Chapter 1, as promised :) Thanks to rainpaint and Billios for the reviews.
Chapter One
'There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.' Ephesians 4 verses 4-6
Ella Newton woke up cold on Sunday morning. Shivering, she threw on her dressing gown and checked the radiator: ice cold. The one on the landing was the same. Exasperation made her irritable as she checked the boiler, passing her ten-year-old son James as he carried a bowl of cereal into the living room. "No TV!" she yelled, trying to figure out what happened to the central heating. "It's Sunday."
"Mum," James moaned.
"Don't Mum me," Ella snapped. "You know the rules."
She left the boiler in frustration, putting the kettle on and hearing the chime of James' games console. Ella rubbed her temples, trying to stave off the coming headache. On mornings like this, it was hard to remember the principle of the Lord's Day.
Help me today, she prayed, trying to trust the Lord with everything bothering her; the recurring heating problems, James' moodiness, the morning service she didn't feel ready for, her worries that she wasn't being a good enough parent to the boys and Abigail. I need Your peace, Lord Jesus.
While the kettle boiled, Ella ran through the usual litany of things she presented to God, knowing that she need not worry but fretting anyway. Why was it so hard to pray these days? Please, Lord… I wish I could feel Your presence more clearly. How can I minister to my church if I don't have a sense of Your will?
"Why's it so cold?" Michael's grumpy voice shouted from the top floor. Ella heard the sixteen-year-old stomping downstairs and clamped down on her irritation as he looked in the kitchen.
"Heating's down," she explained, getting her mug from the cupboard. "I'll have to get Ned to look at it again – do you want tea?"
"Ned's useless," Michael objected. "But yeah, please. We should get a proper electrician for once."
Ella sighed. "I told you, we just don't have the money at the moment unless it's really urgent. Ned's good enough to help us for free, and he's not that bad."
Michael shrugged and handed her the milk. Ella swirled a teaspoon in her mug and raised it to her lips, breathing in the warm, fragrant scent. Thank goodness for tea.
--
Stewart splashed cold water over his face blearily, looking in the dirty mirror and making a mental note to get himself a razor. He ran his fingers through his stubbly hair and reached for his toothbrush.
He'd spent the previous day attempting to clean up the ground floor of his house, clearing away the rotted cardboard, wood and other rubbish into black bin liners. The wallpaper was peeling off from damp, he'd found, and although he still got water through the taps, it was all cold. The kitchenette had been stripped of most of its fittings, and the radiators were broken. Stewart didn't fancy spending the winter in a cold house, so he'd written a list of things he needed, including a heater or two and a kettle; but he was worried about money – he'd just bought himself a sandwich yesterday, but most of the money he had would have to be used for food until he got himself a job. And how I am I going to do that? Stewart thought anxiously. He'd only ever had a paper round, and all he had for qualifications were a series of C and D grades from his GCSEs. Besides, many of the adults round here would remember him, and he couldn't afford to travel too far out of town for work.
He dressed slowly, thinking. Stewart was determined to make an honest man out of himself; his experience on Friday had changed him, although he didn't quite know how.
It's Sunday. The thought surprised him, and he realised what it meant. Sunday was church day, when the religious people in Linwich attended the small parish church. I should go. Maybe someone can help me. And – Reverend Newton will be there.
He knew his infant faith was at least partly due to the lady vicar's confusing visit a few months ago. If he hadn't been curious about what had provoked her to meet him, he wouldn't have picked up that leaflet at the station. She was a preacher, after all – she of all people was sure to know what he should do.
"OK," he said out loud, mainly to muster up some courage. "I'm going to church." The only time he'd stepped foot in a church in his life had been his mother's funeral. As far as he knew, he hadn't even been christened. Would that matter? Nervousness knotted up in his stomach. What if the church people didn't want him there? Most of them were old – they'd remember him, and what he had done.
Stewart went downstairs and put on his coat, hardly believing what he was doing. He had no idea when the church service began, but he might as well get there as soon as he could. Maybe he could find Reverend Newton and talk to her privately, without having to be seen by the rest of the church.
He picked up the leaflet he had read last night and turned to the back, where there was a section headed 'What next?'
'So you've decided to follow Jesus. But what do you do next? Well, the first thing to do is to contact other Christians who are older in the faith. Find your local church, or talk to Christian friends or relatives. They will help you take the next steps and grow in your relationship with God. Also, pray. You've begun a friendship with someone who loves you more than anything – He wants you to talk to Him and for you to get to know Him.'
There was more, but that sentence caught Stewart's eye. God wanted Stewart to talk to him? Of course, he'd prayed on Friday night, and he felt surer today that God had heard him – but the leaflet said this was a friendship. You talked to friends about lots of things. Surely God wouldn't be interested in anything Stewart had to say?
Maybe he would.
"OK, God," he said tentatively. "I believe in you. I'm going to go to church to see if I can find out more about you. I guess that's what you want… um, Amen."
He felt stupid, talking to the air in an empty house. But he did feel a bit more confident about going to church. Maybe this wouldn't be quite as bad as he had thought…
A/N: I don't like that last little bit... :S anyway, review, please!
