Simply Redeemed

This story is by Sharon R. McCoy and was part of our 2018 Summer Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

ALLISON lied there trying to wake up! That song kept playing in her head. “I’m a Christian do you know what that means”? It means that I’m bought with a purpose Simply Redeemed.” She woke up hoping that yesterday was a bad dream.

It was 3 am AND ALLISON COULD NOT GO BACK TO SLEEP, YESTERDAY WAS HORRIFIC. SHE HADN’T KNOWN WHY MELANIE WAS CALLING HER INTO HER OFFICE BUT SHE QUICKLY FOUND OUT. ALLISON HAD BEEN FUDGING THE BOOKS SINCE SHE GOTTEN THE MANAGEMENT POSITION AND NEVER ASKED FOR HELP, HELP FROM SOMEONE MAYBE WHO HAD BEEN THERE LONGER, SOMEONE WHO COULD have GUIDED HER. NOW SITTING IN THE MANAGEMENT OFFICES SHE WAS BOMBARDED WITH QUESTIONS. WHERE WAS THE MONEY GOING?, CAN YOU COME UP WITH 4,000.00?. YOU ARE SUSPENDED UPON INVESTIGATION.

ALLISON COULD NOT BREATH HER LIFE WAS OVER, NO JOB, AT FIFTY-SIX, THE DAY AFTER HER DAUGHTERS BIRTHDAY, WHAT WOULD BECOME OF HER, SHE TURNED OVER AND WEPT TILL MORNING. ALLISON HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR GOD TO REALISE HER FROM HER GRIEF. SHE MANAGED TO SIGN UP WITH UBER WHICH WAS A GOD SEND, PICKING UP DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND DIFFERENT PROBLEMS THAT THEY JUST WANT SOMEONE TO HEAR, MADE HER LIFE SOMEWHAT BEARABLE. STILL SHE SOBBED IN BETWEEN CUSTOMERS EVERYDAY WONDERING WHAT WAS SHE THINKING AND PLEADING TO GOD TO FORGIVE HER AND LET ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LOOKED TO HER FOR GUIDANCE FORGIVE HER.

ALLISON WAS A MESS AND IT DID NOT LOOK ANY BRIGHTER AS THE DAYS WENT ON. ALLISON SOBBED EVERYDAY FOR FIVE MONTHS, THINKING ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE SHE HAD HURT. THERE WERE THE PARENTS OF THE INDIVIDUALS SHE CARED FOR THE ADMINISTRATORS THAT THOUGHT HIGHLY OF HER, THERE WAS THE INDIVIDUALS THAT IN HER HEART KNEW WERE DEVASTATED BECAUSE SHE HAD SUCH A CLOSE BOND WITH ALL OF THEM. ALLISON DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS JOB WOULD BE MORE THAT A JOB THAT IT WOULD BE HER LIFE, SHE HAD NO IDEA THAT THE PASSION SHE HAD FOR HELPING OTHERS WOULD PROPEL HER INTO ANOTHER WORLD.

SHE STARTED AS A DSP WORKING FOR LITTLE OR NOTHING AND NEXT THING SHE KNEW SHE WAS PROMOTED TO SUPERVISOR WITHIN ONE YEAR. NEXT SHE WAS A MANAGER. BEING A MANAGER WAS DIFFERENT AND ENTAILED DISCIPLE AND YOU REALLY NEEDED TO KNOW YOUR STUFF. IT WAS HARD TO KEEP UP FOR ALLISON HOWEVER SHE PLOGED ALONG DEALING WITH DIFFICULT STAFF. THERE WAS SO MUCH ACCOUNTING, MEAL PLANS, DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS, OVERNIGHTS, NO STAFF TO FILL SHIFTS, CLEANING, COOKING MAKING SURE INDIVIDUALS WERE GETTING PROPER NUTRITIOUS MEALS. ALL OF THIS WAS BEEING ACCOMPLISHED AND ALLISON DECIDED TO MAKE CHOICES THAT DID NOT QUITE LINE UP WITH POLICY. FUDGING A REPORT HERE, MAKING THIS UP THERE. SHE NEVER MEANT TO HARM ANYONE AND THE INDIVIDUALS WERE LIVING BETTER THAN THEY EVER HAD. WE CHOOSE OUR JOYS AND SORROWS LONG BEFORE WE EXPERIENCE THEM AND THAT IS WHAT ALLISON DID.

SHE HAD A GREAT JOB WORKING WITH GREAT PEOPLE, SHE COULD NOT COMPLAIN. NOW ALL OF IT WAS GONE HER LEADERSHIP DOWN THE DRAIN, ALL HER RELATIONSHIPS THAT SHE HAD FORGED DOWN THE DRAIN, HER HEALTH, DENTAL, LIFE , INSURANCE DOWN THE DRAIN, NOT TO MENTION HER CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM. ONE OF HER RIDERS TOLD HER THAT SHE WAS WORTH MORE THAT HER JOB AND FROM THAT DAY ON THINGS BEGAN TO GET BRIGHTER, THAT CUSTOMER/RIDER SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND AND RECOMMENDED A BOOK “TEAR SOUP” AN ANIMATION OF SORTS TO HELP HER IN SOME WAY.

