[Faith-talk] Chapter 9 of my novel

[Gloria G]

I loved this chapter. It has a lot of life lessons, and I love how it drives 
home, how our focus should not be on materialistic things of the world, but 
on our heavenly father.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Poppa Bear via Faith-talk" <faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: "'Faith-talk,for the discussion of faith and religion'" 
<faith-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 12:18 PM
Subject: [Faith-talk] Chapter 9 of my novel


> Here goes another chapter. I didn't realize that I had written so much in
> this particular book so far. I am noticing that I am imparting more
> narrative dialog and am considering redrafting a large portion. Well, 
> enjoy
>
> Chapter 9
>
>  The next day while Luke was seated in a chair facing the window righting
> down some thoughts he heard the door open and looking up he saw Alli
> approaching with a nurses cart and a smile. The smile was returned by Luke
> and the blood rushed to Alli's cheeks and she stammered out her mission.
> "Uh, I am just going to change your bandages, check your vitals and make
> sure that you are doing all right." "All right, I was wondering if I was
> doing all right myself. I think I have been sitting here for the last two
> hours just looking at the mountains and I was gazing at them for so long I
> was starting to wonder if they wanted to speak to me." At this point Alli
> became a little weary. Being a nurse she had often seen people who had
> suffered from head injuries become delusional, but when she saw a twinkle 
> in
> Luke's eyes and a little grin she relaxed and felt more at ease.
>
> On Alli's entrance into the room Luke had noticed that she was a little
> nervous and he wanted to help her forget any embarrassment from the 
> previous
> day so he focused their attention on his mental health with the joking
> remark. It seemed to work as Alli relaxed and became more natural in her
> nursing duties and deftly started to prepare his bandages and unwrap his 
> old
> one and clean the bullet wound. As she was finishing she said, "I talked 
> to
> the elders of our church and they would like to meet with you tomorrow if 
> at
> all possible." Alli unconsciously held her breath a little as she waited 
> for
> Luke's response. "That is fine, I may be checking out of here in two days
> they say, and I would like to meet with the elders too, so we can talk 
> about
> your needs and see if it would be helpful for me to serve with your 
> church."
>
>  Alli looking to add an incentive blurted out, "The church is a very
> popular church and I am sure the pay is good!" At this remark Luke 
> slightly
> winced, but Alli was behind him cutting off the bandage tape so she did 
> not
> see his expression. "Well, in my experience popularity and money have not
> always made the best impact in furthering the work of the kingdom. I 
> imagine
> that Jesus could have had both during His ministry, but saw that both may 
> do
> more to disillusion and harm the work of the kingdom when used by men with
> more good intentions than faith in the Fathers provisions. Money and
> popularity have their place, but I have found that they are better left in
> the Fathers grip when doing the Lords will." At this point Alli's 
> religious
> training and personal opinion came to the forefront of the conversation.
> "What, do you think that money is evil?" Though it was said innocently
> enough Luke detected a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
>
>  Luke tried to choose his next words carefully for the fact that in his
> experience most people did not really examine the situation in a way that
> really related to the biblical story of Jesus and his disciples.  "Well, 
> in
> the life of Jesus how much did you see the role of popularity and money 
> come
> into play? Were they positive ways or negative ways?" Alli's eye brows 
> rose
> in a thoughtful gesture and she said, well it didn't seem like Jesus had a
> lot of money, but with all of His powers I would think that He didn't need
> the money." "Well, that is one way to look at it, but if he was fully god
> and yet fully man with all of our human feelings, thoughts and limitations
> do you think that he might have entertained the idea of having things that
> may have made His life a little easier and thought about what it was like 
> to
> possess some of the comforts that were around in his day and age? I mean, 
> do
> you think that as he walked for miles and miles each day over dusty and
> muddy roads throughout his ministry hot and tired, seeing the Romans and
> wealthy Jews riding past in nice comfortable chariots, donkey's and nicely
> furnished camels that he may have known that by having more money that He
> could have purchased   a bit of this convenience to be able to travel in
> ease to proclaim His important message? I think I would have considered
> something like that once or twice in 33 years perhaps." Alli replied," I
> guess that when I think of Jesus I think of his miraculous powers and
> sayings more than anything."
>
> Now the ball was back in Luke's court and he didn't necessarily want to 
> pore
> out more thoughts than Alli was able to deal with in a brief conversation
> where she was at work and had other duties to perform, so he tried to 
> taper
> off the conversation with a last thought that he hoped might find fertile
> ground in her mind and take shape eventually. "I think that if Jesus only
> wanted us to focus on his miraculous powers and sayings he would not have
> become man and shared our weaknesses, sorrows and temptations when it 
> would
> have been so much more pleasant for Him to just shout down from the 
> heavens
> at us and perform as many miraculous signs as He wanted and not have to
> stoop to such humiliation that He had to endure in a human life of 
> betrayal
> and crucifixion."
