Friday Fiction, The Truth About Marty

Welcome to Fiction Friday! This week it is my privilege to host it right here. If you are participating with your own fiction, be sure to link up with the Mcklinky at the bottom of the post.

My own contribution is a rerun titled The Truth About Marty. It's a different sort of story for me - a bit dark, I suppose, and since I am not a psychologist, it's a bit of a stretch, still, I liked the way it turned out. Hopefully by next week I will get back into the Dusty Dreams series.

THE TRUTH ABOUT MARTY

Dr. Moore removed her glasses and sat thinking for a moment, placing a few pieces of loose paper on the small table in front of her. She finally spoke. “You know, if this were a creative writing class, this would be graded excellent in many ways. It has wonderful style and characterization.”

“Oh, do you like it?” Marty’s voice sounded childishly hopeful.

This was not going to be easy. Dr. Moore sighed even as she remembered briefly her motivation for becoming a psychologist. She looked at her patient with a sense of compassion, but knew she had to remain firm. “Marty, you are a talented writer. However, it saddens me that you didn’t even try to follow the instructions of your assignment.”

Marty’s smile quickly turned into a defiant sneer. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” She turned away from the psychologist’s keen gaze. Twisting a strand of her long dark hair, she glanced around the room as if looking for a place to hide. Her eyes stopped at the bed.

“Your assignment was to write out any recollection from your past. It was simply to be a truthful account with as much detail as you could remember.”

Marty folded her arms across her chest and continued to stare at the bed.

“It didn’t have to be momentous or significant in any particular way, just a truthful event from your own past that you could write out as completely and accurately as possible.” Dr. Moore waited silently, but added in her thoughts, “Something that could get us started talking about you. Something that could help you open up about the things in your past you want so badly to hide. If we could do that, we might get you on the road to healing. If you could just open up there might be some hope…” The silence became heavy as she realized there would not likely be any such revelations from Marty’s past today. Continuing to admonish her for not completing the assignment wasn’t going to help.

Changing tactics, Dr. Moore asked, “What is it that you like about Deanna, Marty?”

Marty’s eyes left the bed in surprise and focused once again on Dr. Moore. “Deanna?”

“Yes, the main character in your story here.” She gestured toward the papers on the table as she spoke.

“What’s not to like?” Marty’s eyes narrowed as she stared shrewdly at the doctor. Cautiously, she went on, “She’s got everything. Looks, money, youth…”

“Okay.” Dr. Moore nodded. “But if you had to choose just one thing about her that appealed to you most, what would it be?”

Marty stared at her suspiciously, indecisively. Finally she stated flatly, “Power. Deanna has … power.” She stared defiantly, as though challenging the doctor to disagree.

“Can you explain how you mean that she has power?”

Marty looked irritated that the doctor had gotten her to play her psychological game. Then she shrugged as though she didn’t really care whether the doctor understood what she meant by power or not. “She makes her own choices. Nobody tells her what to do.” She hesitated, glancing around furtively before continuing with growing intensity. “She has money so she never has to do without anything. She’s beautiful so everybody likes her. She’s confident, so she dominates.” She stopped, quelling the rising passion.

“She’s a bit unscrupulous.”

“Well, if she had to be limited by principles, she couldn’t get everything she wanted, now could she?” Marty smiled slyly. “Where’s the power in that?”

Dr. Moore hesitated, reminding herself again of her reasons for her chosen profession. Just how deep was the dark reservoir inside this woman, and how willing was she, as the professional, to draw it out?

“Marty, it really is time for you to start telling the truth. Do you think you could tell me how long you have been living life through your fantasies?”

Marty’s eyes flashed with anger. “What I think is that none of this is any of your business!” The game was over. Truth would not be forthcoming.

“Marty, unless you want to write about something from your real life as I asked you to, I am going to take away the pens and paper.”

