Love Me Tender

By C.L. Leon

Sydney Bishop hated all men and she had only one purpose in life: get her own back at them for what they had done to her. She had given all her heart to a man who had only used her as a prostitute then had discarded her like she was nothing. Then she met one man who changed her life forever, Eric Jordan. He came into her life and broke down the fortress she had built around herself. She began to feel rather vulnerable and she hated him for that. She had set out to hurt and destroy him from day one but his gentleness and love had penetrated her soul and now she was married to him. They were both Christians now, but will she keep the faith and allow God to change her heart of stone and give her a heart of flesh so she can love her husband or will she give up and really destroy him as she had planned?

• Language: English
• Publisher: C.L. Leon
• Release date: Oct 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466105706

C.L. Leon

C.L. Leon is a Christian, wife and mother. She loves reading and writing and listening to gospel music. She is a fun loving and open person who is always looking for new adventures and opportunities to learn something new.

Book preview

Sydney Bishop had loved only one man in her life, or so she thought. She had met Henry at the young age of eighteen and he was already twice her age then. They had a son together, but when she had told him about her pregnancy, he had just left her without any explanation at all. He had used her and now he had discarded her like she was an old piece of rag. She had built a fortress around her then and had sworn that she would never love again or let another man get too close to her. She felt she had been hurt one too many times. But now, years after Henry had destroyed her self esteem, she had met Eric Jordan. He was the complete opposite of Henry and he had shown her his love and gentleness from day one. He had managed to break down her walls and now she was married to him. But can she ever love him as much as she had loved Henry? Can she ever forget Henry and look forward to a bright future with her husband? Or will the love she still feel for Henry finally destroy her marriage?

This is the true story of a woman who had been hurt too many times by men and she carried a grudge and bitterness towards them. All she wanted now was to hurt and get her own back at men. Find out how God turned her hatred to love through one man and how He made her into a virtuous and loving woman.

LOVE ME TENDER

BASED ON TRUE EVENTS

Published by C.L Leon at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 C.L. Leon

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

DEDICATION

First of all I want to thank God for leading me and guiding me through this work and for making it possible.

Secondly I would like to issue a big thank you to my husband and son for their support both physically and emotionally.

Last but not least, I want to thank my pastor and brethren for their prayers and encouragement

This book is also dedicated to all those who hurt and hunger for the truth and are searching for true love. I want you all to know that it is only in Jesus Christ that you can find that true and unconditional love.

DISCLAIMER

This is a non-fiction work based on a true story. The names of the characters have been changed to protect their privacy. Any resemblance to anyone dead or alive is purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1- The Encounter

Chapter 2- The Weekend

Chapter 3- A new Beginning

Chapter 4- The First Attack

Chapter 5- The Second Attack

Chapter 6- The Separation

Chapter 7- The Visions

Chapter 8- Deliverance and Restoration

Chapter 9- Trials by Fire and God’s Gifts

Chapter 10- Journey into Exile

Epilogue

About The Author

PROLOGUE

Sydney Bishop was a young woman who had everything going for her. She had grown up in a church loving family, but left God to face the world on her own when she was only sixteen years old. Now at the age of twenty eight, she was back in church serving God; but she still felt like something was missing in her life. People around her were getting married all the time, others were dating, but here she was, a single mother trying to cope with this life on her own. She needed someone to hold her and tell her that he loved her, someone she could depend on, and who would give her a shoulder to cry on when she needed one. In her mind, she was thinking that none of the men in her church would ever think of going out with her let alone marry her, for most of them knew what she had been through and what she had done in her backslidden years, but she still kept her faith that one day God himself would bring someone in her life who would love and cherish her for who she is. But little did she know that when God would bring along the right husband for her, the devil would also come along to try his best to separate them. But the Bible says: Therefore what God has joined together let not man separate. Mark 10:9 (NKJV)

CHAPTER 1:

THE ENCOUNTER

Sydney sat at home alone looking through the newspapers trying to find a job. She had bills to pay and a five year old son to feed. She was now a single mother and had no one to turn to except God himself. She desperately needed to find a job otherwise all hell would break loose in her life. Just a few years before, she thought that she had a great life. She had met this guy when she was only eighteen years old, and who was already twice her age. She fell in love with him straight away and she felt happy and they were having fun together. She got pregnant when she was nineteen and a half years old and to her dismay, her boyfriend left her as soon as he heard she was pregnant. He did not want to have anything to do with her or the child for that matter. He even told her that the baby was not his. During those times in her life, she never once gave any thought of going back to church. She was a Pastor’s daughter and she felt like she had been sheltered all her life growing up in church, but now that she was free from all that, she felt that she would never go back there again. Church had long since become a boring place to her. She was now in the world having fun, had a great boyfriend and loads of friends, was drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes together and so she thought that she was happy enough. But now, all of a sudden, her life has taken a drastic turn. She was pregnant, alone in the world, no boyfriend, no friends and a baby to raise up. She started to think of God once again. And so she had finally made a decision to go back to church and ask God for forgiveness and she had surrendered her life back to Him in the hope that God would help her out and things would get better for her. But even if she had done all that, she still was not one hundred percent committed to God. She was still drinking and smoking, and she had one foot in the church and the other one out in the world.

