Abel

By D.B. Riley

This is the story of Abel Myers, an award winning journalist, who is on a quest to become sober. Not only is he fighting the disease of being an alcoholic he is also trying to resurrect his writing career. After bantering with his editor, Abel settles on writing an article about a traveling evangelist. This encounter challenges Abel to re-evaluate his own faith walk.
In the story Abel, alcohol is emblematic of any sin that prevents us from experiencing God in His fullness. Examples of these sins are many: anger, fear, jealousy, cravings, addiction, or judgment of others, un-confessed sin and so on. These sins stand between us and God; blocking us from the beauty and fullness of His love.
Sadly, we are much like Abel when it comes to confessing our relationship to a sinful habit. We are prone to think that it is a manageable thing. In fact, we most often refuse to acknowledge that we are sinful at all. Join Abel as he struggles to become both sober and saved, and he does it not a minute too late. As he will soon find out, time is not on his side.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781463432881

D.B. Riley

D.B. Riley is the author of two Christian fiction novels, Eye For An Eye and Abel. He is currently working on his third novel, Tobias. D.B. served as an officer in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of The Divinity School, Duke University, where he earned a Masters of Religious Education. He completed his doctoral studies in the field of Adult Education at North Carolina State University. He has worked as a newspaper columnist, in the funeral industry, as a hospital chaplain and as a metal sculptor. His life experiences combined with his own struggle with a debilitating chronic disease have allowed him to fully understand the emotions and circumstances related to suffering and loss. In 2003 he was diagnosed with a chronic disease that has stricken his mobility. With his unwavering faith in Christ and the steadfast love of his wife, he has managed to continue to fight the good fight. It has not always been easy. Having a diseased body does make for times of difficulty. D.B. has had to remind himself more than once that being created in the image of God has nothing to do with his physical body. Drawing from these experiences he continues with his writing where he develops characters, ensuing dialogue and storyline that can be painfully real and joyfully helpful. To find out more about him please visit www.DBRileybooks.com.

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© 2011 D.B. RILEY. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 8/10/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4634-3288-1 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4634-3289-8 (sc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011911120

Printed in the United States of America

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

All quotes from the Bible are from the: New International Version, © 2002, by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Cover photo by Benton Henry, taken of the author in his handcrafted wooden canoe.

www.bentonhenry.com

Contents

Author’s note

Dedicated to:

Thanks and Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Author’s note

It is my understanding, as both an author and a reader, that Christian fiction should do more than offer stories of make believe or fantasy. Christian fiction should also exercise a caution that is tempered by reverence not to be too frivolous with the Word of God. That is, Christian fiction that bends and twist the gospel yet still claims to be the Word of God should be avoided. Nobody can speak for God except God. Any story that takes the Word of God and attempts to inject it into a tale of mystical or fantastic elements should be cataloged in the realm of science fiction and not Christian fiction.

The narrative and the characters of Christian fiction should be based on situations that the reader can relate to and identify with. Christian fiction should be composed of plausible stories that deal with the difficulties of being a professing and practicing Christian in a world that tends to be hard and unforgiving. These stories should contain characters that are caught in circumstances that are ripe with opportunities for faith filled decisions. The stories written as Christian fiction should do more than entertain the reader they should also offer the reader with opportunities for growth and maturity.

It is my intention that the characters and circumstances found in the story Abel are as real as they are readable. As the characters are confronted with tragic circumstances the reader can immediately relate to the range of emotions that arise. It is quickly learned that professing to be a Christian is easy, but practicing being a Christian can be difficult; especially in the midst of crisis.

Although you may not be battling an addiction to alcohol it is certain that there is an addiction to some form of sin in your life. That is to say, quite often we develop habits and tendencies that stand between us and God. For Abel it was an addiction to alcohol that stood in the way. His addiction did not start off as a fully formed thing; it began one drink at a time until it was formed. Then his addiction, or habit, became first and foremost in his life. With alcohol standing between him and God he could not experience the fullness of God’s grace and mercy; God’s love. In effect, alcohol had become his god. There is no surrogate for God.

It is the case, then, that in the story Abel, alcohol is emblematic of any sin that prevents us from experiencing God in His fullness. Examples of these sins are many: anger, fear, anxiety, cravings, addiction to substances, judgment of others, un-confessed sin and so on. Just as the reference to the analogy of the bush in the Garden of Eden we develop tendencies, or habits, to stand behind; the bush is the sin. That is, these sins stand between us and God; blocking us from the beauty and fullness of God’s love.