With proud defiance, Marty stood slowly and walked over to the bed. Sitting down, she pushed herself backward until her back rested against the wall. One at a time, she drew her knees up to her chest and crossed her arms tightly around them. In a voice laced with venom she said quietly, “Dr. Moore, you took away my books. Now you’re taking away my paper. But you can’t take away my mind. If you want me to stop living in fantasy land, I guess you’re going to have to do to me what I did to Pa.” With that she closed her eyes and dropped her face against her knees, blocking out the sight of Dr. Moore and effectively ending the session.

As Dr. Moore left the room she prayed silently. “Lord, I know I asked for this. I said I wanted to be in a position to help people no one can seem to help. Now I can really see I didn’t know what I was asking for. But God, she is one of your own creation. Help her to see that You love her. Help her to find life in Jesus. Help her to live in reality. Help her to know you love her and she can trust You.

“Tracy.” Dr. Moore sensed the quiet whisper.
“Yes, Lord?”

“Tracy, I would still be in that room.”

“Lord, if I tell her about you, I could lose my job.”

“Tracy, I want you to take that risk.”

Even as Tracy turned to walk back into the room, she realized it was too late. Dr. Peppard was already there, peering through the small glass window at Marty, who was still sitting on the bed with her face hidden. He turned to face Tracy with a smirk. “I told you this was a waste of time. Give her back her books and let her escape life. She’s not worth the effort.” He turned on his heel and walked away.
***

Friday Fiction, The Recipe

Welcome to Fiction Friday! This week it is being hosted by Karlene at her blog, Homespun Expressions. Make sure to head over there for more great fiction! If you are participating with your own fiction, be sure to link up with the Mcklinky at the bottom of her post.

My own contribution this week isn’t much of a story – but the recipe it’s wrapped around is real. My sons grew up on this Italian marinara, and it has become a tradition in our family, sometimes even making it to the holiday tables in lieu of more traditional holiday fare. This simple story is also a reflection of the time of year (harvest season), what’s on my mind (a garden full of tomatoes), and why I don’t have much time for such things as WRITING!!! If you try the recipe, I truly hope you enjoy it.

THE RECIPE

Stella smiled as she hung up the phone. They’d all be here in an hour or so. Sons and daughters-in-law chatting and laughing, squealing grandchildren running all over the house. Cats fleeing for hiding places unreachable by grubby fingers. There would hardly be room to move about the kitchen, which seemed to draw people like bees to pollen. All the more reason to scurry and get as much done as possible now, before they got here.

“Honey, could you bring up a couple jars of sauce from the basement? I’ve got to get the sauce going, they’ll be here soon!”

“Two be enough?”

“Yes, with the sausage and tomato paste, it will be enough.” To herself, Stella thought about all the ingredients already in her home-canned sauce. Dried oregano, basil and parsley. Sugar, salt and pepper. Garlic and onions. And of course, the most special ingredient of all, her home-grown tomatoes. She’d have to check the jars to see if they contained fennel seed. Sometimes she added it when canning, and sometimes she didn’t. It wasn’t in the original recipe, but it sure added flavor.

With a slight twinge of conscience, she remembered a promise she had still to keep. If she didn’t do it soon, the woman would think she had forgotten, or, worse, wasn’t the type to share her most special recipes. Well, maybe when she had the sauce cooking she’d take minute to make that phone call.

She grabbed the large cutting board, the French knife and a small paring knife. Garlic and fennel seed were soon sizzling lightly in extra-virgin olive oil. In went the tomato paste, one large can, before the garlic had time to burn, and then the two quarts of tomato sauce. She stirred in more basil and oregano, but the amount of salt, pepper, sugar and parsley already in the jars was ample for the spaghetti sauce. She already had sausage browning in a large skillet.

After draining the sausage on paper towels she added it to the sauce, and then added the final ingredient – two bay leaves. She’d let that simmer for about an hour before putting on the water to boil for the pasta. She knew what everyone would say when they arrived – “Wow, does it smell good in here!” They always said that, she thought with a smile.

The phone rang, jarring her from her reverie. “Oh, Dorothy, I’m so glad you called! You know, I was just thinking about you, and I wanted to give you that recipe you asked for – you know, for the spaghetti sauce? Are you ready to write?”

