Finding Kelly

Chapter 14

Chapter 14
"Kelly, I waved at you from over there but you seemed like you were concentrating on the speech. So I figured I would come over afterward. So what did you think? Crazy stuff?!?" Linda came over and sat beside Kelly. Kelly looked at her friend and smiled, "I want to process all this before I respond, Linda, but I promise I want to talk with you about it all. I'm going to go to lunch with Brian and ask a few questions." Linda smiled really big and grabbed her friend's hand, "I think God is real Kelly, I have always wondered but Christian people were so judgemental sometimes. I think that God is trying to find us, trying to help us understand Him. I also think you going on a lunch date with Brian is perfect.", she giggled about the last part. Kelly looked at her sternly, "It is not a date Linda, I seriously have some questions." Linda smiled, "Yeah I know but still he is cute and you like him." Kelly rolled her eyes at her friend, "Kelly, I am going out with Freddy to eat I will catch you later, ok." Linda looked back at her friend and blew her a kiss. Kelly sat and reread the book of Ruth again as she waited for Brian to greet and shake hands at the door. It took a while but she didn't mind. She just stayed in her seat and waited while collecting her thoughts and processing what she had just heard while thinking of everything she had read the week before. Kelly's mind wandered to some of the books she had read in the Bible and how they all seemed to be woven together. This book was about saving humanity. Every story pointed to this Jesus character and so many of his own people couldn't see it. She saw it. She could see that the Messiah was Jesus. Those other books about the radical Prophet guys talked about a coming savior and Jesus seemed to fit that bill. He seemed to be the one they kept talking about. Then she settled on the book of Ruth and she thought about Brian and herself. She couldn't help but think about him. The book of Ruth is a love story and while she was no were near trying to be in love with anyone, she couldn't deny the fact that her mind and heart was very much attracted to him. However, she also knew after reading the book that she and him are not compatible...yet... She wasn't sure how long that would last. Her mind and heart could hear God screaming at her. Drawing her into His purposes and love. She knew this wasn't just some religion but she wasn't sure what to do about it and a part of her felt just a touch crazy and irrational. "Hey Kelly, everyone is gone now sorry, I have to greet them all and talk to them, are you ready to eat?" He sat down beside her and smiled. Kelly looked over at him, he was so perfect, so kind, so authentic and gorgeous. This man sitting beside her melted her heart every time he smiled at her. "Yeah, it is no problem that is your job and I was using this time wisely and processing some thoughts. Let's go, I am feeling hungry."

