Snark & Sensibility

PLEASE WELCOME

JESSIE MATTIS

TO

FLASH FICTION FRIDAY

EXCERPT FROM POWER UP

Miss Kate ducked behind her desk and pulled out a tall glass of milk. Lexi wondered what was going on—did she suddenly need a milk break? The rest of the faces in the circle reflected Lexi’s confusion.

“Think of the Holy Spirit like this,” Miss Kate said. “Let’s say you want some chocolate milk, so you fill a glass with milk and squirt in some chocolate syrup.”

Miss Kate reached back under the desk, pulled out a bottle of Hershey’s syrup, and squirted some into the milk. Lexi’s mouth began to water.

“Technically, we have chocolate milk now, right? But if you were to take a drink at this point, the milk probably wouldn’t be very tasty. Why? Because the chocolate hasn’t been stirred up yet! Once you grab a spoon and stir the chocolate into the milk, the chocolate takes over and makes the milk much more delicious.”

She picked up a spoon from the desk and gave the milk a good stir. The chocolate clouded up from the bottom and mixed nicely into the formerly white milk.

Miss Kate took a big drink. “Ah! So much yummier than plain milk,” she declared with a satisfied smile. “You see, when we become Christians, the Holy Spirit lives inside us, sort of like we’re the milk and he’s the chocolate syrup. But the chocolate syrup, or Holy Spirit, will just stay put at the bottom unless we make the choice to stir him up.”

Lexi was intrigued by the chocolate milk analogy. The Holy Spirit was starting to make so much more sense.

“In other words,” Miss Kate continued, “God wants the Holy Spirit to be active in the lives of all his followers, but he ultimately lets us choose how much we allow the Spirit to be a part of our lives. All we have to do is simply invite him to be active!” She paused, then asked, “Does this make sense? Isn’t this kind of exciting? Is anyone else thirsty for chocolate milk now?” She grinned.

A mixture of smiles, nods, and cheers rippled throughout the room. Miss Kate sent Sam to get the jug of milk from the refrigerator in the next room, then passed out red plastic cups and spoons. Sam swiftly returned and soon everyone was stirring up their chocolate milk while Miss Kate passed out graham crackers to complete the snack. Lexi glanced at Millie who had a look of pure delight on her face. Lexi knew graham crackers and milk were one of her sister’s favorite combinations, and a rare treat since their mother preferred stocking the fridge at home with cashew milk.

“Let’s not forget the homework assignment!” Miss Kate clapped her hands with what Lexi decided was a little too much enthusiasm.

Lexi noticed there weren’t quite as many groans from the students this week. She leaned in to listen to the assignment, careful not to tip over her milk. This Holy Spirit stuff was kind of fascinating, and she didn’t want to miss the instructions.

Miss Kate cleared her throat and waited until the classroom was quiet before she began. “There are two ways to do the homework this week, and I want you to pick at least one. The first is to simply find someone who needs encouragement and ask the Holy Spirit to help you encourage them. The second is to notice how the Holy Spirit encourages you this week. And, if you’re up for more of a challenge, try this—find a time when you’re alone and can focus for a few minutes, then simply ask the Holy Spirit to encourage you and listen closely to what he says. Understand?”

Heads nodded all around the room.

“Great!” said Miss Kate. “I can’t wait until next Sunday to hear how things go!”

***

Lexi spent the afternoon pouring over the rest of her library books on the Revolutionary War. King George III, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine—so many Georges and Thomases. So many names, places, and dates, all swirling together in her brain like the little dust tornadoes she’d seen coming across the field near her grandparents’ house, picking up old corn husks and debris as they went. That’s how she felt. A little bit of school, a little bit of church, and a million other random thoughts, all fighting for her attention.

She closed her book. There was no point to studying in her current frame of mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, frustrated with herself for not being able to focus on history. If she wanted the trip, she had to focus. There was no real choice, considering three whole days at Six Flags was at stake—with friends, good food, and a hotel! She so badly wanted to go.

Lexi opened her eyes and her book, then shut her eyes tightly again. Holy Spirit, I really need to focus on history right now. If you don’t mind, will you help me? Please? And encourage me? I’m just not sure I can do it.

Lexi hopped up and did a few jumping jacks, then ran in place for a minute, shaking her head back and forth. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her history book from the bed and plopped down at her little desk.

New motivation struck. Lexi opened her pencil box and reached in. Looking at the pencil her fingers landed on, she realized it was one she’d picked from the church’s prize box a few months ago. In her hand was a neon green pencil with the words “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” stamped down the side in bold, black letters.

ABOUT JESSIE MATTIS

Jessie Mattis is a Jesus-loving wife, homeschooling mom, and award-winning writer. She currently lives in Bloomington, Indiana with her husband and fellow author, Chip Mattis, and their three amazing kids

ABOUT POWER UP

Eleven-year-old Lexi has learned all there is to know about God … or so she thinks until Miss Kate arrives and shakes up Kids’ Church with her new ideas. As if it’s not enough that Lexi has to get her history grade up or miss out on the class trip with her friends, her new relationship with the Holy Spirit is suddenly put to the test when a family crisis strikes. Can Lexi trust that God is good in the middle of all this pressure?

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Up-Jessie-Mattis/dp/1950051633