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Believing

By Rachel Samuel

                       However, some joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them." Acts 17:34 (NKJV)

                      Hi. I am Devin. I am seventeen and in twelfth grade. My best friend is Damaris, and she's in my grade too. We have been best friends forever, since we were in first grade. Damaris and I look totally different. She is really tall, has auburn hair and the bluest eyes you have ever seen. Our personalities, though, are so alike. Until last year, anyway. You see, Damaris and I have been going to church and Missionettes and youth group since sixth grade, When these activities were established in our church.

                      Then Damaris met this girl, Claire. They liked each other immediately and became best friends. I didn't really mind. I mean, I have a million best friends. The part that I minded was what Claire did. She smoked and drank a lot. She also used offensive language. Claire obviously wasn't a Christian, and I warned Damaris that she would become like her if she spent too much time with her. She just said that she was a strong enough Christian to take her on and kept hanging out with her.

                      It got worse. Not only did Damaris start hanging out with Claire, she also started smoking and drinking. her language became like Claire's also. Eventually, she dropped out of youth group and Missionettes. Then Damaris lost her Bible and used that as an excuse for not coming to church on Sunday. Since Damaris' parents weren't Christians, there was no one to tell her to go to church. No one except for me, but I didn't want to be like her mom, nagging her all the time. So I'd ask her to come to church once a while.

                      Once Friday night I went to youth group. Pastor Lee, my youth pastor, was just about to start the worship. As we sang, a picture Damaris' face flashed through my mind's eye. This was Damaris' favorite song, when she had come to church, anyway. She loved singing so much. As the song ended, Pastor Lee asked everyone to come to the floor and make a circle. Then he started the message. It was one witnessing to loved ones. Throughout the talk, Damaris's face was in my mind. I knew then that God was telling me to witness to Damaris. I resolved to ask her to come to every event in church.

The next day, I called Damaris.
She picked up. "
Hello ?"
"Hi, it's me. What's up?" I said
"Nothing much. How about with you ?"
Damaris said.

                  "Nothing right now. But, you know Damaris I was wondering if you would want to come and see the old group on Sunday. We miss you a lot. I could give you a ride," I added, hoping that she would agree.

                 "Uh...........Sunday? That's church, isn't it? Devin, I don't think so. I have tried that before, and I'm trying this. I like Claire and my things much better now," She informed me, then added excitedly," Besides, you know Gary, the star of football team? Ever since I started hanging out with Claire and her group, Gary had been friendly toward me. And guess what ! Last Friday, he asked me out~"

                 "But........." I began, "he's not a Christian, is he? you know that the Bible says to not be unequally yoked with nonbelievers."

                 "I know, I know, but even if he isn't, I am definitely going out with him; he is so perfect!" Damaris resolutely declared.

                 I felt so helpless. I could tell that there were no changing her mind. I tried anyway. "Damaris. Are you still a Christian?" I asked.

                 "Come on, Devin, you know that I asked Jesus into my heart way back in sixth grade," she said.

                 "Then you have to walk the walk and talk the talk, right? You know, WWJD? The Bible says that we have to act like Christ and be His followers" I reminded her.

                 "Yeach, but God can't take me out of the Book of Life just for going out with a non-Christian. Besides, I'm not even sure if he's a Christian, and even if he is, then after I go out with him, I can just go to Jesus and beg forgiveness," she said triumphantly.

                "Damaris, don't tell me you forgot about the Bible completely. You know that God could take you out of the Book of Life if you don't act like Jesus. And if you do go out with him, then God will punish you because you already knew that disobeying the Bible is wrong."

               "Well, Devin, I got what you said completely. I'm sorry for being harsh, but I'll do whatever I feel like. Claire and I are going to the movies. Do you want to come?" Damaris asked.

              "Sorry, I can't, but I told pastor Vasquez that I'd teach Children's Church tomorrow and I've got to plan the lesson now," I said.

             "Well, I'll see you on Monday then, all right? Bye, Devin," Damaris said.

              "Sure, later," I said glumly, and hung up.

              Slowly, I took out my materials for the Children's Church lesson. It wasn't fair! When went out of God's will for her, she got a whole new group of friends, was more popular than ever, and her social life was great. I, on the other hand, was stuck with the same old friends, permanent teacher's pet status, and no social life whatsoever. You would think God would reward me for being in his will. Then I went back and thought about what I was thinking. At least I was better off than Damaris. If I were to die today, I would be with my Heavenly Father. Even if I weren't to die, then I'd still have Jesus as a friend that would never leave me. Damaris only had a person who would break up with her in a few days. That was all she had right now.

A week later, a very troubled Damaris called me.

"Hello?" I said.
"Hi, Devin. It's me," Damaris said in a down voice.
"What's wrong? I know there's something wrong." I said concernedly.

             "I know, Devin, I went out with Gary on Wednesday night. And........... You know, Devin, I think you were right. I don't think I should go out with a non-Christian. Ever since I talked with you on the phone last week, the group has been bugging me. It's as if God was telling me to get rid of them. Bad things are happening to me, so bad I don't even want to talk about it," she confessed.

             "Well, Damaris, not matter what, Jesus is still your friend. If God is telling you not to be friend. If God is telling you not to be friends with Claire and her group anymore, then you ought to do what he says to do. You'll still have the youth group and me. If you want, you can go to church again. The old group is dying to see you," I told her.

            "Devin, that would be great," she said happily. "But, right now, I've got to go pray just Jesus and me."