So Proud of My New Writer!

Okay, the truth is, she won’t let me call her a writer. My daughter, code-named Spunky, has a sharp wit and a great imagination, but she’s determined to go into missions or ministry.

Nevertheless, she’s agreed to let me post her most recent assignment for her college English class. The students were given a picture of an old house, much like the one you see, and a list of Halloween-type words they couldn’t use. This was her 20-minute offering.

If you enjoy her flash fiction, please leave her some love!

Moving on

“Gone but not Forgotten,” Jane read the words from her beloved Aunt Ruth’s tombstone out loud.

“I know I should have come sooner; I just couldn’t bear the thought of you not being here.” Jane pulled her sweater closer to herself as a chilled wind rustled through the yellow leaves. She turned to face the place she feared.

The screen door had fallen partially off its hinges. The beautiful yellow paint was almost completely stripped away. Oh, how she had loved this place when she was young, always so warm and inviting. Now it was dark and cold.

She turned back to the grave, “I should have been here for you; if I hadn’t ditched you for my friends, you would still be here.” Jane wiped an unwanted tear from her face. “I know you wanted me to take care of this place, but I don’t deserve it. I let you down. It’s my fault.” Her voice broke at her last word, and she collapsed to the ground weeping.

It had been three years since Ruth had died. The doctor said it happened in the kitchen. One minute she was baking cookies; the next her heart stopped. Aunt Ruth had died alone.

“I should have been here; I could have saved you.” Shaking Jane stood, and walked back to her car. Opening the trunk, she pulled out a toolbox and a bucket of yellow paint. “I’m here now. I’m done hiding. I will not let you or this place down.”

Her knees wobbled as she climbed the steps. Setting the toolbox down, she removed the screen door, grasped the door handle, took a deep breath, and stepped in.

Soaring through Hardships

Link to the main article of “A Call to Praise.” Find links to the other posts and participating websites.

I’m so excited to welcome Sarah Ruut on Faith Driven Fiction as a stop on the “A Call to Praise” blog hop. If you want to check out some of the other posts in the the blog hop which is focusing on Psalm 103, Please use the icon for a link to the main post. I’m so glad my friend, Jennifer Slattery put this group together, and I’m thankful that she invited me to join. What an excellent collection of devotions and digging into these verses. And Sarah’s insight is inspiring!

*****

Sometimes life gets tough. We face difficult circumstances, we hurt, and there seems to be no way out. During those hard times, it’s all too easy to read a verse like Psalm 103:5 and scoff. Perhaps that is true for others, but the spot we’re in proves otherwise for us…

Those tough times sure don’t look like “good things,” do they?

While the challenges we face aren’t necessarily good themselves, they do provide an opportunity for other “good things” to enter our lives.

Several years ago I was in one of those difficult times. I was a single mom of four young children, and I was scrambling to make ends meet. One way or another, though, we were managing.

One day at church, a friend handed me $200 in cash. I tried to refuse it, because at that point we were doing okay. She insisted that I tuck it away, “because you never know when you’ll need it.” I gave in, and I tucked the cash in my wallet.

A couple of weeks later, we caught the flu. As a precaution, our family doctor wanted all of us to take Tamiflu. She argued that I really couldn’t afford to come down with the flu, since I had all these little ones to care for. I dutifully went to get the prescriptions filled.

When I picked them up, the girl at the window told me the total was $200. What?! Surely she forgot to bill it to the insurance company. We should only have a $15 copay or something, right?

Unfortunately, that was the patient portion (for five of us). Without insurance, it would have been about six times as much.
I was in shock, and my stomach clenched. I paid for the prescriptions, and as I pulled away from the window, my mind was churning. I couldn’t afford a major expense like this. I was barely making it as it was!

I didn’t grumble silently for very long before I sensed a gentle nudge. “Remember that $200 in your wallet – that cash you have? I provided for this already. You didn’t know you’d need it, but I did…”

Oh. Right.

Talk about a humbling, yet truly awe-inspiring, moment!

Gratitude filled my heart as I realized that He had met a need that He knew was coming, showing me yet again that I could trust Him to take care of us.

He fills our years with good things. He brings people into our lives who become blessings in a variety of ways. This is but one of many stories I could share from that difficult time. SO many people blessed us in so many different ways. And the Lord brought each of them into our lives. He filled our lives with good things, even during a time when it seemed hopeless.

Why? So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Have you ever seen an eagle soaring high above? Growing up in the Northwest provided several opportunities to see these regal birds. They are huge, powerful birds, and they glide effortlessly across the sky. They are amazing to watch.

I think there is a reason He renews our youth like an eagle and not like a worm! We need to be able to rise above the circumstances that surround us. The weight of the world could certainly pull us down and overwhelm us. But God brings good things into our lives to renew our strength so we can rise above it. Not to ignore it, but to overcome it.

I pray that, no matter your circumstances today, you will find those good things the Lord has brought into your life, and that they will renew your strength today. We can praise Him together for it!

So blessed by Sarah’s insight. 

Your turn: Was there a time in your past that you can relate to Sarah’s story. When the Lord clearly satisfied with good things?

Sarah Ruut is an avid reader who loves talking books and authors on her blog. Although she is regularly interrupted by geometry proofs and foreign languages, she wouldn’t trade her homeschooling days for anything. All she needs is a cinnamon roll and a great novel to get through the rough spots!

You can find devotional thoughts as well as reviews of Christian fiction, interviews with amazing authors, giveaways and more at sarahruut.com. You can also connect with Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahruut

Abandonment Issues – Guest post by Lynne Gentry

I’m so pleased to have a wise friend and one of my writing mentors, Lynne Gentry, visit today to share from her heart.
My husband says my lack of attention kills the plants in our yard. Every spring, I set out to prove him wrong. I rake the dried stalks of last year’s withered plants from the flower bed.