Short Stories

      Exhausted, Grace sat on the sofa in the spacious room with her chin chipped in the hollow of her left palm, staring into the vacant ceiling but looking at nothing in particular. She wondered where she had got it all wrong. Of all her three children, Esther was of a different specie . She was literally a thorn in her flesh. She was disobedient, disrespectful, stubborn and arrogant. She could use vulgar expressions without caring what anybody felt.She never cared what kind of friends she kept,the music she listened to,the video she watched as long as it was pleasurable to her,her mother feared that she might negatively influence her younger siblings. What an embarrassment!!! to her,a prominent leader in a church!! Her heart ached  as she pondered on her daughter’s unwholesome behavior.

       Esther would come in and go out of the house anytime she liked,and sometimes she would not return for days. Nevertheless,her mother kept hoping and trusting God that she would accept him one day. She never ceased praying for her. She loved her daughter unconditionally,never did she confess negative things about her . Though Esther hardly gave heed, she promptly corrected her in love whenever she misbehaved.

She never gave up on her. She persevered in her efforts to see her turn out the daughter she had dreamt of ‘A BRAND OF CHRIST’; In spite of her unruly behavior. In a bid to win Esther over to Jesus,She decided to move closer to her and become her best friend. She discovered that she had been distant from her because of her repulsive behavior. Instead of being annoyed or nagging at her,she would prayerfully sit her down and have a tete a tete with her.

Amazingly,her action broke her. One fateful morning after praying,she asked her if the time wasn’t ripped yet for her to turn a new leaf. And for the first time in a very long while, the garrulous Esther suddenly became silent and remorseful – her heart melted.

Recalling the vanity of her selfish, empty life as she pondered on her mother’s question- the hostile and quarrelsome attitude, outburst of anger,selfish ambition and so on……she gently bowed her head, and invited Jesus into her heart.

Few days after accepting Jesus,she consecrated herself to God, and prayed fervently in Faith, and God sanctified her wholly…….two months later she graduated from high school, got a job. She later got married to a Christian believer.