God had a Plan, A Good Deeds Book

I like to think of Titus as being ‘The Good Deeds Book.’ Now I know some of you are already a bit nervous about that. After all, our salvation isn’t based on ‘good deeds,’ but on the grace of God; it is the free gift of God’s love and mercy which we received when we believed that Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins. And you are so very right about that. Nowhere in the bible does it tell us otherwise. Even in the very book of Titus the gospel of our salvation is explained, stating quite clearly that we are not saved by our own deeds which we have done in righteousness.

Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

There are other fundamental themes found within the book of Titus – church planting, sound doctrine, role modeling, and generally how we as Christians are to live our lives. That said, the theme I would like to focus on – is good deeds. Titus is only three short chapters and yet ‘deed’ or ‘deeds’ are mentioned in seven verses. From these few verses, it is evident that now, having been saved by grace, we are most surely to practice ‘good deed doing.’ Because it is mentioned so often, I have to conclude that it is considered by God Himself to be very important. In addition to Titus 3:4-7, the other verses that mention “good deeds” from Titus are the following:

Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

Titus 2:7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,

Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.

Titus 3:14 Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.

So, why are good deeds so very significant? Why not just enjoy grace, and sit back and wait for our ultimate salvation when the Lord returns to take us to be with Him forever? I believe the reason is simple – if an apple tree never produces apples, can we be sure it is an apple tree? The evidence of our faith is fruit – and if our lives produce no fruit, how can we be sure that faith is real?

Truly, I believe it is God Himself who desires to see fruit in our lives. Faith that produces no good thing is not something He is pleased with. He is pleased, however, when our faith is revealed – exemplified by our good deeds. The apple tree proves it is an apple tree by producing apples.

John 15:8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

God’s plan didn’t end with our salvation. “Good deeds” aren’t somehow an accidental post script to our foundational faith. God knew and planned all along that our actions would line up with our beliefs – when we really believe. If we believe a stove is hot, we won’t touch it. If we believe God is real, our actions will show that belief.

So, what then – are we to spend our days just looking for ways to be a “good-deed-doer?” It’s not that simple. Even a non-Christian can be a “good-deed-doer.” Motivation of the heart, whether we are doing deeds by faith – believing first that a specific deed is the thing God wants us to do, and knowing we can’t do anything in our own power but must rely on Him and His power working through us – all of these things tell whether it is truly a “good deed” in God’s sight. We do so many things from a desire to earn the favor of man, or even to earn God’s favor because we don’t completely understand the grace in which we stand.

Here is a very simple example. My child does not earn the right to be my child by cleaning his room. He already IS MY CHILD. He cannot earn through good deeds what he already has. We cannot earn by good deeds what we have already been freely given. If my child chooses to disobey me by not cleaning his room, he is still my child and I still love him. But quite frankly, I am not pleased with his behavior. On the other hand, if my child chooses to obey me by cleaning his room, then not only is he still my beloved child, but he has pleased me with his behavior.

This is a simple illustration of God’s love for us, and how completely accepted we are in Christ Jesus. It also explains some scriptures which otherwise might cause some confusion, because in fact, we are told to make pleasing God our very ambition.

1 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

Colossians 1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

I like the book of Titus. Rather than being discouraged because I know I’m never going to get it all done, nor get it all done right, nor even do all the “good deeds” I’m called to, I’m thankful for God’s grace, and that He tells me I am His child, and He will always love me and always be with me. I’m also thankful that I can pursue knowing and pleasing Him, because by His grace He is building inside of me a desire to please Him, and because according to scripture it is the right thing to do!

And so, God’s plan – we are to be: an example of good deeds, zealous for good deeds, ready for every good deed, careful to engage in good deeds, and learning to engage in good deeds – and all for His glory, because we have as our sincere ambition to please Him in all respects!

***

Job 42:1-2Then Job answered the LORD and said, "I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted."
[ALL SCRIPTURES NASB]