19 - LIKE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN HURT
Songs for the Chapter: FORGIVENESS and MOVED BY MERCY, by Matthew West
I'm pretty sure my elder brother will be glad to see the playlist for this chapter.
•••••••••••••
Love hurts, if it didn't
I don't think it would be love.
It makes us look vulnerable,
Weak, and unwise sometimes.
Yet, you can not deny;
Love, as weak as it may seem,
Has the greatest Power of all.
It can turn hate into something it is not;
It can set a prisoner free,
And turn our worst enemies
Into our friends.
Yes, so sometimes, the most Powerful
Is what we think is the weakest.
Did we not see it so on Calvary's Cross?
When Love, conquered
Death and Hades?
"Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
— John 15:13; KJV
~ Echoes of the Heart
•••••••••••••
"Whatever are you here again for?" Clarice demanded—the eighth time, to Violet's recollection.
I had better stop counting now, I guess, she sighed.
"I have already explained to you," she tried to remain calm despite having to repeat the answer to that question—again, the eighth time.
"I have come to love the time I spend working here. And besides, apart from schoolwork, I find it boring being stuck here all day long. Being a princess does not change anything, affatto(not at all)."
Violet turned to fully face her and gave her the child-like pout she had learnt the woman found endearing.
"Don't you like me being around you?"
Clarice finally sighed and dropped the napkin on the counter in resignation. But Violet could see the amusement and slight approval in her eyes.
"It seems I cannot win against you," she unstrapped her apron. "Then, you finish all the meals and have them served early then."
Typical Clarice, Violet thought and giggled as the older woman walked out.
But it was true, what had begun as an arduous chore had become endearing to Violet. She found that serving in what seemed mundane gave her great joy, for she knew Who she was actually doing it for—her HEAVENLY FATHER.
Getting everything set and ready, her thoughts drifted back to her encounter with Alessandro the previous night.
~~~
Flashback
~~~
Violet opened the door to see a reluctant Alessandro standing at the doorstep of her bedroom.
Her first thought was that of fear, rage and bitter resentment. Yet, she remembered the Scars of her LORD.
"I went through this for you..." HIS Voice echoed in her stormy heart. Immediately, she regretted her angry thoughts, though a part of her felt it was rightly placed.
And something about his downcast eyes and defeated stance made her start to feel a certain... empathy for the young man. The scars the demonic throng had left after using him were evident in his soul.
What is this feeling? She thought to herself. A part of her had wanted to run and hide, call for help—anything but this.
"You must forgive, dear one..." Her SAVIOUR whispered to her soul.
Forgive, FATHER?! She thought in alarm.
But then and there, she felt herself transported to the Foot of the Cross. All was dark and gloomy as it had been that day some two thousand years ago.
And worst of all, she the one nailing the SAVIOUR she loved greatly to the Cross.
"My mother asked me to give this to you," his eyes were still downcast, avoiding her gaze in every possible way.
He stretched out his hand and she saw a little gilded box, with a Royal Emblem on it.
Not trusting herself to speak just yet, she reached out for it and opened it.
It was a brooch to mark her status in the Kingdom.
"Thank you," she managed in a choked voice.
He nodded and turned to walk away. But, a weight pressed down on her soul and she found her voice calling out to him before she could give it a second thought.
"Alessandro?"
He slowly turned around—still not meeting her gaze. Violet swallowed hard and knew she would have no rest if she did not say the words.
"I just wanted to say..." she took in another breath. "I forgive you." The last part though said softly, was backed by a determination and Strength she knew was not her own.
LORD, YOU know I cannot forgive by my own will nor power, but, YOU have called me to. I trust YOU for the Grace to forgive and to let go... I am in YOUR hands.
She suddenly felt a wave of peace flooding her soul and found herself pitying the condition of the young man.
He finally glanced up, the shock evident on his face.
The rancour and ire a part of her wanted her to feel when she saw him was replaced by a surge of compassion at the emptiness and brokenness she saw in his soul.
"You... what?"
"I forgive you, and hold nothing against you," she said even louder and firmly. And it was the truth.
The moment she decided to surrender the burden of hatred and anger to her LORD, she found herself lighter from a weight she had not realised she had been carrying all along.
But even more shocking to her, was the effect that pronouncement had on Alessandro.
She thought she could see a glitter of Light sparkling in some deep ravine of darkness that had never seen brightness before.
Turning on her heels, she entered her room and left the stunned—for lack of a better word—young man in the hallway.
~~~
Flashback Ends
~~~
Humming, she put the finishing touches to the meal and got ready to set them on the cart.
Violet felt elated. She had never realised the freedom forgiveness could bring. Nor the fact that she had been carrying such a weight at all.
Sure, it was not a one-time thing. She had to remind herself constantly to let go of the pain. But, with her LORD as her Rock, she knew she was planted firmly on the Solid Ground that never fails.
