Choices
Melody walked through the mall, quickly, yet deliberately. She
had no idea that as she walked, she seemed to move to invisible music. Her tall,
boy-like figure swayed to an unheard beat. Short brown hair framed her pixie
face, and her chocolate brown eyes danced with merriment.
She was on a mission to get the perfect gift for her best friend. She had heard
that a new Christian CD was just out and it was what she wanted. Spotting the
Christian Book Store, she turned toward it, and ran smack into someone--or some
thing. She stopped and looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever
seen. Melody started to apologize, but words seemed to fail her as she just
stood and stared at the man. He was about 6’2”, tall, and slim. He was beautiful
if one could call a man beautiful. A woodsy fragrance filled the air around him.
The man seemed amused at her and said,
“You must really be in a big hurry. Where is the fire?” Melody backed away from
the man and said,
“I am so sorry. I really did not look where I was going. Just in a hurry, I
guess.” The man smilingly answered,
“Well, if I had to be run over, I am glad it was by a beautiful young lady.
Maybe we should start over. My name is Josh and yours is?”
In a low, soft voice Melody said,
“My name is Melody, and I am truly sorry for running into you like that.”
Josh just stood there looking at her for some time before he said,
“No problem, Melody, in fact you have brightened up a dreary day. I don’t have a
habit of picking up ladies at the mall, but how about me buying you a cup of
coffee?”
Looking back into those beautiful blue eyes, she could only nod. How could she
say no? She wanted to so badly. Her quest for the CD was forgotten. She had just
agreed to have coffee with a complete stranger. The very thought thrilled her.
The taste of the coffee was strong and delicious. As they sat at one of the tiny
tables sprinkled across the floor near the coffee spot, Melody told him a lot
about herself, which was a most unusual thing for her to do. She told him that
she was a secretary for the Harvest Church and its Youth Minister. She told him
of her family and where she lived and where the church was and everything else
she could think of.
Josh told her he was the lead singer in a band that played at the clubs
downtown. They called themselves “Dusk to Dawn” and he loved his job.
They talked as if they had known each other for years. She felt comfortable
talking with Josh, and she really enjoyed the chance to get know him better.
When the coffee cups were empty, Josh asked her for her phone number, which she
gave to him. She really had no idea why.
That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Melody and Josh spent much
time together, sometimes going on long walks by the riverbank. Even the dirty
water looked good to Melody as long as she was with Josh. Sometimes they rode
bikes on the bike trail, where the smell of fresh flowers filled the air. Many
evenings they would sit on her porch swing and talk. With her job being during
the day, and his job being at night, they were able to spend evenings together.
As the months passed, they grew closer and closer. Melody knew she was in love
with Josh and she believed that he loved her. Josh never said the words to her,
but she felt his deep, quite love each time they were together. They never
seemed to disagree on anything--except her church. He did not want to hear about
it. He would get quiet and just look at her when she tried to share things from
the church. When Melody would get excited about something in church, she would
try to tell it to Josh, but he didn’t want to hear about it.
“It's like this, Melody," Josh told her at the end of one particularly beautiful
summer evening. "I don’t want to hear about your church; I don’t want to go to
your church. Not now. Not ever. You have a choice to make here. Do you want to
be with me always and forever, or do you want to be with this God of yours?”
His words burned to the depths of Melody’s very soul. She closed her eyes
tightly in agony. Was he asking her to choose between him and the Lord? There
was no choice! She would never turn away from God. She loved Josh so much it
hurt, but Jesus was--and always would be--first in her life. Melody opened her
eyes to see Josh still standing in front of her. He stood waiting for her to say
something. What could she say? She cleared her throat and spoke,
“Josh, I love you with all my heart, but the Lord is first in my life and always
will be. I will not deny Him ever. I just can’t.”
Josh shook his head and said, “Well, I guess you made your choice. I will not
try to compete with this Jesus of yours. My only hope is that He can make you
happy.” He bent over and kissed her then turned and walked away leaving left her
standing there.
As the next few months slowly passed, Melody was numb. She cried and cried. She
had loved Josh so much. The main thought in her mind was,
Why? Why did he do this? Her heart was broken and she felt betrayed. Melody knew
she could not, nor did she want to, change her decision. But would the pain ever
go away? Could she ever begin to live again? She thought not. The hurt cut too
deeply.
...Two Years Later...
Melody was busy getting ready for a concert the teens were having that night.
Some new Christian band had become very popular and they agreed to come to the
church for a concert. The excitement in the air was contagious. The band was
already at the hall. At least 20 teens had told her so and
how every thing was.
Melody sank into the middle chair in the back row of seats at the Fellowship
Hall and closed her eyes. Soft brown hair fell over her face as she bowed her
head to rest a bit before the program began. She was so tired.
Suddenly the sound of a beautiful praise song flowed over the room. It was
almost surreal. Then she heard the voice. The beloved voice she could never
forget. She opened her eyes, immediately spotting him as he stood behind the
microphone at the front of the stage. He looked good. His hair was shorter and
he was slimmer now, but he still had those beautiful crystal blue eyes. She
could see the blue from all the way back where she sat.
Then Josh looked directly at her as he spoke.
“A couple of years ago I walked away from the woman I loved with all my heart. I
made her choose between her God and me. She had the wisdom to choose her God. I
had a hard time accepting that she would choose someone who was not real over
me, and I convinced myself she did not love me. But as I finally came to see,
she made the right choice. He is real, this man Jesus Christ. I now see and my
blinded eyes are open to the Truth. It took a barmaid in a small town to sit me
down and share the Good News with me. I played music in bars. I now sing in
churches and at church events to lift up the name of the man Jesus Christ.” He
walked toward the back of the church where Melody sat.
Warm tears flowed down Melody’s cheeks as he came nearer and nearer. She
thrilled to the news that Josh had found the greatest love of all, Jesus. She
whispered, “Thank you Jesus, for saving his soul.”
Josh stood at the end of the row and held out his arms. She stumbled numbly over
the feet and legs of the kids sitting between her and Josh. Melody slid into his
arms and looked into his face. He kissed her and held her close. Then the whole
hall filled with clapping and hoots. Melody and Josh never noticed. They simply
turned and walked out of the hall with their arms around each other, on their
way to start a beautiful life together. In the service of their Lord…
Sharon Niese
nananpopo@wcnet.org