"
"I can give you life, through my Son. I can give you freedom from earthly things. And, yes. I have the power to save you from that."
"But that doesn't guarantee that I'll live."
"I will do what I do. But I will promise everlasting life in the Kingdom of Heaven, and that I will always be there."
"Will anybody else get hurt with this, even if I'm messed up?"
"No."
"It's a deal."
(Joy, elation, awesome power and relief, sadness, a kaleidoscope of emotion and understanding. Peace.)
"...Amen."
"Amen." (sniffs) "I'll be right back."
"That was so cool! That was... probably the best thing that I've ever seen. Thanks! I know that there are still things that I'll have to do. And that I'll still hurt. But I know now that I have Your help, and that I'll never be alone. At least I have Somebody who understands, that I can tell all the time. Any time I want to. I can't tell anybody else. But I can always tell You, can't I...
"Yes."
"I want to scream, and shout, and tell everybody!"
"Yes. And I want you to."
"But... they already hate me. And they already think I'm a freak..."
(Feelings of a trick question) Do you regret your decision?"
"No! No. I just don't know how..."
"Trust in Me."
"But..."
"Trust in Me."
(Knocking on the door) "Is everything alright? You've been in there for quite a while."
(Throws the empty box from the tissues away and heads for the door, eyes red and nose stuffed)
"Yeah, I'm ok."
"Welcome to your new life. Let's talk about your baptism. Or do you need more time?"
"It's cool."
"Do you want a hug?"
(flinching) "Nah. That's cool, man."
God? It still hurts. This thing that's in me. I know that it'll be gone when it's time. But is it trying to take me over?"
Yes. But you have given yourself to Me. And it can't.
"Ok... is it what's making me feel this way?"
"Yes. Sometimes."
"I can't do this. Are you still there, God?"
"Yes. Always."
"Ok. That feels better. I think I can do this. But if you don't have the time..."
(chuckling)
"Right. Never mind." (smiling)
"God?"
"Yes."
"You're still here." (smiles)
"Yes."
"God, this hurts. I can't do this. I've got to find something that works."
"Trust in Me. Glorify in Me. In all things. Keep doing My Work."
(the pain leaves for a time) "I'm so sorry. I know. But it's hard."
Yes.
"Dear Lord, thank you for the blessings that You have given us. Thank you for giving us Your Son, and the Salvation that He brings. Thank you for this day... and... thank you!"
(chuckles) "What else can I do for you?"
"... I forgot." (feelings of comfort and happiness, and fits of giggles)
(emptiness, despair, loneliness, lack of control. Followed by comfort, love)
"Thank you."
"Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Thank You for the blessings that You have given us, and for the opportunity to see and do Your Works. Thank you for the life that You have given these people, and the Mercy that You've shown them. And please help them to recover, as I know that You will. Thy Will be done, forever and always. Amen."
(feelings of happiness, and wonder. Spirits lift, and people help each other. A child tugs on a coat tail)
"Thank you." (a stuffed animal is almost dropped, and hugs are wrapped tightly around unstable legs)
"Now, that was just cool. But You did it. You should have the credit."
(chuckles)
"Dear Lord, can You take these useless emotions away from me, PLEASE. I can't do this! It hurts too much!"
(feelings of resounding emptiness)
"I can't feel You." (panic) "Where are You!"
(The panic rises, insanity is eminent)
"No... NOOO!!!!"
"Ok. I deserved that. But I'm keeping my promise. Everything I do will be in Your Name. I still believe in You, even though I can't feel You now." (crying)
(comfort. Peace)
"Thank You." (still crying)
"Thank You, Lord, for everything that You have given me..."
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, kid. It's cool."
"You sure? I could get some help."
"Nah. It'll pass. I just have to get moving. And it's not like it used to be. Right?"
"Never sure about you."
(laughing) "And please help this child to not worry so much."
You could always teach them to give it all to Me."
"I'd say 'better late than never', but that just sounds too lame. No excuse. It should have been done before"
(chuckles)
"Thank You."
"Dear Lord, thank You for this day..." (pain lessens) "...and please have mercy on them, because I know that some days people are just plain stupid."
...
"Sorry. How do I help them, though? Am I capable of helping them? Do they even want to be helped? What's the best thing to do. Whatever You need me to do here, I'll do it..."
(people appear, and just happen to be better equipped for the given situation)
"Thank You, Lord!" "Oh, and thank You!"
"You said that" (chuckling)
(giggling)
"Dear God, it's happening! Ok, what do I do. I need to get ready! This is so cool!"
(comfort, peace, happiness)
"Thank You! You ROCK! Woot!" (gospel song gets stuck in head, singing unconsciously)
"I've always wondered about that." (turns page) "What is it with all of those extra books that they talk about. I've only known the one version of Your Word. But what's right?"
"Trust in Me."
"Should I not read those other manuscripts then?"
"Trust in Me."
"...
Yes." (laughing) "Thank You. I'm just really... I just wanted You to know that..."
"Yes."
[To Be Continued...]
Amen.
