Always With Me

Part 6- Ellie Harmon

      Sunday couldn't have come soon enough. After a stressful week of school, and a weekend filled with watching my cousin, Garrett, and the Itawamba Community College soccer team begin their season, I was ready to spend some time with God. It was a Saturday night, so I was anxious and excited to go to church the next day. I did a quick Bible study before I went to bed, praying specifically for my two best friends the same way I always did. Ever since I became friends with them in the seventh grade, I have prayed for them. I wanted to see God do a work in their lives, and even though I hadn't seen it happen yet, I was still anticipating it.

"God, I pray that you will move their hearts toward you. I know that they can't see you now, but I pray that one day they will. I pray that they will see how much you love them and how much you want a relationship with them. Dahlia hasn't ever really experienced love, so she doesn't truly know how it feels to be loved unconditionally. And she has hardened her heart to accept the love that she deserves. And Becca blames you for taking her mom. I understand why each of them would be angry at you, but they don't realize how amazing it is to KNOW YOU. I want for them to know you. I pray that it will happen. I know that you are doing something— and I just pray that it will come to light soon. Thank you for all that you have done for me," I prayed, curling up into a ball in my full sized bed. It was totally dark in my room besides the bright clock on my alarm clock, indicating that it wasn't very late at all. I rolled back over onto the other side and allowed myself to sleep, still feeling the warmth of the embrace of God that I'd felt earlier.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, I quickly hopped into the shower to get ready.

I pulled up to church the next morning in a white dress and a pair of brown heels. The air was moist against my skin and my hair was fighting to maintain its curl, but I smiled in contentment as I walked into my youth room. My youth group consisted of about eighty people, many of them searching for God and His love. The youth group had always been a place of comfort for me. There were days when they were all that I had to help me grow spiritually, and I loved going there. I walked into the game room and sat down at the table beside Leighton Crump. She was a girl a year younger than me, and she had always been one of my closest friends in the church. She had long brown hair and dark green eyes. She was shorter than my 5'3" stature and she always wore bright colored lipstick.

"Hey, Ellie!"

"Hey, Leighton! How are you?"

         "I am doing good! I love your dress," she said as she ran her fingers excitedly through her hair. She had on an orange dress and a pair of black flats. Leighton and I had a lot in common, but the main thing is that she and I both have an equal faith. She loved God and constantly chased after his plan for her life. She was mission minded and although she lived in a house of ten people, she was perfectly happy serving the people in our community. I loved it when I got to sit and talk with my friend.

        "Thank you! I love yours also," I smiled. I thought about the Bible Study that I had last night and debated on whether or not to tell Leighton about it, but she was already quick to ask me about it.

         "How have your Bible studies been?" She asked.

         "I had a great one last night! I read The Parable of the Lost Son. It was so comforting to me, after everything that happened last year, to know that I am fully allowed to run back to God and that He is excited to take me back in."

         Leighton was obviously listening to every word that I was saying, allowing the weight of the words to sink into her mind. "I am so glad to hear that! I love that story so much. I am so thankful that we have a God who loves us enough to allow us to come back when we fall away from Him."

        We went to our Sunday School class together and the discussion was on Self Confidence in God. Although the lesson was short, I left the room afterward encouraged. I did wish that Becca and Dahlia would come to my church with me, though.