Lily and the Prince

There once lived a beautiful young woman, Lily, in a tiny yellow house with just enough room for two. Since the day she first read of the tale of the bold, courageous knight rescuing the princess from the evil that hunted her, she longed for her own Prince Charming to come save her from herself.

In the corner of her room stood a figure made from straw and sticks strategically placed to form a man six feet tall, plain and pale. She slaved day and night, rain and shine, fall and spring in order to perfect his already handsome physique. Eyes, nose, hair and mouth were all given in hopes that one day this prince may truly come alive.

They did everything together, all the time, day after day, night after night. Summertime was spent in the fields of wildflowers and cold winters consisted of snuggling close by the fire. He listened intently to all of her stories without interrupting and always had a smile when she needed one most. But even with all of that, this prince that she had perfectly designed could not comfort her at night when all she wanted was to be loved. You see, there, down deep in her heart, she could still feel that empty pit that only left her heart more lonely than the night before.

Then one day, while they were enjoying their daily routine of being together, Lily heard a vicious roar of thunder and saw a blinding strike of lightening. Her eyes grew wide and her heart raced as the trees were suddenly tossed side to side under the control of the trecherous winds. She looked to her prince for some sort of instruction on what to do, but he was as shocked as her, frozen still, eyes unblinking. She desperately clung to him as the storm tore through her house, taking with it not only parts of her home, but pieces of the perfect plan she had preciscely prepared for her future.

When all hope was gone and Lily was bracing herself for the end, a desperate knock rang through the house. She startled and hushed to a complete silence as she wondered if it was true. Was that a real knock? Someone to save them? Then, with even more urgency she heard it again. She looked to her prince in fear, and then bravely ventured towards the door. When she peered out the window she saw a man completely dry, holding an umbrella and a tiny box. Her face scrunched in confusion as she glanced at the man that stood so calmly in the middle of the raging storm. He slipped a note under the tattered door, that read: "I know a safe place to hide. Come to me and I'll show you peace."

A sense of urgency filled her as she rushed back to explain to her prince that they should leave now with this man. When he didn't move or even blink, she tugged at his arm to hurry him along, but all he did was fall over to his side and land with a loud thump. He was too heavy to drag with all of the water weighing down his straw muscle. She looked back at the man at the door who was waving his hand for her to come. Tears stained her cheeks as she realized her prince wouldn't survive. How could she leave behind her best friend, her perfect prince, the only one who she though could ever bring her happiness? But she knew it was what she must do in order to live.

A gust of wind blew her back against the wall when she opened the door. Tightly clutching her hat, she took one last look back as her heart broke into a million tiny pieces. She gathered the strength she had left, reached out and took hold of the man's open hand as he pulled her close, safely under his umbrella.

Suddenly, the rushing winds ceased, the thunder stopped it's tantrum of shouts and the lightening gave way to beautiful skies filled with white clouds and golden rays of sun. The trees overflowed with bright green leaves and pink flowers sprinkled the ground with life. In amazement, Lily slowly brought her eyes up to meet the peaceful gaze of the man holding the umbrella. He looked down and smiled as he pulled from his pocket the tiny box.

"Open it," he said smiling, as he handed it to her.
Taking the velvet gift in her hands, she slowly lifted the lid. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of a pure, golden heart locket hanging from its beautiful chain, the kind that only a prince would give to a princess. The man's face lit up at the awe and wonder that filled Lily's eyes.

"It's for you," He told her as he fastened it around her neck.
"I've had this gift since the day you were born, since the very first time I ever saw you. I've been waiting for you all of this time, but you were too busy creating a fake love to satisfy the desires deep within you. You were so focused on him that I knew I'd never be able to have you until you let him go and realized that I'm the only one who can satisfy you. You see, Lily," he gently said, as he lifted her chin so that she could see the sincerity that flowed from his heart, "I love you."
"I always have and I always will."
"Nothing can ever separate us."

A peace automatically overtook her at his words and a joy spilled from deep within her. The place in her heart that her perfected prince could never fill was now overflowing with love. She looked up at the man in complete adoration, and she knew, then and there, that he was her true Prince. Her Savior.

