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John Cosper, Jr. Denomination: Nondenominational Email: Send 'Thank-you' |
Synopsis: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? A non-Christian teen asks that question when his best friend, a devout believer, falls victim to cancer. As she slowly wastes away before his eyes, he repeatedly questions how God could allow his best friend to die in such a horrible way. |
| Ash | Remember our little talk about Jesus as a teenager and Jesus knowing how we feel and all that stuff? |
| Rob | Uh huh. |
| Ash | Well, you were right. All I had to do was dig for it and I'd find the answers. I was readin' the Bible last night, and I came across something that got me thinking, and I got inspired. |
| Rob | Scary. |
| Ash | Yeah. You wanna hear it? |
| Rob | Go for it. |
| Ash | "If Jesus really knows me, does he know what it's like to
be in love? Does he know what it's like... to feel your heart ripped in two? Does he know what it's like... to have a crush then be crushed? Does he know what it's like... to love some one who does not love you back? Does he know what it's like... when the one you love loves something that will break their heart-- or take them away? I don't know if Jesus ever had a crush on a girl, But something tells me He knows exactly how it feels. He feels the pain of love denied when he looks down on us. He loves the world with all his heart, yet We love other things. We'd rather search for love in girlfriends, boyfriends, money, and stuff Than to rest in the arms that are love. True Love. My Jesus knows what love is, and the pain of a broken heart. I only have to love him back, and I'll never be without Love." |
| Ash | Well? |
| Rob | It s nice. |
| Ash | Nice. Is that all you re gonna say about it? |
| Rob | Ashley, let's not go there. |
| Ash | Oh come on. You promised me we could talk about this sometime. Might as well be now. |
| Rob | Yeah, but you can't just spring it on me without warning. Tell you what, why don't we set a time to talk about it? |
| Ash | When? I ve been waiting three years already. I m running out of time. |
| Rob | Don t talk like that. I though you said no moping. |
| Ash | I m not moping. I m being realistic. This is important to me. I love you so much. You ve been my best friend as long as I can remember, and I could never repay you for all you ve done. But the one thing I can do is introduce you to the most incredible friend I ve ever known. |
| Rob | You know what I think is incredible? Why would a "loving" God allow a teenage girl, my best friend, to die? What possible reason could he have for taking you away? What did you do to deserve all this? |
| Ash | Nothing. Robby, if I knew why this was happening, I would tell you, but God doesn t allow us to see that far ahead. Every morning, I pray for a donor. Every night, I go to bed still praying. Maybe tomorrow it will happen. Maybe tomorrow...maybe I won t be here. |
| Rob | Ashley, please don t say that. |
| Ash | I m not dead yet, but whether I live or not, everything will work out according to God s will. |
| Rob | You really believe that? |
| Ash | Yes I do. |
| Rob | You really believe a loving God can exist in a world filled with sickness and death? |
| Ash | Robby, there is no way I would have the strength to keep going day by day without a loving God by my side. He doesn t always show us a reason why, but his love is always behind it. That s why I wrote that poem. That s why I think he is so incredible. |
| Rob | Look, I m really not ready to talk about this. |
| (Ashley turns, upset.) | |
| Ash | Robby-- |
| Rob | How 'bout Sunday? I'll come up bright and early Sunday morning and you can give me a sermon. How's that? |
| Ash | Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you. |
| Rob | Because I'm so cute and adorable. |
| Ash | (beat) No, but you have a great sense of humor. |
| Rob | (playing mad) Excuse me? Are you suggesting I'm not cute and adorable? |
| Ash | There s no suggestion about it. I'm bluntly saying you're not cute and adorable. |
| Rob | You wanna fight about it? |
| Ash | You don't want a piece of me. |
| (Robby pokes her in the side to tickle her. She jumps away.) | |
| Ash | Don't do that again! |
| (Robby reaches to tickle her. Ashley turns to him and tickles back. Robby lets go and falls off the bed trying to escape. She picks up his poem and stands on the bed.) | |
| Ash | "Oh pizza girl! Oh, wow! Oh, ppppphhhhhttttpppppttttt!!!!!" |
| Rob | Give it back! |
| Ash | Do you have another copy of this poem? |
| Rob | Yeah. |
| Ash | Good. Then I can use this one to show you what I think of your girlfriend! |
| (Ashley starts to crumble up the poem slowly.) | |
| Rob | Don't you dare! Give it to me! |
| Ash | Come and get it. |
| (Robby chases her over the bed and across the room. She slam dunks the poem into the garbage can, cheering. Robby picks her up from behind, spins her around and sets her down away from the garbage. He digs his poem out of the trAsh. Ashley suddenly stops laughing, holds her side, and collapses.) | |
| Ash | (scared) Robby! |
| (Robby drops the poem back in the can and drops to the ground and holds her.) | |
| Rob | (nervous) Ashley? Oh my gosh, what did I do? |
| Ash | Nothing. |
| Rob | Ashley, I'm so sorry! |
| Ash | It's okay. Just call the nurse. |
| Rob | Okay. |
| (Robby turns to leave the room.) | |
| Ash | Don't leave me! Hit the call button on the phone. |
| Rob | Okay. |
| (Robby hits the button on the phone, then kneels back beside Ashley.) | |
| Rob | Come on, let's get you back into the bed. |
| Ash | (pause, looks into his eyes) Robby... I'm scared. |
| (Blackout. Recording of Ashley's narration starts.) | |
| Ash |
Ashley's pain was growing worse. She spent the next few weeks in intensive care with no visitors. She prayed every day for Robby and for herself. Robby called a week after Ashley went into intensive care, and to Ashley's surprise, he apologized for cutting off her conversation about God. He still had a lot of questions, but he was ready to listen... |
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