All the Glory of God

The ground crunched underneath her weight. Her back rose and fell with heaving breaths as it moved through her. The gravel shook beneath her hands, her knees, her forehead. The tops of her shoes buckled, caving in on themselves from the pointed rocks. Sobs rolled through her, wrecking her. Chessie felt the small pebbles, the most pointed, fall loose from her skin as she sat up. She sat back on her heels. Her palms lay open, flat, on her thighs as she felt the lingering sensation of her Father. Her strong, sweet Heavenly Father. 

Oh how had he blessed her. 

Visions of the good she could do. The progress she could make for the church, their flock. The men made in His image, the ones chosen to tend to His sheep as He watched on. They had been kissed by the devil to tarnish His plans. Wolves in shepherd's garb herding them all to damnation. Not anymore. 

Chessie took a sharp breath in. The air had been touched by His holiness. Gone was thickness of tar and metalwork. The lingering smell of earthy goodness, of nuts -- not just of any nuts, of toasted almonds. The greens of the trees were brighter, as if they had caught on a gentle fire. The burning bushes of Moses. The burning trees of Chessie. Some burned brighter. Her eyes followed the leafy flames, the creased bark, the blackened mulch. She looked at the people in those cars. Observed them from her place in the grass. 

An older couple, a man and a woman. She was the stronger one. The one carrying the team, she was sure of it. The way she brought his cane out to the driver's side. The quick movements of her hands as he righted himself. 

Chessie watched on. Were they children of God? Were they like her, touched and able to see His goodness in the world?

A family. Young. Young parents, young kids. A messy bunch, surrounded by laughter. 

Were they rotten? Followers of temptation, the dark works of the devil, in need of God's righteous guidance?

A couple. A man, worn and rough. A girl, bright with laughter. 

Chessie remained there wrapped in the blessings offered to her. His heart washing warmth over her, her knees, the world in a reddish hue; the tingling sensation of Christ's love. It all came into focus now. 

The man wrapped his arms around the girl. His hands exploring her body, encompassing her the same way the Holy Spirit had Chessie. Hot with passion. The welcoming flames lapping her up. Chessie watched as this man, this devil, lapped at the girl. It was crass, vulgar. It was everything that love could have been if he wasn't so old, if she wasn't so young. If the promises they had joked to each other had been made in reverence with God. They had already been lead astray. 

The other other cars were gone. No matter. Chessie could find them later. Follow the blazing trail of the Holy Spirit, the love of Christ, the awesome voice of God. She had seen her path. Her staff and rod were coming. This was a preview. A test. 

Like Abraham she rose to the challenge. Up now, fully off her knees and onto her feet. Glancing over her shoulder her faith confirmed. One step of footsteps -- God was carrying her to her destination. 

Chessie could smell the sins in waves as she moved closer to the couple. The cigarettes, the sweat, the stench of arousal and sex. They were so wrapped up in each other they didn't even notice how visible they were. How everyone could see his hands sliding up the back of her shit, up her skirt. Hers were equally entangled. The sunlight glinting off her rings as she massaged the bulge in his shorts. Advertising for the devil with their every breath. 

The smell of cleanliness fighting against the sin with each blessed step. The girl startled and jumped. Her hand flying back. The man tensed, ready to face what startled his girl. Chessie felt the flames of the Holy Spirit building in her chest. The look of disgust crawling over his features. At her. As if she, who God had spoken to, was what was wrong in this world. As they were crafted, so she would repeat them. God was moving with her, through her. 

He tried to talk to her, but Chessie wouldn't hear him. The words of the devil were no match for those of her Creator. The girl, trying to touch him, hold him. His shirt slipping through her fingers as he moved closer to Chessie. His voice louder, shaking against the strong will of God. The girl, now between them. She reached out to Chessie. Her touch burning Chessie's skin. The passion opened her arms wide, stretched like Christ on the cross; her mouth. The tongue of the Holy Spirit lashed out, like flames darting to and fro, trying desperately to touch them. Those sinners. 

As her eyes closed under the weight of emotions, Chessie saw the man shielding the girl. He had fallen first to the devil. Had brought this young girl with him, now he was trying to keep her from the words of the Holy Spirit, from Christ, from God. Chessie stayed the course. She had been brought to her knees by the glory of God. And if they weren't going to let her shepherd others to the light they could be damned.