"For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." Psalm 107:9

Forever Free

Forever Free

Broken. The pain has grown so deep that it completely consumes her life. There is no running away from the chilling darkness that has abducted the heart of a once youthful soul. The joys and laughter of yesterday are now overcome with cries in the night and haunting visions of the past. Life as she knows it looks pain-filled and endless.

Desperate. In search of any cure at all from this lifetime of suffering, she runs into the street to see the man known as the Healer-of-the-broken. The sea of people makes it impossible to see this face of Hope. In a frantic attempt to even glimpse at this face, she drops to her knees and begins crawling through the crowd. Covered in mud, with blood dripping down her face from the abuse of the crowd, she begins to see the feet of the man drawing closer and closer. With her last desperate attempt at a free life, she flings herself into the street with every last bit of strength, barely grazing a piece of the man’s clothing.

Life. Rushing through her veins, sensations starting at the toes, sprinting through her chest and out through her mouth. A fresh breath. One single breath filled with joy, and a hope that has seemed to be buried deep within the concaves of her heart. Another breath. What is this? Mountains of bricks fly off her shoulders in the time it took to reach out and touch the clothes of this powerful man. A pure, fresh breath filled with life everlasting. A breath moving forward. A breath of life. True Life.

Ashamed. She hides her face as the man abruptly stops and seeks out the soul who touched him. What was she thinking, reaching out to grasp this man, the one worthy of so much praise? Surely her life will be taken from her now, now that she has just taken her first breath. In that instant, a shadow fell over her body, and then a hand softly lifted her chin into the light. Overcome with trembling fear, she lifts her eyes to face whatever fate she has brought upon herself. But, instead of the familiar look of pity and disgust, her eyes were fixed upon a face filled with love reaching straight into the depths of her heart.

Hope. The man wet his fingers with water from his jug and began carefully wiping away the mud and tears that stained the poor woman’s face, never once taking his eyes from hers. When he was finished, he placed his hand on her shoulder, looked deep into her eyes and said, “My sweet, sweet daughter, do not be afraid for no one has ever loved you the way I do. Because you have believed and trusted in me when this world left you hopeless, your suffering will be no more. Your faith has healed you and you are now able to live for the first time.” With that he smiled at her, stood, and continued on his journey. But, he did not leave without placing his mark upon her soul. This one true Healer is now her source of life. Free from the bondages of her past, free from the judgment of the world, and free from the mark of death that once captured her soul, her life is full and complete. Forever Free.

"And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years...instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak...immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering...Jesus asked, "Who touched my clothes?"...But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." -Mark 5:25-34-

I'm sure that everyone can see themselves in the place of being at rock bottom and being so desperate for freedom from your suffering that you would do anything to be clean and holy again. It's crazy to think back to the times when we ran from God, but it is also amazing to see how powerful God is, and just by 'grazing' the robe of Jesus, we can be completely renewed. God's love goes so much deeper than what any of us can even attempt to comprehend, but it is His grace and mercy that give us a reason to live a life filled with hope each day.

Hope's Light

Dedicated to everyone stuck on the hill, afraid to climb down into the darkness of the world.

Hope’s Light
By: Ashley Spivey


There once was a town, beautiful and full of illuminating people, which sat on top of a hill, glowing with the brightest lights in the entire world. The people that resided there were unlike most because their sole purpose in life was to bring light to the hill. Everyone who lived there was encircled by a glow that radiated throughout his or her whole body. The community gathered together three times a week to sharpen their skills and tighten their bulbs to make sure that they were producing the most efficient light possible, while teachers worked constantly to apply the latest and brightest technology to create an even more illuminating atmosphere.

Not only were the people magnificent, but also the town itself shined brighter than that of any city on the face of the earth. The streets were lined with light posts strategically placed within twenty steps of each other and the golden gate that hung above the entrance to the town read: Let Your Light Shine Bright. For this town, Christmas was not just a holiday celebrated once a year, but remembered daily as the decorative lights outlined every house on every street and every building in the town to bring joy to the hearts of the people every evening. Each night, lamps were turned on to warm the homes of the residents, as families all around lay down for bed. For these people, Darkness was an uninvited guest to all the community and it was never allowed to fall upon the town.