>
>  Luke did not drive any points home regarding money with this last thought
> because he felt that as important as understanding how money and 
> popularity
> can play into the role of our lives was, he knew that a better 
> understanding
> of who Jesus was as He lived, labored and loved was even more important as 
> a
> foundational building block for deepening our faith and our understanding 
> of
> the Son of man. When that hunger which is so important of becoming 
> consumed
> with how Jesus walked in this world as a man who was the noblest, 
> humblest,
> kindest, and wisest and most obedient person who ever walked the face of 
> the
> earth becomes real to us, we can start to connect with Him in a more
> intimate level than if we were just to live off the snap shots that we
> receive of Him in the bible and weekend messages. The Spirit is constantly
> revealing to us who Jesus was and is as our desire to know grows we are
> brought closer to that reality of the life that changed eternity.
>
>  The next afternoon Ben Miller and Ed Long were escorted into Luke's room
> by Alli. Luke had regained much of his color back from the ordeal and his
> cheeks were starting to lose the gauntness that had ravished some of the
> fuller features of his face. Luke was not striking in the popular since, 
> but
> with fine even features and a strong jaw that was somewhat hidden by a 
> soft
> boyish mouth and a pair of keen gray eyes he was not un pleasing to look 
> at
> by any means. Even sitting in a hospital bed with a bandage covering the
> thick dark curls he still had a vibrant presents of health and vigor that
> seemed to radiate a glow around him.
>
>  The last 3 days had been very long ones for the 2 elders. Neither men had
> had much sleep over the course of the last few nights. Within recent 
> months
> their levels of stress had been so straining that it looked like they both
> had aged an extra 10 years in a matter of months. They both entered the 
> room
> with weary expressions on their faces. They were both attempting to mask
> their real feelings with the typical Sunday morning smiles and nods, but
> Luke was much too observant to not feel for the two men in their apparent
> dilemma and discomfort.
>
> Even Ed in his dark navy blue suit looked a little subdued. His habitual
> scowl had been reduced to a mild look of irritation. His eagle eyes were
> never the less alert and suspicious. Being one who always grasped for the
> advantage of a situation he was constantly on the lookout for anybody who
> might try and pry the power he held from his desperate grip.
>
> Ben looked as tired as an old wrinkled pug. His was the look of a young 
> boy
> who had aged over night. His hair was not yet fully gray, his eyes were
> clear and had a look that said, I would rather be laughing, but I am 
> forced
> by circumstance to be stressed and miserable like the animal at the zoo 
> that
> can only attempt to enjoy himself and make the best of its situation,
> knowing by instinct that captivity is not its natural habitat and its home
> does not consist of a fence, a few trees and laughing tourists taking
> pictures and throwing peanuts. His was a bondage that was exacting all of
> the life out of his boyish heart and usurping rule over his aging spirit
> making his life one long uphill walk without any particular destination
> except to make the church budget stretch as far as possible and be able to
> pay bills on time.
>
>  It was no surprise that Luke instantly had a desire to help these two 
> men.
> He could recognize a hardness in Ed, but his compassion saw beyond the
> weasel, the pride filled demeanor and he saw a neighbor in need. The
> underlining suffering of Ben was clearly and painstakingly obvious to 
> Luke's
> discerning spirit. His heart went out to that fellow brother and though 
> Ben
> was many years Luke's senior, the love of Luke was continually growing as
> deep and old as the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. The eyes 
> that
> are clear see spiritually, and spiritually Luke was automatically resigned
> to help these two as much as he could within the confines of the fathers
> will. Perhaps that since Luke had been an orphan he was much more 
> sensitive
> to the distress of his fellow human being, but whatever the case he was 
> all
> compassion for the situation at this point.
>
> Luke's frank and yet inviting gaze put the two off their guard a little.
> Both men seemed to expect to find someone who looked a little more common
> place. In their minds anyone who would choose to live in a village
> voluntarily was either fairly desperate or fanatical in their evangelistic
> pursuits. Luke's intelligent countenance seemed to take in more than the 
> two
> elders expected.
>
> There are times when we encounter, or have existing relationships where
> words aren't always necessary to communicate the understanding of a
> situation. There are observations that two people of the same turn of mind
> and habits may make, coming to similar conclusions with the ability to
> communicate those conclusions through a quick glance or a subtle turn of 
> the
> head. There is also a point when just the feeling of an understanding may 
> be
> presented as an unspoken presentiment and the explanation of the why and 
> how
> is left a mystery to us.
