Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: MAIL (02/18/16)
-
TITLE: No Return Address | Previous Challenge Entry
By Michol Ludwig
02/25/16 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
“Hey dude, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m goin’ for a smoke.” Grabbing my jacket, I head outside, hoping that Eddie doesn’t follow me. He’s a nice enough kid, but I am not in the mood for his Jesus talk.
Sitting at the picnic table, I light a cigarette. Inhaling deeply, I close my eyes; attempts to shut out the world lasting only briefly.
“So Joe, common, what’s bugging you?” Sitting opposite me at the picnic table, Eddie offers me a soda.
“Nah man, what I really need is a cold brew.” Turning my back to him, I hope he takes the hint and leaves me alone- no such luck.
“I had another letter in my bin addressed to Jesus today; second one this week.”
“So,” I kick woodchips.
“I think it’s cool people actually mail letters to Jesus. Don’t you ever wonder what they write about?”
Turning toward him again, “I know what I would write. I would tell him a thing or two about the crappy life he’s given me.”
“God hasn’t given you a crappy life.” Eddie takes a drink of his soda.
I put my cigarette out on the edge of the table, and light another. “Oh no, then why do I have a wife with breast cancer, and a mailbox full of bills I can’t pay?”
Trying hard to convince me, “Joe, even good people go through tough times. God allows it, but he doesn’t cause it.”
I snuff out my half-finished cigarette. “Look, I don’t want to hear anymore.” Getting up, I head back inside.
Returning to the mail, I glance at Eddie. His happy-go-lucky attitude flares my jealousy. What do you bet he doesn’t have a care in the world? Probably gets to spend his pay check on whatever he wants as well.
Reaching to the bottom of my bin, I grab one of the last envelopes. It’s addressed to Jesus. “Unbelievable!” I toss it into the undeliverable box atop the others.
Eddie walks over to the nearly full box. “There are a whole lot of prayers in those envelopes Joe. Try talking to God about your problems; he’ll listen.”
“God doesn’t care about me, or my problems Eddie. No amount of prayer is going to heal my wife, or get me out of debt.” I stack my empty bin on the others and head to the john to get away from Eddie before I really go off on him.
“I’ll pray for you Joe,” Eddie shouts as I quicken my pace to get away from him.
“Whatever kid.”
******
“Hi Joe, how was your day?” my wife asks from her rocking chair.
“It was fine, I lie.” I hang up my jacket and then give her a kiss.
“Any mail today?”
“A shut-off notice for the electric bill. Oh, and this,” she says, handing me a business-size envelope.
I set it on the couch while heading to the fridge to grab a beer, “How much is the shut-off notice?”
Sounding as defeated as I feel, “Two hundred seventy-four dollars.”
“Just great,” I plop down on the couch and take a swig of my beer.”
“I’ve been praying about our situation Joe,” she says carefully, knowing how I feel about God.
“Not you too,” I try not to snap.
“What?”
“Nothing.” Noticing no return address on the envelope Lisa gave me, I open it, curious.
It’s a letter and another smaller envelope. I read:
Dear Mr. Edbrooke,
You don’t know me but I know someone who knows you. His name is Jesus and he wants you to know he loves you very much…He has asked me to send you something that you will find in the smaller envelope…
Laughing, I take a drink of my beer.
“Joe?” She leans forward, What’s so funny?”
“First, letters written to Jesus, and now, a letter from Jesus,” I toss her the smaller envelope and I read her the letter.
Beginning to open the other envelope, she asks me who sent it.
Shrugging, “It’s not signed, and there’s no return address. What’s in that one?”
Lisa gasps, “Oh my gosh Joe, look! It’s a money order for two hundred seventy-four dollars.”
“Are you joking?” I set my beer down, “Let me see that.”
“Read it Joe, read what it says.”
Confounded, I take the money order, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
“Philippians 4:19,” she beams, “Answered prayer!”
Scripture reference is from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
Fiction
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
