The Ulitmate Test: Second of Third Life < THREE >

 The Ultimate Test

Before making a final decision, Pat boarded on a journey across the country to meet Ann’s parents. If not through the church, could they still be together? Could they marry and serve differently? He clung to hope, believing that love and calling could coexist.

The journey was long—days on a train, followed by hours in a wobbly jeep rattling over tough and unsteady mountain roads. The landscape was unfamiliar—rugged, wild, and steeped in tradition. The people carried themselves with quiet authority, their customs deeply rooted in generations of unspoken laws.

When he finally arrived at Ann’s home, exhaustion weighed on him, but his resolve remained firm. He was ready to ask for her hand, prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Ann’s father, a man of stature and power, greeted him with a cold stare. The air was thick with tension.

Pat spoke carefully, his heart pounding, explaining his intentions with deep respect. He could feel Ann’s presence in the background, standing beside her mother and watching silently.

For a moment, nothing. Then, without a word, her father turned and disappeared inside the house.

Pat waited, his pulse quickening.

The door creaked open. Ann’s father stepped out—not with a word, but with a gun. A long, heavy, gleaming firearm.

"If you want life, get out," he said in a strangely calm voice. "Lest I shoot you now."

Pat’s breath caught. The fury in the man’s eyes was not a mere warning—it was a promise. Behind him, Ann stood frozen, her face pale with shock.

His body tensed. Every instinct screamed at him to move.

He ran.

Through narrow, winding paths, stumbling over rocks, pushing past stunned villagers. He ran—not just from death but from the life he thought was his. His dream shattered in an instant.

When he finally stopped, miles away from Ann’s home, gasping for breath, only one thought echoed in his mind:

Live. Live, and minister.

Pat had thought he was walking in God’s plan—but had he?

Pat had barely escaped with his life, but his heart was still entangled in the dream of a future with Ann. Was this truly the end, or was there another path? And what would Ann do now—would she fight for their desire or wait to know the will of God?

How does one truly know God’s will? Can calling and personal desires ever align? Does God speak only through His Word, or does He also work through circumstances, emotions, and the very obstacles that stand in the way?

The journey isn’t over yet—watch for the next episode!

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