>
> When these three met all of these things were taking place on different
> levels. Luke felt in his heart of hearts that he would love to bring these
> men out of their predicament with the main reason being that he simply
> wanted to minister to any needs that could help them to become closer to 
> the
> Son of man's heeling power. In their work worn expressions he saw the main
> thing, which was that their eyes were strictly on the situation and its
> staggering overwhelming pressure and not on the ability of the Master. It
> was this fact or impression that caused Luke to have a spiritual 
> prompting.
> These are unfortunately not always followed, but the children of God who 
> are
> led by the Spirit are those who have exercised their faith and obedience 
> by
> following the quiet and often nameless promptings and in doing this become 
> a
> tool in the hands of the Master craftsmen continually working out the nuts
> and bolts of the Kingdom. In this case the prompting caused Luke's heart 
> to
> leap towards the two and cast off some of his normal reserve.
>
> On the same turn both of the elders had immediately acknowledged in their
> own minds and conceded to one another through one of those small glances
> that this young man was different from their elementary views of what a 
> man
> of the cloth can look like in this day and age who chooses to make a
> sacrifice for Christ in a small village in northern Alaska away from 
> earthly
> success and hopes of monetary gain. Though the two parties were on 
> different
> levels with different goals, it was apparent that a hand had moved in such 
> a
> way to bring the work and the tool together to start a difficult job of
> trying to restore a broken body of believers who had been fed an 
> unwholesome
> diet of popular religion and false impressions of Christ that were leading
> to more and more self disillusion for the members of the Good Sheppard
> Community Church of Anchorage.
>
> Both men took a seat on the small and stiff hospital couch across from 
> Luke
> without greeting him. Then as if they both became conscious of their
> impropriety they both rose simultaneously. Ed extended his thin wiry hand
> and gave Luke's hand a quick business like shake. He introduced himself,
> "Hello, I am Ed Long, I am an elder at our church and this is Ben Miller, 
> he
> is also an elder at the church." As Ben grabbed Luke's hand Ben
> unconsciously gave a little squeeze. Luke returned the squeeze with a warm
> familiar grasp that made the older man flash a thankful look of gratitude
> towards Luke.
>
> "It is nice to meet both of you. Allison my nurse hasn't been able to talk
> to me much about your church because she is very busy around here, but I
> have been waiting to meet you two and learn more about your work." Ed put 
> on
> his best Sunday face in spite of Luke's open and inviting countenance and
> started rolling off what sounded like a pre written commercial for the
> church and in the circumstances it looked like a silly pantomime of a 
> puppet
> trying to make an adult laugh without much hope. "Well, we are a very
> popular church with many outstanding members who are very well known in 
> the
> city! We have a really talented worship leader who has an extensive
> background in music. We also just invested in a top of the line sound 
> system
> that really has been a great addition to the church!"
>
> Ben seemed to sink lower and lower into his seat as Ed continued in the 
> same
> vein, proclaiming all of the churches fine accomplishments. He could feel
> that as fine as the facts looked, the reality was that they were sinking 
> and
> sinking very quickly. Ed's description made the church sound like a 
> chariot
> of fire making a whirlwind of improvements that were revolutionizing the
> city and drawing out the aristocracy of the town in droves. As Ed 
> continued
> to make his spill he quickly glanced over at Ben and seeing the look on
> Ben's face, he was somewhat brought back to the reality of their situation
> and though he may or may have not felt the superciliousness of many of his
> statements, he soon fell quiet. Glancing over at Ben he recognized an
> expression of exhaustion mingled with another one of irritation. Only
> slightly abashed he murmured out another sentence or two and then sat 
> there
> a little bewildered as if his whole game plan was taken from him.
>
> Luke then spoke, "Well, it sounds like your church is doing allot, but I
> guess I would like to know a little more about your mission as a church? 
> How
> is it that you are in need of a pastor at this time?" Ed now turned to Ben
> as if he wanted him to speak now, and Ben sitting up tried to shake off 
> the
> cloud of despair and spoke, "Well, to be honest, we haven't made the best
> decisions over the last few years with managing our budget and we have
> fallen into a, well, quite frankly a financial crises." Luke's face wore a
> sympathetic look that encouraged Ben to continue explaining the details 
> and
> then Ben quickly relayed the incident with Richard and how he had abruptly
> left, and not on the friendliest terms.
>
> Then Luke asked, "Have you and your church prayed about this decision?" 
