Get Hi5 Falling Hearts Tuesday 14th June 2022
Hey guys, I hope you have been well, I certainly have.
Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of my website. In other words it was my website's birthday. I started it a year ago yesterday.
But I couldn't update yesterday because I had work and I had to go to bed early. I don't have work tomorrow, so I promised God that I would update today.
In fact, that's kind of why I haven't really been active. I don't want to get into it. Work can be stressful sometimes, but at the same time it is very nice to finish at 4. 😊
If you have seen the title, you will realise that it says To Divinity in Motion.
This was a series I started in April which talks about how you can enter Heaven and how you can not enter Heaven so that you know what to avoid.
It has been a while, I know - and I have kind of been avoiding this topic because I didn't always know what to talk about.
Going back to before, I mentioned 6 types of people that have a slim chance of entering Heaven, but not always. You can find these below. I've crossed out the ones I've already done.
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The singer, Heather Small, is asking you what have you done today to make you feel the first definition of proud, not the second one.
22 “The time came when the beggar died. The angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember what happened in your lifetime. You received your good things. Lazarus received bad things. Now he is comforted here, and you are in terrible pain.
27 “The rich man answered, ‘Then I beg you, father Abraham. Send Lazarus to my family.
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have the teachings of Moses and the Prophets. Let your brothers listen to them.’
30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will turn away from their sins.’
31 “Abraham said to him, ‘They do not listen to Moses and the Prophets. So they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
I will not let any other god share my glory.
I will not let statues of gods share my praise."
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
Then Amos 3:3
unless they’ve agreed to do so?
that what is evil is good!
How terrible for those who say
that what is good is evil!
How terrible for those who say
that darkness is light
and light is darkness!
How terrible for those who say
that what is bitter is sweet
and what is sweet is bitter!
Yes opposites attract, but not all the time! Though being different can keep a relationship going for longer.
Their most desired shoes were going on sale and the queue to enter the store was so large some people had to wait hours just to enter inside.
Others didn’t, for miscellaneous reasons. One of these lucky people was Kassidy, who had just left the store with his best friend Terrence.
Kassidy was having a sleepover at Terrence’s house for the weekend as his parents went on holiday and there was no one to look after him. He was an only child, with most of his relatives being abroad.
“Dang, K! Them new Js looking kinda good right now!” Terrence beamed after they had left the store. Kassidy got some new Jordans, they were turquoise and gold, limited edition. “It was almost 90 pounds though. I wonder where you got the money from.”
He wasn’t into trainers much, not just that but he could barely have afforded them. Kassidy on the other hand was recently like a walking bank.
The shoes were initially 200 pounds as it was limited edition. Today marked the first day of summer so JD was doing everything they could to make people happy.
Some people were annoyed when the weather was too hot as they couldn’t think straight. To be fair, Terrence was one of those people. He just didn’t always show it.
“I told you Terrence. Work hard, play hard. Where were you when I said that? Were you not listening?”
He was, but even then it was unlike Kassidy to have so much money. Yesterday he could barely have afforded lunch. Today he had the most wanted shoes in the country.
Things didn’t add up. It also seemed like Kassidy was hiding something. Terrence had to find out the truth.
Kassidy’s parents were away for the weekend so there was a slim chance they would have given him any money. He was too irresponsible.
He definitely wasn’t working.
When he tried working and schoolwork simultaneously, he had been falling behind so much that he had to do about 20 catch up classes just to make up for everything.
“Kassidy. I’m getting suspicious. Where did you get the money from?”
Kassidy was wearing sunglasses so nobody could have seen his eyes, although Terrence could sense the eye roll he gave him, even from afar.
“Are we seriously doing this in public? It doesn’t concern you.”
“So then why are you getting so defensive?”
He stole it. Very clandestinely - no one saw him. Their headteacher at school had a secret place where they kept money. Kassidy stole from it.
They were yet to find out who did it, but either way Kassidy wore a very good disguise so that no one could have seen that it was him.
This was just before school had closed for the day yesterday, with Kassidy doing some catch up classes in the library. Yesterday was the last one.
