Refine Me

Life has a knack for tossing us around. Some days it feels like the whole world just lands on your gut at the first moment your eyes open. It seems like God's no where to be found, and you're not just up the creek without a paddle, but you're in the middle of the ocean in the row boat, and there's a storm going on around you and it's all you can do to not drown. You can't see any light or land for the rain and you feel beaten and abused. 

And then something happens, be it a phone call from your parents are a hug from a friend, and it's like God just placed you in the eye of the storm. Around you is still gray, and you still have issues and the world to deal with, but for that moment, you look up and you see a glorious deep blue sky and the warmth of the sun gives you relief. How much more you appreciate that moment of peace and quiet after you've gone through the storm.

God always has you in his eyes, even if you can't see him for the rain. Some times it's Satan, dumping buckets of water on your head and all you need to do is step to the right to see God. Sometimes, there is a colossal storm and for that moment, even if you can't see God, you have to trust that he can see you. But for all that the world and Satan tries to tell us otherwise, God can turn absolutely ANYTHING around for his good. He's always got a plan, no matter what. And he allows us to go through hardships so that we can be stronger in Him, and His glory can be brighter. 

If you want to be fit or loose weight, you exercise. It's a pain in the butt and for days you feel sore and stiff. Faith and Trust are the same thing. They are like muscles that this world had forgotten to use and they need to be exercised. Unfortunately, we, even as children, learn consequences through pain. I am not belittling natural disasters or famine or flood. I am saying that God allows those things to happen so that we can grow in him and be an example of him. In order to grow stronger and healthier in faith and trust, we need to be tested. Only then will they become healthy. 

We need God to refine us, even if it means suffering. We are crude coal and he sees diamonds in us. Let him mold you into his plan. I promise you, even though the storm is great, and you are tired and hurt, the end result will be far better than any other exercise you can do.  

Faith Fall

Hey everyone!

So a friend of mine got me onto this website called Describli.com. It gives you a choice of four prompts and you get to pick on and write a short story based on it. It's great because it gives a author a chance to get some peer reviews as well as co write something with another author, which is always fun.

The only snag about this is that you have to have an account set up in order for to view other's writings. So if I share it on FB, that means that the person who clicks on it has to have an account set up. That part sucks. Anyway, I have a couple people who want to read my short story (YAY) so I decided that I'll also post them here, that way, if you don't want an account on Describli, then you can check it out here for no hassle :). So here is my first story for you. Enjoy!

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Faith Fall

The cry of the gulls echoed off the cliff side. The sun was just a rim of red that was shooting off it's last rays of light in to the wisps of purple clouds. The fire crackled, shooting out sparks to join the waking stars. A slight breeze brought with it the scent of the ocean far below. All was silent as the pair gazed out at the last breath of day.

"Papa?"

Baza turned to little Kirna, his youngest girl. "Yes, m'dear gi'l?"

Kirna held her hands out to the fire. Her long cloak was wrapped tightly around her with her fur lined hood on her little red head. When she looked up at Baza the hood fell back a little. Her green eyes were serious. "Why is this place called Faith Fall?"

Baza smiled at the little girl. She was his most curious child of the four. Rana, the oldest, was much like her name sake, his sister; adventurous and rambunctious. His twin sons, Tifro and Tisko, were more like his wife, Emer; stubborn with a thirst for knowledge. Kirna, however, was the carbon copy of Baza, aside from the slightly pointed ears of her mothers elfin heritage. She was serious about things she was curious about or found wrong, but otherwise she laughed easily and loved openly. Baza gazed at the little girl for the moment that it took for all these thoughts to cross his mind. How did he get so lucky?

"Well, m'dear gi'l," Baza said, using his nickname for her alone. "It's because this was once a tragic place with very little hope. You remember the story from your lessons?"

Kirna scrunched up her face in concentration and then shook her head, looking at him innocently. "Will you tell it to me again? I can't seem to 'member." she slipped back into her lisp that she had long since outgrown but used whenever she was playing innocent.

Baza chuckled and pulled Kirna onto his lap for the telling. "Once, year-turns ago, there was an evil weapon. It wanted to control everythin' and whoever held it would soon do whatever the sword wanted. It sound's strange for a sword to want or do anythin' without a master, but this was a magical sword. It was made by the elves many year-turns before this story; the method long since lost. This sword soon had a master that grew twisted enough to try to command all of Lyrose." Baza paused to take a deep breath.

Kirna snuggled into her papa's chest, nestling her head under his chin. Baza held her tight. "That bad man was Risaran, right Papa?"

Baza nodded against her head and took another deep breath. He was grateful that his children were safe. "That's right. And Risaran would brin' anyone he deemed too dangerous to this cliff, where he had a bad camp built. At that time it was called Cursed Cape. It was known all over Lyrose and feared by many, for good reason. He would bind the captives hands with a length of rope between the wrists and then tie the feet tightly together. Then he would hang them by that length of rope and hold a torch over it, just close enough to singe and slowly burn. Eventually, the prisoner's rope would snap and they would fall to the waves below."

Kirna shuddered and snuggled even closer to Baza. She had heard this story many times and hated this part. It made her angry and hurt for those that had died. "Papa, if it was such a bad place, why is it now called Faith Fall? Why is it not cursed anymore?" Ever the determined girl, she was not going to let him dwell in the past.

"Well, m'dear gi'l," Baza said with a slight smile. "Because this was also the place of the greatest rescue." Kirna wiggled a little. This was her favorite part. Baza chuckled. "See, your mama was once a prisoner of Risaran. She decide not to wait for him to bind her. She just turned and looked at Risaran and said 'I have faith, where you have hate.' Then she turned and jumped." Baza took a deep breath and shook his head at the memory.

"And then she flew, right Papa?"

Baza laughed and started tickling little Kirna. "Yes, you little tiger. You knew this story all along."

Kirna's high sequels could be heard at the homestead just behind the pair. Emer came out of the house and walked over to them.

"Mama!" Kirna jumped off Baza and into Emer's waiting arms.

"What have you been up to little red elf?" Emer asked with a smile.

"Papa was telling me about how you flew! You just jumped into thin air and showed all them bad guys that they needed a little faith." Little Kirna summed up the whole story in her little sentence with so much glee that Emer laughed.

"Well, why don't you head to your mat and dream of flying. Papa and I will be there to tuck you in shortly." Emer said with a smile. Kirna nodded, hugged both of her parents and skipped into the homestead.

"You never grow tired of that story, do you my dear?" Emer asked, shaking her head.

Baza stood up and took his wife into his arms. "I will never forget how you taught me to fall on faith." He kissed her nose and then they turned towards the homestead together, holding each other the whole way. The fire sent its last sparks to the sky.

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Yes I did use characters from my novel in progress. It's surprisingly difficult to create new characters when you have been so focused on one set of main characters for so long. This one I had fun writing, taking my characters into a new setting. Next stories, however, I'll work on different characters so that I can become more versatile. Hope you all enjoyed!