He Followed Jesus... Into My Bed (PART 1, read this First!)
CHAPTER 1
It started like any other chilly autumn day in Bethany, the humdrum Israel town where I live. I was at the water hole filling up buckets of water for the week to come. I knew that the week's housework would require at least a dozen buckets, but by bucket #8 I was exhausted and decided to stop at 10. I sighed silently as I lifted the last bucket and prepared for my weekly walk past the leafy, shade-providing maple tree where Bethany's young men and women stopped to gossip, flirt and show off their best finery. As always, I wished for a fleeting moment that I was Mary, my sister, instead of plain old boring Martha.
As sisters, Mary and I looked pretty similar as far as physical features. We both had straight, dark brown hair, chocolatey brown eyes and sleek, slender builds. But when it came to our clothing and personality, you would never know we were sisters! Where Mary wore her hair down in fluffed, curly locks, I had a practical, no-nonsense ponytail (perfect for scrubbing toilets and cooking motsa ball soup for one while Mary went out all night partying!). Speaking of partying, Mary's liked to show her outgoing personality by blowing all of her gold on elaborate robes, burqas and sarongs designed to accentuate her... ahem... feminine side. Being "Responsible Martha" was a full-time job, and an expensive one at that, so my appearance was a little less costly and a lot less flashy: today, for example, I was wearing a calf-length burgundy dress with a simple olive bodice thats restricting fit didn't do much for my already-petite bust. A morning of hard work had my hair coming loose in my face and my cheeks rosy. No one ever noticed me or stopped me to talk as I walked past the Old Maple, though it sometimes bothered me, I couldn't really blame them. I didn't look like as much fun as my wild sister!
Suddenly, as I struggled to lug the full buckets past the bustling shade of the maple tree, I heard a familiar voice. Before I could even think, I turned my head to see John the Apostle standing and laughing with his friends not 5 yards away from me! I hadn't heard from any of the Apostles in over a year, and after Jesus Christ's miraculous resurrection 3 months ago, I had heard that they had all been touring all sorts of exotic places to spread the good news of the gospel... yet here was John, under the maple tree in dull little Bethany, just the way I remembered him! I picked him out of the crowd of guys immediately by his boyish, wind-tousled blond hair and the strong, angular features of his face relaxed in a laugh. He had always been my favorite Apostle, but I didn't notice myself staring at him until he suddenly looked my way! I immediately glanced the other direction and began back up the steep, rocky path... but behind me I heard John walked up to me, pebbles scraping beneath his sandals. Not only had he seen me, but he wanted to talk to me? I pretended not to notice the sound and waited for him to catch up. My stomach did a somersault andmy heart pounded like a hammer behind my tight bodice, but I refused to let it show.
"Martha!" John finally called. I casually dropped the sloshing buckets and turned around, expecting a casual hello, when John's eyes met mine and with a charming grin he wrapped his lean, lightly muscled arms around my arms and shoulders! John's touch and the feel of my lacey top gliding over my flesh sent a jolt of electricity through my body... ALL through my body... but I choked the feeling back and reminded myself that our relationship was only platonic. I knew God's teaching that there was only one man meant for every woman, and that only the Holy Spirit could tell me who he was, but that couldn't be the sharp, hot feeling passing over my face and between my thighs... could it? I hugged him back daintily, the way a friend would expect to be hugged.
"John," I put forth demurely, looking sideways. "What might bring the great travelling Apostle back to liven up our day in this dull little forest town?"
"Even a globe-trotting apostle can take a week out of fighting the good fight to 'liven up' the day of a cherished bosom companion, can't he, Miss Martha?" he said, calling me by his old nickname for me, "Besides, there's just as much of God's work to do here as anywhere else, so I thought I'd just as well be in good company while I do it and pick a spot where I know there's good conversation to be had." His good-natured smile was infectious and I couldn't help but simper back.
"Well, I don't have much to offer you, but if you came in search of conversation and a sound meal, I do suppose I'm obliged not to dissapoint you, John John" I said, using the nickname that I'd picked out for him long ago. Did I dare touch him, even casually? I knew I shouldn't, and I was afraid of letting on about the way I felt, but I couldn't resist. I playfully touched his hand and ran my finger briefly from his middle fingertip all the way up the smooth flesh of his forearm. "Do come to dinner tonight. You can tell me all about the things you've seen since the last time I saw you; I'll make that Roman pasta dish you love so much."
John's sensitive eyes locked onto mine as determinedly as a wild tiger chasing a rabbit. "I'd love to come," he said, "But we just may end up speaking about...... other things." Involuntarily, my lips parted in sheer awe of his sensual intensity. "I'll see you tonight," he said, touching me lightly on the arm with those powerful electric fingertips. John walked away, waving informally at me over his shoulder and returning to his friends, who had by now resumed their conversation. Not wanting to stick around in case I become the subject of their conversation -- dare to hope! -- I hurried away with my heavy buckets and began mentally preparing tonight's crucial dinner. Maybe it was then that I decided I would become more than friends with John, even though I didn't know it yet. Just looking at the way he walked, at his blushing lips as he smiled at me, I knew that God had chosen him to fill my hungry womb for the first time. But that was for later. Right now there was a dinner to plan!
