Dear God, 

Pardon me for taking up your time for I am poor and needy. You are my help and my deliverer, you are the God. I tried to do it my way without your help. I failed every time. The reason I eat every day is because you supply me with manna, and most importantly mercy.

I’m humbly coming to you for wisdom. Basically, I met this woman. Her name is Rebecca but her friends call her Becca. I’m sure you heard of her, of course, she’s your creation, made in your image. The problem isn't whether you two have heard of each other, it’s a matter of relationship. Do you know her intimately? Can you answer that for me?

I met her at this wine tasting event which is funny because you, God, know a thing or two about good wine. 

While I was at the event a bottle of French wine caught my eye, it was affordable too. A Bordeaux Superior if I recall. I asked the man behind the table for a sample. I’m sure you know him, he’s a brother like me. I mean, I think he is. He has a tattoo of a cross under his right eye.

Anywho, I’m getting off topic. As soon as I drank the wine my stomach rumbled and my head started pounding. The brother immediately noticed, I don’t know how, you know me, I have an impressive poker face but he took one good look at me and said:

“Rookie mistake drinking on an empty stomach. Go eat something gang, there’s a food stand over there”

That’s when she appeared! She was wearing these blue 501 Levi’s, a brown leather jacket, brown penny loafers, and gold hoop earrings. Her hair is short and wavy, it’s in a pixie cut. She has these siren eyes, the type that look right through you, honey brown, just like her skin. Her first words to me were:

“Here, have my burger, I’m not hungry"

She said this while shoving the burger in my mouth, it was more like a command than a suggestion. After I took a bite she practically forced water down my throat. Now Lord, I know you blessed me with enough wisdom than that. I know, I know. I shouldn’t have taken food from a stranger. But sometimes I have no sense. Well, I already ate the food so I decided to make the best out of an awkward situation.

“That’s strange” I said

“What do you mean?” She said with curiosity and a hint of an attitude.

“God clearly sent me an angel but I don’t see wings. You didn’t even tell me to not be afraid.”

“Boy please” she said while laughing

I got game huh God? Alright maybe not, but hey, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.

I took a glance at the brother behind the table and he had that look on his face that my older brother used to give me. Eyebrows raised and a smile holding back a laugh. I thanked him for the wine and then continued to talk to Rebecca.

We talked about all types of things. Like what brought her to the event, what we did for work, even our taste in music. I remember all the details, let me put you on. So, she came to this event because she has a blog and this week's article was about fun things to do in the city. She has been a fashion photographer and a writer since she was 18. She understated her success but I can tell she’s a hustler. She said her favorite music is 90’s RnB, she said she likes “Filling her soul and mind with love not hatred.” When she was saying this I couldn’t help but think “What’s more love filling than love Himself.”

She asked me the same questions, I told her I was here to experience something new, something luxurious, who knew that something would be her company. When she asked me what I did for a living I told her I was a servant for my adopted Father. A little inside joke between us. Between me and you God, I thought this would turn her off but her aura remained unchanged. I also told her I like neo-soul, she said that is a close second to her.

We are meeting again this week and well, I was wondering if you sent her? Either way I trust you to guide me.

Thank you for the blessings you already gave me to steward and thank you for staying with me through the trials.

I would offer you everything I have but I know you have no interest in earthly wealth. So I will just say: “God bless you God” for what greater gift is there for the creator of the universe to bless Himself.

-Love you 

From your adopted son Isaac  

I looked around. To my left were my comrades lying face down struggling to breathe and clutching their chest. To my right? The same thing. The pressure from his presence turned the gravity heavy and visible, tiny static dots filled my vision like film grain. Yet—I was still standing.

“Why is this human still standing?” A dark & thunderous voice spoke. “Kneel” he commanded.

I couldn’t help myself, I really couldn’t. Looking back on it, that's where it started. Apparently, they are experts at manipulating, in producing insecurity. In producing rage. And deadly of all—producing disobedience. Knowing this I still smiled and said:

“Over 4.5 billion years and you still haven’t learned your place.” As I said this, I looked down at an associate of mine cowering pathetically in the dirt. 

The battlefield was falling apart and the sky was red. Monsters, yeah I guess I can call them that, monster corpses covered the earth. The same ones I alone killed just moments before. Now their leader was here. I would say his name but I don’t believe a man made in the Father image should lack such etiquettecy.

I took a deep breath and exhaled about 3 times, raising my palms higher & lower as the air filled my lungs. I replaced his pressure with mine. I looked over at the demon who was once in the Garden of Eden and safe to say he was pissed off. As the pressure he exerted was replaced with my calm but firm grip on reality my associates were able to stand. 

“We’ll see you when you're done. I’ll personally bring the ship around brother.” The first lieutenant said to me, I guess that was all that needed to be said. I mean, I thought about saying something witty but I realized I forgot his name.

The demon walked toward me as the group of men retrieved the ship. The ground shook as he stepped, forming craters under his feet. Juvenile. When he reached me and we were standing face to face, his disfigured features and red skin prominent with the light of my blazing sword. He had to be at least 8 feet. I—standing 5’8. He leaned forward and extended his neck to where his face was almost touching mine and with his hands on his hips he growled:

“You humans. First Adam all the way down to Judas. They all fell to my hand, shaped by my influence. Why do you think you’re any better?”

I took a second to examine him. “Damn, up close you’re nothing special. Were you really that full of yourself that you thought you could replace my adopted Father?”

“Are you really that full of yourself that you think you could defeat me?” he said through a grin. “Believe me, you’re no Jesus or Micheal.”

“Don’t let my height fool you. You saw what David did to the abominations you created. I am greater than he.” I said with a grin 

He threw the first punch. Safe to say the fight was over before the laborers came back with the ship. I was home within 2 minutes. Not a scratch on me.

Now there was a professor who had two students. One an A+ student, the other an F student. The professor, as keen as he was, couldn’t figure out why one student retained the wisdom he bestowed & the other, well, he wasn’t. So the professor watched the two and wrote down their differences.

First, the professor called the A+ student parents and asked to meet with them during office hours. When the parents and student arrived they discussed not his grades, not his future academic plans, but instead, his personal life outside of school. Aestiva scholé if you will. The student explained that he spent his time with his friends whom he cherished. He explained how they would talk about what they learned that week, what they were grateful for, and what they can improve on. When the professor asked whether he would find his time more enjoyable partying at clubs the student replied: “My friends wouldn’t accompany me to places like that.”

Concluding his findings in the first student he called the second student and his parents. When they met, again, they discussed not his grades or his plans for the future, but his personal life. Pyrochronos if you will. The student spent a huge amount of his time with his friends as well, but, what they did was talk about celebrity gossip and scrolling on social media. The student said “I get bored, and I try to change what we do. But they always say my ideas are lame. So we just do the same routine everyday”

When the professor got back to his house he reported his findings. He wrote down: “Can you blame a seed for failing to grow in concrete?”