expecting to see a saint living a perfect life, because I believe in Jesus and follow His teachings. They expect to see Christ in me.
“In our simple mindedness, it’s difficult to believe in something without a face or an image for us to associate a particular principle with. It is with constant prayer and dedication that I strive to live honestly, but the temptation to sin pushes my thoughts to the brink of breaking. There is no guarantee that I can be an upstanding role model. None of us can.”
Lace pauses to take note of the receptive stares from those around him, and then continues. “Many of our influences come from poor leaders. Here it’s not popular to live according to Jesus’ teachings, because there is no worldly glory to be found in it. Satan has used his influence to make our true Savior appear weak and insignificant.
“You’d think that living life according to the way His Word directs us to live would bring uplifting encouragement to our hearts. Utter dedication will always lead to greater struggle.
“When you sacrifice yourself to Him, you’re giving up self-respect and dignity. I constantly struggle with upsetting despair and emotional breakdown.
“But which is the greater benefit: living a prideful life by serving your own wants, to gain brief comfort and pleasure, misconstrued as joy. Or sacrificing your sense of worldly security, and by doing so making your Heavenly Father proud to name you a child of His?
“I would rather my dignity suffer, and in this broken misery embrace the hope that He will be eagerly honored to receive me, on my return home.” Lace concludes…
“Confident in what I believe, I know I’m on the winning side. I feel for those who choose to ignore the warning signs, which instruct on what awaits them after death.”
Amadeus understandingly nods, placing a comforting hand on Lace’s shoulder. This angel serves as an unsuspected conduit. Through the understandings Lace gains in the work field, he acquires helpful attributes, which are endowed by his gracious Heavenly Father.
Staring out from their hiding shelter, these bleak areas remind Lace of his good fortune to have a safe environment back home. Here these refugees constantly face threats.
Unbeknownst to Lace is that the thoughts which he puts value in will resonate inside the minds of those he thinks of, as if sending his cherished loved ones a final goodbye letter.
Lace imagines the less-fatiguing world he’s left behind, one safe from so many forms of endangerment. There his heart is constantly open to love all those around him; cherishing unique moments with close friends, and the joy of greeting new faces. His thoughts reminisce on the fellowship he and his butcher, Glendale, share at the market. His brethren are unaware of the struggles Lace endures while away. Never does he give in to the idea that his occupation is more important than the service those in the community provide.
Life requires various moving parts for a fully functioning society to operate cohesively. Daily tasks which may appear irrelevant and uneventful are duly noted by the King, when done with love, and honor, and joy. It’s those laborers which add to the enlightenment of life. Lace admires the full picture. His job brings him the greatest joy, wanting only to please the Lord.
Lace would never admit openly to his wife about the great love he has for his calling, not to keep secrets, but to keep further jealousy and animosity from taking over her rationality. She demands unconditional love, to be put first in his life, and that he be ready and willing to do anything for her. Yet she reflects none of these attributes toward him. She may perform the motions, exhibiting herself as a person of faith, yet truly she is a product of the world. An individual that is self serving, self seeking, and self centered. What ails Lace is that he has reserved a portion of his heart for Judy, and allows that emotion to supersede sound instruction.
Lace has a prayer he says aloud, while out on these hazardous missions. Having been on hundreds of deployments, this personal devotional brings him uplifting inspiration. He asks the group if everyone would please bow their heads and close their eyes for a moment of prayer…
“Dear Lord and Savior:
“With You I have nothing to fear.
“Your strength is unmatched, as my protector.
“The source of my power comes from the nurturing You provide.
“Your Word is the greatest of teachings.
“When dark storms blind all view, You navigate me to safe shelter.
“With You I know the way. Christ, you mean everything to me.
“You gave Your life for me. How can I ever repay You?
“You are my eternal partner.
“I express this for Your glory, now and forever. Amen.”
Amadeus reiterates to Lace “We should get these people established.”
The development Amadeus speaks of will surely be an extensive project.
The group embarks to the city where Instigator forced the populace away from.
During the travel back a young man (in his early twenties) engages Lace in conversation.
“I’ve never seen any proof that there’s a God. Even if there is one, why would He let these things that are going on right now happen? I only believe in what I can see.”
Lace feels the knowledge of the Holy Spirit enter his conscience, providing encouragement in the way of having the proper knowledge to aptly address this boy’s challenge.
“The key to Salvation is not in what you see. Belief is a sense of being. It’s a state of mind. You need to deduce for yourself the brilliance of His design, proof is all around us.
“Here is a simple question for you. If you went to another planet, and found a functioning computer there, would you agree someone built it?” The boy keeps silent.
“What you don’t realize is the reason we are able to return to your ravaged metropolis is because God sent a team to defeat the machine that sent you running, and attacked your city.”
“So then if there is a God, what’s the point to life? The way I see it, I’m here to die.”
“Hopefully you get what I’m sharing. Please do not accuse me of being a preacher. I’m not here to point the finger and cast blame. But I deduce you’re challenging me to see if I really have the answers. What’s so sad is that I’ve answered this question numerous times, and very few grasp the honest answer I proved. That’s because their heart is unwilling to accept this…
“God wants to be praised. He wants us to show gratefulness for the life He’s given us.”
The young man lets out a cynical snicker, affirming Lace’s hypothesis. There are only two explanations for Instigator coming to a halt: malfunction, or someone interceded. It frustrates Lace to see how quickly an individual’s focus will re-harden and the veil returns.
Disgusted by this boy’s ignorance Lace finishes “God gave you an opportunity to live-- and what do you do with it? You insult Him by saying your life is meaningless, and repeating to others that all of creation’s existence came into being by chance. All that you have you owe to Him, and yet you deny giving Him the credit!”
Holding out his hands Lace confronts “You see this? Within my hands is life. No man can explain how the function of life is even possible. Your body’s the most complicated instrument ever invented, yet you deny the designer of it recognition. You have the intelligence of a worm.” Insulted, the boy walks away. Amadeus nods to Lace in approval.
Projects are assigned to the growing community, as citizens return to the ruined capital.
With the technology Instigator is based on, technicians use the giant’s central system as a power source for the new metropolis. Its mechanics are similar to steam power, and with a freshwater source flowing into the city, the setup is more reliable than electric or atomic power.
To the end of the rebuilding project Lace realizes, with terrified concern, that the locator needed to get him back…is missing. Warning in his heart tells him to abandon the idea of searching for the device. But he argues this instinct, feeling he must return t
o his wife, Judy.
He suspects one of the citizens working on the city’s reconstruction was aware of the item’s importance, and when finding it unattended snatched it from Lace’s living quarters and ran off with it, hoping to trade it for something that man’s heart desires.
Lace knows of a dealer which markets contraband in these parts. If Col. Diamond Phillips does not have the lost component, he’d certainly know where it can be found.
Lace resolves to go after it.
(Click here for the next chapter.)
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