THE LAST PIECE ( SWC)

It was more than a decade of imprisonment. He was jailed in the most unexpected cell of all, his own body. A boy is a prisoner.
Time flies so fast. Almost everything around him has changed... his home... his family...his friends...the mere place where he lives in and everything. All have progressed except him. In the contrary., he is getting worse every single day. He is in serious pain: the pain of body, the pain of mind and pain of heart.
His playmates and siblings are now having lives of their own, raising their own family. He often hears stories from his friends---achieving here, achieving there. He was once a dreamer and also an achiever but now all of those are long-time bed memories.
There are times the boy can't sleep. Either he shivers in the night because of his multiple diseases or he wakes up because of the haunting spirit of despair. In the middle of the darkness, while gasping for breath without anyone, not even a mother or a father to give solace, he feels so alone. Teary eyed he often asked God why such things has to happen to him not just tonight but for the longest time. The truth and issue of being unproductive make him feel so useless. His existence is totally meaningless. He was eaten by depression, rotten by self-pity, enveloped with anger... failure reigns.
Memories after memories keep taunting him. Words like of a tri-edged dagger relentlessly whisper in his ears wounding his soul.
On the verge of hopelessness, he committed suicide of many attempts but didn't succeed. The darkness of the night was even tainted with black because of confusion. The silence of the room was so ear piercing that he can't hear anything else but, "I'm tired".
While his pillows are so wet because of continuous weeping he does his best to go back to sleep though it is so hard... though it seems impossible.
However, one night the boy had a dream. He is in their old home where he painted all of his broken dreams. He was as if solving a puzzle. Each piece has a name on it. When he almost finished the puzzle resemble a replica of a familiar person. The last piece was shaped like a heart and must be placed on the chest of the seemingly human shaped puzzle.There was a beautiful name engraved on it. When he put the last piece in the designated place the statue went to live. It was no one else but Jesus! He hugged the boy so tight...so endearing that all the pain simply melted away. Jesus stretched his arms so the boy may see what is happening beyond his back. There where other statues being solved by angels. He also saw the beautiful name engraved on the last piece of Jesus holding a place on each and every statue. Once the last piece is incorporated into the puzzle all of it came to life and form familiar people of his life. However, there where also faces he could not even recognize but he knows in his heart he met those faces before.
In the darkness of the night, he woke up wet with tears. But, this time he felt comforted and not alone. No amount of words could ever explain what he felt but some things are clear. His smile is counted. His presence matters. Furthermore, there are still people who look up to him as their strength and inspiration. Everything turned the other way around. He saw hope amid the darkness. In the silence of the room, he felt an unconditional love. At the brink of loneliness, he found peace. He knelt and submit himself to the divine will.
So if ever you feel you are worthless...if ever you believe you are of no good...if ever you perceive you are burdened with pain and you can't go on anymore... continue the journey! Remember the one who never seizes to love. He will give you rest. As a bible verse says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls", Matthew 11:28-29
It doesn't matter what the world command in the midst of noise and haste, to Him you have a great meaning. Though at this moment you don't know why miserable things happen, to Him you are priceless. How perplexing the purpose of your sufferings are, to Him you are of enormous importance. You are not a mistake. You are not unwanted. You have the right to be here no less than the famous and the rich, the sand and the stars, the sea and the sky. You are here for a great reason, for a great purpose.
If ever one night you wake up gasping for breath alone in the silence of the dark maybe it is God's way of saying. "Be not afraid. I am just here for you". I know it because it was my last name engraved on the last piece. I was the boy.

Sincerely Yours,
Rafael

As I submit this Spiritual Awakening story of mine which happened many years ago I would to leave another Bible verse which comforts me so much whenever I get tired of living a life with a rare disease. " Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. After this divine moment, I didn't know where I got the courage and wisdom to face my trials in life. It was a working process for me to finally accept my disability to the point that I am living the utmost of my condition now. As of now, it is still a work in progress on a day to day basis. I hope that my story can be a source of strength and inspiration to others upon reading it. Thank you, Sir @jerrybanfiled for this wonderful opportunity. God Bless all of us.