Three

Three

            Melissa wandered the boardwalk overlooking the Newport Marina.  It reminded her of the boat harbor in Sitka. She recalled the many times her family would take a boat ride with friends in the rocky coves surrounding Baranof Island.  To this day she’d never seen a beach with sand as pristine white as the one on some tiny island off Sitka’s coastline.  It was a forever memory.  The last sense of any idyllic or family normalcy.  The years in Alaska before her parents divorced and she turned eleven.

            The years her counselor, Naomi, said she had spent her life trying to get back to, without realizing it.  She was the only one of her siblings with memories of their mother being a mom.  Only now did she understand it’s what she’d tried to recreate for them.  Give them a sense of nurturing she’d lost and would never find again.  It was one of the ways she’d used love that covered a multitude of sins with her mother. She'd tried to model what she thought mom had done for her.  If she covered their mothers’ sins maybe, just maybe mom would overcome and return to that distant, unrealistic mother she thought she’d known.  It never happened. 

            She glanced at her watch.  It was time to meet Cara for lunch.  Leave it to Jan to recommend she have lunch with a young woman who’d recently discovered her passion for all things Old Testament.  Not that she minded. She loved talking to anyone who loved the Bible as much as she did. It satisfied her passion for ancient history.  It should be a fun lunch.

            A couple minutes later she arrived at the Bistro.  Cara waved; her dimpled smile welcomed Melissa; “Hi!” she called out.

            “How are you?” Melissa asked giving the cute young woman a hug.

            “I’m fine,” she replied. “I’ve never eaten here. I hear the food is good.”

            “Quite good,” Melissa said as she pulled open the door.

            The hostess greeted and led them to a table by a window overlooking the Marina.  They settled in with idle chit chat as they looked over the menus and placed their orders.

            “So, tell me,” Melissa said as she leaned forward, elbows on the table, “What’s this I hear you have questions about stuff in the Old Testament?”

            Cara let out a nervous giggle, “I take it that’s what Jan told you,” Melissa smiled and nodded.

            “Actually, I just don’t know where to begin,” Cara sighed, “I’ve read the New Testament through several times. I know the ‘important’ stories from the Old Testament.  Sometimes it seems to contradict what the new testament says.  But I know there’s so much I could learn from studying it.”

            “What sparks your interest when you read it?”  Melissa asked.

            “Genesis is pretty interesting, lots of stories in there,” she frowned, “then there’s Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy which is way over my head, so I’m tempted to skip them.  I like Psalms, of course.  The Prophets can be overwhelming. But I do understand when they write about the Messiah.”

            Melissa laughed and responded, “I think you summed it up rather well. You have a very typical reaction Cara.  Let me see if I can help you sort through all this and find a nugget of truth that God has for you.”

            “That would help immensely,” she sighed.  “I want to get it right from the start.  I’ve wandered down too many worldly paths with the best of intentions and got myself in trouble.  I don’t want to make those same sorts of mistakes in my faith walk.”

            “Let’s come back to my question. Anything in particular spark your interest when you read the old testament,” Melissa stated.

            “Hmm,” Cara scrunched her brows together, “I can’t think of any one thing.”

            “Okay. Let’s try it this way.  What do you like in the New Testament?  The Gospels? The Epistles?  Revelations?”

            “Revelation’s is pretty fascinating," her eyes lit up.  I’ve watched some YouTube videos on it.”

            “That’s prophecy related so maybe the prophets would appeal to you,” Melissa encouraged her.

            “No,” Cara hesitated, “not really.  It’s interesting. But doesn’t seem relevant for how I should grow in the Lord.”

            “Very astute of you,” Melissa said with admiration, “Maybe rather than study prophecy you’d like to learn about the prophetic.”

            “What’s the difference?” Cara asked with curiosity.

            “The simplest definitions are prophecy has to do with foretelling,” she explained, “Prophetic has to do with the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

            They paused as the waitress brought their lunch and set it before them.

            “Can you give me examples?”  Cara took a small bite.

            “Isaiah has the best examples of prophecy or foretelling about the coming of the Messiah.  We can look at those verses, compare them to Jesus’s life and see how they were fulfilled.  Jeremiah addresses why judgement will come to pass on the people and a nation.  He tells them he sees how they go through the motions of serving God, but their hearts are far from it.  He reminds them of how they are breaking the law and the consequences for their actions.  When the people will not obey the commandment’s, God sends a Prophet.  Does this make sense to you?”

            “It’s starting to,” Cara said with hesitation, adding, “What would be new testament examples?”

            “Hmm, good question,” Melissa paused, “The Epistles written by Paul could be as a Jeremiah because he’s getting at how we should be obedient and why.  He paints a picture of what commandments look like when full of grace and mercy. John makes me think more of an Isaiah. He wants people to be as little children in their faith and live a Christ filled life.”

            “I like those examples.  That makes sense to me,” Cara nodded. “I think I would like to know more about this thought and intent business. How do I do that?”

            “Oh, my girl!  That is a loaded question!  I would suggest you start small, read the minor prophets. Take notes, find someone to learn with.  Pray, let the Spirit guide and teach you.  You’ll begin to see how God uses the Prophets as his mouthpiece to address the sinful nature of mankind.  Think you can do that?”  She cautiously asked.

            “Absolutely!” Taking a drink of water.

            “That sounds pretty certain,” Melissa laughed, “If you have any questions or just want to brainstorm about what you’re learning call me.  I’m old school and have lots of books on various subjects. I love doing research.”

            “That’s what Jan said.  I really like this idea of being aware of the thoughts and intents of our heart.  I so want my heart to be more like Jesus.  The New Testament has lots of cool stuff to help with that, but I felt like the Old would as well and I didn’t know how to tap into it.”

            “Glad I could help!  I can guarantee you it will be quite an adventure! So, tell me more about yourself,” Melissa encouraged the younger woman as she ate her lunch.

            Between taking bites and Melissa’s questions her story began to unfold.  She had been raised by a single mom, something Melissa could relate to.  She had been the rebel in the family not the dark sheep.  Smoking pot had been her biggest vice.  When the Spirit had convicted her to give it up for Jesus she’d done so gladly. 

            As Cara continued to talk Melissa smiled to herself realizing why Jan insisted she meet with her.  She, Melissa, needed this, it was as medicine for her heart and mind.  Her similar life experiences validated her own.  Her hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness was so refreshing in someone her age.  It gave her renewed sense of hope and purpose listening to Cara.  Her friend new her well and what she had need of.

            Counseling was giving her the tools she needed to help heal her hearts thoughts and intents.  People and relationships would cement that healing process.  Melissa sat back enjoying listening to Cara go from one Jesus topic to another with such excitement and passion.  It reminded her of her own early years of faith.  She loved how out of the mouths of babes came such exquisite simple faith.  She looked forward to thanking Jan for such thoughtfulness.