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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Hmph! (03/04/10)
"Wanna talk about this?"

"NO!"

"You really need to --"

"I SAID I don't wanna talk about it!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Okay... but you know it's eating on you..."

The crock pot of emotion in her soul suddenly became a pressure cooker.

"I can't believe she said that to me! I can't BELIEVE it! Who does she think she is, anyway?"

"Well, she IS your friend. Right?"

"Hmph! My... FRIEND?!? How could she be my friend after what she's done!" She turned and glared at him. "And then... she LIED to me! She told me she wasn't friends with those two, but she IS!"

"Now, you don't know that they're really close friends. You have no way of knowing that's true." His steady gaze reminded her she needed to keep her comments, and her emotions, in check.

"Well..."

Though she wasn't looking straight at him, she knew he had stood up and was walking toward her. Before he reached her, she sensed the love in his heart, and the warmth of that love began to melt the icy shroud of anger around her own heart.

He gazed down at her. "Sure you don't wanna talk about this?"

The tears began to flow. "My Lord.."

He reached out and pulled her toward him. "I know."

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, as she buried her face in his chest. "Why... did she get so angry at me? Why? I was only trying to help!"

"Well," he began, "she didn't want your help." He frowned at the thought. "She didn't want anyone's help."

"And so now I have to pay for her stubbornness?" The painful look on her face spoke volumes. He gazed down at her, and wiped a tear from her face. "It's not fair, Lord. It's just not fair."

Hearing the tone of defeat in her voice, he wrapped his arms tighter around her and held her close. The warmth of his embrace worked its power; the anger washed away and the real pain emerged in sob after sob.

He waited.

Soon, the sobs dwindled into sniffles, which slowly faded into pensive silence.

"Some people... some people just want to rant and rave when they're upset. Even when they are really distraught, and really do need help, they just don't want it. I know that from my own experience." He smiled down at her. "You know?"

"Oh... right." Her cheeks flushed. He's referring to me now.

His smile broadened. "I know what you're thinking."

Her eyes met the twinkle in his own, but she was still not at peace.

"But now what do I do? I reached out to her after she got angry with me, but she wouldn't respond. Then, when I tried to confront her about this, she got nasty with me." She searched his face for answers. "How do I fix this?"

"Hmm. Well, you've already apologized --"

"Yes, Lord. You KNOW I have!" She closed her eyes and sighed. "A thousand times over," she mumbled.

"And you've tried everything you can try, to reach out and make amends."

"Yes, my Lord. She's just not letting go of this."

"Well, then, there's only one thing left to do."

"Yes?"

"Let it go."

Was he serious? "That's really not what I wanted to hear."

"I know... but you have to let it go. The outcome of this is not in your hands now."

"But--"

"Look. You stepped in and tried to help, when she didn't ask for your help. You made her angry by trying to be her hero, when she didn't want a hero. She just wanted to be upset, and deal with everything on her own, whether her methods worked or not."

"True." She wiped the last tear from her face, and listened.

He stepped back and placed his hands on her shoulders. With the voice of a father, he continued.

"You're not responsible for her reaction to what you did. You're not responsible for her emotions in this, or what she does after this. You've apologized. Now she has to make a choice. And you can't govern that choice. So," he paused for effect, "learn from this mistake and gain wisdom from the experience. AND..."

He motioned as is to tell her a secret, and she stepped forward slightly. He leaned his face close to hers and smiled.

"...let ME be the hero."
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This article has been read 657 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
03/12/10
What a powerful message. I loved how the Lord wrapped His arms around her, as I often use that plea in my prayers. Thank you for the reminder to Let it Go. I may need to paste this story on my mirror to remind me daily.
Lisa Harris
03/12/10
Wow, I loved this! Touched my heart. Awesome.
Rachel Rudd 
03/16/10
Thank you. Yes! I needed to read this. :) This closeness with Jesus is what I want more and more. I really liked the ending, too. My hero!
Lyn Churchyard
03/16/10
Oh wow! I had a hard time reading that through my tears. It was just amazingly beautiful. Full of truth too, sometimes we just can't fix every problem and we have to let HIM be the hero. Well done!
Sarah Elisabeth
03/17/10
Great message! I was a little lost in the first part of the conversation, but caught on quickly. Good job!
Beth LaBuff 
03/18/10
I had to smile at "The crock pot of emotion in her soul suddenly became a pressure cooker." :) The frustration of your MC comes through clearly. Nice writing!