Breakthrough!
Stories
56 Stories For Preaching
CRACK! Suddenly the universe went into slow motion. She was
intently aware, in a way she had never before experienced. She
was falling, slowly, falling.
Hey! She was falling! Yet she seemed to be floating, drifting
down gently toward the ground. Was she dreaming? No, she was
falling. And, much to her surprise, she wasn't afraid.
She had come to the woods to find some space away from the
city, to walk, think, sort things out. The forest had beckoned,
inviting her into its secret hidden spaces filled with noises
that were gentle to the soul. Birds, insects, small scurrying
creatures, each added their soothing sounds to the forest's
melody. The satisfying crunch of leaves beneath her boots offered
counter-cadence as she wandered deeper and deeper into places the
forest only offered those who came to mend crisis-burdened
psyches and shattered hearts. The trees had seemed to step aside
as she walked, creating a path, directing her toward one
particular tree, which, when she saw it, she knew she had to
climb.
That was the first time this day she had told herself she was
crazy. She hadn't climbed a tree in years! But something deep
within her, almost instinctual, required her to climb this one.
The higher she climbed, the higher she felt the urge to go.
She had to get up, out of the shade, into the sunlight beyond.
She had to climb toward the sky, toward ... God? Abruptly she
halted her reach for the next branch. God?
She wasn't entirely sure she even believed in God. God was the
furthest thing from her mind, definitely not part of her life!
Feeling a bit stunned, she decided to sit down. She leaned her
back against the tree, and slid down onto a branch.
BIG MISTAKE! Her momentum added force to her weight: the
branch couldn't support both. With an ear-splitting crack it
snapped, and now she was falling ...
But this was like no fall she had ever experienced. It was as
if someone invisible force had grabbed her when the branch
collapsed and was now slowing her descent.
"That's it!" she thought. "I've lost my mind. I know I've been
under a lot of pressure. I probably should have come walking
months ago, to ease the tension, to regain perspective. But there
was no time. And now it's too late. I've gone over the edge."
"No," something like a voice seemed to say inside her head.
"You haven't gone over the edge; you've only fallen from a tree."
"Oh, fine!" she thought. "I've fallen out of a tree, but am
floating to the ground, not plummeting, and I'm hearing a voice
in my head telling me I'm not nuts!"
Expecting the jarring impact of flesh and bone with solid
earth to end her conscious existence at any moment, she marveled
again at the sense of peace she felt. And then, unbelievably, she
was down. She was down on the ground! And she was UNHURT!
"What's going on here?" she wondered in awe.
"I told you," the head-voice said, "You fell; I caught you."
"Who ARE you?" she questioned?
"Oh, I think you know," the voice responded. "You're just
having trouble admitting I exist."
"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed with sudden understanding. "My
GOD!"
intently aware, in a way she had never before experienced. She
was falling, slowly, falling.
Hey! She was falling! Yet she seemed to be floating, drifting
down gently toward the ground. Was she dreaming? No, she was
falling. And, much to her surprise, she wasn't afraid.
She had come to the woods to find some space away from the
city, to walk, think, sort things out. The forest had beckoned,
inviting her into its secret hidden spaces filled with noises
that were gentle to the soul. Birds, insects, small scurrying
creatures, each added their soothing sounds to the forest's
melody. The satisfying crunch of leaves beneath her boots offered
counter-cadence as she wandered deeper and deeper into places the
forest only offered those who came to mend crisis-burdened
psyches and shattered hearts. The trees had seemed to step aside
as she walked, creating a path, directing her toward one
particular tree, which, when she saw it, she knew she had to
climb.
That was the first time this day she had told herself she was
crazy. She hadn't climbed a tree in years! But something deep
within her, almost instinctual, required her to climb this one.
The higher she climbed, the higher she felt the urge to go.
She had to get up, out of the shade, into the sunlight beyond.
She had to climb toward the sky, toward ... God? Abruptly she
halted her reach for the next branch. God?
She wasn't entirely sure she even believed in God. God was the
furthest thing from her mind, definitely not part of her life!
Feeling a bit stunned, she decided to sit down. She leaned her
back against the tree, and slid down onto a branch.
BIG MISTAKE! Her momentum added force to her weight: the
branch couldn't support both. With an ear-splitting crack it
snapped, and now she was falling ...
But this was like no fall she had ever experienced. It was as
if someone invisible force had grabbed her when the branch
collapsed and was now slowing her descent.
"That's it!" she thought. "I've lost my mind. I know I've been
under a lot of pressure. I probably should have come walking
months ago, to ease the tension, to regain perspective. But there
was no time. And now it's too late. I've gone over the edge."
"No," something like a voice seemed to say inside her head.
"You haven't gone over the edge; you've only fallen from a tree."
"Oh, fine!" she thought. "I've fallen out of a tree, but am
floating to the ground, not plummeting, and I'm hearing a voice
in my head telling me I'm not nuts!"
Expecting the jarring impact of flesh and bone with solid
earth to end her conscious existence at any moment, she marveled
again at the sense of peace she felt. And then, unbelievably, she
was down. She was down on the ground! And she was UNHURT!
"What's going on here?" she wondered in awe.
"I told you," the head-voice said, "You fell; I caught you."
"Who ARE you?" she questioned?
"Oh, I think you know," the voice responded. "You're just
having trouble admitting I exist."
"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed with sudden understanding. "My
GOD!"
