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Seeking Treasureland
A story by Jill Eileen Smith
Chapter One
"Come along, kids. It's time for our adventure!" Six-year-old Chelsea jumped off the bottom step of the Community Church and ran over to the Imagination House where Pastor Winston, her Sunday school teacher waited. Her whole body tingled, excitement racing through her. She'd been counting the days until this Bible adventure and now it was finally here. Pastor Winston smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, his light brown hair blowing in the warm, morning breeze. Chelsea turned, bouncing on her toes, to see her two friends, Manuel and Mark, tumbling down the church steps after them. Her sister Sarah followed, dragging her feet. "We're coming," Manuel called in his thick Mexican accent. "So where are we going?" Mark asked, screeching to a halt near the door to Pastor Winston's curious adventure house. "We're taking a journey to Treasureland," Pastor Winston said, bending his tall body to look Mark in the eye. Chelsea looked behind her. "Come on, Sarah!" "I'm coming!" Eleven-year-old Sarah didn't act nearly as excited as Chelsea had been all week. Why wouldn't she want to go on a Bible adventure? But Chelsea knew it was because Sarah didn't want to hang out with her little sister. She came because their mom made her. "Okay, it looks like we're all here," Pastor Winston pulled out a large, golden key and unlocked the Imagination House doors. He stepped inside, flipped on the light and waited for Sarah to close the door behind her. "If you will all stand here near the window and close your eyes, the path will appear and we'll be on our way." Chelsea closed her eyes and held her breath. A moment later the light in the room changed and a breeze tickled her face. She opened her eyes. "Where are we, Pastor Winston?" Chelsea looked around at the park-like setting. Giant trees filled green meadows and a dirt path spread out before them. "At the end of this road, we'll start looking for truth nuggets. That's when the journey begins," Pastor Winston said leading the way. Chelsea skipped along at Pastor Winston's side while Mark and Manuel raced to the end of the lane. Chelsea kept looking behind her to see Sarah still two steps back. At least she couldn't get lost on this road. There was no place else to go. A few minutes later they came upon two gates, one wide and one narrow, separated by a large gray boulder. Behind each gate Chelsea could see a dirt path, which came together on the opposite side. Signs hung above the gates and Chelsea squinted, trying to read the faded letters. "Look, Pastor Winston," Chelsea said, tugging on the sleeve of her teacher's green sweater. "There are two gates, but they both say Treasureland. Which one do we take?" "Don't you remember, Chelsea?" Mark pushed his thick, round glasses back onto his nose. "We have to find the truth nugget. Then we'll know." "But how are we going to find a truth nugget out here? This isn't like earning awards and ribbons at church, you know." Sarah folded her arms over her chest and flipped her long red braid behind her back. "Oh, but it is." Pastor Winston said, smiling. "This is much like your life at home, except on the path to Treasureland, the truth nuggets aren't always what you think they'll be." Pastor Winston stepped over to the huge rock, bent toward the ground and pulled out the first glistening gold nugget. Chelsea gasped. "What does it say?" Pastor Winston held the nugget out in his palm. Chelsea, Mark, and Manuel jostled forward for a chance to see. "It doesn't say anything." Manuel scrunched his dark brows together. "It just shows two gates with two paths leading in different directions." "I know a verse about a gate!" Chelsea's heart beat fast, keeping time with her jumping feet. "I didn't learn it at church-Mama taught it to me." "Mama taught it to me!" Sarah mimicked, scowling. "Go ahead, Show Off!" Pastor Winston winced and his eyes grew sad as a tear slipped down Chelsea's cheek. "Tell me the verse, Chelsea." Pastor Winston smiled, handing her the nugget. Chelsea swallowed hard and blinked back babyish tears. If only Sarah could be nicer. She looked at her sister. Sarah stuck her tongue out at her. Chelsea took a shuddering breath. "Enter through the narrow gate," she said, finding her voice. "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13-14." As the last word left Chelsea's lips, the narrow gate on the nugget lit up in her hand. "Look!" she cried, pointing to the nugget and jumping at the same time. "The gate is shining! The nugget is telling us which path to take." "Very good, Chelsea," Pastor Winston said. "Let's follow this road and see where it leads." "But the gate's locked, Pastor Winston." Sarah shoved her lean body against the rough wooden pillars. "See, even when I push it won't open." "Let me try," Mark said, elbowing Sarah out of the way. Sarah pushed Mark's shoulder, knocking him aside before she stalked away. Mark righted himself and reached for the gate's latch. It wouldn't budge. "Sarah's right, Pastor Winston, the gate's locked." "Told you so," Sarah glared at Mark. "How will we get to Treasureland if we