This will be a different sort of post. A kind of story. I haven't finished it, so there will be more than one part; and I'm not exactly sure how it will end, so you will have to bear with me and find out too. :)


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I had just about had it. Enough was enough. Why was God letting all these things happen to me? I'd just been laid off, Mom was in the hospital for pneumonia, my sister was mad at me for forgetting to call her on her birthday (and, yes, we still spat after 'growing' up), my car was broke and it was costing me an arm and a leg, and on top of all that, my friends were telling me I was stuck up and needed to get a life. Ha! I just dare them to be in my shoes for a day! Could things get any worse? The phone rang.

"Hello?"

The next thing I know, my sister's voice is telling me that Dad had been working on the house roof when he fell and broke some ribs. He was in the hospital now, and could I please come quickly because she couldn't handle this with three kids. As I hung up the phone, I sighed and resolved never to ask 'what could go wrong' again!

I was exhausted after coming home from the hospital. I went straight to bed and slept. . .

I woke up and found myself in a strange land. There were people bustling about everywhere. Each person pushing and shoving like pigs at a trough. Everyone only caring about what they had to do and where they had to go. I was shocked. How could people be like this? I mean, I did it all the time, but in public?? Oh, this was overwhelming. I decided I'd try to find some relief from this vast mass. It looked like there was a shopping plaza on down the road. Maybe I could find some coffee and a haven there. I was faced with only one problem-I didn't know how to get there. Not with this throng of people pushing about. I couldn't see a single transportation device besides my own two legs. I sighed. Could I possibly become one of them? I just couldn't bring myself so low, could I? I waited...and waited...and waited. I was getting hot, weary and frustrated. I couldn't take it anymore, this crowd was driving me insane. I looked around and saw a sliver of a spot to squeeze into. I quickly rushed in and started moving forward. Hmm, this wasn't as bad as I thought. It was sort of fun pushin' people around and going where I wanted to. Maybe I didn't want to stop at that shopping place after all. It didn't take long for me to get to the shopping center, but I was having so much fun, I almost missed it. I decided I did want to check out the place, so I managed to get away from the mesmerizing crowd long enough to grab a bench. After catching up with my breath(or my breath catching up with me; I never can tell which...), I suddenly realized what I had done. The horror of it! How could I have possibly done the very thing I despised?!? Feeling horrible, I stood up and looked around me, and the sight that my eyes beheld was breathtaking! My guilt-conscience thoughts vanished as I saw the tantalizing temptation before me--the biggest most alluring shopping place you have ever seen! One could spend years in there and still not see all of it! My whole body wanted to go in there, yet my spirit screamed, "NO!" I ignored my spiritual desires, and went right on in. I experienced the same fun and satisfying feelings that I had had when joining the pushy crowd. I tried on all the glamorous clothes, and prettied myself to my heart's content. I ate every good thing I could possibly smell; and, oh, I got everything my little heart desired. The rudeness and bustling that was in the crowd outside was here too. In fact, it seemed that half the crowd had stopped in here! I eventually got tired. Really tired. My body was sore not only from all the walking around I'd been doing, but also from all the shoving and pushing. I was sure I was going to have bruises somewhere. Then a thought flashed through my mind. I'm sure you've given not a few bruises yourself. I hung my head in shame. I got up and lethargically walked around. What was I doing here? What was my purpose? Why couldn't I just listen to the part of me that told me I shouldn't do something? I was just like all these obtrusive people. The only difference between me and them was that I hid myself behind a mask of self-righteousness instead of being blatant. Engrossed so much in my thoughts, I hadn't realized that everything around me had started getting dark and fading away. The whole world began turning into an abyss. An abyss that I started to slip and fall into. I screamed. . .

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TO BE CONTINUED.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a princess. She was a very beautiful princess, and everyone that knew her loved her very dearly. For she was a very sweet, kind and gentle young lady. This princess had dreams. Dreams that would take her far away from home, far away from all that she loved. But her dreams were her dreams and she wanted to fulfill them, but there was a catch. She had to get her father's permission before she could leave. So she told her father all about her dreams and how much she desired to go out and fulfill them. Her father smiled and told her to her to wait. So she waited...and waited...and waited. Days, weeks, a month passed. She was starting to get impatient and thought maybe she should remind her father about the adventure she wanted to take. On the exact day she had made the decision to remind her father, he came into her room in the early morning while she was still in bed and sat down beside her. She sat up. Her father heaved a sigh and gave her a tender look. "My dear daughter, I have mulled over it and have stayed up late into the night these past few weeks praying over your dreams, and I have decided it's best that you do not go." The princess turned her face away and tears started to stream down her cheeks. She looked back at her father and saw mixed emotions of pain and love in his eyes. He said, "I know this hurts, but you will look back over this and see what a beautiful imprint it has made in the pottery of your life." The princess loved her father dearly, and she knew that he knew what was best for her. He had never been wrong or led her astray for as long as she'd known him, and that had been her entire life. Her emotions were so confusing. She hurt, yet knew everything was going to be alright. She was confused, but knew that there was understanding in trust. Her mind was chaotic but her heart was at peace. She smiled softly at him and with tears still coursing her face, she said, "Father, your will be done." She clung to him tightly and didn't let go.