One night, after the lamps were dimmed and the town was asleep, a restless girl, named Hope, climbed out of bed and stared out the window. She let her gaze fall to the place it had every night since she discovered this great mystery. She looked not to the town’s astonishing array of vibrant colors, displayed for its people to see, but five miles past her everyday life to the treacherous, chilling Darkness that surrounded the town. Thoughts began to overtake her mind as she wondered where this Darkness came from. Why did the people that lived in these bordering towns have no light to make clear their paths?

Suddenly a plan formed in her head as she slipped on her shoes and quietly tiptoed out the door. She easily found her way to the end of the main road, right underneath the glowing welcome sign, and stared blankly into the deep forest of uncertainties. Without any further hesitation, she swung wide the gate and took the first step away from the comfortable life she had lived up until this point.

As she walked, her eyes allowed her to see one step ahead of her only because of the glow that flickered from within her, creating a nightlight effect to her surroundings. After one minute of walking she turned around to see only a faint glimmer swaying back and forth behind the trees. Thick blackness encircled her as she began second-guessing her decision.

As the night rolled on, her feet grew tired and her arms weakened so she stopped to rest. She sweetly hummed a lovely lullaby to soothe the fear that was fighting to build up within her. As soon as the last note hung in the air and peace had warmed her heart, she opened her eyes shocked to see an army of feet surrounding her, just inches from her body. Before she even had a chance to scream, she was being lifted up and carried away into the night. Her mouth had been covered and more than a dozen sturdy hands held her limbs tightly, so that movement was impossible. As the captors marched on, her light led the way for the unknown soldiers. She was carried to what seemed to be the town square, where a man was seated in a chair, awaiting her arrival.

The adventurous young girl, now placed before the Mayor as well as the whole town, became concerned for her life. All of the spectators questionably looked at her in utter amazement, as they had never seen another human glow the way Hope did.

The Mayor cleared his throat and demanded, “Tell me why you have such a unique feature about you! You must have been sent to destroy us with this special power.” Caught off guard, she pondered the request. Never before had Hope been asked to give a reason for the light that shone within her. Frightened and unsure of how to respond, she began to pray to her Father. Almost immediately she felt a voice whisper, “Tell them about Me, my child.” As she did this, the light became even brighter. Amazed, the people silenced and drew even closer to this unusual creature, as the words of the hope of Christ filled the air like a refreshing song. Once she had told of the never-ending, all-forgiving, unconditional love of God and the selfless death of His Son for the sake of our sins, she looked into the crowd. Her eyes fell to the one small flicker of light that begun to shine from within the mass of people. Then to the right of her, two small children began glimmering with a new sense of purpose. All around her, men and women, young and old, poor and rich alike all began lighting up from within and the town began to shine brightly among the surrounding darkness.

The town was transformed as the buildings no longer looked like shades of gray, but were painted brightly in numerous, vibrant colors. Flowers, once dead from lack of light, now bloomed victoriously, resembling the beautiful resurrection of the people. The town rejoiced with songs of praise and let their music echo all along the countryside. Their joy spilled out to the neighboring towns as well, as their darkness also fled with fear and light replaced the sadness that once loomed there.

As the night came to an end and dawn approached, the brave little girl who boldly faced the unfamiliar Darkness, ventured back to her home on the hill. The whole community was in a flurry searching for her missing self, when one of the elders saw her coming up the gated entryway. Relieved, they all crowded around in order to question her whereabouts. Just before her father was about to scold her, he looked closely at her and noticed that she was shining brighter than any of the citizens surrounding them. Her radiance was so magnificent, that the people had to shield their eyes. They were baffled, and stared in silence. Then, without any words, the courageous daughter pointed to where Darkness used to prowl relentlessly, waiting for its victims, to the now glorious countryside, ruled by light. Jaws dropped one at a time, as the realization of the grand miracle finally sank in. One little girl, by the name of Hope, the only one who noticed the suffering people that bordered her peaceful life, was able to transform the whole region. By letting her ‘little light shine,’ lives were changed, chains were broken, and hearts were healed.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden…In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14,16

Casting Your Nets

Luke 5:4-6
"And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking."

