Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Art (01/18/07)
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TITLE: Until We Meet Again | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jaime Thibodeau
01/24/07 -
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She found herself flooded with thoughts as she aimlessly passed by each painting, looking at them, but not really seeing any of them. She was too consumed with the questions running through her mind.
“How did we lose touch? Why didn’t I know sooner? Did she know how much I cared for her, how much she meant to me?”
Amy walked through the gallery replaying moments of her lost friendship over and over again. She remembered how much Noelle loved art and how she was pursuing her dream by studying at the Art Institute of Charleston. Noelle’s passion for art was only second to her passion for Christ.
The sound of a door closing stirred Amy out of her trance for a moment. She looked around and saw a bench in a quiet place near the back of the gallery. She made her way to the bench and sat down on its cold, hard surface. As she sat back, a flood of emotion washed over her. The words she’d heard earlier that day began playing back in her head, “Noelle died of cancer three months ago. She’s gone on to be with the Lord.” The news had come unexpectedly from a mutual friend who was visiting the city. Amy had no idea Noelle had been sick.
Noelle had shared the gospel with Amy many times before Amy finally “accepted” Christ. As she recalled it was just six months before her move to the big city. During those six months the two girls attended church together and grew closer as friends. The timing of Amy’s move could not have come at a worse time. A baby Christian stepping out by herself in a sin-filled city with no connections to a church family. It wasn’t long before Amy found herself compromising her faith in small ways. Before she knew it she had completely lost touch with both Noelle and her relationship with Christ. She was consumed by the fast paced life of the city and all it had to offer her. Parties were a weekly event for Amy; filled with alcohol, sex, and drugs. The only times Amy found herself calling out to God was when she couldn’t remember what happened the night before or when she feared she might be pregnant. Hearing of Noelle’s death reminded her of the first conversation Noelle had shared with Amy about her faith.
“Through salvation in Christ we can spend eternity together, Amy! I love you so much that I can’t bare the thought of spending eternity without you! Please Amy; consider a personal relationship with Christ!”
Amy began to weep. She realized that she had a superficial relationship with Christ. She only “accepted” Him to please Amy and never really grew as a Christian. With her face buried in her hands she cried out to God,
“Father, forgive me for this wretched life I’ve been living. I heard the Word and chose to ignore it. I have been so selfish and for that reason I never got to say goodbye to a friend who cared so much about me. Please come into my heart and help me to turn from this life of sin. I want to live a life that pleases you, Lord. I want to spend eternity with you and Noelle. Please Lord, save me!”
As Amy began to compose herself and wipe the tears from her face, she looked up at the painting that was hanging on the wall in front of her. She was touched by the image of a city bridge reaching into the heavens. At the end of the bridge were open arms welcoming anyone crossing over it. Amy gasped and began to weep again as she read the inscription hanging below the painting:
“Until We Meet Again, By Noelle Wellington”
Just when you think all hope is lost, God reaches down and reveals himself to us in special ways.
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