THAT DAY ALLISON KNEW THAT THERE WAS MORE IN HER TO GIVE SHE HAD ALWAYS BEEN A GIVER FROM BIRTH HER WHOLE FAMILY CALLED HER FREE HEARTED DESPITE THE SORROW AND LOST OF HER MOTHER TO SUICIDE AT AGE 7 WHICH ALLISON READ THE NOTE HER MOTHER LEFT. NOW ALLISON COULD NOT HELP BUT THINK SHE WAS CURSED AT AGE FIFTY-SIX HER LIFE WAS IN SHAMBLES, HOWEVER SHE WAS DETERMINED TO LIVE AGAIN TO SEE THE LIGHT AND TO HELP OTHERS. EVERYDAY AFTER SHE RECEIVED THE BOOK ‘TEAR SOUP” LIFE SEEMED TO GET EASIER ALLISON WAS GETTING HER RHYTHM WITH UBER AND STARTING TO THINK DIFFERENTLY, MAYBE THIS HAPPENED FOR A REASON, MAYBE I CAN HELP PEOPLE ON A LARGER LEVEL SO SHE SET OUT AT FIRST TO VOLUNTEER, SHE SIGNED UP TO READ TO CHILDREN OF ALL AGES AT THE COUNTY LIBRARY WHICH LEAD TO A VOLUNTEER TUTORING PROGRAM.

THEN, DURING THIS TIME WORKING AT UBER SHE STOPED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, SHE WAS TRIED AFTER-ALL SINCE ALL THIS HAPPENED SHE HAD BEEN WORKING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK SOMETIMES TWELVE TO SIXTEEN HOUR DAYS AND SHE DECIDED SHE WOULD TURN THE APP OFF AND GO HOME AFTER SHE USED THE BATHROOM. WELL SOMEHOW THE APP CAME BACK ON AND ALLISON HURRIED UP AND RAN TO GET INTO HER CAR AND PICK UP THIS MYSTERIOUS CUSTOMER. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT HER PICKUP DESTINATION TO FIND CARL A BLIND, DISABLED PERSON WITH A WALKER WHO WAS COMING FROM JUJITSU IMAGINE THAT. HE ASKED ALLISON IF SHE WOULD BE HIS PERSONAL DRIVER TAKING HIM TO AND FROM WORK EVERYDAY HE WORKED AT THE CLINIC HELPING OTHER BLIND INDIVIDUALS WITH TECHNOLOGY. ALLISON TOOK HIM UP ON THE OFFER, AFTER THAT ALLISON CAME IN CONTACT WITH OTHERS THAT WANTED SERVICES FOR THERE DISABLED FAMILY. A GIRL WITH AUTISM GOING TO SCHOOL ON A DAILY BASIS, A BROTHER WHO NEEDED TO FEEL INDEPENDENT AGAIN. HENCE BEGiN AGAIN A TRANSPORTATION COMPANY FOR DISABLED BEGAN. YOU SEE REDEMPTION IS A PROCESS A CHANCE TO START AGAIN AND ONE THING FOR SURE YOU CANNOT DO IT ALONE. GOD IS THERE FOR YOU IN THE TRENCHES WHEN YOUR ARE WEEPING. PSALM 30:5 “FOR HIS ANGER IS BUT FOR A MOMENT. HIS FAVOR IS FOR A LIFETIME. WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT. BUT JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING. ALLISON BELIEVED THIS AND MEDITATED ON GODS WORD DAY AND NIGHT, USING PRAYER TO PROPEL HER NOW STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD. HE WON’T JUST LEAVE YOU STANDING THERE ALONE, HE HAS PLANS FOR YOU AND REDEMPTION IS COMING YOU WAIT YOU’LL SEE. TRUST IN THE LORD OUR GOD AND HE WON’T FAIL YOU. HE HAS PUT IN US THE SPIRIT OF SUCESS THE SPIRIT OF PERSEVERANCE .ALTHOUGH WHAT ALLISON SAW DID NOT LOOK GOOD AND WAS ALL BAD AND SAD AND MISERABLE. IT WASN’T WHAT IT LOOKED LIKED. GOD HAD SOMETHING MUCH BETTER IN STORE, MORE ABUNDANCE, MORE LIFE, ALLISON THOUGHT IT WAS OVER FOR HER BUT GOD SAIS THAT YOUR LATTER DAYS WILL BE GREATER THAT YOU FORMER DAYS. NOW ALLISON IS A PROFITABLE BUSINESS OWNER, COUNSELOR THAT HELPS OTHERS OVERCOME LOSS,GRIEF AND DONATES 50% OF HER PROCEEDS TO THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED COMMUNITY.

WEEPING SEEMED TO BE A PART OF MY DAYS. I’VE BEEN THROUGH LOST BEFORE BUT NOTHING TO THIS MAGNITUDE, HOWEVER, LOSS IS LOSS WHETHER IT BE OF SOMEONE, A CAT , YOUR MOTHER, YOUR JOB, YOUR SEX AND ALL OF THESE THINGS CAME RUSHING IN OVER ME AND I COULD NOT SURVIVE. I HAVE ALIENATED MY FAMILY, MY BEST FRIEND, AND JUST DO NOT NO HOW TO FUNCTION. ONE THING IS FOR SURE THERE IS A GOD.