I read this story tonight. It's crazy. I mean, I've read/heard it many times, but I've never stopped to just think about how crazy this moment actually was.

These men had been fishing all night long, catching NOTHING...I'm no expert fisherman, but that's a BAD day on the lake. It's not probable to be out that long and not catch anything. But then I started thinking more about this whole ordeal, and about the deeper meaning hidden within the text.

When God speaks, it's with authority. Sometimes I think we forget that. Our God is much higher and stronger than our tiny minds can comprehend. I know that I forget how powerful His words are, and the fact that there really is true authority behind them. That He is not just some god that is created by man to rule man, but that He is God, the CREATOR of man.

He calls us to 'let down our nets' just like Jesus calls Simon to do. The purpose of a net is to hold things, to capture something and to not let it go until the holder of the net desires. In this story, that's exactly what the men are doing. Simon says to Jesus, 'we toiled all night and took nothing.' They are casting their nets, to meet their needs, to satisfy their hunger, in order to live their lives successfully for themselves. They are trying to do it all themselves. Jesus said to let go of whatever you are clinging to, whatever your grasp is holding so tightly to that your knuckles are white, and to let him take control.

Simon teaches us something powerful, though, when he says 'But at your word I will let down the nets.' His obedience is something to be modeled. 'They had enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.' God will bless the life of the obedient man. (But don't make up your own definition for blessings. Blessings does not mean that you will get everything that your human body desires. Blessings are the gracious gifts of God that come in many different ways.) He will give that man the joy and radiance of life that nothing earthly could ever give.

At His Word! At His word we are called to let go. Don't turn a deaf ear to the whisper of your Creator and Savior and Lord.

Fading Scars

This is an essay that I wrote when I was a junior in high school. I found it the other day when I was looking through my old stuff at home. The topic was: Write an essay about the most difficult obstacle you have faced, and how it changed you. Though this is very personal, I hope you are able to see God's redemptive love through any and every mistake you could make in life. This is for the person who is trying to find healing for their own broken heart. Here it is:

Fading Scars

At the age of fifteen, my heart was scattered into millions of pieces and I frantically searched to find a way to gently place the jagged edges back together. Learning to move on from a life-shaking heartbreak has been the most difficult obstacle I have ever faced. Through this experience I have been faced with heart-wrenching pain, an ocean of memories and the triumph of finding myself again.

I vividly remember the exact moment my world was turned upside down. After letting the phone drop from my ear, I was instantly struck with an uncertainness of where to go or what to do from that point on. How was I going to survive without my “best friend”? Who was going to show me the love and comfort that only someone close to the heart can give? For the first year after the break-up, those questions flooded my mind, draining my emotional tank.

The fact that I had to see his face everyday did nothing but intensify the pain, causing painful memories to attack constantly. The slightest actions, such as him putting his arm around a friend, took me back to the countless hours we spent holding each other close. Instead of leaving pleasant, cheerful thoughts, these memories were knives piercing the innermost being of my soul. At times, the heartache seemed unbearable, and many a time I wanted to run away to a land far, far away, but I pushed on.

Just as a wound heals to form a scar, my heart began to heal. I learned to look ahead and dream of my true Prince riding in and saving me. My days were not filled with the hopelessness and regret, but with hope of a new life. I found out how strong I truly am and that with God on my side nothing can keep me down. Helen Keller once said, “One door does not close without another one opening. But sometimes we are so focused on the one that closed, that we fail to see the open door right in front of us.” For a while, I was unable to see the open door waiting for me to walk through. However, now I have flung the door wide open, just waiting to see what glorious things lay ahead. I have now learned that just as wounds heal to form scars, scars fade with precious time.

