All right, this chapter is extremely short, but I wanted to get this out
there before I continue (I now know where I'm going with this story.)
Information: I (obviously) created material facts as to Elizabeth's religious upbringings, but please, bear with me, and assume that this is all true. : )
And review if you so choose... but know that it would make me so extremely zealous!
~Natalie~
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Consecrated to God (Chapter 3) --
Elizabeth worked the rest of her shift as though she were in a haze. She couldn't get the earlier occurrence with the stranger out of her head. She was so angry with the world, so angry at God, and this complete stranger had offered her comfort. She didn't know why, but in a way, it touched her. It didn't ease her pain or magically make everything better, but it HAD touched her.
She left the hospital and headed for home, all the way thinking about what had happened that day. She opened the door and threw her keys on the table. With a sigh she opened the refrigerator and pulled out some milk. As she poured herself a glass her mind started to wander, and she sat down on the table and began to reflect:
Elizabeth remembered when she was a little girl; her parents were strong Christians so of course Elizabeth was as well. She hadn't questioned the faith they taught her, she didn't even begin to think about the many faults it may have had. But as she got older, she began to rebel against that which had been imparted upon her. Her mind began to question every aspect of the religion her parents so devoutly followed.
Her rebellion angered her parents immensely, and the more they pushed her to simply have what they called "blind faith", the more forcefully she turned away from it.
When she was a teenager, she still continued to rebel against what she had always been taught to accept without any questions. But her insatiable mind asked a million questions, and her brain was constantly filled with the 'whys' and the 'hows'. She argued vehemently that there was no God. But she didn't argue this out of pain, or anguish, she argued it simply because she could.
But as she got older, and as she went off to college, Elizabeth came to realize that something was missing in her life. There was a seemingly empty void in her heart, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to fill it.
Until she tried Jesus. She accepted him, once again, and she immediately felt as though she had finally become whole once again. She began going to church and found much needed solace in her renewed relationship with the Lord.
As the years went on, Elizabeth came to have an extremely strong relationship with God. She knew he had blessed her countless times throughout her life. When she went to med school, when she became a surgeon, and when she had come to America, she knew that God had blessed her immensely. She had so many opportunities, and she couldn't help but attribute these wonderful blessings to God.
And when she'd found Mark Elizabeth realized that God was completely and utterly amazing. He had given her the most complete life she had ever imagined. She had the career she'd always wanted and had spent many years dreaming about, and he had given her the most amazing husband she could have ever asked for. She'd never been so in love, and every day she thanked God for giving her someone like Mark.
And then, in an instant her world was turned upside down. The most important person in her life, the reason she lived, had been taken away from her.
It was at that moment that Elizabeth Corday had begun to understand that there was no God. No, she had realized that there WAS a God, and he was mean and cruel. She knew with Mark's death that the "Gospel" was an absolute load of crap.
He was not merciful, He was not kind, and He was not forgiving. This God that everyone had so praised, He was evil. He, Elizabeth decided, cared nothing for the people he created and called his own.
He, Elizabeth had determined, had taken Mark to spite her, to spite everything she believed she had possessed. He had taken Mark to hurt her. And, the most disturbing thing of it all: It had worked. It had hurt her. She was miserable. Just like He wanted.
She had only every allowed two men to affect her: Mark and God.
The first of the two was a compassionate man full of love, life and vitality. He was kind, sweet, giving, and one of the greatest beings she had ever come to know. She loved him.
The second of the two could be described in two short words: Completely wretched. She hated him.
Recognizing the venom in her thoughts, Elizabeth quickly shook off her reverie and took a sip of the now warm milk.
It had been a long time since she had thought about her childhood and her once strong bond with God.
She decided after her lengthy reminiscing, that it was time to go to bed. She trudged to her bedroom, her mind deep with thought. She got ready for bed in the same sloth-like fashion, and climbed tiredly into bed.
As she lay there, she felt a familiar emptiness creeping into her heart, mirroring the void she had felt once long ago in the same place. But she didn't acknowledge the emptiness; instead she stuffed the void with anger, hate, and pain, as she drifted off into a restless street.
Outside, the city of Chicago was raging as a storm ravaged the land. For a child of God had turned away from the light...