Sadly, we are much like Abel when it comes to confessing our relationship to a sinful habit. We are prone to think that it is a manageable thing. We do not see it as being substantial enough to interfere with God’s love for us. In fact, we most often refuse to acknowledge that we are sinful at all. Abel was unaware of God’s love for him. We assume that it is the case that either it’s okay, or that everybody does it. Sometimes we are inclined to think that there is nothing blocking us from God. That is, we are ignorant to the fact that we are standing behind a bush whatsoever.

As you read this story take some time and examine your relationship with God. Is it a full relationship where you trust enough to confess your sins to God? Are you aware that you have been pardoned by the blood shed on the cross; that Christ paid the penalty for your sin in full?

Abel was operating on false currency. Until that Sunday afternoon when he ran out of vodka and panicked he was not fully aware that he had been living a lie. He really thought that he was okay and that there were no bushes in his life. It took a crisis to clarify the illusion that he was living in. At that point he was exposed for being a fraud. It was at that moment that he realized that he was an alcoholic. He was devastated. Everybody else had been right and he had been wrong.

What addictions, habits or tendencies do you have in your life? Put another way, what bushes are you hiding behind? What stands between you and God? Or has a craving or passion or habit become a false god for you? Are you living a lie? If so, then confess it and allow God to cover you with His grace. Allow God’s mercy to pay the debt that you have accumulated.

One of the most difficult things that Abel had to come to terms with was that there are no second chances in life. There is no promise of tomorrow. Each day is a gift. He felt tremendous remorse because he had hoped that he would be able to go back and make things right. He never even had the chance to say I’m sorry. Abel felt as if he had wasted all of the time and talents that God had given him. He was right.

The parable of the lost sheep really meant a lot to Abel. The fact that God cared enough to seek him out and bring him back was significant. So it was the case with the parable of the prodigal son. Abel was thankful beyond words for the fact that God ran to meet him and forgave him of his sins. God celebrated the fact that Abel had come home.

For Abel the calendar was not in his favor. His conversion and his physical death were within days of each other. This is not always the case. For many of us we come to the point of conversion and then have many years left to live. This can be a time of joy; walking hand-in-hand with God or it can be a time of tribulation where we constantly have to be on guard against falling back into the groove of sin. That is, for some, the celebration of conversion is a short lived experience. We bask in the light for a time and then we are faced with the circumstances and opportunities to either draw close to God or to draw close to the old habit of sin.

As Christians we must develop an absolute faith. A faith where we are both confident and competent; confident that we are forgiven and competent that God is with us. With a faith that is absolute we will always be on guard for the snares and the wiles of the devil. Our path will be riddled with opportunities for sin. By donning the Armor of God we will be protected, but we still have to keep our hands on the wheel. We must examine our lives and look for areas of sinful nature. It may be that we are too judgmental or that we are too inclined to anger, jealousy or fear. The point being, you need to be on guard. Acknowledge sin for what it is. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your sins are minor infractions. Remember that sin is sin; there is no hierarchy of one being greater than the other.

It is my sincere hope and prayer that the words spelled out in this story, prove to be as engaging as they are entertaining. Good luck as you continue your faith pilgrimage.

Happy Reading

D.B. Riley

Dedicated to:

I would like to dedicate this book to my wife, Marty, for her continued support and encouragement. She has taught me to have the confidence needed to step out on faith. And furthermore, during my own course of suffering from a chronic disease she has proved to be a fantastic caregiver. Through sickness and health has proven to be true. She makes my pain and suffering manageable with her tenderness and love. Thank you, Marty.

Thanks and Acknowledgments

First and foremost I would like to thank my loving wife, Marty, for her continued love and support. She is truly my rib. This book is the result of a combined effort. Without her it would not be possible. From her constant encouragement to her typing and editorial skills; I could not have done it without her. Thanks.

I would also like to thank the many people that have impacted my life over the years: Those people that taught me to love, trust and care. The names are too many to list here, but I would like to thank my very good friend, Dick Petrie, for his prayers, support and friendship. I would also like to thank my mother and father for teaching me that being creative is a good thing. Thank you all for your love and friendship.

Introduction

The lightening strike lit up the stormy sky. Abel counted, one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four. Then the thunder clapped. Good, the storm was still three and a half miles away. The rain had already begun coming down in heavy straight lines. The wind was calm. The rain drops formed big bubbles on the water’s surface as they splashed down. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. Then he began to paddle again – faster.

