Thy Will, Not Mine

Chapter {6} Antonio

However, hugging someone of the opposite gender who was not family, with evil thoughts, was discouraged in my belief, as 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 says:

1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

A small voice in my heart said, "Don't allow yourself to fall, my daughter," and that was enough for me to pull away from the hug and be filled with immense regret for the sin I had almost committed.

"Uhm... I will see you tomorrow," I mindlessly said and didn't wait for his reply as my legs moved on their own accord, looking for an escape from the dangerous situation. My thoughts were all over the place. What if we were together alone in a room? What would have happened?

"DESTINY!" I turned around at the sound of my name from my best friend who was jogging through the corridors over to me.

"I've been calling for a long time. Couldn't you hear me?" she panted.

"Sorry."

"Darling, are you fine?" I could hear the worry in her voice.

"N-not really." I felt like bursting into tears because of the disgraceful temptation I had almost fallen into.

"Let's go somewhere more secluded, okay?" she said, putting her hand on my lower back and guiding me toward the entryway of the lobby, which was usually quiet and isolated. I wordlessly nodded.

A few minutes later, we were sitting on green manicured lawns overlooking the boisterous city under a shady tree. Hedges shaped into different animals lined the "park," and only a handful of people and couples also sat there for some tranquillity.

"Spill it. What is bothering you?" Thato gave me her full attention.

"I... I did something really bad," I said, avoiding eye contact out of embarrassment.

"What is this thing that you of all people could have possibly done?"

I gave no response.

"Destiny," she said my name, and I knew she was serious and wanted nothing but the truth.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I hugged Nio, and eventually I had evil thoughts until the Holy Spirit convicted me."

"That's all? And who is Nio?" she furrowed her brows.

"Nio is my Business Management classmate," I said, wanting to add "and friend," but we weren't exactly friends.

"And you hugged him?" I could not hear judgment in her voice, just surprise.

"...Yeah, he was just so persistent when I said no."

"Okay, I get that you did something that was deemed bad as the Holy Spirit actually spoke to you, but what matters is that you didn't give in to temptation. You listened to the voice of the Lord, and I know that you must feel like you committed the biggest sin in your life, but," she smiled. "Surprisingly, last night I read a verse about forgiveness, First John chapter one, verse nine says, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' I know that you are truly repentant, so God will forgive you. Not only that, but he will cleanse you and give you peace."

By the time she was finished speaking, tears were streaming down my face. I knew that God forgave all sins. He was a loving Father, but sometimes it felt great to be reminded of His loving and forgiving nature.

"Lord, please forgive me for the sin I committed today," I prayed.

Thato pulled me into a comforting hug and whispered, "Sometimes you have to stand your ground because people will take advantage of your kindness."

We pulled away, and I wiped away my tears as I felt peace engulf me like a blanket.

"When did you become so wise?" My voice came out hoarse.

"When I decided to give my life to God and read the Bible," she grinned, her eyes twinkling.

"Hey, remember the waiter from Mario's Pizzeria?" she changed the subject.

"Yeah?"

"He's in my Food Science class. I thought I would be alone, but we quickly became friends," she excitedly said, and just like that, my mind and heart departed from the situation in the corridor as we conversed until we had class.

****

"Father, God Almighty, I bow before Your throne as I ask for forgiveness for all the sins I have committed, knowingly and unknowingly. You know my thoughts and heart, and You know what I did today. Please forgive me and renew me, Lord. I need You, Jehovah Nissi, for I am only clay, which can be crushed at any moment. I need Your guidance, protection, and love. Thank You, Lord, thank You. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray, amen."

I opened my eyes as a tear rolled down. I had been praising Him for hours, and now my throat felt painful, but my soul felt rejuvenated.

After switching off the light, I climbed into bed, and my thoughts were clearer as I realized that my prayers had been answered, and I now knew that my mysterious classmate was Antonio, and Sienna's granny was doing much better.

God really does want us to have peace.

With a smile on my face, I fell into a blissful slumber.
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Amore Mio- My love

Amore- Love