Tear Down These Walls

My friend Andrew was telling me about a story that he wrote in his English class. The story spoke of a man traveling on a journey that produced tremendous obstacles, such as him fighting off a giant bear that came across his path, and also amazing gifts, like a golden cup buried in the dust, but somehow perfectly spotless and valuable. The story continued on as the man overcame many trials and rewards, but at the end of the story the man comes upon a wall stretching forever to the east and west, and reaching too high to climb. The story ends with him facing the wall, wondering how to get past it to continue on the journey. When Andrew finished the story he was frustrated with the fact that he couldn’t figure out a way to finish it with the man triumphantly making it past the sturdy wall that stood in his pathway. As we talked, we figured out that Christ was the only way to get past this wall, but how he was going to accomplish this, we didn’t know. When I saw him later on that day, he was excited to tell me of the wisdom our friend Felix had revealed to him. He said, “When we come to walls in life, those are the times when we have to rely on God the most. There is nothing in our power that we can do to get past it. Only God has the power to tear down the wall that block us from knowing him better.” It’s us, fully surrendering to God, which allows the wall in front of us to fall. So, Andrew said that was the reason he couldn’t finish his story. It’s not his place in life to figure out how God’s going to bring the wall down. He is, as are we, only called to lay down his life to God, asking for His will and nothing else. Only God is big enough for the task breaking the barriers in our lives. All of this got me thinking about what I try to do for God. How often do I put God in a box, telling Him that He is only allowed to answer a certain prayer if He does it this certain way only. Or do I ask “please let me surrender my life to you, as long as I can keep control of this one particular area.” Do I not trust the God of the Universe to faithfully lead me through every part of life? Why is it so important for me to create the perfect husband in my head, or decide where I want to live when I graduate, or have the career that I want to have? Who am I in comparison to God? Let’s stop putting the Maker of the Heavens in our tiny little box and let Him work miracles in our lives. Stop doubting His power, and learn to embrace the mightiness of His hands. Our God is greater and stronger than anything blocking the Light that radiates from His glory. Trust Him, and your walls will come down.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” –Proverbs 3:5-7 -

Digging

Dirt and grime becomes my attire as I dig deeper and deeper into this pit. My once pearly white dress now stained and splattered with mud. Without even a second thought of the pure past, I dig. Like a woman addicted to the sickening thrill, stopping at nothing to fulfill the deep, dark longing of her soul; only thinking she’s satisfied when getting the drug. Digging has become my drug. It has consumed me day and night. I no longer think of eating, sleeping, loving, only digging. I wake up and immediately dig. I go to sleep and I dream of going deeper and deeper into the darkness of the hole I have created. My family, friends, and life…it all comes second to the digging.

I have dug so far down into this never-ending pit, that even as I look up, no sunlight is to be found. I do not realize the ultimate pain I have inflicted upon myself until it is too late. I slump down into my empty pit, all alone, lost even to myself. I feel as if there is nowhere else to go.

Face down on the ground I begin to cry. As the first tear falls down my cheek, the bucket inside my soul spills out onto my face. Overwhelmed by the piercing realization that I’m all alone, I begin shrieking, yelling at the top of my lungs, asking for the smallest bit of hope, crying out for help—any at all.

A sliver of light appears—from where, I do not know—but my heart is beginning to slow it’s pace and my tear-stained face begins to dry. I desperately look, trying to find the source of light.

I call out, “Is anyone there?”

And that’s when I heard it—the sweetest voice I ever heard—Jesus.

He climbed down into my hole, looking at every rough edge along the walls from where I painfully forced myself to dig deeper and harder. I saw his eyes fill with tears as he felt the grooves indentured from the digging. When he finally reached me at the bottom of the pit, he reached out his hands and held me in a long embrace.

I felt myself crumbling to the floor—my legs giving out, becoming jelly under my body—and then the arms of my Savior holding me up. He looked me in the eyes and began cleaning away the dirt and grime that had for so long become apart of me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he took a hold of me and began slowly carrying me out of my man-made black hole.

The sunlight became brighter and brighter as it danced across my skin and warmed the once frozen places of my heart. My lips formed a curved line across my face that felt like a long-ago memory, as I laughed and smiled and began dancing with my Savior! The joy that filled me and seemed to overflow from within me, helped me to stand tall as I looked over my shoulder and saw the gaping black hole that controlled my life for so long. I began to cringe, but then I heard my Best Friend call to me from up ahead, “Come with me, my child.”

My heart sang songs and my feet danced wonderfully beneath me as I walked hand-in-hand with the man who not only came to my rescue, but who walked right alongside me, even climbing down into the deepest places of my soul, just so I could be with Him in this very moment—and forever and ever; happily ever after.

"let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." ~Isaiah 55:7~