Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Home Group (11/29/07)
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TITLE: Liar and a Thief | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gregory Kane
12/05/07 -
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There was a stunned silence after I said this. Little miss smarty-pants to my left had just reminded everyone that her name was Liz and she worked in a bank. It was the sort of ice-breaker that middle-class Christians enjoy – bland, innocuous and ever so boring.
“I’m not sure we quite understand, Susie.” This was from Bill, the designated leader of the midweek group: fellowship cum Bible study cum gossip session cum prayer cum stuff-yourself-silly-with-profiteroles. I wasn’t surprised by his response. I didn’t expect him to understand.
They say confession is good for the soul. Certainly my soul needed more than just a quick spring-clean: boiled in bleach, more like. Anyhow I decided to give it to them straight. For the past two months I had been conning every one of them: begging money; scrounging meals; borrowing items that I had no intention of returning. I had even helped myself to the contents of several of the purses and wallets that they so trustingly left lying around. Moreover, I admitted, I had been doing this sort of thing for the past two years, moving from church to church in search of new, ever-so-gullible victims.
“Why are you telling us this?” Richard looked on the point of tears. It can’t have been easy for him. Only last week I wheedled fifty quid out of him to settle a non-existent electric bill. I promised to pay him back of course – but how many suckers had I said that to?
“This will be hard for all of you to accept.” Ha, there was no way they were going to believe this. I wasn’t sure that I believed it myself. “It’s just that I’m sick and tired of the way I’ve been living. I’m disgusted with myself and I want that new beginning in Jesus that you’re always talking about.”
It was pandemonium: everyone started shouting. It took Bill ages before he managed to regain order. “Susie,” he said at last, “would you mind stepping outside? I think we need to discuss some matters in private.”
“That’s fine,” I replied. “I’ll pop to the loo. I need a pee anyway.”
Moments later I had one ear pressed tight against a tumbler with the other end held firmly to the bathroom door. No way was I going to miss this:
“… she’s lost and in need.”
“This is just another of her tricks.”
“… kick her out where she belongs!”
“But what about grace?”
A knock on the door summoned me back into the lounge. Twelve stern faces glared at me as I returned to the vacant spot on the sofa.
Bill took charge: “Susie, we’re willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but on one condition. Richard here will take your photo with his mobile phone. Afterwards he’ll send a copy of your picture to every church leader in the city with an explanation of all that’s happened. It’ll mean that you can’t go back to your old tricks. Can you accept this?”
“Sure thing,” I said, oozing confidence that was pure perspiration. This was quite possibly the stupidest thing I had ever done.
“Are you ready to receive the Lord Jesus as your Saviour?”
I nodded. Bill led me in a prayer – nothing fancy, dead simple really. But by the end of it I was in tears. Reckon I must have stayed like that, sobbing my heart out, for a good twenty minutes. At last I sat up and looked round at the other members of the home group. Some wore smiles, others held on to their suspicions. It would take time for them to accept me. But I knew in my heart that I was not the same conniving, devious Susie who had sauntered in less than an hour before. For the first time in my life I felt ... no, not just clean ... something more than that ...
For the first time in my life I felt pure.
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