can't open the gate?" Chelsea brushed another quick tear that sneaked from her eyes. "We need another truth nugget," Pastor Winston reminded them. "The first one told us which gate to go through. Now we must find the next clue." "Where would it be?" Ten-year-old Manuel knelt, searching the gravel in front of the gate. "You've got the right idea, Manuel." Pastor Winston moved his hand in a sweeping motion and smiled. "If you look near the gate, I think you'll find what we're looking for." Chelsea joined Mark and Manuel on her knees, crawling in the white gravel for a truth nugget. She heard a squeak and glanced up to see Sarah pushing the wide gate open. Why wasn't it locked too? Manuel leaped to his feet, startling her. "I found it!" "What does it say?" Chelsea asked turning her attention away from her sister. "It shows a picture of a door with a knocker on it." Manuel shook his head, his dark brown eyes looking confused. "Oh, I know that verse." Sarah stepped away from the wide, sparkling white gate, her face scrunched into a scowl, making Chelsea's stomach hurt like it always did when she knew her sister was mad at her. "Give me the nugget." Sarah snatched it out of Manuel's hand. "So tell us, if you're so smart." Mark bent low near Chelsea's ear. "Your sister is acting like a jerk," he whispered. "It says," Sarah tilted her chin up. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with me. Revelation 3:20." "What does it mean, Pastor Winston?" Chelsea had heard it before, but she never quite understood what door it was talking about. "The verse is Jesus speaking to us. He stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. But he won't come into our hearts or fellowship with us unless we ask him. We can't get through the narrow gate unless we hear his knock. And we can't hear his knock unless we're listening for his voice." The children grew quiet and Chelsea wondered what Jesus' voice sounded like. Was it like her papa's or bigger-like thunder? A rustling of dry leaves on the other side of the gate made her ears perk. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear," came a voice, followed by a loud, strong knock. Chelsea walked closer to the gate, Manual at her side. "I hear you, Jesus," Chelsea said, just above a whisper. "Will you dine with me?" Chelsea thought she heard a soft chuckle as the gate slowly opened on its own. "Let the little children come to me for of such is the kingdom of Heaven," the voice came again. "Did you hear that?" Mark stepped forward. A brilliant light covered the start of the path drawing them toward it. But as the brightness drifted away, the reflection of a wooden cross stood in its place. "Well, we're inside the gate, Pastor Winston. But all I see is a cross. What do we do now?" Mark asked, turning in a circle as if trying to see everything at once. "How come it's not shining anymore?" "Because danger lies before it," Pastor Winston warned. "Many start down this road. They find some of the truth nuggets, but the Pretender snatches them out of their hands and leads them to a different path. The cross is near to those who can escape his grip. But to those who accept his lie pebbles, he imprisons. Most of them never make it to Treasureland." As Pastor Winston spoke, Chelsea placed her hand in his and Manuel and Mark inched closer to his side. The path to the cross looked easy enough. If they just stayed together. . . * * *
But the wide gate beckoned Sarah. While Pastor Winston's back was turned, she pushed on the squeaky hinges and slipped through unnoticed. Since both paths met briefly on the other side, no one needed to know. Besides, she had no desire to spend the whole day with her whiny little sister. She wanted a real adventure, one that she would make on her own. It wasn't like she didn't already know enough Bible verses. She'd been in church since she was a week old and her parents were always pushing her to memorize more. She watched Chelsea, clinging to Pastor Winston's hand, following his lead. That girl had no sense. She always had to do everything right--to please everyone. Well, Sarah didn't need that. When the group was six paces ahead, she trotted off alone. A brisk wind bent the tree limbs almost to her face, but she brushed them stubbornly aside. Darkness covered the once bright path and she shivered, afraid. Turning on her heel, she looked behind her. Maybe she should go back and join the others. She took one shaky step toward the lighted, narrow path when the wind shoved her back, whipping her thin blue shirt against her body. Above her, the leaves whispered and sang like eerie music from a scary movie. Sarah's heart thumped hard. Her breath caught and she tried to cry out but the words stuck in her throat. With slow, deliberate movements, she turned to face the forest. The wind died. A deep stillness surrounded her. Terror swept through Sarah. For the briefest instant, she wished she was like Chelsea--always helpful, always listening, forever good. She should have stayed with the group. Ahead of her, amidst the sudden quiet, a cool, green light beckoned her. She shuffled forward. In a forest clearing sat a handsome young man, with dark wavy hair and neatly