Mercy
I pulled my hood up as it started to downpour, then went into a slight jog. Keeping my Bible close in the crook of my arm and feeling the bounce of the cross around my neck against my chest, I could see the small coffee shop at the corner.
ALMOST THERE, SAM. I thought to myself. I was running a little late due to the weather. This past week has been filled with sudden severe thunderstorms and even a tornado. This is odd weather- even for New England.
"Thunder storms on and off," Rose said a few days earlier, "It's like Florida up here!" We had a good laugh then went on to talk about how we believe the rapture is soon- and this is phase one. Don't get me wrong- it's not like that old guy who's got everyone thinking it's happening in October. That guy obviously hasn't been reading his Bible much, and that's coming from a guy who's had one for about a month. It probably won't happen for years, Rose thinks America will be out the window (or at least the first amendment) seeing we will be killed and persicuted for our beliefs.
I pushed the door open and heard the bell ring above my head. Across the room, Rose waved to me from her small table. She sat across from a red head woman with a notepad and a tape recorder.
Another reporter. Ever sense she and I escaped from the Mexican drug lords, reporters from every local newspaper and a few Christian magazines have interviewed the amazing kids who showed up on the streets of Texas asking for a ride to New England with a miraculous story so hard to believe. Unlike me, Rose loved the interviews, always truthful to the reporters and only saying yes to the newspapers and magazines with good intentions and genuine qualities. She turned down magazines like Seventeen and Teen Vogue, but she has received a letter saying they could be on Good Morning America and even Oprah. "Maybe we'll get a car." I joked as I read the letter last week, and Rose slapped the back of my head.
I could deal with the interviews, but I like to get them done fast. Rose does most of the talking, which I like.
I hung my coat on the rack and wiped off the cover of the Bible Rose bought me. Yes, a lot has changed in a month. It took us two days to find a way home for a bloody boy and a girl in a white silk rode on the side of a Texas road. When we returned home, we first stopped at my house, where we found my twin sister Tammy praying in the living room at midnight. "She must be our 'Rhoda'." Rose whispered to me.
It's amazing how much my sister and Rose are alike. Some ask if they are the twins, even though Rose looks nothing like us. I think they both have the supernatural gift of Faith.
After that day, the next thing to do was to talk to my parents about what happened and explain why I wanted to switch churches. I couldn't do it, so Rose did it for me, she's really good with my parents.
I have nothing against the Catholic religion, it just wasn't for me I guess. I never liked my church, hey had a bunch of weird rules and traditions that aren't even in the Bible; confessions, lent, etc. And they weren't really accepting of anyone outside the church, even though Jesus says to be. Rose explained that her church, a Pentecostal church, also believes Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins and rose again on the third day, it's just more RELATIONSHIP then a list of rules. My parents surprisingly understood, so they let me attend her church and they even checked it out. Now my whole family goes to the Assemblies of God Church- one sermon of Pastor's jokes and meaningful lesson my parents were hooked. Now Tammy attends Rose's Missionettes class and I go to youth group with both of them. And I'm enjoying church for the first time in my life.
Then the most amazing this happend! That night, while Rose was back home in her bedroom for the first time in about a month in a cell, the Holy Spirit came upon her.
"It was the weirdest thing I have ever experienced." She told me a day later. "I was asking for it but wasn't expecting it. I was asking God for it, but I expected it to come like weeks or months later, i felt unworthy at the moment. Then it hit me. He came inside and I started speaking in tounges. I was flipping in my mind."
"Why?" I asked, a new believer trying to grasp the consept.
"Because, the brain can't concept it. We are to intulectually based- everything has to make sence and everything has to be explainable. The Spirit isn't. AT ALL. That's why science has trouble with religion. Finding answers to everything around you is impossible."She explained. " With the Spirit, you have to just let it flow, trust God, and understand not to understand."
"So can I get it?" I asked.
"Yes, you can RECIEVE HIM." She correctd me, reminding me the Spirit is also part of the Trinity. "Just keep praying for it. Jesus says 'ask and you shall recieve,'. And NEVER underestimate the power of prayer. EVER." She said. "And be WARNED, you ask for Him, He will come, even if you don't think it could be at THAT MOMENT, it could be."
Now Rose is so much bolder with her faith! She's so eager to help the world and sees it with a new set of eyes. My little sister has fully become a mature, young woman. I'm so pround of her.
