Inside The Hang Suite: BOP Chapter 1
Blessings of Purpose, A Novel – Chapter 1
Blogged by: Lia Braxton (Conrad)
Welcome back! Judging from the comment section of yesterday’s blog, it appears that no one had ‘checked in’ to The Suite yet. I’ll just assume that some “lurkers” are out there and I’m not here all alone 🙂
Anyway, let’s jump right into Chapter 1. Before we do, just to give you a little idea of where I am today, I’m still a SAHW (Stay At Home Wife). However, while Nigel is busy (for Christ) with his film career, I do volunteer with a women and children shelter in my community a few days a week. It’s a good opportunity for me to minister and encourage women who would, otherwise, feel hopeless. Some of the women have children, but most of them are preschool or elementary school age. There are a few teens that stay at the shelter at their mother’s side, but the majority has fallen prey to the streets. They resent their parents for the circumstances they are living under and feel they can do better on their own. It’s a sad situation.
Now in Chapter 1 of the novel, this is where you meet “my girls” who were a part of the youth ministry at my home church. What an entertaining bunch! I looked forward to getting together with the girls every week. It was like having eight little sisters—never a dull moment. Personalities may have clashed, but at the end of the night we were one happy family again. From time to time, I hear from Monica and Kenya, who are doing well. Crystal is family now so, of course, we talk on a regular basis. She’ll be making a stop here, at The Suite, real soon.
Mentoring to the girls gave me the opportunity to change my childhood tragedies into testimony. They received me well not only because I spoke from experience, but I didn’t preach to them. We talked and discussed how things in their lives related to the Bible. This made it easy for them to understand and they appreciated it. At that point in my life, I felt like I had finally found real purpose. Before, I had accepted Jesus as my Savior, but it took years before I actually surrendered to His will.
On a more personal note, after a long day working with the youth, it would have been nice to go home on a Friday night and have someone to unwind with. We could share our events of the day and make plans for the weekend. However, I wasn’t one to go out and hunt for a man. Most of my time was occupied and I believed that when God was ready, He would send a mate to me. I was content in the place where God had put me at that point in my life. It’s “he” that finds a virtuous woman and a good thing, right? Well, by the end of Chapter 1, it was obvious Rita Miller, Crystal’s mother, was planning to give God a little help in my ‘love’ life.
Well, that’s all for now. Tune in tomorrow to see what was on Rita’s agenda in Chapter 2. I believe she will be stopping by and bringing a very special guest along 🙂
TTYL,
Lia
PS. Remember, at any point during these blogs you want to comment or ask questions please do so. The cast (or author) will do our best to respond, if necessary, in the upcoming blog.
Blessings of Purpose, A Novel: The Hang Suite 