Wise Up: Hope for a Lost Generation

By Penny Romine

In the kingdom of ME-dom, ruled by King Surly, cruelty and rivalry are the accepted laws for living. The ME-domites are impolite, irritable, and self-seeking. King Surly charges his most loyal soldiers, PRIDE and ANGER, with the task of keeping the ME-domite FOLKS confused and dependent.

Exasperated with wickedness, sixteen-year-old ENVOY MESSENGER risks escaping his deep-rooted, brain-washed values of evil as he ventures on an uncertain quest, seeking wisdom. ENVOY feels a desperate calling to discover how the ME-domites can be delivered from worshiping the Idol of Jealousy and be set free from selfishness and pride. If achieved, this discovery would destroy the missions of PRIDE and ANGER. ENVOY’S journey steers him towards a life-changing encounter with PROVIE, the Lady of Wisdom. PROVIE escorts ENVOY through transforming confrontations as she points the WAY to the FOLKS of ME-dom towards righteous living.

Based on the book of Proverbs, the allegorical tales in WISE UP offer modern-day lessons for middle and high school teens in their daily struggles to find meaning and purpose in close friendships, family ties, and community.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664228658

Penny Romine

After retiring from teaching middle school and high school for twenty years, Penny felt inspired to write a Christian allegory to motivate teens to seek a way to positively influence their peers without being lured into a world of sex, drugs, bullying, and disrespect. She creates PROVIE as the catalytic character to move the protagonist, ENVOY, to courageously transform his world and those of his peers from places of darkness into places of possibility. Penny desires to spark hope and change in a generation often occupied with thoughts of despair and escape. Penny dedicates her efforts to her four, beautiful grandchildren: Tucker, age 18; Jenna, age 16; Carter, age 11; and Brody, age 10. She prays daily that her grandchildren will say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and will live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:12 NIV).

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Penny Romine.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

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.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2866-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3960-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2865-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021906068

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/02/2021

Scripture marked (ERV) taken from the Holy Bible: Easy-

to-Read Version (ERV), International Edition

© 2013, 2016 by Bible League International and used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are from the Good News

Translation in Today’s English Version- Second Edition Copyright

© 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE,

copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by

permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale

House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New

International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,

Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.

zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks

registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright

© 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living

Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale

House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright

© 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of

Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked (Voice) taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2012

by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Contents

Chapter 1     Craving

Chapter 2     Searching

Chapter 3     Deciding

Chapter 4     Struggling

Chapter 5     Doubting

Chapter 6     Trusting

Chapter 7     Battling

Chapter 8     Obeying

Chapter 9     Awakening

Chapter 10   Choosing

Chapter 11   Clashing

Chapter 12   Progressing

Chapter 13   Pledging

Chapter 1

CRAVING

And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness.

—Ecclesiastes 2:3 (New Living Translation)

26727.png

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

—Proverbs 1:7 (New International Version)

26741.png

O nce upon a time, before all other worlds, a Great Light ruled over all the beings in a certain perfect kingdom called heaven. It was an unspoiled place to live, where nothing but light and goodness existed. Everything in this place was flawless, without spot or blemish. All angelic beings of this perfect kingdom followed the Great Light, who found unlimited favor with all the spirits abiding there.

Among the many angels, one such exalted angel craved to seek his own way. He became directly opposed to everything the Great Light was and all the things the Great Light wished to do. The Evil One became proud and single-minded. He determined to take over the throne of the Great Light for himself. He wanted to be more than a follower; he wanted to be the leader and overrule the power of the Great Light.

Since there was only one Great Light to lead the way, the rebel was forced to leave this perfect kingdom. The Great Light removed him from his position of great dignity and honor and hurled him out of the perfect world, far away from the perfect kingdom, never to return again.

646432216.jpg

This Evil One chose to turn away from the goodness of the Great Light. He became hopelessly horrible now that he was a free being. In his fall from favor, the Evil One persuaded one-third of the heavenly spirits to join him in his rebellion. This wicked rival and his fallen followers vowed to become the superhuman enemy of the Great Light.

Having high intelligence, the Evil One easily devised ways to develop powerful abilities to control others in his new kingdom. These evil factions would spend their forever time destroying all that was good.

522584123.jpg

The Evil One soon discovered a world where he could rule someone, everyone, somewhere, everywhere. The Evil One realized the minds of humans would become his battlefield. He chose to deceive the minds and hearts of kings living in this world who were willing to follow Evil and prepared to rule with malicious intent. One such follower was known as King Surly. King Surly developed a reputation for being unfriendly, bad- tempered, and resentful. It did not take the Evil One long to persuade King Surly to set up his reign of terror in a land of floundering souls struggling to find meaning in their lives.

King Surly found the perfect place. He established his kingdom in the province of ME- dom. The ME-domites, also known as folks, were curious people who always wanted more than they already possessed, to grab all they could get. They wanted more power, more intelligence, more fame, and, of course, more wealth. They were never satisfied.

King Surly found easy prey in these folks. He rose to power without the ME-domite folks ever realizing they were unknowingly putting their trust in this deceitful leader. The folks were duped into following him as their king in a desperate attempt