If you explore this blog, it quickly becomes apparent that the bulk of its content is the fictional story found on the page called More Foolishness. It has grown to take on the dimensions of a book in size. At the time I write this, I have posted over 200 pages of content & it isn’t finished yet. I can’t say what it will take to wrap it up, since it is still under construction in my mind, but I’ve been posting it as I write. Since it is becoming so large, it seemed like it might be a good idea to condense some basic plot points so visitors can decide whether this will interest them. I also hope to explain where I am coming from.
The story IS fictional, but for all intents & purposes, Allen is me. His history is mine. 38 years of marriage ended as described in the first 3 pages of the story, leaving me wondering what to do now. The tale started off as a fantasy, a sort of daydream where God has prepared the kind of companion that fits me perfectly; well, as perfectly as two imperfect humans can fit to complete one another. Maybe it’s just an attempt of my imagination to quell my loneliness. Who knows? Only God could rise to meet my need so magnificently, & it’s possible that it’s too much to hope for on Earth in this life. Still, the passage in Ephesians has been coming to mind, “To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or THINK, to Him be glory forever.” Nothing is too difficult for Him, so perhaps He may yet fulfill my desire & make me fruitful in Christ!
Erin, soon to be Allen’s love interest, is worldly and tough inside & out. She grew up as a feisty orphan who never bonded with her foster families, so she hid any tenderness she felt DEEP inside. Athletically gifted, she drifted into the world of private wrestling, a step or two short of pornography, where she EXCELLED. Throwing herself into her natural talent, she made a name as a fearsome competitor more than capable of dominating most men on the wrestling mats. She built a business where recording her matches & selling the videos for profit took off, soon hiring other gifted women athletes as her business grew & expanded.
Financially stable & successful, her drive to WIN led to honing her skills so that she literally became one of the most formidable combatants on the planet! She thrilled to take control of her opponents, but her inability to let down her guard made for a lonely life. After turning 50, she began to dream of a man she had never met who didn’t fight, but loved her with all his heart and touched hers. The dreams became a nightly occurrence she couldn’t prevent, but as they kept coming, she found this man to be the desire of her heart. It was such a NICE dream, but not real — until she met Allen on a cross-country road trip! The first part of the story relates how their lives entwine, including the journey to faith in Christ she embarks on to obtain salvation and make them compatible, in spite of their wildly differing backgrounds.
In the second part of the story, she brings Allen into her world. His biblical values and sensibility strike a chord in the hearts of her friends, but the visit nearly results in his murder! A number of new characters are introduced, particularly two young wrestlers who are physical opposites, yet whose lives are both thoroughly broken. One was an aspiring Olympic gymnast with a domineering mother who chased her father away early in her life, preventing him from maintaining contact with his daughter, without the girl’s knowledge. When she rebelled against her mother’s control and left home, her remaining parent disowned her, spitefully revealing that her father was long since dead. The other wrestler grew up immersed in the occult, never viewed as more than a tool for her mother’s machinations.
When they receive Christ simultaneously, they bond with Erin and Allen, looking on them as the loving parents they never had growing up. Both being fatherless, Allen’s care for them falls like rain on parched ground. Erin is deeply moved by the work of restoration Christ does in their hearts, finds joy and fulfillment in ministering to the hurting at Allen’s side. The Lord causes the testimony of Allen’s preservation to open up a small ministry field in Erin’s company, and some accept salvation in Part 2: The Battles That Matter!
Much of the story develops in conversations and heartfelt sharing between characters. A LOT of Biblical truth is expounded on, but not in a preachy way. Relationships aren’t built on preaching, but on love fertilized in honesty. Allen is usually the only character with a long-standing acquaintance with Christ, so as his new family in the Lord grows, he does his best to answer the many questions new believers (and non-believers) are fielding to him. The result is many Biblical principles explained, respectfully, in as simple terms as he can find. There are always critics of any Bible teacher who declare whatever is taught unsound, but before you the reader take their words to heart concerning my writings, I urge you to compare it to scripture for yourself. I am painstakingly careful in what I present. I believe the Lord Himself will bear witness of me as I bear witness of Him!
Part 3: War and Peace, is just getting underway. The spiritual battle is beginning to escalate as Satan takes exception to the success the gospel of Christ Jesus is having in and around Erin’s small company. There’s no point in continuing the description of my story here; if you’re not absorbed now, nothing else I can say will change that. Hopefully it will bless you.
Mom (yeah, she’s real, too) thinks that all this writing might be therapeutic for me. She may well be right, but I hope it serves a bigger purpose than that. I’m not doing this for money, so there’s no real risk of being disappointed that way. On the off chance you are moved to provide support, I simply ask that you pray for God to make my efforts fruitful in winning the lost to Christ, and that He would comfort me, personally. He filled Erin with love for Allen before they ever met; only my God could ever do such a thing! I know that’s unrealistic, but I await whatever comfort He will provide! That’s the best I can manage, folks. The Lord Jesus knows my heart, what’s left of it. This story comes of it being broken, so maybe it’s best if it stays that way. Please pray!
THANK YOU & GOD BLESS!