Beka // A Short Story

I found this story today while scrolling through my email, and I decided to post it. I wrote it last fall, and I hope you guys enjoy it. So without further ado...

 

Beka

 

Ever since Beka was a young girl, she was a big dreamer. She would daydream for hours about fame, wealth, and romance. Whenever Beka told her father about her dreams, he would look down his long, bumpy nose at her and say, “Well, Beka, what you want is what you get. So make sure your heart is set on the right things, okay?” But Beka never listened to her father, confident in her own ambitions and plans.

When Beka grew older, she moved to Los Angeles to become a singer. She pursued fame relentlessly, sacrificing whatever she could to make more money and get more publicity. She adopted a new image to please her record label, compromised her values for a bigger fan base, and broke plans with her family and friends when she had opportunities to play more shows. Eventually, she recorded many albums and started touring. Beka’s star continued to loom bigger and larger, until she had millions of followers on Instagram and hundreds of sold-out concerts. With all of the money she earned, she bought an expensive house in Beverly Hills. She dated some of the most famous men in Hollywood and was esteemed as one of the most beautiful women in the world. One day, as Beka was sitting at home with her boyfriend, she noticed an empty feeling in her stomach. Everywhere she looked, she saw traces of her seemingly perfect life, but it didn’t feel so perfect. The empty sensation in her stomach continued to grow until it was almost painful, and desperately, she leapt up and ran out of her house. She tore away from everything that looked familiar, and suddenly she was in a completely new part of town and gasping for air. Strangely enough, she found herself leaning against the red-brick wall of a church.

“Can I help you?”

Beka whipped around to see a kind-looking man dressed in a navy-blue suit. He was carrying a Bible.

“Oh, no— I don’t know. I’m fine, I guess.” Beka sighed. “I’m just confused."

“Well,” the man said. “This is a good place to find for answers.” He motioned a hand toward the church doors. “We’re getting ready to start, if you’d like to join us.”

Beka didn’t know why, but for some reason she followed him inside. It wasn’t long before the man made his way up to the front center of the church. He set his Bible on a stand and proceeding to read a long passage; apparently, navy-suit-guy was the pastor. Beka listened to the words, but she didn’t really understand them. When he finished reading, he looked out to the people.

“In the deepest part of the human soul,” the pastor said, “there is a desire to be loved. No amount of effort on our part— no fame, no money, no other relationship— can satisfy that need.”

“Then what can?” Beka thought to herself.

“Only God can,” the pastor continued. “To show us how powerful his love is for us, he sent his son Jesus to die for us. It was the ultimate sacrifice. All we have to do is accept Him in our hearts, believe in Him, and allow Him to fill us with his undying love. You see, the fulfillment we find in material things is temporary. But God’s love is perfect, and it never fades. It is and was and always will be.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

xoxo,

Ireland