a Slice of Life - Heavenly Bride

Chapter 5 - Acquainting

1 And it cometh to pass, as the sun did rise upon the realm, Calem and Serena did unbar the doors of the emporium.

2 The morn was still, and the cadence of the shop was yet unheard.

3 And lo, Calem did perceive a sound, as of a gentle hum, which did emanate from Serena.

4 Then Calem, lifting his voice aloft, inquired of her, "Dost thou knowest this melody?"

5 Serena, with a gentle nod, did respond unto him, "Yea, I know it well."

6 Then spake Calem unto her, "Art thou a devotee?"

7 Serena, with a smile enchanting, did reply, "Thus, thou knowest the melody as well, dost thou not?"

8 "I am redeemed," quoth she, "What of thee?"

9 Then Calem, gazing afar, did answer, "I am indeed a believer, yet no slave to faiths."

10 "For in them," saith he, "there abideth pride and strife, and many contend one against another."

11 "They grapple for doctrines and for dominion, and oft are cloaked in secretive politic."

12 "These sights have I witnessed, and my heart is wearied by their weight."

13 Serena stood mute for a moment, absorbing his words, pondering them in her heart.

14 Then Calem, raising his voice, did commence to sing.

15 He sung, "How great the gulf that doth lie betwixt us, how high the peak I could not scale."

16 "In desperation, I turned heavenward, and uttered Thy name into the night."

17 As his voice did rise and fall, the words of the song did fill the chamber with a tranquil peace.

18 Serena, hearkening to him, did smile, for she knew the melody and its import.

19 Then Calem, gazing upon her, did smile in kind.

20 And the two did stand in silence, their hearts stirred by the song and the presence of one another.

21 For though neither spake further, the bond between them waxed stronger in that fleeting moment.

22 Then quoth Serena, "Verily, it is a blessed thing to be redeemed."

23 Calem did nod, for he grasped the depth of her utterance.

24 "Yea," quoth he, "we are redeemed not by deeds, nor by the law, but by grace."

25 "And 'tis grace that draweth us nigh unto the Almighty, e'en when we dost stray."

26 Serena replied him, "The song doth speaketh well of our journey, how we are led from shadows to light."

27 "For there was a time," said she, "when I knew not the way, yet now I walk in the radiance of His countenance."

28 "And thou," spake Calem, "art as one who hath discovered a wellspring of life, for thy faith doth shine most brightly."

29 Serena did blush at his words, yet her heart did rejoice, for she knew her faith to be a great treasure.

30 Then she did ask him, "And what of thee, Calem? How didst thou come to believe?"

31 Calem was silent for a moment, as if recalling a distant remembrance.

32 Then he spake, saying, "There was a time when I did seek after many things, yet found no peace."

33 "I didst wander as one forlorn in the wilds, seeking meaning in the labors of man."

34 "Yet in the end, I found them naught but vanity and vexation of spirit."

35 "Then, in mine despair, I did call upon the name of the Lord, and He heard me from His holy hill."

36 "He drew me forth from the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock."

37 "And since that day, I have trodden in His ways, though I tread not the paths of religion."

38 "For I have beheld how men wield religion for their own gain, and I desire it not."

39 Serena did listen with understanding, for she too had witnessed such things.

40 Then spake she, "Yet thou still holdest faith, and that is what mattereth most."

41 Calem, with a smile, replied, "Yea, my faith resteth in the Lord, not in the traditions of men."

42 "And though I walk alone, yet I am never truly solitary, for He abideth with me."

43 Serena gazed upon him with kindness, and spake, "It is well with thee, Calem, for thou hast chosen the better part."

44 Then the twain pursued their toil, for the day was now fully come.

45 As they labored in concert, their hearts were lightened, for they had partaken in the melody of redemption.

46 The peace of the Almighty, which surpasseth all comprehension, did fill the workshop as they toiled.

47 The sun did shine resplendently upon them, an omen of the Lord's grace.

48 Thus did they labor in harmony, and the bond betwixt them waxed ever stronger.

49 Calem, though his tongue didst wag little more, felt in his heart that this day heralded a new dawn.

50 For in fair Serena, he hath discovered a kindred soul, and in the melody, they did find a hope entwined.

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