Spiritual Networking

Spiritual Networking - Chapter 7

Chapter 7


Thursday night was Virtual Home Group night and Paul was excited. Millie had promised to attend, and he wanted to see her interact with the group. The home group generally started with Paul leading the discussion, but eventually things would break off and people would stay in the large group and chat, or move into smaller groups to have small group conversations.

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
When u give God everything
u have nothing 2 lose
but, when u hold on 2 everything
and don’t surrender 2 his will
u risk losing everything
when u micromanage God,
and only give him control over
this or that or a part of ur life, and u say
‘Well God, u can have this, but don’t touch that!’
u are putting a limit on what God wants 2 do in ur life
but surrendering everything 2 God,
letting Him rule in all parts of ur life,
then u will be amazed at what God will do

RealityCheck:
deep dude

WickedWarrior:
i like that part about giving God everything
u have nothin’ to lose

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
it is true
giving God everything
we also give him our
worries
problems
fears
giving him the chance 2
move mountains
help us overcome
work miracles
n our lives

SongBird213:
this is a gr8 topic
i try 2 give him everything
but it is so hard
not to pick it back up

Goldielocks:
it’s like we don’t trust him
2 do what is best
Lord here is my problem
but if it is not fixed by tomorrow
i will take it back

FinallyFree:
i <3 god
but it is hard 4 me
2 believe he will take care
of the little things

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
FF why do u think that?

FinallyFree:
He has bigger things than my bills
or figuring a way to get family
2 get along

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
but what the bible says
he knows the # of hairs on my head
he knows the plans he has 4 us
and if he watches the smallest of animals
how much more does he care
about the lives of his children?

Millie had remained quiet. She watched the conversations and observed the interaction between the regulars in the group. Suddenly, she had a private instant message  

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him > MilliVanilli:
u OK?

MilliVanilli > HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
yeah

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him > MilliVanilli:
just quiet

MilliVanilli > HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
just watching
taking it all in

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him > MilliVanilli:
if you have ??
jump in or we can chat l8r

MilliVanilli > HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
:-)
thanks 4 understanding

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him > MilliVanilli:
anytime
:-)


The conversations continued and within an hour people started signing off to go back to their lives.


Millie battled with herself. She wanted to tell Paul that they lived close to each other, but a part of her knew that telling him would not change anything and only make him want to meet her in person. For weeks she would sway one way and then another. One part wanted to tell him, and wanted to meet him, and yet another very strong part of her wanted to keep what she knew to herself.

Paul was winning her over, moment by moment and chat by chat. She could tell that her wall was crumbling. However, she still could not go out during the daytime. She continued to stream his church services and watch Paul and listen to Pastor Davis’ sermons. After he found out she was streaming the service he told her one night as they watched one of the previous services together who some of the people were that belonged to the Virtual Home Group.

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
c that small kid
he’s about 20

MilliVanilli:
the 1 that has the tattoos?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
lol
yeah
that is WickedWarrior
he started coming to church after he

stumbled into a Virtual Bible Study

MilliVanilli:
that is WW?
wow - would have never guessed

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
i know
c that lady with the brown hair?
the 1 with her hands raised?

MilliVanilli:
yeah

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
that is goldielocks

MilliVanilli:
but her hair is brown

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
just goes to show u can’t always believe
everything on the net

MilliVanilli:
who is the girl that leads music?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
lol
that is Sydney
she is not in our Virtual Bible Study

MilliVanilli:
oh?
i thought she was songbird213

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
lol
songbird lives in arkansas
syd hates technology
u have no idea how many times she would call
me in college and it was an easy fix
like the power strip was kicked off
or something came unplugged

MilliVanilli:
LOL
ROFL
u r an idiot!!

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
what?
y?

MilliVanilli:
she liked u
dork

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
y am i a dork?

MilliVanilli:
she likes u
or at least in college
but i would bet she still does

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
u would lose

MilliVanilli:
y r u so sure?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
bcause she is like my sister

MilliVanilli:
oh is that what she is saying?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
no
we went out a while back and it was just weird
remember i told u about the date and kiss

MilliVanilli:
oh thats her? shes cute

so u admit she had a crush on u

did u have 1 on her?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
she admitted to the crush
no i only saw her as a friend

MilliVanilli:
and where r u now?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
in my apartment

MilliVanilli:
LOL
no silly
N the relationship?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
friends
co-workers
just good friends
y?

MilliVanilli:
y what?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
y all the ??s about sydney

MilliVanilli:
just chatting
making convo

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
ok
what about u?

MilliVanilli:
me what?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
ur last date?

MilliVanilli:
LOL
2 long ago

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
when?

MilliVanilli:
i think i was still in college

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
was it a serious boyfriend?

MilliVanilli:
LOL
no
let’s see, he took me bowling and to the Varsity

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
THE VARSITY?
In Atlanta????

MilliVanilli:
yes
went to college there

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
really?
i live in ATL

MilliVanilli:
i know MR i put everything on the web!!

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
lol

why not?

MilliVanilli:
oh i can think of a ton of reasons
identity theft
freaks who stalk u

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
true
all true
but with my job i have to be out there some
plus...u r not a freak!

MilliVanilli:
darlin’
i am queen of the freaks

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
u sound like sydney w/warnings

MilliVanilli:
y?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
nothin
never mind

MilliVanilli:
u know
u have to tell me now

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
mil, please

MilliVanilli:
let me guess
she warned u
about me

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
im sorry
i told her u were not like that

MilliVanilli:
i don’t blame her
if u were my friend i would do it 2
u don’t know me

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
have u lied 2 me

MilliVanilli:
no

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
then i know u



Even though Millie knew she needed to tell him how close they lived. Something kept holding her back...fear. She knew she was falling for Paul, they had been chatting now for almost a year. But she also knew that he would never be happy with someone who lived in a studio apartment and was afraid to go outside. Someone who was frightened to be around other people.




One afternoon, Paul rushed home and logged on his computer. He knew it wasn’t their normal chat time and that Millie was probably working, but took the risk to find her online. He had exciting news and she was the first person he wanted to tell.

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
guess what?

MilliVanilli:
u won the lotto?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
no

MilliVanilli:
u won tickets on a space ship?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
lol
no

MilliVanilli:
u r getting married??

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
NO!!
not yet anyway
:-)

MilliVanilli:
tease
how many times do i guess?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
not sure
kind of enjoying this

MilliVanilli:
u want me to keep going?
this could get embarassing
4 u

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
really?

MilliVanilli:
u found out u were born a girl?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
NO!!!
OK OK
I am preaching next Sunday

MilliVanilli:
that is great
i guess u want 2 do that

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
i love sharing God’s word
but i love what i do now too
reaching people that don’t walk in the door
that might not see God on the Internet
i want to be His voice

MilliVanilli:
u r
:-)
i wish i could b there
2 watch

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
me too
i would love 4 u to b here
but we can watch it 2gether after

MilliVanilli:
sounds like a date



More than anything Millie wished she was able to go and support Paul. He had supported her so many times online. But fear kept her from telling him she lived so close to him. Five different times she typed what she longed to tell him. Yet, each time she deleted it without sending.


MilliVanilli:
so what will u preach on?

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
not sure yet
will pray about it

MilliVanilli:
i will pray 4 u

HeDied4Me-ILive4Him:
:-)