They sat down at the table and opened the menus, they both closed them quickly and smiled at each other. When the waiter came to take their order Brian went first, "water, salad, with chicken breast, ranch, and extra cheese." Kelly looked at him with a surprised look on her face. Then she looked at the waiter and said, "I will have the exact same." Brian looked at Kelly and noticed the surprise on her face, "Are you ok?" Kelly smiled and looked at her hands for a moment and then looked back up, "you ordered the exact thing I always order. It was just odd that's all." Brian, looked at her intently, "maybe we have some neat things in common." He smiled widely and then chuckled. "Yes, true, " Kelly admitted. "So what kind of questions do you have for me today Miss. Kelly?" "That is such a loaded question. This week has been such a roller coaster ride of knowledge and emotion. I need to gather my thoughts. Please keep in mind I don't think we can cover this whole book in one lunch." Brian looks at her with a tilt in his head and questions in his eyes and smiles at her, "Did you read the rest of the Bible?" Kelly looked at him and was very direct, "Yes, I didn't want to go to church and not know what you were talking about." Brian puts his hand in his hair and rubs from front to back and laughs out loud. "What? Why are you laughing? Did I say something funny?" Brian puts his hands down and then looks her in the eyes, "If only Christians thought like that, no I'm not laughing at you I am in awe of you." Kelly looks at him with skepticism in her eyes, "In awe? Why?" Brian looks at her in the eyes again. "I know some pastors that teach the Word of God, this book, for a living and have never actually read it from front to end, especially in a week. You are kind of amazing and you are definitely a breath of fresh air to me as a teacher of this book. So what was your favorite part, let's start there." Kelly relaxed and smiled a soft smile, she wasn't sure why people wouldn't read a book from front to back but she also realized this book was different, as in a series of short stories with one overarching theme. "My favorite part has to be that while the people in the book are a mess and seem to be completely unable to keep making good choices their God keeps taking them back and dealing with them. He is faithful and merciful and I am not sure if I was God I would give so many chances. He corrects them too like a parent would but he seems to have more mercy than anything. We are talking thousands of years over many generations of forgiveness and more chances. I honestly think that is the neatest part about the character of this God." Brian sets back in his seat, this girl is like a dream. He just looks at her for a moment and realizes she has got to be the most interesting and amazing woman he has ever met. He looked at her and thought about what she realized in one week from just reading. Brian sat back up in his chair upright. "So, what did you think about Jesus?" Kelly smiled, "Jesus, is their Messiah, it was obvious to me the reader, it was sad that His own people didn't get it. I realize that the prophecy given by the prophet guys had two parts, a suffering servant and then the reigning king, but honestly it's not that hard, I guess being in the middle of it all might be different. I loved how he made everyone think. He understood those laws and covenants better than the guys in their synagogues. I loved that part! I don't know, he was the one to save the world by his own death basically so humanity wouldn't have to die and one day thrown into the lake of fire, whatever that is. The beginning of the book was sin messing everything up and the end was Jesus taking humanity back to that lost place." Brian was now blown away, completely speechless for a moment... He rubbed his hair back and forth and then sat back in his chair. "You got all that out of one reading?" Their food showed up and they both just sat quietly and ate their lunch. Brian's mind was racing with awe. Who is this girl and how did he get so lucky to be able to have lunch with her. If she kept reading the Bible he would need to ask her a bunch of questions.

They finished their lunch and both got a glass of tea and then Brian looked at her just a little hesitant to ask, "So what questions do you have for me?" Kelly looked at her tea and then back at him, "In the book of Ruth, did you see Jesus in that?" Brian smiled, "Kelly I see Jesus in every book of the Bible, He wrote it. Jesus has always been and God and Jesus are one, which is a hard concept but, the whole book is about Jesus." "Yes, I saw hints of that, I think it would do me some good to go back and read it again. But, in Ruth, Ruth wasn't an Israelite, she was not considered someone that Boaz should be with. Also, Boaz was a Redeemer, and I don't think that was a coincidence; do you?" Brian sat back, he couldn't help but feel like this woman was the most gorgeous and amazing woman he had ever met. He tried very hard to keep his mind off those thoughts, her learning was more important than his feelings. "Yes, many scholars say that Ruth represents us, the Gentiles, that her mother in law represents Israel, and Boaz represents Christ. I think they are right. It's another love story to help us understand God's love for us. He redeems us because of His own standards, we can't meet those standards so God meets them for us. God protects us from his own wrath, His own punishment for sin, by taking the punishment on himself." Kelly sat back in her chair, That was what she had realized, God took her sin, God loved her enough to die for her. She almost hated the thought of a good, forgiving God, taking on her due punishment. It was wrong, but she also saw the greatest sacrifice she had ever heard of. This was different, this was nothing like the world she had lived in her whole life. She just wasn't sure what to do with all this information. She needed a little more time to think and process it all. "Brian, honestly I think that's enough for today. I have to process this. This is most definitely the most exciting but complex idea I have ever heard." Brian smiled at her knowing she was understanding some deep revelations and she needed some time. He knew with time she would work it out. He had seen it time and time again, however not quite like this. Her way of accepting truth he had never seen before, she was special.

"How about a walk? Have you seen the new walking trail at the park?" Brian asked with a smile as he attempted to change the subject for her. Kelly looked at her watch and then looked at him. He was so perfect and she loved being with him, "Why not, that actually sounds like a great idea." They walked for an hour and didn't talk much more about the sermon. He told her about his family and she told him about her dad passing when she was younger, and her mom's struggles. They stayed a respectable distance and both found themselves wanting to grab the other one's hands but they refrained. The amount of mutual respect and attraction was the same for both, but neither one would admit it or do anything about it.