> The
> two men's faces went red with embarrassment and the answer was obvious to
> Luke, but not wanting to carry the men's evident discomfiture any further 
> he
> graciously said, "Gentlemen, this is an extremely important decision to 
> make
> and the accountability of your positions as well as mine is a thing that 
> is
> not to be taken lightly. I have prayed over the situation myself, and 
> threw
> the need you have and the answers I feel pressing on my heart I feel that 
> I
> can be a pastor for your church while needed. I do not want to be
> presumptuous in my thoughts though and think that I am what you are
> necessarily looking for, so at this point all I can say is that I am
> willing, but whether or not you would like to have me as a minister at 
> your
> church is up to the two of you."
>
> Ben had already came to a conclusion in his mind and it was to except this
> young man that somehow or another seemed to revive his spirits in a way 
> that
> he had not felt in many years. Ed on the other hand still had his
> reservations as his heart was overflowing, full of worldly cares and while
> Ben was being revived in his soul, Ed was busy thinking more about wages,
> popularity, attendance and a myriad of other things that seemed to be more
> related to running a Broadway show than a congregation of believers, but
> perhaps these so called believers were more like a Broadway crowd of
> spectators attending the show for amusement, public recognition, social
> stimulation and a break from the monotonous rat race that plagued many if
> not all  throughout their weary week.
>
> Ed was the first to speak for in his mind the decision would greatly 
> depend
> on that topic which has been the topic that has festered in men's breast 
> as
> far back as when men mounted camels in the desert, the tent dwellers of
> Assyria who traded the shiny pieces of silver and gold for the spices and
> fine spun linen of the sons and daughters of the Nile who were master
> craftsmen in all forms of things that delighted the eyes and stimulated 
> the
> senses. This topic was of course, money, how much would it cost to obtain
> this safety net? For in Ed's mind this was more or less what this was, a
> last minute improvisation of a back woods village preacher. Ed's eyes were
> too dimmed by spiritual fog to recognize that he was attempting to walk 
> and
> be guided while holding a lantern that had no oil and could not light his
> way. This being the case his steps were abrupt, shaky and often right on 
> top
> of the toes of many who were unfortunate to be in his way and often trying
> to assist in filling his lamp up with the oil of the spirit.
>
> "Well, Luke, um, we don't have a large budget right now, so I don't want 
> to
> mislead you just because we are a popular church. Some might think that we
> could give a large salary to you, but unfortunately we could only offer 
> you
> a small amount for your services at this time. I think that we could
> probably pay you $200 a week. Your work would only include giving the 
> Sunday
> morning message." Ben couldn't speak at this point do to the anger and 
> shame
> that had got a hold of him.
>
>    Luke discerned that there was a cloud over Bens spirit, but did not 
> seek
> to probe into the matter, rather he simply just said, "That would be 
> fine."
> With that, Ben regained his speech and he spiritedly said, "Well, I think 
> we
> can do a little better than that." As he spoke he looked straight at Ed 
> with
> a warning glint in his weary eye.
>
>   Luke, who was always seeking to follow the Spirit, didn't impulsively
> just blurt out some words to diffuse the situation. Luke looked for ways 
> to
> make deep and lasting investments in people's lives through his words,
> thoughts and actions. It is easy to want to make everybody happy, but
> another thing to seek to infuse a glimmer of the Master into their lives 
> so
> that His presence becomes a living reality to them.
>
>   Many thoughts went through Luke's mind, but in a matter of seconds he 
> had
> thought of a proposal that might be able to help him to achieve a goal 
> that
> was more valuable than dollars and cents. "Perhaps I could stay at the
> church if there is room. I only need a cot and a place to wash up.  This 
> way
> you do not have to put out money that may be better spent in another area
> and I can use some space in the church that is not in use."
>
> The simplistic novelty of the proposal seemed so child like to Ben and Ed
> that their mouths seemed to open and close as if they were gasping for 
> air.
> To the two men dressed in costly winter coats and stylish insulated boots
> the idea seemed foreign. How could a person with any amount of learning or
> culture request such primitive accommodations?
>
>    Ed shot a side glance at Ben and his eyes seemed to roll as a small
> smear fleeted across his face, but Ben bitterly remembering the fact that
> they were well beyond the point of picking and choosing and that it was
> largely because of Ed, said, "We will try it out and see how it works."
>
>    Before any more words could pass between the 3 men, the door opened and
> Alli stepped in looking a little nervous, as well as curious. Her
> nervousness abated as Luke smiled up at her from the hospital bed and the
> boyish expression on his face seemed to melt her heart as she forgot about
> the problems of the building that she called a church and the human need 
> to
> serve the sick and hurt kicked in and before wanting to know anything 
> about
> the meeting, she wanted to check on the comfort of her patient.
>
>    One of Alli's gifts was the ability to feel others pain and discomfort
> and take action to try and ease their burdens.
>
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