Rose and the woman stood and shook hands, exchanging thank yous. Then Rose walked over to me, went around me then pushed against my back. I started to push against the floor harder with my feet, but Rose is pretty strong.
"Eastern USA Christian Magazine. Your turn." She whispered and gave one final push. I sighed and shook my head then proceeded to the table for my interview.
"Thank God that's over." I said as I stretched out in my chair.
Rose kicked me under the table. "It wasn't that bad."
I sighed. "I know, but you know how I hate interviews."
"I just don't understand WHY." she rolled her eyes. "Now crack open your Bible. I got a good book for you too." Rose and I always had Bible studies after our interviews, kind of a tradition now. Rose pulled her bag onto the table and her AND THE BRIDE WORE WHITE books fell out.
"Is that it?" I asked.
She laughed. "Why don't you read the back and tell me."
I picked up the smaller of the two, the journal to the main book.
"What do you really think about sex?" was the first thing I read. I must have made a face, because Rose started laughing hysterically.
"It's a sexual purity book." Rose explained and kicked me again.
A teenaged redhead girl wearing a dark green shirt that matched the walls and a black apron over her tan pants came up the table.
"May I take your order?" she asked. Something in her voice made a small but horrible pain in the bottom of my stomach. Rose said what she wanted, then I did as well. I looked into her eyes as she wrote down my order and I saw something in her eyes.
Pain.
And I felt it too.
She walked away with out noticing me at all, then Rose continued our study, " Okay, when the Spirit comes upon us, a lot of things happen in side of us, today we will focus on the main five....
After our Bible study and meal, the waitress came by with our check and quickly walked away. "I'll take care of it." I told Rose. She smiled a thank you then pulled out her phone and walked away.
I pulled some money out of my wallet and headed over to the counter. The girl was there, scrubbing its surface with a rag cloth.
"Hey," I said. "I'm Sam."
She looked at me, and felt that small but horrible sence of pain as I looked into her green eyes. "I'm Holly." she said coldly. "Can I help you?"
"No," I said. "But can I help you? Are you alright?"
She looked up, and I saw shock in her eyes. She sucked her emotions back in. "I'm fine." she said then turned around.
"Are you sure? I just want to help you."
"Why?" she turned around quick and her tone grew harder. "Your that kid from all the papers, right? Why would you care? Your probably getting richer and more famous by the minute. Why would you or anyonelse care about me?" I saw a fine line of water form at the bottom of her eyes, and she turned away again.
At first I was shocked, then I put the money on the counter along with a large tip. On the back of the recite I wrote my name, number and 'Fbook'. Then added. 'I don't need a reason. I'm here to listen.' then wales away.
"Called your mom." Rose said. "She's on her way." I nodded, keeping my eyes on Holly. "Hey, your gonna be sixteen in a few weeks! You excited to get your permit?"
"Yeah." I said, but didn't turn my glare from the girl who ran into the kitchen wiping her eyes. My stomach swermed in pain and my legs ached to chase after her.
But I felt Him say PATIENCE.
I got a private message on Facebook two days later. I was surprised, I have to admit. When I saw the redheaded girl in the picture I had to double check if it was Holly. In her pic she was so happy, but in her eyes I could see the pain she held back.
Holly: alright, u got me to msg you. What do you want?
Me: Just to listen.
Surprisingly, she responded right away, she must have been online.
Holly: Not here alright?
Me: why don't I take u out for coffee or something?
Holly: Haha. Ur asking the girl from a coffee shop out for coffee?
Me: haha silly me. What do u wanna do?
Holly: Can you be at the playground by the elementary school in 15 minutes?
Sam: make it 10 :)
The playground was empty, most kids where still in school while the high school had half days due to finals.
Then I spotted Holly. She sat at the end of the playground, on a swing, lost in her sullen thoughts. As I approached her, I felt her depression in my heart.
"Hey," I said. She stayed silent. I sat on the swing next to her.
After a moment, she broke the silence. "Why am I here?" she asked. "I don't know why, but something inside me kept telling me to contact you."
I thanked the Holy Spirit in my head. "So, what was bothering you?"
"Ummm..." she said. "I don't expect you to understand."
"Holly," I said. "I already feel your pain."
She looked up at me, eyes wide. "How?" she asked. "Last night, you knew something was wrong, no matter how much I covered it up. You saw right through me. How?"
I thought for a moment. "I don't know," I said. "Yet." I continued, " Now, what's bothering you? I need to know in order to help."
