Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: FERHOODLE (confuse or mix-up) (03/03/16)
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TITLE: The Proposal Conundrum | Previous Challenge Entry
By Leola Ogle
03/10/16 -
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Isabel was a product of her parents’ divorce when she was five. It wasn’t just that they divorced and remarried. Both mom and dad had a succession of marriages or live-in partners. Shuffled around, Isabel felt unloved, unwanted.
Although she was pretty, she didn’t think so. Her teenage years was spent in partying, giving herself to others, struggling with worth and self-esteem.
Broken.
Except when she sang. She had a beautiful voice that got local doors opened for her.
Then she became famous. For a while, that made her feel worthy, loved, and accepted.
Unbroken.
But the void inside always came back to haunt her – begging to be filled, reminding her she was broken. Although she tried, she didn’t know how to fill this gnawing emptiness.
Until someone introduced her to Jesus. Why had no one told her before that the void could be filled with Jesus? It opened a new world. She made new friends. Even her music changed.
She devoured the Bible. Some things were confusing, but she yearned to learn. She dated several Christian men, but romance didn’t interest her.
At first.
After a year of learning, and fellowship with believers, she was lonely for a relationship – one within the blessing of her new faith. Isabel prayed, asking God to send her someone to share her life with – someone to marry. She prayed earnestly for a few weeks, believing God would answer her prayers.
Dylan called. Dylan had been instrumental in getting her a contract to record Christian songs. Doors had opened. They spent lots of time together.
“I love you, Isabel. I want to marry you.”
“I love you, too, Dylan.”
But was she in love with Dylan? It must be an answer to prayer, right? Then why was she confused? Why didn’t she feel….something? Was Dylan the one?
Two days of prayer, asking for clarification, and Marlon called and asked to take her to dinner. Marlon was another Christian artist who had performed in concert with Isabel, someone she had much in common with.
“I keep thinking about you, Isabel. I want to settle down, have a wife and children. I’ve fallen in love with you. I’m hoping you feel the same way. If you do, let’s get married.”
“Okay.”
This had to be God’s answer to getting her out of her engagement to Dylan. Why else would Marlon propose? What a relief to have an answer about Dylan.
Or did she? How exactly did this prayer, and answers to prayer, work? It was all new to her. She didn’t feel any more confident about Marlon than she did about Dylan.
Another week of prayer, and too unsure about anything to break it off with Dylan, she sought advice from her friend, Heather. Heather had been a Christian since forever. Well, since she was in kindergarten.
In fact, Isabel had dated Heather’s brother, Caleb. She was comfortable with Caleb. She could tell him anything. She told him all about Dylan and Marlon, and their proposals.
Caleb looked stricken. He dropped on his knees, took Isabel’s hands and proposed. “Don’t marry either of them. I’ve loved you for months. I can make you happy. Marry me, Isabel.”
Aghast, Isabel could only nod. She was more comfortable with Caleb. She could even picture being married to him. Or, at least, more than she could to Dylan or Marlon.
Was Caleb the one? How did a person know what was truly an answer to prayer?
After a few more days of confusion, of more questions than answers, Isabel, with a heavy heart, went to her weekly Wednesday night Bible study at the church. She arrived before anyone else, hoping to speak with someone about her dilemma. She had said yes to three different men, and she wasn’t sure any of them were the one.
She poured her heart out to Nick, the leader of the Bible study. He took her through scripture. He explained about prayer, and how when God answers prayer, peace follows. He prayed with her.
Finally, things made sense. The cobwebs were gone from her mind. Her heart knew what she should do.
God did answer her prayers. A year later, she and Nick were married.
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