~~~
Giuseppe noticed with a glee through an informant he had kept in just the right place, that Vincenzo and Violet were distant from each other—not even sharing the same room.
That could nullify the agreement her loathsome late brother, Prince Tal, had set in place before his demise. For it could be revoked, if certain terms were not fulfilled to the letter within a time frame.
If only I can keep it so for a short while, and Lilith plays her role well, he mused in his office after hearing the news, clicking the pen in his hand ever so frequently.
For they had all been trained for just a moment as that.
~~
Vincenzo had not been altogether clueless about the intentions of the innocent-looking young woman he had encountered.
Sure, he had felt himself in a haze when he had first met her. He had been transfixed.
"I can arrange all these meetings and get back to you on it," she had looked up at him with a guileless expression, making her radiant face even more so.
But, in an instant, a wave of guilt had seemed to stab his chest and had brought him back to reality.
Another innocent yet brokenhearted face had emerged and replaced that of the young woman before him—Violet's.
The guilt of leaving her at the mercy of his younger brother was the reason why he had kept his distance from her.
But all of a sudden, at just that moment, he had felt the pressing need to seek her out and try to correct his mistake of failing to save her that night.
"Sorry," he had said to Lilith that day, rising to his feet. "There is something urgent I must attend to."
Was it his imagination? But the veil of innocence had seemed to drop for a moment, showing him a glimpse of who really lay behind the mask.
I'm probably just tired and imagining things, he had thought at the time.
~~
Throughout his drive back home, he had thought of several ways to amend and atone for his mistake.
And as he found the main door unlocked, he walked in to find his younger brother standing before Violet.
A fit of rage had almost overtaken him till he heard the words that shook him to his core and caused him to retreat and begin to wonder.
I forgive you.
~~~
What was this? Violet thought as she arose from bed panting—again.
The nightmares of that night had dribbled to a halt after surrendering all of the aches to her SAVIOUR.
She had devoted her time to THE WORD and prayer way more than before—even finding herself praying for Mr Icy and Alessandro without noticing she was doing so.
She found a deep love and longing for their souls growing within her, despite the pain she had to fight constantly through the Grace of THE HOLY SPIRIT.
She prayed for a while before bed and often rose up again in the night to pray some more.
Thus had her routine been even though she often felt tired from her schoolwork and helping Clarice out.
And it had not been different that night. She had prayed for every single person, especially—as she found her SAVIOUR impress deeply on her heart—Vincenzo.
And after reading her favourite nighttime Psalm, Psalm 91, she retired for the night.
At least, until another nightmare she had not had in a long time resurfaced.
But, where from this distant memory?
She could remember little of the accident that had claimed her parent's lives. All she could recall was waiting with her brother for them to return home from their trip. They were to return to celebrate her 9th birthday.
Though their trip had required them to stay longer, they realised how sorrowful Violet had been when she found out. So, they decided to return earlier.
Her young self had often wondered if it was her fault. But during those times, her brother had soothed and reassured her it was not the case.
"It is not your fault, amate (beloved). GOD has a plan in everything."
With his comforting words and finding her SAVIOUR amidst those circumstances, that pain had healed—or so it seemed.
But with the nightmares of that night of abuse gone, the enemy had decided to step up with the same old tactic—returning with the guilt that had consumed her in her younger years.
Her heart beat hard in her chest as she threw the blanket off of her. She glanced around the room, tears streaming down her face.
Where from this pain also? She felt her heart breaking all over again. She did not understand.
Why now, when I am already going through so much grief?
Then, she spotted a picture frame hanging on her wall. It had been a gift from her brother several years before.
It bore a quote she had seen over and over again. But that night, it seemed to stop her short.
It read simply, "LOVE LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN HURT", with the image of a Cross in the background.
Immediately, she knew... and realised.
She felt the forces of darkness at work and thanked GOD for helping her discern and realise the truth so soon.
Their agenda? It was to stop her from praying, from loving—the love that her SAVIOUR had used to spark The Light—to halt her journey and focus on her grief.
Looking at the Cross in the picture frame, she could feel the Light radiating from it beckoning her to go on her knees.
The forces of evil were at work and knew they had to stop her.
She quickly wiped the tears away and found herself responding to the call of her SAVIOUR. Going to where HE wanted her—to the battlefield of Prayer; on her knees.
Your plan might have worked years ago. But, O enemy, you are in for a surprise. My SAVIOUR has also stepped up to destroy your powers.
•••••••••••••
Yay! We thank GOD so much for yet another chapter. I was pretty sleepy when writing in the night by GOD'S Grace. So kindly pardon any mistakes.
Will try to go over them later on, GOD willing, by HIS Grace. But, I felt it had been a while and needed to post.
Please let me know your thoughts—every single one of them.
What do you think of this chapter by GOD'S Grace, with all humility?
Shalom, Shalom,
Phela