He was surprised as to how quick the springtime storm had formed. The partly cloudy sky had turned dark and violent within minutes. Springtime weather in the Deep South is always unpredictable. With the heat and humidity as high as they were the air had been like soup all week long; and summer was still two months away.

As soon as the storm began it seemed to rain itself out and dissipate. He could still hear an occasional clap of thunder far off. He was sopping wet from the rain shower and sweat of paddling. Now that the storm had passed the sun was baring down on the river. Steam hung close to the water’s surface.

Abel leaned back in his canoe and allowed the current to pull him along. The clouds, with their flat gray bottoms, were moving in the same direction. He floated along with the current and watched the clouds form and then reform. It felt good to relax. Aside from being wet he was very comfortable right now. He was at peace. Life was good.

His routine of paddling up river and then floating back down had become almost a daily thing. Being on the river was a primal thing. It was good for his soul. He was certain that it cleaned all of the worries and woes that the world so hastily cast upon him. The only other thing in life that offered Abel this sort of peace was alcohol. He never drank while he was on the river. Perhaps that is why he was spending more and more time in his canoe and less time with a drink in his hand. With each paddle stroke he hoped to loosen the grip that alcohol had on his life. He had been an alcoholic for years. Therefore, he knew that he had a lot of paddling to do.

This is the story of Abel Myers, an award winning journalist, who is on a quest to become sober. His addiction has cost him nearly everything. For once he is at a point in his life where he can see things clearly for what they really are. He had to get sober. It had been nearly fifteen years since he had been clean. Now things were different. Even how he thought was different. There was no more time for lolly-gagging and taking everything for granted. For the first time in his life he actually felt fearful.

What he was fearful about was not only how his personal life had been going but also how the world was currently going. With all the earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, tornados, terrorist plots and more, it seemed that the world was really in peril. This scared Abel. This moved him so much that he began to reevaluate his own life.

Abel quickly learned that alcoholism would not let go so easily. Alcohol was like a jealous lover, it would not give up without a fight. Not only was Abel fighting the disease of being an alcoholic he was also trying to resurrect his writing career. Finding a solid lead on a good story was also proving to be difficult.

After bantering with his editor, Abel settles on doing an article on an evangelist that has been dubbed a Prophet. Little did Abel know that this story would change his life forever. Abel did believe in God, but he had never put much stock in going to church or doing anything that that organized religion required. As a child his mother insured that he did attend Sunday school and Wednesday night Bible study. When he got his drivers license he opted to hang out with his friends rather than go to church.

The story follows Abel as he struggles with his alcoholism, tries to redeem his writing career, and now is challenged by the Prophet, Noah Thomas, to redefine his own faith walk. The story is as plausible as it is moving. It is certain to entertain you and move you to reevaluate your own walk with God. For as Abel is soon to find out, no one is promised tomorrow.

Chapter One

Even as a child, Abel Myers knew that he wanted to be a writer. Actually, he wanted to be more than a mere writer or storyteller, he wanted to be an investigative journalist. In elementary school he worked as the sole reporter for the Pleasantdale Elementary Gazette.

Likewise, during both junior high and high school he worked for the school paper. After graduating from high school he enrolled as a fulltime student at the University of South Carolina. And unlike most of his peers that were ambivalent about their major field of study, he had an unwavering certainty of his. He was going to be a journalist.

While going to college he worked part-time for the State Newspaper as a runner. He had hoped to land a part-time job as a reporter but was quick to learn that the bar was still too high. For every job that did come available, there were literally dozens of seasoned reporters applying for it.

So, Abel stuck with his studies and accepted a job with the Raleigh News and Observer upon graduation. Even then, he was not initially allowed to be the investigative journalist he aspired to be. Like all other staff reporters, he was assigned a beat to cover. His was the beat of city politics.

Abel stuck with it and persevered. He built relationships that were built on trust and established reliable sources. His big break came when he did a story on the endemic corruption in the city’s sanitation department. With a series of reports, he was able to demonstrate that he had a nose for news and was a solid writer. He had finally become the investigative journalist he had aspired to be, ever since he was a boy. For Abel Myers, life was good.

He worked at the News and Observer for nearly eleven years before he was recruited by the State paper in Columbia. Not only was he back where he really wanted to be, it is also where he met his wife Beverly. She worked in the business office at the paper. They met in December and were married in June of the next year. At this point, life was certainly good; the perfect wife, the perfect job, and a daughter on the way. He felt that he was virtually living the American dream. It was true, you work hard, keep your nose clean, and you will succeed; you get out of life what you put into it. Abel put a lot into it. He worked hard. It wasn’t long before he began to