It started like any other chilly autumn day in Bethany, the humdrum Israel town where I live. I was at the water hole filling up buckets of water for the week to come. I knew that the week's housework would require at least a dozen buckets, but by bucket #8 I was exhausted and decided to stop at 10. I sighed silently as I lifted the last bucket and prepared for my weekly walk past the leafy, shade-providing maple tree where Bethany's young men and women stopped to gossip, flirt and show off their best finery. As always, I wished for a fleeting moment that I was Mary, my sister, instead of plain old boring Martha.
As sisters, Mary and I looked pretty similar as far as physical features. We both had straight, dark brown hair, chocolatey brown eyes and sleek, slender builds. But when it came to our clothing and personality, you would never know we were sisters! Where Mary wore her hair down in fluffed, curly locks, I had a practical, no-nonsense ponytail (perfect for scrubbing toilets and cooking motsa ball soup for one while Mary went out all night partying!). Speaking of partying, Mary's liked to show her outgoing personality by blowing all of her gold on elaborate robes, burqas and sarongs designed to accentuate her... ahem... feminine side. Being "Responsible Martha" was a full-time job, and an expensive one at that, so my appearance was a little less costly and a lot less flashy: today, for example, I was wearing a calf-length burgundy dress with a simple olive bodice thats restricting fit didn't do much for my already-petite bust. A morning of hard work had my hair coming loose in my face and my cheeks rosy. No one ever noticed me or stopped me to talk as I walked past the Old Maple, though it sometimes bothered me, I couldn't really blame them. I didn't look like as much fun as my wild sister!
Suddenly, as I struggled to lug the full buckets past the bustling shade of the maple tree, I heard a familiar voice. Before I could even think, I turned my head to see John the Apostle standing and laughing with his friends not 5 yards away from me! I hadn't heard from any of the Apostles in over a year, and after Jesus Christ's miraculous resurrection 3 months ago, I had heard that they had all been touring all sorts of exotic places to spread the good news of the gospel... yet here was John, under the maple tree in dull little Bethany, just the way I remembered him! I picked him out of the crowd of guys immediately by his boyish, wind-tousled blond hair and the strong, angular features of his face relaxed in a laugh. He had always been my favorite Apostle, but I didn't notice myself staring at him until he suddenly looked my way! I immediately glanced the other direction and began back up the steep, rocky path... but behind me I heard John walked up to me, pebbles scraping beneath his sandals. Not only had he seen me, but he wanted to talk to me? I pretended not to notice the sound and waited for him to catch up. My stomach did a somersault andmy heart pounded like a hammer behind my tight bodice, but I refused to let it show.
"Martha!" John finally called. I casually dropped the sloshing buckets and turned around, expecting a casual hello, when John's eyes met mine and with a charming grin he wrapped his lean, lightly muscled arms around my arms and shoulders! John's touch and the feel of my lacey top gliding over my flesh sent a jolt of electricity through my body... ALL through my body... but I choked the feeling back and reminded myself that our relationship was only platonic. I knew God's teaching that there was only one man meant for every woman, and that only the Holy Spirit could tell me who he was, but that couldn't be the sharp, hot feeling passing over my face and between my thighs... could it? I hugged him back daintily, the way a friend would expect to be hugged.
"John," I put forth demurely, looking sideways. "What might bring the great travelling Apostle back to liven up our day in this dull little forest town?"
"Even a globe-trotting apostle can take a week out of fighting the good fight to 'liven up' the day of a cherished bosom companion, can't he, Miss Martha?" he said, calling me by his old nickname for me, "Besides, there's just as much of God's work to do here as anywhere else, so I thought I'd just as well be in good company while I do it and pick a spot where I know there's good conversation to be had." His good-natured smile was infectious and I couldn't help but simper back.
"Well, I don't have much to offer you, but if you came in search of conversation and a sound meal, I do suppose I'm obliged not to dissapoint you, John John" I said, using the nickname that I'd picked out for him long ago. Did I dare touch him, even casually? I knew I shouldn't, and I was afraid of letting on about the way I felt, but I couldn't resist. I playfully touched his hand and ran my finger briefly from his middle fingertip all the way up the smooth flesh of his forearm. "Do come to dinner tonight. You can tell me all about the things you've seen since the last time I saw you; I'll make that Roman pasta dish you love so much."
John's sensitive eyes locked onto mine as determinedly as a wild tiger chasing a rabbit. "I'd love to come," he said, "But we just may end up speaking about...... other things." Involuntarily, my lips parted in sheer awe of his sensual intensity. "I'll see you tonight," he said, touching me lightly on the arm with those powerful electric fingertips. John walked away, waving informally at me over his shoulder and returning to his friends, who had by now resumed their conversation. Not wanting to stick around in case I become the subject of their conversation -- dare to hope! -- I hurried away with my heavy buckets and began mentally preparing tonight's crucial dinner. Maybe it was then that I decided I would become more than friends with John, even though I didn't know it yet. Just looking at the way he walked, at his blushing lips as he smiled at me, I knew that God had chosen him to fill my hungry womb for the first time. But that was for later. Right now there was a dinner to plan!