by H.H. Fowler
A sneak preview of Book 2 – Lust of the Flesh (Available Now)
Despite my heartfelt prayer, I ran like the wind toward Jennifer’s powder room and locked myself in it. I still couldn’t believe that forty minutes ago I was in my best friend’s bedroom about to commit the unpardonable with my best friend’s fiancé– only to be caught by Maya, a friend who I found out had already been sleeping with Taj. My heart slammed against my chest at the possible outcomes of this night. The fact that Jennifer was probably inspecting her house by now kept me begging God for His mercies.
I stared in the mirror at my disheveled appearance and soon noticed a small abrasion above my left eye. No doubt it was the result of Maya swinging me into the sheetrock. I couldn’t understand why she’d attacked me instead of Taj, who should be the one held responsible for this senseless racket. But then I was sharply reminded of the disgust on Maya’s face. I, of all people should have known better. A professed Christian who constantly preached about abstaining from sex and obeying God’s holy commands had suddenly become the biggest hypocrite. I was so humiliated that I wished I had wings to fly to some distance country and hide my wickedness.
Yes, I was a highly-skilled, licensed real estate professional and lived in one of the most affluent spots on this island. And at six months from thirty-years-old, I had been saving my virginity for marriage, (which would have been completely destroy hadn’t Maya walked in on me and Taj), but all of it seemed so trivial in the face of my sin. By all intents and purposes, I was very successful, doing well as a single Christian woman until I laid eyes on Taj Brooks. How in the world did I allow a jerk like that to tarnish my integrity? But could I really blame him for everything? I fantasized about him and on some level, welcomed his advances. I just didn’t think that he would turn out to be such an insensitive bastard.
I took piece of tissue and pressed it against the wound. It looked superficial, so once the blood was removed, the abrasion would probably look invisible to the naked eye. I used my fingers like a comb to rake my hair back into place and then used the same hand to smooth out the unevenness in my dress.
The only thing that I couldn’t fix right then was the wretchedness I saw in my eyes. Taj was so not the man I thought he was. After tonight, he’d seen the last of me and whatever attraction there had been between us – by the grace of God – would be thoroughly removed out of my system. I wanted nothing to do with Taj Brooks anymore. I’d said that before, but this time I meant it. God knew I meant it. A series of knock clamored against the bathroom door and pushed my blood pressure up another notch.
Questions to Ponder
1. What exactly is temptation and is temptation a sin?
2. Do you think Sierra should have told Jennifer about her attraction to Taj?
3. In your judgment, do you think Sierra sincerely tried to resist her temptation? What would you advise others to do when faced with a similar circumstance?
4. The lust of the eyes was one of the three areas of sin spoken about in the book of 1 John. How much of it do you feel is affecting the church? Are sexual sins the only manifestations of the lust of the eyes?
5. How important is it for Christians to attend church?
6. How would you categorize Sierra? Is she a hearer of the word, or a doer of the word? Give examples.
7. Bishop Errol Jackson quotes, ‘We can’t go around blaming the devil or anyone for our poor choices.’ Do you agree with that statement? Why?
8. Name any other vital points you might have gleaned from this story that you feel should be discussed.
FROM THE DESK OF H H FOWLER
Thank you, my dear readers, for sharing this journey with me. Please visit my blog site: www.churchboyz.org and leave your comments about my story, or contact me at: [email protected]. Huge appreciation to all for your support and encouraging words. I always say, without you, the reader, we writers could not be successful.
