by Alena Pitts
She grabbed Ashton’s hand and said, “There will be games and food for everyone!”
She showed Mom, Dad, and my sisters where they could wait and told them it would only be about thirty minutes before we headed to the party.
I followed Kay B to the room where we were meeting. Mr. Fenway thanked everyone for a great experience. He told us to continue to pray for the team as they finished editing and preparing the movie for theaters. The last thing he talked about was how important it was to be ready for radio interviews and television appearances.
“Remember, people may start recognizing you from the TV ads they see and articles they are reading about upcoming movies. It’s a perfect opportunity for you all to talk about the movie as well as our mission. God will continue to use you if you are open to Him. Let people know this is a super special movie with a great message for everyone!” Mr. Fenway said as he wrapped up his talk.
After he finished talking, he asked us all to join hands to pray before everyone could head outside for the party.
As soon as he finished, I opened my eyes and spotted Mallory. She was doing a little dance and skipping toward me. She burst out laughing as I attempted to mimic her moves. I was really excited to talk to her. I needed to tell her about the man in the faded green pants.
“Hey, Lena!” she said while reaching out and giving me a huge hug.
“Hi! Guess what?” I hugged her back.
“What?” her eyes widened and she leaned in closer to listen.
I told her all about Dad’s surprise and how excited the entire family was because it reminded us all of home. I told her about my job passing out the donuts and how this morning I could barely do it because of the sad looking man.
When I finally got to the part about giving him the donuts I could feel my eyes begin to fill with tears.
“Oh, Lena,” she said. “I love hearing this and seeing how God is working on your heart!”
Her words sounded just like my dad’s.
I didn’t know why I was crying. They were not sad tears but they weren’t happy tears either. It felt like my heart was just wide open and I could feel everything that was happening around me like I never had before. I didn’t just feel like I was doing what people told me to do, but I was doing what I knew I needed to do. I could tell Mallory understood exactly what I was feeling.
She squeezed me tightly again and said, “When God tells you to do something, always say yes! The more you say yes to Him the more people will experience His love through your actions!”
In that moment I was more grateful than ever for the gifts God had given me. I was grateful that I had said yes to things that I didn’t even want to do. I had needed this summer and I hadn’t even known it.
I remembered when Mallory told me I was already like Mr. Fenway and Gina and I finally understood what she meant. I didn’t need to wait until I was all grown up or to have a big dream or big plan in order for God to use me. All I wanted were donuts, but God used that to have me help someone else. I prayed that man in the faded, green pants felt God’s love.
When we stepped out of the back door there was a long red carpet leading out the door to where the party was set up. People were standing on both sides of it welcoming us to the celebration with clapping and shouting. I looked around and saw so many of the same faces that had welcomed me into the meeting on the first day of this movie adventure. They were no longer strangers. They were my friends.
After taking a few steps onto the carpet, Austin spotted me. He jumped down from Dad’s arms, headed straight down the middle of the carpet, and leaped into the air and into my arms. Everyone laughed hysterically and cheered even louder.
I stood there for a few extra seconds and tried to take a picture with my brain. I wanted to remember everything exactly this way.
We spent the rest of the day eating, talking, dancing, and laughing until our faces hurt. Ansley summed it up perfectly when she said, “Leaving home and staying here in California was worth it since we got to come to such a great party!” Even Mr. Fenway laughed at that!
By the time we finished at the party everyone was exhausted. But there was one more leg to our journey. Our flight home. When we arrived at the airport even Austin was wiped out and didn’t protest too much when Mom and Dad put him in his travel crate and we said good night to him, before boarding the plane ourselves.
“Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff,” the pilot announced once all the passengers had taken their seats. I sat back and stared out of the tiny, oval-shaped window. It was dark outside but the sky was glowing. The stars seemed brighter than normal and as we took off from the runway they looked so close it felt like I could touch them.
“Hello, Stars . . .” I whispered.
“Lena, what did you say?” Ansley asked.
“Oh, just talking to myself.” I looked at her and smiled.
Hello, Stars,
It’s me again. I can’t believe I am back home. Everything looks the same here. It smells a little different but I am sure that will go away soon.
I just wanted to tell you thank you. Thank you for being there for me this summer. I am not sure how I would have made it without you. It no longer feels weird to write on these pages. I think I am actually writing to God. At least it feels that way. He’s the one that really helped me through this summer!
School will start in just a few days and I am not sure how busy I’ll be, getting used to the sixth grade. I really don’t know what will happen next but I pray that I’ll be ready for it!
Good night for now, but I am sure I’ll talk to you again soon.
Day Dreams and Movie Screens
Eleven-year-old Lena Daniels’ summer of Hollywood starlets and movie filming alongside her favorite singer, Mallory Winston, is over. School will be back in full swing, and it seems as though life might just pick up where it left off—with volleyball games, homework, and her best friends.
But just as she begins to wonder if her summer was all just a dream, her world is turned upside down . . . again! The movie premiers, the previews seem to be splattered on every television and radio channel, and everyone knows her name. Her classmates, strangers, and even her friends are starting to treat her differently, and everywhere she turns she’s being asked for an autograph, a picture, or a hug.
Lena is just figuring out how to manage her new fame at home when she finds out she’s hitting the road on a two-week bus tour to further promote the film. Traveling across the country with the cast—with the surprise addition of her whole family joining them—Lena experiences adventures and challenges she never expected, while learning to step outside of her comfort zone and follow the path God has for her life. She learns that saying yes to God may not always be easy, but will take her further than she ever imagined!
Connect with Faithgirlz!
http://www.faithgirlz.com/
www.facebook.com/Faithgirlz/
www.instagram.com/zonderkidz_faithgirlz/
twitter.com/zonderkidz?lang=en/
www.pinterest.com/zkidzfaithgirlz/