And heaven was filled with sorrow. **~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
"For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off." Isaiah 48:9
Information: I (obviously) created material facts as to Elizabeth's religious upbringings, but please, bear with me, and assume that this is all true. : )
And review if you so choose... but know that it would make me so extremely zealous!
~Natalie~
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Consecrated to God (Chapter 3) --
Elizabeth worked the rest of her shift as though she were in a haze. She couldn't get the earlier occurrence with the stranger out of her head. She was so angry with the world, so angry at God, and this complete stranger had offered her comfort. She didn't know why, but in a way, it touched her. It didn't ease her pain or magically make everything better, but it HAD touched her.
She left the hospital and headed for home, all the way thinking about what had happened that day. She opened the door and threw her keys on the table. With a sigh she opened the refrigerator and pulled out some milk. As she poured herself a glass her mind started to wander, and she sat down on the table and began to reflect:
Elizabeth remembered when she was a little girl; her parents were strong Christians so of course Elizabeth was as well. She hadn't questioned the faith they taught her, she didn't even begin to think about the many faults it may have had. But as she got older, she began to rebel against that which had been imparted upon her. Her mind began to question every aspect of the religion her parents so devoutly followed.
Her rebellion angered her parents immensely, and the more they pushed her to simply have what they called "blind faith", the more forcefully she turned away from it.
When she was a teenager, she still continued to rebel against what she had always been taught to accept without any questions. But her insatiable mind asked a million questions, and her brain was constantly filled with the 'whys' and the 'hows'. She argued vehemently that there was no God. But she didn't argue this out of pain, or anguish, she argued it simply because she could.
But as she got older, and as she went off to college, Elizabeth came to realize that something was missing in her life. There was a seemingly empty void in her heart, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to fill it.
Until she tried Jesus. She accepted him, once again, and she immediately felt as though she had finally become whole once again. She began going to church and found much needed solace in her renewed relationship with the Lord.
As the years went on, Elizabeth came to have an extremely strong relationship with God. She knew he had blessed her countless times throughout her life. When she went to med school, when she became a surgeon, and when she had come to America, she knew that God had blessed her immensely. She had so many opportunities, and she couldn't help but attribute these wonderful blessings to God.
And when she'd found Mark Elizabeth realized that God was completely and utterly amazing. He had given her the most complete life she had ever imagined. She had the career she'd always wanted and had spent many years dreaming about, and he had given her the most amazing husband she could have ever asked for. She'd never been so in love, and every day she thanked God for giving her someone like Mark.
And then, in an instant her world was turned upside down. The most important person in her life, the reason she lived, had been taken away from her.
It was at that moment that Elizabeth Corday had begun to understand that there was no God. No, she had realized that there WAS a God, and he was mean and cruel. She knew with Mark's death that the "Gospel" was an absolute load of crap.
He was not merciful, He was not kind, and He was not forgiving. This God that everyone had so praised, He was evil. He, Elizabeth decided, cared nothing for the people he created and called his own.
He, Elizabeth had determined, had taken Mark to spite her, to spite everything she believed she had possessed. He had taken Mark to hurt her. And, the most disturbing thing of it all: It had worked. It had hurt her. She was miserable. Just like He wanted.
She had only every allowed two men to affect her: Mark and God.
The first of the two was a compassionate man full of love, life and vitality. He was kind, sweet, giving, and one of the greatest beings she had ever come to know. She loved him.
The second of the two could be described in two short words: Completely wretched. She hated him.
Recognizing the venom in her thoughts, Elizabeth quickly shook off her reverie and took a sip of the now warm milk.
It had been a long time since she had thought about her childhood and her once strong bond with God.
She decided after her lengthy reminiscing, that it was time to go to bed. She trudged to her bedroom, her mind deep with thought. She got ready for bed in the same sloth-like fashion, and climbed tiredly into bed.
As she lay there, she felt a familiar emptiness creeping into her heart, mirroring the void she had felt once long ago in the same place. But she didn't acknowledge the emptiness; instead she stuffed the void with anger, hate, and pain, as she drifted off into a restless street.
Outside, the city of Chicago was raging as a storm ravaged the land. For a child of God had turned away from the light...
And heaven was filled with sorrow. **~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
"For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off." Isaiah 48:9