WEB NOVEL: SET APART

Written by Abby Caymol | Apr 27, 2024

Abrielle

It is Sunday, and my father and I are preparing to attend Church. Although we had an accident a few days ago, I have taught myself to focus on the things that will help me on the inside. While I may not have sustained any physical injuries, my heart, and mental health are already at risk due to anxiety. I hope that neither Charity nor I will have any physical effects in the future because of the accident. Despite my anxiety, I have learned to appreciate things that bring joy to my heart. As it is now fall season, I am thrilled to wear all my favorite clothes and boots again. Today, I wore my favorite cream-colored cardigan with a bear design. Seeing the cute bears’ hand-sewn prints attached to my cardigan made my day; simple pants and boots were all I needed. Attending Church today would not be complete without my Bible, notebook, and coffee. My father prepared our to-go coffee.

After preparing, we went to our church, where everyone, with smiles and greetings, warmly welcomed us. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of laughter. Once inside, we found an available seat, and I prayed for God to give me a message of hope and clarity to clear my mind. Soon enough, the gathering started, and we began with praise and worship followed by a prayer. During the sermon, Pastor John asked how attached we are to the things that bring us happiness. This made me reflect on my feelings for Jeremiah. Though my fondness for him is genuine, I realized that if it distracts me from God, it becomes an idol in my heart.

I have realized that I have made an idol more valuable than God. Besides this, there is an issue within myself about Jeremiah that I need to settle. Figuring out that he might be the secret unknown viewer of my stories on Blessbook has become another idol that consumes my heart and takes me away from anchoring my heart to God. I was lost in my thoughts while listening to Pastor John’s preaching. The sermon continued, and the Pastor shared a verse from Colossians 3:2 that caught my attention. It says, “Set your mind on things above, not earthly things.” It struck me that being set apart from worldly desires and idols that have taken root within me will bring me peace and discipline to say no to what I am indulging in. When I involve myself with the enemy’s schemes, it will leave me empty. 

I am willing to submit myself fully to God, regardless of my feelings. I need Jesus to guide my steps and establish my plans. As I sip my now-cold coffee, a thought lingers, and I sigh. During the sermon, Pastor John emphasized the importance of focusing on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. By doing so, we can protect ourselves from the enemy’s lies. He warned that if we do not separate ourselves from worldly things, we become more vulnerable to the enemy’s tricks, schemes, and lies. The enemy tries to distract me with my desire to post personal things and encouragement, leading me to live a double life instead of focusing on God. It wants me to pay attention to things I cannot control.

After the gathering, I politely excused myself from my Dad as he began chatting with our fellow church members. I quickly made my way back to the car and began praying earnestly. “Lord, please help me to have a clear mind and put my hope entirely on the grace that will lead me to you, Jesus. Please guide me in making decisions by your Holy Spirit and being separated from the desires of the flesh. Focusing my thoughts on you will give me peace and life. In Jesus’ powerful name, Amen.”

Jeremiah

“I’m excited to share that I finally got my fishing license!” I told my friends. Eden seemed surprised and asked, “Really? Is that your new hobby?” Jacob also seemed curious and asked when I started liking fishing. I explained that I wanted to try it out and was glad I could finally get the license without procrastinating. I also shared that I met someone at Pike Place Market who would introduce me to some local fishermen and recommend good locations for fishing this autumn. Elijah chimed in, explaining that fall is a great time to go fishing since the water temperature is colder, and the fish are more active preparing for winter. He added that they tend to surface more often during this season. I told my friends I couldn’t wait to dive into fishing as a new adventure this fall. It’s going to be a whole new experience for me!

In the meantime, Eden informed me that she had seen on the Fruit app that Abrielle was involved in a collision two nights ago. I acted as if I didn’t know yet and nodded, expressing my hope that she was okay. I also noticed that she hadn’t posted anything encouraging for the past few days. Although we are not friends, I felt a sense of concern for her after seeing her post on her story. I thought of messaging her but decided to hold off for now. Given that Abrielle is open to the public and tends to post anything she wants, I don’t want my friends to get any ideas about me messaging her. I will wait for the right time to reach out to her. In the meantime, I am still considering talking to Mr. Jose Ferrer about my journey to getting to know God.

He spoke about how Jesus is the only one who can offer us true and solemn peace. While we may have hobbies like fishing to escape the temporary noise of the world around us, nothing compares to the peace that comes from Jesus because it brings life. He also pointed out that the peace Jesus brings is not the same as the fleeting comfort the world can offer. As I listened, I realized that the peace of God surpasses all understanding and is more significant than any worldly comfort. When we rest on Jesus, this peace will guard our hearts and minds.

Although fishing might bring me peace of mind and quietness, I believe it’s better to rely on someone like God to keep you still and calm. While my friends were chatting, I thought about this. They seemed happy, and I was content with that. I hope Abrielle is doing well. Although I long to do something I’d enjoy, there are better moments than this. After finishing work, I invited my friends for a hot coffee. It’s a great way to end a shift on this cold, gloomy Sunday. I’m content and grateful for the peace I have today.