Jesus Christ I think upon your sacrifice You became nothing, poured out to death Many times I wonder at your gift of life And I'm in that place once again I'm in that place once again
Once again I look upon the Cross where you died I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside Once again I thank you Once again I pour out my life.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear, Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
A few weeks ago i told a friends that I would buy her a Bible as her Christmas present as she has never had one before and was looking into the claims of Jesus for herself. I told her not to get one so she won't end up with a double, and guess what? She bought me a Christmas present too! I thought it was a little gift as a thank u but oh my! How surprised was I when I open the little green bag and found inside it the perfume that I've always wanted but always decided not to buy! =D
That was only a little echo of how generous God could be. Call it coincidence, or fate, or whatever you want, was listening to a sermon on Romans today and thought of this little story that I've read years ago.
Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?"
Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her. Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough, her grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls.
How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere-to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower-her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!
Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story.
One night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny, do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little girl said.
"Well, then, give me your pearls."
"Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!" Jenny said. "But you can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?"
"Oh no, darling, that's okay." Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. "Good night, little one."
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you."
"Well, then, give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little girl said to her father.
"No, that's okay," her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams."
Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. "Here, Daddy," she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father's hand.
With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls.
He had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.
How often do we get caught up in petty little things, thinking we could never give them up? I know I do more than often! Romans 8:32 says He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?
"Faye! Faye!" That voice sounded so familiar. I turned round and there was Lucy. In my college! I haven't seen her in ages! Just then, my sister, Emily, came round the corner. "Sis, dad's here. We need to hurry 'cos he can't find a parking space." I nodded at Emily, and then turn back to face Lucy, dreading the inevitable. "Faye, I... you don't have a sister. Who's that?" "I'll explain some other time." I ran after Emily.
I didn't want to explain at all. All those years, changing schools, new friends, new family, I thought no one would know. As far as the world is concerned, Faye Kimberley Williams doesn't exists anymore. Lucy was great, I miss her. But if it means explaining why I have a sister that I don't then I'd rather we went to different colleges and never meet again. I can tell Emily is looking at me as things run through my mind. I miss my old life, I wish things could stay the way they were.
Back in the days, I was the only child of a happy family. We weren't the richest but life was good. Mum and dad loves me and we have family trips and family weekends every now and again. Until mum was diagnosed with Leukemia. From that day onwards, life was nothing like what it was before. The happy family that I belonged in has transformed into something I don't even recognise. The hospitals bills were too much to ask from a standard family like us. Dad started drinking, the landlord started breathing down our throats for rent, I was always left alone at home and there was nothing I could do but cry silently in my room every night, wishing that it wasn't real.
One day, dad came home from work, and surprisingly, he was smiling. He has not smiled like that since mum has been in hospital. He gave me a hug and said "Darling, mum will be ok soon. She'll be back home with you. And everything will be alright again." I haven't seen dad smiled since mum's ill. I was so thrilled! My prayers have been heard! I was so happy that I didn't even ask what happened. The next day, while I was doing my school work, I needed some more pens. Mum used to keep all the spare things in the little storage in our back garden. As I was about to turn the handle, dad appeared right behind me. He pushed me away from the door and shouted, "What the hell did you think you are doing?!". Crying, I answered, "I... I've just ran out of pens and needed new ones." I was so scared. I have never in my life seen dad in such a rage before. I didn't understand what I did wrong. Dad got me some new pens from the shop nearby and sent me to my room straight after.
That night, I was crying my eyes out. I couldn't sleep. Dad has never been like that with me before, no matter how angry he is. With mum in the hospital, I have no one to turn to. I was only going to the storage, I have been in there countless times before, so what was the problem? Why didn't dad let me get some pens from there? Why did he get so angry? And why did he get me some pens from the shop when I know there is at least a dozen spare pens in the storage? I was so confused. I tossed and turned for hours, those questions burning in my mind. If only mum's here. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I got out of bed, grab the little torch from my bedside and went out. Dad's definitely asleep. I can hear him snoring.
Out in the back garden, its pitch black. I got to the storage, thinking whether I should open it. Looking at the door knob, dad's angry face flashed into my mind. I started to take a few steps back towards the house, but curiosity got better of me. This time, Just as I was about to turn the door knob, I hear something really strange. It sounds like soft sobbing coming from inside the storage. My heart froze. I turned on my torch light and went into the storage. I nearly fainted at the sight that was before me. The things in the storage have all been pushed to the sides and there in the middle of the storage was a girl about my age, tied, blind-folded and gagged. I didn't know what to do. The first thing that came into my mind was to help her. I bend down and started untying her feet. The knots were quite tough to undo. "FAYE!!" I nearly jumped through the roof.
There behind me was a man i hardly recognise as my dad. He has a gun in his hands. "Dad!" I was shivering so much that I couldn't bring myself to move. "Why... why is she here? Did u do this? Dad, I... is this why you said everything is going to be ok? Dad, please don't do this." I was crying so hard I wasn't sure dad could understand me anymore. "I am sorry, Faye. There's no other way." He raised the gun. And aimed it at me. I screamed and ducked as he pulls the trigger. The most horrifying sound of a gunshot enchoed in the little storage. "Faye, don't make this harder than it already is. I promise, it'll be fast and painless." I started running around and throwing whatever I find at him, hoping to buy some time and somehow survive this living nightmare.
Suddenly, out of no where, I hear another gun shot. I was waiting for the pain to shoot through my body and to collapse, and wait for my death. But the pain never came. Instead, I saw my dad's expression changed to one of shocked, then pain, as he falls on the floor of the storage. Behind him, I see armed policemen. Everything after that was a blur. I vaguely remember our neighbour, Mr.Fisher, telling the police he heard a gunshot and phoned them. I also remember sitting in the police car, waiting, and after that, telling he policemen exactly what happened and repeating myself several times as tears continue to choke my words.
Looking back, it all seems unreal. As I am sitting here, now Faye Gracella Lawrence, having lunch as a daughter of a successful lawyer, or should I say adopted daughter? Eventhough this is not my biological family, it never felt that way. It was as if I have been a daughter of this family since the day I was born. I only wish it was so. The memories of that man, who I no longer would say he's my father, torments and shames me everytime I woke up crying in the night after the first gun shot. How am I to tell Lucy why I left school? What happened after my mum passed away? Where have I been? How did I end up with a sister I didn't have? I really couldn't bring myself to tell her everything.
I sat at my desk with my college work in front of me. I didn't even realise my eyes are full of tears and my books are wet. I can't get any work done like this. I close my book and decided to go for a nap.
~ written by Viola (originally in 2004)
Have this sudden urge to start a blog as I have never had one before. Very long post for a first blog post. Wanted to write something so I thought I'd re-write my exam piece. Obviously the original piece would have been a lot shorter as I didn't have enough time in the exam to write this much. Hope you've enjoy reading it!
