Emma

Chapter 32

Cole found himself surprisingly paying attention to what Pastor Jeremy was saying. The man made sense and Cole couldn't deny it.

"I've had a lot of newly turned Christians come to me and be like; I'm Christian now but I still go through so much trouble and pain and I don't get why, I thought they said you get a better life. Being Christian doesn't mean life turns easy on you. Life isn't easy, and no matter how much a person tries to influence themselves, it never will be. Can someone open to the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 4:8-9."

Cole looked down at the Bible still in his hands. He shrugged his shoulders and decided to open it. 

So far so good. Let's see what he has to say. 

He flipped through the pages and finally reached there. "If you're there say Amen." Pastor Jeremy said. There was a scattered muttering of 'Amen' and Cole found himself absently whispering a small 'Amen' also.

He looked down and saw that Emma had already highlighted the spot. 

"We are hard-pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed " The pastor let out a small chuckle after reading it and Cole looked up at him, waiting for his comment.

"It seems like most people don't come around this verse very much before they start storming into my office and yelling at me to explain life to them." There was a small chorus of laughter and he paused a smile on his face, before taking a breath and continuing.

"We are hard-pressed on all sides... Do you know what it means to be hard-pressed? To press something means to forcefully mold that thing together, you can press something gently, and you can press something hard. We are hard-pressed by all sides, not some sides, but all. I know someone may see this and be like 'So what's the whole use then?' Note, it said we are hard-pressed on all sides...but... not crushed." He paused and shook his head as though marveling at the fact.

"People will come and go, and as they come and go, they might push us down and discourage us, tell us we aren't worth it and we can't change anything, but guess what, with all those issues in life, with all those things weighing us down....... We will not be crushed." Small claps were heard in response before he went on.

We all go through a lot of pain, suffering and so much frustration, but the thing about being Christian is that we have this assurance that no matter what, we won't be in complete despair. I'm not trying to say that Non-Christians will suffer incredible pain and be in despair. No, it's quite complicating actually. You see Christ died for all, everyone has the power to overcome the trials that will face us, and everyone is promised eternal life, it's a free gift given to all, but not everyone chooses to accept it. It's like someone handing you an invitation to a party, the invitation is yours, no one can take it from you, but it's you who decides whether to go or not. God has given every single human being an invitation, free of charge, but it's our choice. He will never force us to follow him or to accept his gift of strength and peace, we either choose to follow him and have the assurance to overcome all things, or we choose not to follow him.

Remember what I said at the beginning of this concert, there is nothing you go through that you cannot overcome, but the difference is that we as Christians know that we will overcome, we are assured. To be assured is to be...confident, to be promised, to be guaranteed, that no matter what, everything will turn out okay. Why? Because it says so in the Bible. Everything will turn out for the good of those who love God, those that are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28) For the Lord watches over the ways of the righteous (Psalm 1:6). The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter till midday (Psalms 4:18).

Imagine, all you have to do is confess and accept him. That's all. And even though your sins are as scarlet as blood, he cleanses them to be as white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18). And all you have to do is Accept, Believe and Confess." Pastor Jeremy stopped, a wide smile playing on his lips. "It's as simple as ABC:"

The whole gathering had gone completely quiet and even Cole himself let out a shaky breath that he didn't even know he was holding. All you have to do is believe. It felt like the answer to all his troubles was right in front of him and all he had to do was just confess and believe, there wasn't a problem with the confessing part, it was the believing part that he didn't think was possible that accepting and believing would grant him some peace.

Something kept pulling him back, making him hold on to all the doubt, fears, and worries that had flooded his head. 

It's too good to be true. 

He closed his eyes having an inner battle with himself.

That small voice that always seemed choked was screaming in his head. 

Believe. That's all. Just Believe. 

And then there was the voice that chastised him day and night. 

It's too good to be true. After all you've done!

He finally opened his eyes and tried to block out both voices knowing full well that they would always resurface.

"We are coming to the end of the concert and I would just like us to each bow our heads and just Pray. Just pray for God's will to be done in your life and for his strength to help you pass through anything you are battling with...and for faith."

In response to what Pastor Jeremy had said, they all began to bow down their heads. Cole watched as all the heads of everyone n the church, including Pastor Jeremy's went down. 

Only his stayed up.

He could feel the change in the atmosphere as murmurs of prayers filled the air. It was as though a strong force was pulling him down, the whole place seemed.... different. It had become more subtle.

There was this unexplainable feeling that overwhelmed him. The same change in the surrounding that he had felt when he found Emma in that corner, the same complete change in the atmosphere.

It felt as though the air he was breathing wasn't oxygen anymore, like he was floating but he could still feel his feet on the ground. 

He closed his eyes and bowed his head. 

Not praying. 

But just letting the feeling completely engulf him.