Regardless of what happened, Kassidy knew that he wasn’t going to tell Terrence what happened. Plus they weren’t exactly in a safe place either - almost in an alleyway - but they had to take this way home.
Anyone could have overheard their conversation and goodness knew what that could have led to. Kassidy’s parents had barely trusted him around Terrence so if they had heard that he had been stealing money?
That was the end for him.
The two of them walked home in silence, with Terrence wanting to leave had Kassidy not known the way back. He had never taken this way home before albeit Kassidy did so without him he would have been lost for good.
On their way back they passed a middle aged brown skin woman on the floor. She had black and yellow dreadlocks, with Kassidy not knowing what was up with her colour combination. She could have practically attracted bees. She almost looked like one.
She held up a sign indirectly screaming for help, which was pretty ironic as it was in the neatest handwriting ever. Her clothes moreover looked like it hadn’t been washed in days, and if she was a building, she would have been beyond dilapidated by now.
The song Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio was blaring through the speakers next to her as it described how she was feeling right now. Not just that, described the entire neighbourhood.
As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life, and realize there's nothin' left
'Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long
That even my momma thinks that my mind is gone
Not actually saying anything to either of the boys, she shook the cup in her hand that was full of money.
For someone seemingly “homeless”, she seemed to afford a speaker pretty flawlessly. Which was another problem with their neighbourhood. People had pretended well.
Looking at her blankly, Kassidy and Terrence stopped walking, turning to face her, with Kassidy eventually raising an eyebrow at her.
“May we help you?”
“Name’s Estelle,” she deadpanned. “Do you mind giving me some money? There was a tornado where I lived a few days ago, that wiped out everyone I love and everything I ever worked for. The speaker was the only thing I had left. Wasn’t even trying to save it. The things and people I was trying to save died.”
There was a tornado, yes. The two of them heard about it but thankfully it didn’t affect either of them or their families.
Whether Estelle was affected by the tornado was another story. She seemed rather wealthy already if anything.
The music was blocking their train of thought, but it wasn’t like Kassidy was thinking pleasant things about Estelle either way.
Been spendin' most their lives livin' in the gangsta's paradise
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Terrence wondered curiously.
“Why would I lie about something like this?” Estelle frowned. “You think I’d make this up for attention or something? Please though, I’m kinda desperate. Almost everyone has ignored me all day, except a few generous people. And I know y’all have money. Look at them new Js!”
“People lie in this neighbourhood, ma’am,” Kassidy responded sternly. “I don’t trust you, and my friend doesn’t either. Besides, even if I did have money - I wouldn’t give it to some random stranger I hardly even know. I spent the last of my money on these new shoes, which was worth a lot more than you’ll ever be.”
Not regretting anything, Kassidy walked off, with Terrence stunned by what he had just said.
Estelle didn’t say anything, looking more disconsolate than before, so Terrence apologised on her behalf.
Unlike his so called friend, he kindly gave Estelle some money. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Five pounds was all he had.
“Thank you my lovely brother,” Estelle grinned, holding his hand tightly. “God bless you very much. I wish you nothing but success for the future. As for your friend…”
Terrence may have completely disapproved or what Kassidy did, but even then he didn’t want Estelle to wish dreadful things upon him.
“He’s just a bit proud… and stubborn. It’s nothing personal. I’ll talk to him.”
It was definitely something personal. Kassidy wasn’t normally like this.
Saying goodbye to him and vice versa, the two of them greeted each other goodbye. Kassidy was just about to cross the road with Terrence catching up to him.
“Kassidy, that was way out of line!”
“And Estelle talking to us wasn’t?” He fumed. “Please. I don’t want to be seen with some homeless middle Aged woman that is old enough to look after herself but doesn’t want to.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. She couldn’t. And there was a massive difference.
Facepalming himself, Terrence tried to prevent himself from screaming at him, especially in public. At least they were staying under the same roof for now.
He could have yelled at him and have a go at him then.
“You know, ever since your parents have left to go on holiday you’ve become more proud and selfish,” he hollered. “Even before you got these shoes. What’s gotten into you? You’re not normally like this!”
