5 minute read
THROUGH THE EYES OF MERCI
You Are Never Alone
BY KELLEY RENE
Women World Leaders presents “Through the Eyes of Merci,” written by award-winning author Kelley Rene. Kelley writes contemporary fiction to illustrate biblical truths in the mundane, the exhilarating, and even the stormy circumstances of life.
“Through the Eyes of Merci” follows the fictional character, Merci Rivers, a third-year transfer student navigating the challenges of university life. Living away from home for the first time is hard. She believes in God but doesn’t think He has time for her meager issues. Will she wallow in loneliness or trust that He has her back?
Sunlight peeks between the fragile, white blinds hanging over the double window in the bare college apartment. The hush of voices from the other bedroom awakens loneliness in Merci, her constant companion. It’s no surprise she hasn’t seen her roommates. After all, they were assigned to the same apartment by an arbitrary algorithm, and they tend to stay to themselves, not showing their faces for days.
The buzz of her cell phone grabs her attention. Mom. I can’t listen to another lecture. Not today.
Guilt blankets her as she declines the call. She isn’t in the mood to hear her mother ask, “Have you prayed about it?” Yes, life is lonely. Yes, she is trying to make her way in her new environment. And yes, she has prayed about it. Merci snatches her keys and heads to the door, attempting to escape the doldrums of her world.
A hand to her nose does nothing to ward off the stench of the garbage bags awaiting pickup in the exterior corridor. She pauses at the staircase for two guys struggling under the weight of several boxes. Their steps echo off the concrete and crescendo as they reach the landing.
Her quick reflexes catch a desk lamp just before it totters over the edge of an opened box.
“Much obliged!” The owner props his parcel on the railing, draws in a deep breath, and releases it. “I’m Clive. You live here?”
“322.” She hitches a thumb over her shoulder and instantly chastises herself for identifying her home away from home to a complete stranger.
He winks and flashes a dazzling smile. One she imagines is full of deception.
Merci takes the stairs, hiding the flush in her cheeks. Despite the brisk air, the day boasts a perfectly blue sky. At the ground floor, she squats to tighten a shoelace before crossing the street to the coffee shop. Ten minutes later, she tucks the gift card she received for Christmas back into her backpack and wiggles into a side chair with a hot latte.
Three females in high-waisted yoga pants giggle over the details of a party the night before, ignoring the patron squeezing between them to snatch a lid.
Their laughter prances through the air, igniting a deep longing in Merci for connection.
I’m so pathetic.
“Seat taken?” A tall brunette appears out of nowhere, drops a messenger bag at her feet, and plops into the closest chair. “You into meeting new people?” She smiles as if she’s known Merci her whole life, waving a flyer at her.
Merci accepts the colorful invitation.
“Bring an appetite.” Her laugh is warm. Inviting. “And comfortable shoes. There will be games.”
Merci studies the proffered page. “Campus Bible Fellowship. Every Tuesday at 7 pm.”
I guess I was wrong, God. You do hear my prayers.
What We Learn
Ever since Merci arrived on campus, loneliness has been her steady companion. She misses home and has been unsuccessful in building relationships at the new college. And reading her Bible and praying have taken a backseat as she questions whether those things even help.
Maybe you can relate to feeling alone or being an outsider. When you have, do you talk to God about it? There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother and is always available to hear our cry and rescue us in our time of need.
(Proverbs 18:24 ESV)
The New Testament is full of outsiders, yet Jesus met them right where they were. The woman with the issue of blood. The woman at the well. The blind man. The list goes on.
You are never truly alone. God desires to have a relationship with you. Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (NIV)
Catch up with Merci in our next edition and find out if she visits Campus Bible Fellowship.
Along with her chapter in Embrace the Journey, Kelley Rene has published three novellas, Saving Sabine, Romanian Runaway, and Kamilah. She is thrilled to be a contributor in the Women World Leaders’ Miracle Mindset: Finding Hope in the Chaos, releasing in summer 2023. When she’s not scribbling out stories, you’ll find her crocheting, kayaking, enjoying a good book and cappuccino, or cuddling her precious grandbabies. Read more at kelleyrene.com.