trimmed beard. When he smiled, his eyes sparkled like diamonds. "On your way to Treasureland, I see," the man said, his eyes drawing her closer. "I know this path well." "You do?" Sarah stuffed trembling hands into the pockets of her blue jeans. "Then maybe you can tell me how to find my friends. I'm lost." "Oh you're not lost," the man said, his teeth glistening in a broad smile. "You just took the smart, simpler way. And if you'll look to your left, you'll find all the truth nuggets you need to get into Treasureland." Sarah turned, a sense of excitement tingling her toes. She rushed over to the pile, feeling the golden smoothness beneath her fingers. "They're beautiful!" "See how easy that was?" the man said, still smiling. "Why don't you pick one up and read it." Sarah sifted through the pile and picked one of the prettiest. "The Lord helps those who help themselves." Confusion flitted through her mind. "I don't remember learning that verse in church club." "Don't you?" The man's smile grew even wider. "You must have missed that part." "I've never missed any parts. I'm there every week." Though sometimes, if she were honest, Sarah knew she didn't always enjoy going to church. "Of course you haven't." The man's eyes grew somber, as though he understood her better than she knew herself. "Maybe you haven't come to it yet." Sarah studied the man, wondering if she could trust him. Suddenly something Pastor Winston said about the Pretender came to her mind. Could these truth nuggets be lie pebbles? Could he be the Pretender? * * *
Chelsea held tight to Pastor Winston's hand, then glanced behind her. Sarah was dragging her feet again. But why wasn't she in sight? "Shouldn't we wait for Sarah to catch up, Pastor Winston? She keeps going so slow." Chelsea looked into her teacher's kind eyes as he knelt beside her. "Sarah didn't want to come today, did she?" Pastor Winston asked, little lines forming on his brow. Chelsea shook her head. "My mom made her come. She must not like adventures much." Pastor Winston pulled Chelsea onto his knee and pointed behind them. "Sarah doesn't think I saw her. She thinks she's on her own kind of adventure." "Doing what?" Chelsea asked confused. Sadness crept into Pastor Winston's blue eyes. "She entered at the wide gate when we weren't looking. When we started toward the cross, she went off on the wider road." Worry niggled at the back of Chelsea's mind. "Oh no! What will happen to her?" Pastor Winston set Chelsea on the ground and stood, patting her head. "There is a place where the two roads meet. We will find her then. Don't worry, Chelsea. God is watching over us all." He turned facing the cross again. "In the meantime, let's continue our journey, okay?" He held out his hand to her, and she took it and smiled. When the two roads met, she would make sure Sarah came with them. A few moments later they were back, walking along the rugged path. The cross stood in the distance. A wrinkled old man, stumbled toward them leaning heavily on his cane. "Headed for Treasureland, I see?" he asked in an ancient, wobbly voice. "Yes," Manuel answered. "Have you been there?" "Been seeking the path for years," the man stated, his arms shaking as he leaned harder against his cane. "But isn't this the path?" Chelsea asked. "The cross is just over that hill." "The cross?" The old man coughed, then gave a cackling laugh. "Never had much use for the cross. Works is the only way to Treasureland. Yessiree! Been working to find that path. I'll find it yet, you'll see." With that the old man turned his thin, frail body and wobbled back the way he came. "Yessiree, I'll find it yet, you'll see," they heard him mutter as his voice trailed off. "How sad," Mark said, lifting troubled eyes to Pastor Winston. "In our Bible memory book at church we learned, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.'" "What will happen to him, Pastor Winston?" Chelsea watched the man disappear behind a large group of rocks. "He believes one of the Pretender's lie pebbles. If he doesn't find the truth nuggets, which lead to Treasureland, he'll never find the cross. And without the cross of Jesus, he'll never get to Treasureland," Pastor Winston said, looking at the three children. "Will Sarah believe the Pretender, Pastor Winston?" Tears stung the back of Chelsea's throat. "Sarah already has many truth nuggets, Chelsea. She has memorized verses for years. Only she knows whether she truly believes in them," Pastor Winston said, then added. "But don't worry. God will help us find her." * * *
Back in the dark forest's clearing, the strange man reminded Sarah of a prince. He was soooo good looking! And as he stood, he held his hand out to her and smiled with warmth and kindness. "If you come with me, I'll show you how to find your friends," he promised. "We'll make it to Treasureland before they do." Sarah glanced at the threatening forest behind her and the inviting path the man pointed to. If she didn't go with him, how would she find her sister, Pastor Winston, Manuel and Mark? But if she followed him, would he take her where he said he would? Could she trust him? Continue to Chapter 2 |
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