Holly's eyes began to dampen again, so she hid her face in her hands. "I...I... had sex."
I knew I was suppose to speak but I couldn't. I was shocked.
She went on, like it was pouring out of her and she couldn't hold it in any more. She exploded and began to weep. "My friends told me I was going to lose him. They said he was cheating on me because I wouldn't give in. I didn't want to lose him. I thought I needed him. So I gave him my virginity, thinking he would stay with me if I did. He dumped me after I did. Literally, an hour later." A near by church's bell rang for the hour, it was now noon. Holly cried harder and louder. "I was gonna wait! God must hate me now, and He has a right to! I'm so ashamed!" She cried more.
"Holly," I said. "God does not hate you, no matter what you do, He still loves you."
"How?"
Suddenly, the Spirit placed an idea in my head. "I know someone who can help you." I pulled out my phone.
Holly and I walked back to my house, and Rose, who lives in the eastern village of the town, walked to meet us there. My parents weren't home, they were at a bible study at the church, but my sister and my little brother were.
"Brian, why don't you go over to Chris's house?"
"Why? What are you talking about that you don't want me to hear?" he asked. I obviously wasn't going to convince him.
Then my sister spun around, smiled, and put her hands on her hips. "We're talking about periods."
I've never seen him run outside faster.
"Alright," Rose said and brought Holly to the couch with her and sat down. "What's wrong?"
Holly instantly started crying and explained everything. Rose held her close, let her cry on her shoulder, rocking her back and forth. Tammy sat at Holly's other side and joined the embrace. Then all three girls started to cry.
Unsure what to do, I took Gabriel's advise. I did what I do when I don't know what to. I prayed.
I walked around the couch and placed my hands on Holly's shoulders. I just kept praying over and over for God to help Holly. I felt tears on my cheeks.
Rose started to pray in tounges. This is the first time I've heard her speak in her prayer language, and it was unexplanable. She spoke faster than she ever has. (And that's saying something) I felt the Holy Spirit in the room. I felt Holly relax under my palms, I could see that the Spirit was comforting her.
Moments passed, and finally the room began to calm down and we stopped crying. Tammy got a box of tissues for everyone from the kitchen and I sat with Holly.
"Jesus still loves you, Holly."
"I know that now," Holly said, wiping her face with a tissue. "Earlier, I was too ashamed of what I did. I hid from God, and I thought now that I have fallen, God has no use for me. But as you held me, I couldn't take the seperation anymore. I asked God to forgive me. Then I HEARD him! I felt Him say, 'Your sins are forgivin.' Then He held me into His arms."
Rose reached into her bag and pulled out AND THE BRIDE WORE WHITE.
"No," Holly said imidiately. "I can't. I'm not pure anymore."
"Holly, we werent BORN pure." Rose said. "We were born sinful, the only way to BE pure is to BECOME pure. Purity is a process, and we can make that journey together."
So Rose called her cousin, who's 24, who came and drove the four of us to the nearest Christian book store, 30 minutes away. There Rose bought both Holly and Tammy the book and journal, then we looked around for fun things, we bought alot of CDs, other books, and a few movies.
That afternoon, Rose invited Holly to their Missionetts class. Holly quickley said yes, then grew really excited on our way there. When we arrived at the church, I went unstairs to the nursery to play with the little toddlers. After class, Rose told me what happend:
Rose asked if it was okay if she shared Holly's story with the group of high school students. Several of the girls have taken a Purity class with Rose over the previous summer. Holly said yes.
Rose explained the story to the girls, but Holly chose to say nothing. Rose explained the Holly's journey over today, and by the end every girl in the room had tears in their eyes. Then they invited Holly to the center of the room, so they could all lay their hands on her and pray for her.
Then the most amazing thing happened! The Holy Spirit enterd the room and serveral girls were filled with the Holy Spirit, including Holly!
"I've never seen anything like it," Rose explained. "And right before Pentecost!"
When class was over, Holly imediatly asked Rose where I was. Rose lead her upstairs just as I was locking the nursery door. Holly suddenly ran to me, arms wide. I turned just in time to met her embrace. At first I was shocked, then I picked her up and spun her around as she squealed.
"Thank you," she said into my ear, still holding me close.
"For what?" I asked.
"If it wasn't for you, I would never been filled by the Spirit, never would have found God again, and I'd still be in the depressing rut. You gave me a happy ending."
"No," I wrapped my arm around her back and squeezed her. "This is just the begining."