A/N: This is my second Bible fanfic. I really hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed writing this one chapter more than the Hunt for Sauron fanfic.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2: 10-11
Chapter One: Selfishness
"Amy!" Liza called out while her friend was walking down the block to her house. School had been just out and summer vacation was beginning. The warm air, and the sweet smell of God's creation confirmed this.
"Yes?" Amy Wimple asked, turning around to face her friend. She and Liza Winters had been friends since middle school, and it would be their senior year the next semester of high school. Amy was shy and nervous, and Liza was outgoing and sociable. Liza had a big brother in her family, while Amy had no one. She was an only child.
"Jason Smith asked me out for tonight!" Liza looked as though she had just won a million dollars. In her case, perhaps she had. Or thought she had, rather. Amy felt a wee bit envious, but asked her heavenly Father to take that emotion away, and a peace filled her heart concerning it. Yes, she had always wanted someone to ask her out, but the time was not right.
"That's great!" Amy said truthfully.
"Yeah. Jason's the most popular, cutest, and sweetest boy at school!" said Liza, and she hugged her schoolbooks tightly to her chest as though she was hugging Jason. Once again, Amy had to take her envy up to the Lord. Ever since her long crush on Clyde Brownson, she had been hoping and praying that a man would come her way.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. The Scripture verse came into her head and she held back an impatient sigh. Hadn't that been what she was doing? Delighting herself in the Lord?
Lord, thank You for saving my soul from hell. I love You so much and I am willing to serve You, she prayed.
"You all right?" Liza asked, breaking the sudden almost tranquility between Amy and her Savior.
"Yes, I'm fine."
Once Amy returned home, she sat in her room for awhile and began to sulk in that she didn't have any boyfriends, no male friends, and a low social life. In fact, it was a near dead social life. Her friendship with Liza was the only social life she had. She didn't talk to hardly anyone. Not even her parents. She was quiet and sensitive. She never went beyond the little social barriers Satan had set up for her, and so she continued to dwell in her own little world. Thankfully though, she had asked Jesus Christ to be her Savior when she was fifteen. So her social life included Him as well. It wasn't dead after all.
Early in the morning each day, she would open up her King James Bible and read a chapter out of it. Sometimes she would read two chapters if she had the time. And she usually did her heavy duty praying at night. Lately though, she had been slacking in reading the Bible and praying. Little did she know that it was her selfish desires for a husband that was causing the small gulf in communication between her and her heavenly Father. She was too busy to think of Him. Or even praise Him for the daily little miracles. Most of her prayers of late consisted of When am I getting a man, Lord? Susy Blakers is getting married and she's a year younger! When will it by my time?…and so forth and so on.
Her parents were beginning to worry, and being saved believers in Christ, they prayed continually for their daughter. She was becoming lazy and tended to get grouchy easily. It was a sign that her relationship with God wasn't what it should be. She hardly ever smiled and griped most of the time. But at church and near Liza, she would put on her "happy-face" and pretend that nothing was going on between her and God and say, "I'm all right!" or "I'm fine!"
Her view on God was ever changing. He became more and more distant to her, and sometimes she felt as though He was mean and cruel and heartless. Which He wasn't. Anyway, she felt as though her life was falling apart—because of Him in that He wouldn't give her someone to cuddle up with at nights (which she would never admit to anyone). Of course, if she would admit that she was being selfish and ask God's forgiveness, maybe her life would come back together again.
But, that night, something happened while she said her two minute long gripe prayer.