Unspoken Words

“Hi, Elise!” called Allison. She sat waiting in the college cafeteria. Elise smiled, waved back, and made her way across the room.

Just the night before, Elise’s pastor had given a message about telling friends the gospel. Allison hadn’t been out of her mind since. Did God want her to tell Allison about her faith – the gospel?

How exactly would one tell Allison the gospel? She was popular, smart, and kind of rebellious. The last thing she would accept from a close friend was their views on religion crammed down her contented agnostic throat.

Since Elise’s freshman year of high school, she’d known Allison. They went to school and movies together and the pool in summertime. Elise figured she was a balancing influence on Allison impetuous energy. Until last night, she never thought of the fact that her friend should be way out of balance – totally on God’s side.

But anyone who knew Allison would tell you that she “knows what she wants and almost always gets it.” If she wanted to know what Elise believed, Allison would ask, or rather demand, to be told. Elise was sure of it. Until she asked, maybe Elise would just pray for her…

Chris, Elise’s coveted fiancé, urged her to talk to Allison. In a few short days, Elise would be married and there would be an uncloseable gap in their relationship. “Tell her now,” he suggested during a walk, “before she won’t listen any more.”

Already Allison was withdrawing. Sure, they’d shopped for the wedding dress together (relying on Allison’s amazing good taste) and Allison would be a bridesmaid in the ceremony. Still, there was that gap in experience. That was why Elise picked up the phone to ask her to the movie.

Allison laughed through the movie. Elise cried at the final good-bye. She could never say good-bye like that to Chris. Never!

As they drove home late that night, Elise was preoccupied with plans for her wedding. Mental check: one more bouquet of white roses for decorations. Allison had a calculus exam tomorrow before the dress rehearsal in the evening, and was going over formulas aloud as she drove. There had been no opportunity to talk about serious things.

Now, Allison fell into deep thought. Sometimes moods of reflection came upon her and Elise wondered whether her friend questioned her priorities – whether she was really as happy as she appeared. No, perhaps she was just worried about the test. Studying had never been a priority for her and she was probably pondering the consequences of failing.

Elise had smiled when Allison told her how beautiful she was in her wedding dress, but Elise was sure Allison would show her up as a bridesmaid.

Just ahead, a glaring pair of lights swept over the hill. As they neared each other, the lights swerved. Allison flinched and stomped the brake. The screech of brakes almost drowned out Allison’s screams. There was a big truck and even larger noise. Then silence.

To God be all glory.