As she was browsing the paper that day, she suddenly noticed and advertisement that caught her eye. A company was looking for customer advisers and she quickly took the details and made a note to go into the city the next day to apply for the post. In her heart she was hoping against all odds that she might get selected for the job because she was desperate to have one at the moment. She went to bed that night hoping for the best. The next morning, which was a Tuesday, she took the bus into the city to go and apply for the job. As she arrived at the building she said a quiet prayer under her breath asking God to help her get that job. She pushed open the doors and walked over to the reception area to have a word with the receptionist who looked like she was having a bad day already.

Good morning. She said to the receptionist. I was hoping you can help me.

What can I do for you miss? replied the receptionist.

I saw a vacancy for the post of customer adviser and I am here to fill in an application form please

Well, I’m sorry but that vacancy closed yesterday. You are too late to fill in a form now.

Oh, but is there anything else I can do about it please. Isn’t there someone I can talk to about it? Can’t I at least just fill in a form and leave it with you?

Like I said miss, the vacancy is closed and there is nothing you or I can do about it now. You should have come in yesterday instead of today. The receptionist said to her.

Well, thank you anyway. Goodbye. She replied

Goodbye.

She left the building feeling defeated. She had such hopes on this one. She had been trying to find a job now for the past two months and since then she had been unlucky. She’s been to several interviews but still nothing. She felt like her whole world was crashing down on her. Even if she had come back to God, things were no different in her life. She was still struggling to make ends meet. She never once realized that the fact that she was not really serious in her faith was the real reason why she was struggling so much. She was simply not trusting in God to meet all her needs. Now she felt more deflated as she walked away from that building. As she was making her way to catch the bus back home, she met a friend who attended her daddy’s church. They started talking and she told him that she was trying desperately to find a job but so far she had not succeeded in getting one. Since he worked in the same company where she had just been trying to fill in a job application she told him what she had just gone through. She was on the verge of tears as she was telling him her situation. He was very attentive and after she had calmed down, he tried to encourage her to keep trying.

Listen, he said to her, I know that life can be very hard when you don’t have a job; but you know what, God is always looking down and taking care of us in many ways we don’t even imagine. Take my advice, go back in there and ask the receptionist if you can have an appointment to see the Personnel Manager of the company. When you do get to see him, explain your situation to him and maybe he can help you out. Also I will try to see if I can talk to him and I will mention your name.

What can he do for me now, she said, The vacancy is closed already. I might as well forget about it. The receptionist said that there is nothing anyone can do about it now. But thanks for your help anyway. It was nice seeing you again. I have to go now, say hello to your family for me. Bye

She walked away thinking about what her friend had told her. She got on the bus and took a window seat. As she sat there, she started to go over the events of the morning in her mind.

What’s the point of talking to the Personnel Manager anyway, she thought. I bet he is just going to tell me the same thing that receptionist told me.

That whole afternoon, she could not take her mind off what her friend had told her. She kept thinking about it even through the night. The words go see the personnel manager were echoing in her mind and she could not get any sleep. It was only after she made a mental note to go see him the next day that she finally was able to get some sleep. The next morning, after dropping her son off at school, she took the bus back into the city. Once there she went again to the office building. As she pushed open the doors and walked in, the receptionist gave her a disapproving look, as if to say what in the world is that woman doing here again? I hope she did not come to talk about getting the job again.

Good morning, she said to the receptionist, Will it be possible for me to see the Personnel Manager please?

Excuse me miss, replied the receptionist, Is it about the job opening again? Because if it is, I already told you yesterday that it is closed.

No, it is not about that. It is about something else altogether. She lied. Will it be possible for me to see him today or not?

Do you have an appointment?

No I don’t, but I can always book one if I have to can’t I?

Wait here and I will see if he can see you today or not.

The receptionist went off in search of the Personnel Manager. As she sat down in the waiting area she felt that she had already been put in the receptionist’s black book. She knew from the way she talked to her that she did not like her and she also thought that well I don’t like her either. After all I am not here for her am I?

A few minutes later, she came back and told Sydney that the Personnel manager would see her then. She showed her to his secretary who told her to wait as he was seeing someone already. As she sat down, her hands were sweating and her heart was pounding. What if he told her that he could not do anything for her since the vacancy is closed? What if he sends her home without even giving her a chance to explain herself? Anyway, since she was there already she might as well see him even if she wanted to run out of there faster than she came in. She was saying a silent prayer when the secretary told her that the Personnel Manager will see her now. She took a deep breath and walked over to his door. She knocked and she heard a voice telling her to come in. As she opened the door, her heart was beating in her mouth. She had never been so scared like that before. She did not even know why she was afraid anyway. When she walked in, the Personnel Manager was sitting at his desk writing, but when he looked up and saw her, he just dropped his pen on the table and stared at her open mouthed. She panicked for a few seconds wondering why he was looking at her like that. Her mind was racing, she was thinking that she must have done something wrong already and he was going to tell her to leave his office immediately before even hearing what she had come to say to him. But to her amazement, he invited her in and told her to sit down.

Good morning, he said. I’m Eric Jordan, how can I help you today miss?

Good morning, my name is Sydney Bishop and I have come to talk to you about a job. She replied

Which job are you talking about?

"I saw an advertisement for customer advisers in the paper the other day and I came down yesterday to fill in a form but the receptionist told me that the vacancy was closed already, so a friend told me to come and see you and try to