Suddenly, she was hit hard. The unexpected impact sent her sprawling to her knees. She could hear the sound of the rain pelting against her large bedroom window. It was all a strange phenomenon, to her. Dark billowy clouds had gathered hovering and intimidating. It was a remarkable sight. The howling winds were a frightening thing to hear, the ominous sound causing chills to dance over the lone woman’s slight frame.The forcefulness of the blow was numbing. There on her knees, stunned with disbelief, she watched the hands of time move.
The clock on the mantle revealed that only minutes had passed. To her the moments seemed an eternity; hurt can make time feel that way. Hurt painful claws were fiercely embedded in her, refusing her release. The pain was severe enough to cause a normal person to lose their sanity. A glance around the room revealed nothing had changed. Her bed was nicely made up, her mass of pillows was still in order.
Her Bible was on the right side of her nightstand. Her slippers were by her armoire. Nothing had changed. Yet, for her everything had changed. She could not breathe. She felt as though she were in a movie; cast in the wrong role. Enough! Deciding that she would no longer play role of the helpless victim, she raised her chin. It was time for a change, yet she needed answers. What was the right answer? What do I do? How could this had happen? Her kneeled position would be the beginning of her transition.
For it was there on her knees, she began to pray. Normally words would fail her, (hurt can do that to a person) today was different. She encompassed with words begging for release and she obliged them with out restriction. With the winds howling ferociously and the rain continuing to fall, still on her knees, her words flowed, as did her tears. It was ugly but necessary. She was in the right position, there on her knees.
However, the unction to get lower was strong. You see, some people have to dig a little deeper, stretch a little wider than others do.Stretching out on her stomach, the words continued to flow. Suddenly, startled, she looked around the room in question; for a brief moment, she thought she heard the faint call of her name. There in her humbled prayer position, she made a self-conscious decision (and it was a decision) to be free. Praying not out of defeat but belief, she fought past the pain and called God’s name.
Time lapsed, how much she may never know, but what she did know is this--prayer works.She prayed in the storm and God guided her through it. She prayed the necessary prayer of the ugly and God made her feel like new. This was the process: I prayed, believed, and received. Renewed, she got up. Smiling, she dried her eyes assured that everything was going to be all right. As if consenting, in agreement, the rain had suddenly stopped and the wind had calmed. What a phenomenal display of authority! At this, she was reassured; that she is never forgotten nor forsaken, God knows her name and he knows yours, too!
Vanessa Richardson is an author, poet, and playwright. Vanessa has written several stage productions and has been blessed to perform them at various venues. Her stage production includes Mama Rainey, Someone to Love Me, Why Do Bad Things Happens to Good People? Lord, I Don't Understand, and The Fullness Of Time.
Once upon a time, she considered herself a closet writer, as she was painfully shy of sharing her written works with the public. An unforeseen bout of illness in 1999 would cause a change in Vanessa's life. "One day I woke up," would become her mantra for years. Vanessa wants her readers, to be aspired toward greatness, in spite of what circumstances, may dictate to them. "With God all things are made possible to them who believe." With faith, we can leap over boundaries. We can break barriers and defeat the labels of rejection.
Vanessa realized that she had not just a story to tell but many stories. Relying on God, she wrote her first inspirational novel The Certain Ones. A spiritual impacting novel that inspires readers to know that not everyone are called into greatness. Fact: Many can not handle the process that goes along with becoming great. Those certain ones that endures obtains greatness. Vanessa is currently working on her Fiction novel titled Love Found Me.
"When a man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)