PURSUIT: A Novel – 15: Passion

Kansas University – Wednesday Night, March 8, 1989

White swan glided across the lake’s silvery surface into the column of reflected moonlight. Eva’s head rested in the nook of her trusted friend’s shoulder as Christina swirled her chai latte. The man-in-the-moon’s lunar rays glimmered on the spinning ice as the vision muted of her Easter rebirth three years ago. Filled with a presence, not of this world, she had discovered her pursuit. Purposeful passion had swelled within her like a gentle, climbing flame consuming chaff and filled her heart with a dedicated desire to follow, no, more than to simply walk after someone, but to pursue her divine destiny.

“That Easter Sunday as a freshman,” Christina continued the replay of her rebirth, “I received a love that filled my heart as never before. God’s love is real! It’s not a dream. It’s not something you imagine. God’s love is as real as the beauty of the swan that graces this lake with its wings spread in flight.” She sprang to her feet and spread her arms in the same manner as she did with her dance finale.

“Father God prepared my heart for that moment. He wasn’t going to take anything from me until I was ready to let go. He allowed the trauma and pain of realizing that my dad was never coming back to close my heart to my dream, my imaginary idol. And then, He patiently waited, waited for me to discover that I needed true love, love that only He can provide, not from a man. He used a language that spoke to my heart—dance. Father God showed me His love through the love of His Son, Jesus, who willingly sacrificed His life so that all of us would receive life, a life in relationship with Father God.”

“Oh, Christina, your description is so beautifully vivid. I can see you dancing with joy.” Tears welled and she hugged her. “You inspired us all. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”

“Eva, as you portrayed Jesus with your theatrical dance, I saw a vision of the stone being rolled from Jesus’ tomb and the brilliant light that shone from within. That’s when I burst into tears and the pain erupted from my heart . . . released for Father God to take . . . every tear. I heard God’s Spirit within me say, ‘This is your heart that I am cracking open and totally filling with the light of My Love.’ As I saw the vision and heard God’s words, I felt my heart warm, warmth that spread throughout my body, tingling every nerve ending. That’s when I could hold back no longer, the release of Joy within me that erupted in dance.”

 Elated by the emotional confession from her heart, she kissed her confidant on the cheek. They remained embraced, two kindred spirits united by God’s love.

“I hadn’t danced in over a year. I have no doubt that the power of the Holy Spirit filled me to dance with God. I found my dance partner—Father God—no longer an imaginary person I had never met, never knew. I know He is the one healing my heart. At that dance on Easter, I met you.” She paused and laid her hand on Eva’s, smiling into her eyes. Eva beamed and tears streaked down her face. 

“You have such a beautiful story,” Eva said. “I saw every bit of your supernatural dance with God. It has touched me so, to know that God has used my dance to speak to someone who needed to experience His Love.” Eva placed her hand on top of Christina’s, and then Christina topped it off with hers, their hands piled like pancakes held up between them. The spotlight of the full moon radiated behind them shaping a silhouette of binding friendship.

“Sisters for life,” Christina shouted.

“And life in Christ.” Eva beamed.

“Makes us sisters forever!” they both said together. They laughed with remnant tears of joy, their echo like a forest of angels celebrating the Love of God that radiates from souls filled with the Holy Spirit.

v v v

Copyright 2017  © Jeff Cambridge

Excerpt from PURSUIT, a novel by Jeff Cambridge, a writer of transformational fiction with characters that tell life-changing stories.

This is a pre-published scene.

To read the scenes sequentially, begin with

“PURSUIT: A Novel – Prologue”

Your comments are welcomed and appreciated. Simply check one of the reaction boxes below, write a comment, or email me at bycambridge@gmail.com.

This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, businesses, organizations, and locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

PURSUIT: A Novel – 14: Rebirth

Kansas University – Easter Sunday 1986

In the front row of the university church, Christina watched Eva and her dance team dressed in white choreograph the love of Jesus—His crucifixion and death for the sins of the world. The dancers dramatically portrayed the story with white, red, and purple satin streamers. A band performed with amps of staggering sound, an opposing contrast to gospel music that offered thoughtful reflection when Christina had danced at home. The musicians were on fire for Jesus—their lyrics called out for His presence to fall like rain, and they cried out for Him to come into their hearts like living water poured into jars of clay.

She witnessed in Eva what it must have looked like for her mom to watch her as she danced with images of her father. No earthly father could fulfill Christina’s want for love.

The tempo intensified and strings wailed with celebration as Eva, covered with a red satin sheet, leaped from her crouched position, arms spread wide as the graceful fluidity of two dancers, one passing in front, the other behind, wrapped a purple streamer to adorn her with a sash.

Christina sprang to her feet with an exuberant ecstasy that triggered the assembly to stand and praise the power of God to resurrect Christ to life. The band burst into a spirited rendition of “Heaven Is Here,” as dancers leaped off the stage with grand jetés, each taking an aisle to perform a mix of dance and ballet.

A singer belted out, “We won’t stop cryin’ out to Him, ’cause He hears us every time, yeah, He hears us every time.” The bass beat an interlude. The crowd joined in with “We won’t stop pouring out our love to Him, ’cause He loves us every time.”

“Yeah, He loves us every time,” rang out from the throng of students that had joined this Resurrection Sunday celebration.

Christina burst with tears of bottled sadness and her hands strained for love from above.  The singer looked down and sang directly to her.

“Wake up the normal life,

You can do whatever You want to, God,

Shake up eternal sight,

’Cause heaven is here now,

He’s all around us, heaven is Jesus,

It’s the moment we need.”

Her soul warmed as the omnipresence of God’s Spirit replaced empty sorrow with fullness of joy that she had never felt before. Her readiness and willingness to finally let go, to let go of the longing for her earthly father, opened her heart to receive the love of Father God, the Spirit of Love known as Jesus. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Christina bounced with joy and sang out the chorus, “Heaven is here now . . . ”

As the guitar and drum crescendoed, Christina vaulted high into the air. Her body glided with feet so light they appeared not even to touch the floor as she leaped, arched back, and twisted in mid-air an acrobatic corkscrew. With a diver’s fine-tuned strength, she flipped her legs up into pike position. Arms gracefully extended, she cartwheeled to bring her body upright into a toe-pointed spin, collapsed her legs and leaped to perform a grand jeté and descended to display a statuesque arabesque as the last chord strummed. Her eyes glistened as she looked upward to heaven.

The crowd cheered and the dance team encircled Christina as she held her pose, arms and leg forming a cross, perfectly balanced en pointe.

v v v

Copyright 2017  © Jeff Cambridge

Excerpt from PURSUIT, a novel by Jeff Cambridge, a writer of transformational fiction with characters that tell life-changing stories.

This is a pre-published scene.

To read the scenes sequentially, begin with

“PURSUIT: A Novel – Prologue”

Your comments are welcomed and appreciated. Simply check one of the reaction boxes below, write a comment, or email me at bycambridge@gmail.com.

This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, businesses, organizations, and locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.