It's A Match

12: Elijah's Situation

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Elijah's Foster Home

Elijah has been in foster care for about ten years now and he's just thankful that he didn't have to change foster homes like some kids. When Elijah was six years old his parents died when they were on a flight coming home. During that time Elijah was staying with Marcellus's family since he didn't have any other family living close by. Elijah's Spanish and most of his family live in Mexico or somewhere else around the world.

He was offered to move to another family members house, but he didn't want to leave friends who are like family to him, so they put him in a foster home. The nice married couple that took the boy in are in their late fifties and were never able to have kids of their own.

The sixteen almost seventeen-year-old is content with his life but he still feels like something is missing. He just doesn't know what yet, he has a pretty nice life besides his parents being gone, and he also has caring friends who love him like a brother and foster parents who treat him like their own.

What could be missing?

The teenager sat in his bean bag chair in his bedroom playing video games. He froze and paused the game then slowly put the controller down next to him and stood up. Something feels wrong he never felt like this before. Elijah glanced around his room, he looked at everything that his foster parents kindly bought him. 

"Material things don't make you happy their only temporarily. Here one day and gone the next day. What I'm trying to tell you is that those games you so love and cherish are blinding you from the reality of your situation. Elijah, they will one day pass away, Materialistic stuff won't save you. Only Jesus can save you and he's the only one who can make you truly happy." A Twelve-year-old Marcellus told a Twelve-year-old Elijah. The boy looked at his friend, "Marcel, my foster family gave me these games and they take my mind off of my parents and everything else bad that happened in my life." Elijah shrugged.

Elijah flopped down in the bean bag chair remembering the conversation he had with Marcellus when they were younger. He started to think about when his best friend Anthony and his little sister accepted Jesus in their life and how their life changed. Mary doesn't have night terrors anymore and Anthony has been getting a well rested sleep now since his sister's screams aren't waking him up anymore.

Zackeriah was also in a car accident putting him a coma. He was in a coma for a week and then him, his friends and Zack's family prayed for him because the doctors didn't know when he'll wake up.  After they prayed for him, he opened his eyes and after what he experienced and been through him and his family gave their life to Jesus Christ too.

Later this week Elijah recently found out that Ethan was a Christian like Marcellus but unlike Marcellus, Ethan was a lukewarm Christian and now he decided to be obedient and fully him and his mother too became a Christian.

"What am I doing with my life?" The curly hair boy asked himself. "All I do is play video games little do I know that I am wasting my life. While on the other side my friends are coming into truth and are finding out what their purpose is." Elijah looked down at the game controller on the floor he bent down and picked it up. He looked to the tv that had the paused game on the screen and exited the game and put his controller away.

He turned his tv off and grabbed jacket that is laying on his bed and walked out his room. His foster mom looked up from the chair where she is knitting in and smiled when she saw her foster son walk down, "Elijah." She frowned when she sees him putting on his jacket, "Oh, are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, I'll be back." He says walking to the front door in a rush. "Okay, I love you!" 

"I love you too!" He yelled back before closing the door. He hopped on his bike and rides down so fast that everything looked like a blur. He kept at it like that until he heard someone say slow down making stop abruptly so quick that he almost flew off his bike.

He looked around to see no one and he continued to ride his bike but this time at a reasonable speed. Elijah got to his destination he parked his bike on the side of the church building. It wasn't Sunday but he felt that there was an urgency somewhere in his heart to come here. He walked up the steps and entered the double doors of the church.

His foster parents always went to church on Sundays, but he never went to church before not even when his real parents were alive. They never tried to force him either, he remembered when he was a kid and Marcel and Ethan used to talk about what they learned on Sunday school. Thinking about it Sunday school was where Ethan met Marcellus because his Ethan's dad used to take Ethan to church when he was younger.

Elijah nervously walked inside and sat down in the middle row and put his head down. He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. Without even knowing it Elijah started to pour his heart out to God and tell him about his situation even though he knows that God already know but he couldn't help it. Tears poured down the boy's face and he was shaking has he let everything out.

Marcellus entered the church that he usual go to on Sundays to talk to his pastor. He sees his pastor talking to someone, so he waited patiently. The back of the person was facing him when the person turned around Marcellus realized that person is Elijah.

Elijah saw that Marcellus is standing at the doors of the church and he waved at him. They walked closer to each other until they were face to face. "Hello, Marcel." Elijah smiled at his friend. "Hi, Elijah what are you doing here? I didn't know you went to church." Marcellus grinned. 

"Yeah, well this is actually my first time in a church, and I got a revelation." Elijah told him.

"A revelation?"

"Yes, I came to the realization that I'm just wasting my life sitting around playing video games when I should be finding out what my purpose is and using my gifts to give glory to God. I came here and gave my life to Jesus Christ from this day onward I will follow him."

Marcellus lips spread into a huge grin, and he pulled his friend into a big hug. 

"I'm so happy to hear that, Jesus is the way and the truth and the life."

Elijah pulled away the hug and looked back the pastor, "Pastor Caleb explained the Gospel to me and I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior."

"PRAISE GOD." Marcellus shouted in glee.

Elijah laughed and nodded, "Yeah... I'll talk to you and the others later." He said and walked around him. Marcellus called him, "Elijah!"

Elijah turned around to face him, "yes?"

"Not all video games are bad. Some are worst then others just don't put them above God. Don't put anything above the one that created you. God always comes first, remember to spend time with him and also, he's a Father." Marcellus smiled. Elijah nods at him, "I think I'm gonna take a break from video games for a while. I need to evaluate myself and read God's word." He said holding up a bible that the pastor gave him, "Thank you, Pastor Caleb."

Pastor Caleb nodded and smiled at the boy.

Elijah waved bye to them and left the church in a good mood and went home to read the word.

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Thoughts?

NIV

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.