...Yet He Still Loves Me

By C.D. Hilton

….Yet He Still Loves Me is a collection of plays inspired by the love that God has for his people. They are different plays but they all share one common thread. That thread is that no matter what we have done, no matter our beliefs or the many bad decisions or choices we make, God still loves us. His love is constant and never changing and despite it all we can always return to him and he will always welcome us with open arms.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781365656750

Book preview

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Copyright

Copyright © <2017> by < C.D. Hilton>

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: <2017>

ISBN<978-1-365-63899-2>

www.youreditingpro.net

Dedication

This book is dedicated to every one that has felt as if they have fallen too deep and come too short to be forgiven. To the ones that have been hurt beyond measure and have felt hopeless, hapless and useless, God loves you. No matter how far you think you may have fallen, or how endless your tests and trials seem to be, know that God is able, that He is available and that He cares. Most important of all, He loves you, and it’s a love that is unconditional and without end.

God bless you.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to give thanks to the Almighty, the true and living God. He has shown himself faithful even when I questioned his love for a sinner such as I. With him all things are possible.

Secondly, I would like to thank my Pastor, Sarah Simon Arnold for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. For her prayers, patience, guidance, and unconditional love for me.

To my son, Jevon, who kept pushing me and telling me I can do this. For his prayers and his love.

To my sister, Shanette, who told me the truth about myself, even when I didn’t want to hear it.

To my good friend and sister, Dawn, for always taking the time out to see me through the difficulties and encouraging me to keep on pressing on no matter what.

And last, but never least, to my mom, dad and remaining family, I just truly thank God for all of you because without you, there would be no me.

Foreword

By D.A. Goodwin, Author of The Offender I Once Defended

I was more than honored to be asked by my dear friend C.D. Hilton to write a foreword to this highly impressive new book of plays, ...Yet He Still Loves Me. She told me upfront to be honest with her about the book, and that's exactly what I'll be at this moment too when I say this is a very well-written book that will simply amaze readers.

When I met C.D., a fellow English teacher at a local college in South Carolina, I knew from our very first conversation that we would be great friends. And we are. Not only is she super intelligent and creative, but she has a passion for her writing can be read in every word, in every character's dialogue and in every action taking place. This type of skillful writing is all very much needed at a time in the world in which so much heartache and destruction is facing families and friends.

...Yet He Still Loves Me is an amazing book for everyone, not only God-fearing audiences but also anyone who enjoys reading about real-life situations and anyone who loves being so encompassed into good reading material that he or she is fully connected to characters. These plays give all audiences the chance to look at life situations totally differently. They will have you laughing until your belly hurts, crying like an infant, sitting straight up in your seat waiting on what's going to happen next, and even rolling your eyes too.

Just reading the title of the first play The Women: A Resurrection Play, snatched my attention and kept it until I'd finished reading the very last play in the book. And that's not even mentioning the fact that the title of the entire book already had me hooked and wanting to know what this book of plays had in store for me.

The title of the overall book might have the average reader thinking that the book of plays is about a loving relationship built around a man and a woman, but the Christian reader might see the same title, notice the capitalized H in he and guess that the heart of the stories will focus on God's love.

Well, I'd say that both types of readers will be in for a twist and a treat because both are correct, but then there's so much more than your average Christian play or love story. C.D.'s plays range from friends detailing the daily lives of the neighborhood and facing rumors head on, to dealing with a stubborn child whose life is not as they should be after being raised with strong Christian beliefs to, finally, dealing with traumatic situations that face our community way too often and are sometimes swept away and ignored.

Specifically, the title, The Women: A Resurrection Play, had me wondering who would be resurrected in the play because, usually, when I see the word resurrection I automatically assume that a text will be referring to Jesus Christ. Therefore, when I saw the cast of characters--Ruth, Mary, Yvonne, and Pam--I got more comfortable in my desk chair, knowing I was in for something more than the well-known biblical story of Jesus' resurrection.

This play will hold your attention from beginning to end, especially with the total twist of characters that focuses on female roles as opposed to a predominantly male role. This time, readers get a look into the creative mind of Ms. Hilton as she reveals a resurrection to readers and other audiences that includes modern-day experiences mixed with biblical stories we are familiar with, but with betrayals and the like.

For instance, in the beginning of the play, a group of close-knit women are gossiping about an unclean woman's negative situation. This goes on in the midst of the sisterhood dealing with another problem one of the women is dealing with. I laughed each time I read this play, in particular, as I imagined the neck twirling and eye rolling us women often do when we say things like, I just can't believe that... or All I know is... or Well, I heard that...

Then the play also reminds me of how there is usually at least one or two people in a group who often refuse to believe things unless they can see them with their own set of pupils. Hilton's inclusion of at least that one person made this play so hilarious, even in the midst of some serious, mind-blowing events going on as well.

Overall, for any Christian reading this play or watching it being performed on stage, it will bring to light how we all might need some resurrecting of our current situations in order to better things and how we have to sometimes tell ourselves to avoid the I told you so lines we are sometimes given.

The second play, I've Got Time, is another one with a title that immediately makes you wonder. A nonreligious reader may wonder what this time is referring to, while the religious reader, like me, may immediately think it's related to time to get right with God. Well, somewhat, but not exactly. This play focuses on the tumultuous situations that can occur when a young son decides that he is grown enough to take his life into his own hands, often disregarding the warnings given to him or ignoring the urgings of the praying black mother. 

As I read the play, I was shocked repeatedly as I realized that things could go from bad to worst of all in only a matter of moments. The play also made me want to run and kneel down at the alter; it's just that powerful that it resonates so deeply within me. And none of these characters' stories represent your usual gospel play you've read or seen, which is extremely refreshing.

Then the last play, Sheep Among Wolves, is one that is full of the unexpected. While focusing on issues surrounding one teenager's life, it becomes so much more than your typical teen story. Of course, there are plenty of attitudes to go around, but what happens when a parent digs deeply into the cause of a teen's unappealing attitude?

While reading you will truly discover representations of the sheep as well