A Short Story

My life is void of all purpose and meaning. I sit at my desk, wondering if the next story I write will sell. I have come to realize that people do not want me to write because they try to discourage me with their meaningless words. Or perhaps they do care but think if I do not write like they do, why bother? Meaningless friends they are. Job had friends like that. He had one calamity after another with no chance to catch his breath. He cursed the day he was born and wish for death. He did not realize it was because of his fear that it had to come to pass. His three friends also offered meaningless help and advice just as mine does.

“Ruthie, your story lacks description. It won't sell.”

“What? Not again?” I cry.

And why is it that readers rather I show them Paris then tell them about Paris? Must I bring Paris to them? Why not use their imagination? Are all readers lazy and have none?

I am not lazy. I just have no energy. For 15 years I I did not know what was wrong with me. My cycles were abnormal and I didn't seek help. Not because I didn't care but because I didn't know if I could afford it. I lost a lot of blood and have become anemic.

When I graduated from college, I had loans to pay. I wished I didn't, but I promised I would pay them back. The only problem was that no one wanted to help me do that. I had 3 years of experience with food service and not one franchise or restaurant wanted to hire me!

Job didn't understand that there was a cosmic battle going on. The sons of God presented themselves before God and so did Lucifer. You see he saw how God had protected Job, but he also thought that Job would curse God if bad happen to Job. God took Lucifer's challenge. God knew that Job would not curse God and he didn't—He cursed the day he was born.

I never cursed the day I was born. We were all born for a reason. Some of us may never realize or know it. We find meaning and purpose in God. I began saying that my life has none, but it does. It just feels Like I am wasting my time writing stories don't won't sell because I don't add description to my story. Where is your imagination??!

Imagination is a gift from God and so is inspiration, but we must use it wisely. Maybe I am going in the wrong direction. Maybe I am asking the wrong people for help. I should go to the Holy Spirit because he is my teacher not people. Although God can use people if the people we ask are the ones God leads us to.

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I can't sleep. I see pre sleep pictures in my mind that keeps me awake. I cry out for help, but no helps comes. I lay in bed paralyzed. A story begins to play out from beginning to end.

“God, please make it stop!”

Take authority over it! Cast it down!

Take Authority? Cast it down? I have tried it in the past, but it doesn't seem to work, but I try again.

“In the name of Jesus, I comamnd you to stop!”

Who are you commanding to stop?

The voice I heard did not come from God and it gave an evil forboding which was not welcome in my room.

“Satan, I rebuke you in Jesus's name! I command you to leave my room now!”

I waited for him to leave, but it seemed as if I had no power over him like in some nigtmares I get. I sighed. I knew I had to persist so I began to pray in the Spirit, in a language the devil does not understand, but the Holy Spirit. Praying in the Spirit is speaking in tongues and is compared to a Latino telling her friend in front of a non Spanish speaker about something in her life.; the only difference is I do not know what I am praying—the Holy Spirit does and that is fine with me.

As I prayed, I could hear the Spirit of God, telling me to rest in him. How can I do that in the presence of evil? Then I remember Psalms 91. I got out my Bible and since faith comes from hearing the word of God, I read the psalms out loud.

[I am going to personalize this]

“I who dwell in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress in Him do I trust.”

As I read those scriptures, my answer came: I must dwell in His Presence. I must remain fixed no matter what so I spent a great deal of time in His presence, worshipping Him.

Finally sleep came and the pictures of my mind left, letting me have dreams instead.

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It is a brand new day! I feel refreshed and raeady but my body felt otherwise. I had another fight ahead of me. It is not easy when you are anemic. I am taking my medication and it has helped, but it is still a battle. I have another enemy t work in my life ot maybe a challenge, depending on how one looks at it. I stare at my computer and it laughs at me.

What kind of nondescriptive story are you going to write this time?

I stare at the computer screen, ignoring the comment. I know I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I just have to put my mind to it.

God help me! Help me write like a pro!

Yet my enemy taunts me, saying, “You can't write. You have no energy to write. You are just wasting your time.”

Instead of fighting back, I give in and go to my couch to do something else-- I crocheted.

David felt discouraged too. After the enemy took all that belonged to hima nd his troop, they wanted to leave him and he had to encourage himself in the Lord. I too must do that. The enemy can use people to discourage us especially when we doa good work. This happened in nehemiah's time as well.

The jews began rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem when the enemy nations around them came at them, hoping to intimidate them. [ the scriptures will be my paraphrase]

“What do you think you dogs are doing?” They laughed.

“Looks like they are using old worthless stones!”

The taunt continues.

But Nehemiah didn't give up. He cried out to God. “God, you hear what they are sayting about you and us? Please ehar our cries!”

God did. He gave them the courage to keep up the good work. Sometimes when the enemy taunts us, we must refute them like what Nehemiah did and we must not let the enemy stop us from what we are doing.

I know that God has given me this ability to write. I can't let him down or my friends down, but I must take a break until I feel better.