Megan sat behind Crystal and Stacy in Sunday school. She wasn’t trying to hear them, but Crystal’s idea of a whisper was anything but quiet. Crystal said “Did you hear that Jason is taking Stella out?”
“I did” Stacy said.
“I can’t imagine why that sexy specimen would waste himself on a tramp.”
“He won’t date her more than a time or two, when he finds out she doesn’t put out, he’ll dump her.” Stacy said.
“If only that were true, unfortunately, she does put out. A fact made clear by her current circumstances.”
“I guess you’re right. I’m thinking of how she was in high school.”
“She was probably a trollop then too, she just hid it better.”
“Jason’s probably toying with her anyway. There is no way that a worldly man like him would take a girl like her seriously. Did you see the outfit she was wearing today?”
Megan sat behind the pair balling her fists as she thought about how she could get even with the two for being so nasty. She remembered Stella’s quietly spoken words about how she didn’t want to engage gossip and she didn’t even want to hear about what people said behind her back. Megan wished she could have that same attitude. She didn’t want to care about the nasty things people said, but the hypocrisy bothered her. How could someone claim to follow Christ, and at the same time be so wretched to others?
As she considered the issue, she was silently reminded of her own sinful nature and how much she needed God’s grace. Her sin may not be as blatantly obvious, but it was still there. She needed to show grace to Stacy and Crystal even though they were not showing grace to Stella. Sometimes it seemed a lot to ask to be forgiving and to love the unlovable. She knew they weren’t truly unlovable, the Lord had found something worth saving in her, how could she not see the good in others? Yet, no matter how deep she dug, she couldn’t seem to reach deep enough to find a wellspring of love for those two. The only way she was going to find it was to continue to pray until God provided her the needed grace. She shifted in the metal folding chair trying to get comfortable and refocused her attention on the preacher who was beginning to pray.
Christian Fiction Friday is a weekly blog hop where authors post short (400-word or less) snippets from their current works in progress. It is hosted by Alana Terry and Hallee Bridgeman. – See more at: http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee/christian-fiction-friday-march-6th/#sthash.HdkQefO4.dpuf.
*This scene was updated in the final draft of Stella, so it no longer reads the same way as this excerpt.
