"Lily's Strength" continued...
читать дальше Lily’s smile became sad as she said, ”Papa wouldn’t let us meet after he found out. You see, Dante isn’t Christian, he never even saw the Bible in his life. His family’s roots are Muslim, but he doesn’t believe in any god at all. You know how I feel for such people. Do you remember how we prayed together for them?” she asked.
“Of course,” I nodded, remembering those times of prayer. Softly I added, “I’m sorry.”
“He is so different; different in everything. He has faults, but also there’s to much in him that is just… unexplainable. Something about Dante makes him my rock, the one I want to hold on to. He is so open, intelligent, and yet so simple. My desire is for him to be saved.” With that, Lily gave all her heart out.
“How does your mom feel about him?” I asked.
Lily’s face lit up with a gentle smile as she said, “Mama warned me but said that Dante’s ice could be broken. She likes him. And he deserves that. He’s so nice. Hi biggest mistake, as papa put it, is not knowing God. But that’s not his fault.”
“Of course it’s not.” I agreed “Did you talk to him about that?”
“About what? God?” She asked smiling.
“Yes,” I answered.
She nodded, eyes flashing, “It was mama’s doing of telling dad all the reasons for me to just be friends with Dante. Finally, the long battle has been won and I got permission to talk to Dante.”
“I don’t understand why your dad is so strict. You couldn’t even talk with Dante.” I said in disbelief.
Lily just shrugged and continued, “I told him all about God, we read the Bible together. He wants so much to understand me; I read it in his glowing eyes, searching down deep into my soul. I saw that he was lost, and understood him perfectly for I have been there, too. I want to help Dante so much. Mommy and I pray for him everyday.” She looked at me with tenderness and nodded.
“Gladly,” I said understanding her, “I will pray with you.”
She smiled and looked at her lap, “He is a fighter, for the truth. He wouldn’t stop and believe until he sees that it is living truth.”
“That is good,” I said, “because our God is living for sure.” With that we took each other’s hands and prayed for the Lord’s truth to shine.
Now my tape rolled a couple of years forward and I saw a tragedy in Lily’s life unfold.
I opened my door to tearful Lily and exclaimed, “What is it, Lily?! What on earth happened to you? Why are you crying?”
As I led her inside my apartment she said calmly, her voice steady, “They are gone. I lost them forever. I never thought it could happen so quickly and unexpectedly.”
“What is lost? What happened?” I asked, not understanding her.
She went on as if not hearing my questions, “I never thought it would happen to me. And yet, I don’t feel like I’m totally alone. I still have you,“ she smiled through her tears, ”and God, and Dante…”
As Lily’s voice softened at the end, I saw her shake a little. She looked like a crying angel, if there are any. I led her to the couch, and whispered in disbelief, “What are you talking about?” thinking that my guess, that it was her parents she lost, was wrong.
“Yes,” she said sitting down on the edge, “they’re with the Lord at this very moment, rejoicing, as we sit here on this lonely earth, crying. That doesn’t seem right, but it’s humanly right.”
“I am sorry, dear Lily,” I whispered into her ear, hugging her. “When?” was my next question because I didn’t know what else to say.
She was a melting rock. Always so strong, and now the heat of tragedy was melting that rock down. Deep inside, the rock was soft because she didn’t yell or break things, she was calm and said, “I got a call this morning from Aunt Mary. She told me. It was yesterday. I was glad they didn’t suffer too much.”
Her voice was so soft and calm with a little shaky note in it, and I started to cry. We cried together, in each other’s hands, quietly.
The sun was shining so bright, it almost didn’t seem right.
“I’m deeply touched by your loss, Lily,” I said honestly. “I am sorry.” I squeezed her hand gently, and she smiled a sad smile. After awhile she stood up and said, looking out the window,” Dante called, too. He knows.”
I was like a little sister of hers at that time. I didn’t know what to do or say. Then, like the last time, she took my had and bowed her head, and we prayed, calmly, quietly.
After that the tape of my life rolled fast forward over the happy times, when Dante accepted Jesus in his heart, sharing the newfound truth with his family. Then something happened.
“I don’t like that big tail on the dress,” I said, as Lily and I sat looking for bridal gowns for her wedding.
“With your not liking anything you will never get a dress for your wedding,” Lily laughed. She looked like a flower again.
“Well, I’m not marrying yet,” I said merrily.
Lily looked at me with her light brown shining diamonds and said smiling, “Well I AM going to be marrying soon and I like that dress no matter what you say!”
And then the phone rang; I went to get it. When I heard the words, I was shocked. It was short, and as Lily looked at my face when I hung up, she asked worriedly, “Who was that? What’s wrong?”
For a moment my brain couldn’t think; my tongue couldn’t speak. Then I slowly said, not finding words to say it, “It was for you…and…it…uh…”
Her face became alarmed, “Who was that?”
“Dante’s sister,” I said like a robot, not hearing myself.
Lily covered her mouth and breathed, “Oh, God, don’t let… What is it with Dante?”
I knew I had to tell her, so I did, “I…she said that…he,” my voice broke off like a string in a violin, “Oh, Lily! She said that Dante died on his way to the airport, today…”
Lily’s face became white, she nearly fell, but I held her as she murmured softly, shaking tearfully, “Oh, dear God, please, God, don’t let it be, don’t let it be…” Her diamonds were full of tears. Big round tears, they fell down her cheeks like rain from the sky. She cried. I prayed. We stood for a long time, holding each other. Then she drew back and said steadily, “It’s God’s will. Help me to take it.” Tears broke through again and she sobbed, “Help me to understand it…please…help…”
“I’ll try,” was my reply, “I’ll try to help you the best I can.”
“Thank you,” Lily said, “We’ll survive through it together. God will help me to be strong.”
“God will help,” I said looking up to heaven, where my Lily’s beloved was.
“He smiles there,” Lily said, “and I’m left on earth again.”
Tears on our eyes, hearts broken, souls looking up to God, we prayed for strength to go on…
Lily found the strength. She became a missionary and served people like they were Dante. She still does that. Lily is very strong. She went through so much pain and remained faithful to the Lord, grateful for everything. She is my hero. Lily is a real Christian. People see her strength and they know that through her God lives indeed. They are able to see that there is still hope in this world of trouble and pain. God is alive today.
THE END.