There Must Be Something More

116 | That 'One Day' Is Now

Amanda Jeung always had the best face forward.

But tonight, she was different. Her face flushed when Meredith asked what her story was. And I knew there was a newly formed humility in her.

"Well," Amanda started, circling her fork in her mashed potatoes. "I was always a church kid. I went to church with my mom and dad and my brothers and sisters every Sunday. We never missed a beat. But after a while, it all seemed so familiar. Until going to church felt like a chore, a sort of ritual to do every Sunday.

"And it was just that--every Sunday. From Monday to Saturday, we were different. It was as if we never went to church in the first place. And we were never really taught it was wrong. We were always just taught that God was love and that He always forgives us when we do wrong; that a loving God could never send anyone to hell."

"Oh, but He does send people to hell." Meredith explained. "He has the power to do so. It says so in Matthew 10:28, 'Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.'

"But He gives us every opportunity to escape hell for as long as we live before He sends anybody to hell. That is because it's never His will that any should perish, but that all come to repentance. As is said in 2 Peter 3:9.

"We choose to go to hell ourselves."

"But that's crazy," Amanda said. "Who would ever choose to go to hell? What kind of insane person would do that?"

"The same insane person who goes to school drunk or wasted, the same person who is in a bar or strip club or any other inappropriate place right now. The same person who's right now doing what the Bible says we shouldn't do."

"In short, what I used to do." Amanda admitted.

"What all of us here used to do." Meredith added, smiling.

"You?" Amanda laughed. "You ever got drunk?"

"I know, I didn't believe it until she told me her story." I said, laughing with her too.

Amanda continued, "Honestly, because of what my church taught, I never really got compelled to preach the gospel or live out the Bible like you guys. I was always too afraid or too ashamed what people would say. I was even ashamed of what Charlie would say. He was the most oblivious person about God in our whole friend group."

"And yet he's the first one to live for God." Grandpa Chuck smiled.

"I know," Amanda smiled. "It's like that saying, 'So the last will be first, and the first will be last.' And I'm glad Charlie was first. Or I wouldn't be here with all of you right now."

"Matthew 20:16." I smiled.

Amanda looked at me, puzzled.

I explained, "It's not a saying. It's Matthew 20:16, 'So the last will be first, and the first will be last.'"

"What would you have been doing tonight if you didn't let God get through to you in one of our lectures, Amanda?" Meredith asked.

"Probably wasted in a bar somewhere with Joey Morris." She shuddered at the thought.

"You're dating Joey Morris now?" I scoffed.

"No." She cringed. "Just... a fling thing, I guess."

"I thought you were interested in Calum." I blurted out.

That caught Amanda in surprise. She stared at me, obviously bewildered by what I said. "What makes you think that?"

"Let's talk about crushes and feelings some other time," Meredith interrupted, smiling. "Right now, you gotta tell me more of your story. What was it like growing up with that kind of knowledge about God and how did it affect your everyday life till now?"

"Well, this is how it affected me. I persecuted Charlie, I lived a sinful life, I hated God, I lived an empty life, constantly searching for that one thing to fill the void in me that searched only for God.

"Growing up there were so many questions in my head."

"Like what?" Meredith asked her.

Amanda cleared her throat. "You know, like, if God exists, why isn't His identity more obvious? Or if God is good, why does He allow evil to exist? Stuff like that."

And then she chuckled. "Actually, even with my acceptance of the Lord now, I still have those questions in me. And I hope one day they get answered."

"That 'one day' is now," Meredith said. "We have a lot to talk about." She took Amanda by the hands. "But first, I wanna start off by saying, 'Welcome to the family of God'."

Amanda squealed in excitement and hugged Meredith tight. Grandpa Chuck joined in. And then I did.

I wiped the tears from my face. Amanda saw me, and sobbed as well, but this time smiling.

"But... you said you confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior a year ago," I added. "If your church never taught about repentance, how did you?"

"I read the Bible," she said, sniffling. "Followed by tons of researching, and weighing out what was Biblical and what wasn't. And I guess that's why I can say my favorite Bible verse is 1 John 1:9, 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins--'"

"'--and purify us from all unrighteousness.'" I continued, feeling like crying again.

"And He did," Amanda said with a shaky voice. "He is faithful. He did forgive me my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness."

"And He does that every day." Meredith said. "Confess your sins to Him every day and He will never disappoint."

"Amen." Amanda said.

"We have to set a time where we can talk and you can tell me about all those questions in your head." Meredith said. And then she looked at me. "I know now what we're going to talk about in our last lecture."

"Yeah, more about the dead sea scrolls, right?"

"No, this time it's more personal." Meredith said, her brown eyes glinted underneath the fluorescent light. "We're going to answer every frequently asked question of skeptics. And Amanda will help us out with that."

"You mean, the first time I really get serious with God I already get to help out in your lectures?" Amanda yelped in excitement.

"Of course!" Meredith grinned.

"Oh, wow!"

"But first, we have to call it a night." Meredith said. "It's getting late."

"Um, Amanda, can I talk to you before you go?" I said.

Amanda and Meredith exchanged glances. "You guys can talk out on the front porch." Meredith said with a smile.

It was an especially cold night. The full moon nestled on top of the California lilac tree a few feet from us. 

"I really want you to be honest with me, Amanda." I said, looking her in her dark brown eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I hope you're for real this time, Amanda. I don't want you doing what Calum did to us."

"What do you mean?" She asked again.

I explained the whole situation to her. From Calum lying about being a Christian, to me catching him in the act at Gravel Boulevard. Amanda frowned, there was a sadness in her eyes.

And then she spoke up, "Let's pray for Calum."

We prayed and said good-bye for the night.

*******

A/N

"There Must Be Something More" is now PUBLISHED on paperback in currently 2 parts! You can go order them in Shopee if you live anywhere in the Philippines. But if you live outside Philippines, DM me for shipping options and details. God bless you and shalom!