Kassidy didn’t reply because he didn’t have time for him. Instead he recklessly crossed the road without a care in the world.
And he got hit by a car.
It seemed as though Estelle wishing karma on Kassidy worked. It was for his own good, with the driver screaming to himself when he realised he hit Kassidy.
When Terrence realised that Kassidy had been hit, he dashed in the middle of the road next to an unconscious Kassidy.
People were crowding around him now, with different murmurs going on. It seemed as though Terrence wasn’t the only one that witnessed how Kassidy had treated Estelle.
Majority of people genuinely thought that he deserved it.
Others were concerned. But most people believed it was karma.
He’ll be fine, God promised Terrence when the ambulance came for him and Terence was panicking as he didn’t know the way back without Kassidy. Don’t worry. It’s not his time.
God, why would you do this?
To teach him a lesson, God replied in Terrence’s head. I don’t like proud people. And sometimes I do have to chastise people to make them see the errors of their ways. Also, he blasphemed me when you weren’t watching him. I had to do something. I couldn’t let him go unpunished.
I understand that. This seemed a bit extreme though.
To be fair, he did cross recklessly. Barely looked at where he was going. Just showing off his new shoes on social media.
Fair point.
As God promised, Kassidy did turn out okay after a while, apologising to Terrence for what he had done when he woke up from a coma two months later.
Two months went quickly, then so did another one, and now Kassidy was homeless himself.
His parents had unfortunately died on the way back home - so did Terrence and his family when they wanted to pick them up. Kassidy would have gone too but he was still recovering from his coma, plus there wouldn't have been space for his parents and their suitcases. Terrence's had dropped them and their holiday was 4 months in total.
He lost everything in four months. All because of being proud. But he would have never forgotten the lessons that Terrence had taught him - of course not.
“Mum, I love my new hair!” That was coming from Estelle’s daughter Ezinné as Estelle had just taken her to the hair salon.
Kassidy stared at her as he was on the road, with Estelle now looking like a professional business woman. As he was in a coma, she had definitely glammed up.
She looked wealthier than she had ever done before.
Estelle couldn’t have helped but to notice him when she had passed him, shocked at how the tables had turned.
“Kassidy? Is that you?”
Ashamed, Kassidy didn’t say anything. But he did, he admitted it was him.
“Where’s your friend Terrence?”
“He died. Everyone I care about is dead. Everything worldly I chased wasn’t worth it at the end of the day. My life is a mess.”
Estelle didn’t know whether to give him money or be rude to him like he was to her four months back.
Then remembering that two wrongs didn’t make a right, and her daughter was there so she wanted to make a good impression on her, she gave him some money.
“I hope you’ve learnt your lesson.”
“I am so sorry, Estelle. I really am. Terrence was right. Money can make you proud sometimes. I promise to be better. And your daughter, I’m assuming, she’s beautiful.”
Ezinné smiled at the compliment, with Estelle happy that he had learnt his lesson. She offered him to come with her as she found him a place to stay.
But not her house as that was crowded already.
It turned out, Estelle was doing great.
Not just great, fantastic.
She used her story to help others, managing her own business. Her life had really changed.
She may have faced hardship but that didn’t knock her down. It was how she had come back up.
THE END
Yeah, sorry if it seemed rushed towards the end. It took a long time to write that. I was kind of getting frustrated aha.
So in this story, there were three main characters: Kassidy, Terrence and Estelle. Estelle was a homeless woman who later became a successful businesswoman.
Kassidy was this proud fake rich kid whose life turned upside down due to his pride. And Terrence was his best friend who tragically passed away later on. Kassidy lost everything due to his pride.
There were many morals to this story: God chastises those he loves*, don't be proud, and always give to others. Because tables can turn and karma can come back to bite you when you least expect it.
Also the widow's offering in Mark 12:1-4. She didn't give a lot but it meant a lot to God. Just like Terrence's money meant a lot to Estelle.
*Hebrews 12:5-6 says it better than I can:
“My son, think of the Lord’s training as important.
Do not lose hope when he corrects you.
He corrects everyone he accepts as his son.”
