3-14-2024 9:38pm

Chapter 43: The Desire..."Deceptions in the Air"

Beth Callahan Editor

Cover by Peter Poast Publications with Photo by Junior Cruz

Similar to what newspapers in the 19th Century did the www.warrencountypost.com. will publish a chapter a day from the book Deceptions in the Air. This fictional book is a blend of reality and conspiracy with a mix of Biblical Prophecy. My hope is that you enjoy the story, while it puts a desire in your heart to seek Truth.

Chapter 43: The Desire

Russ was sitting at his computer still watching and taking notes from the video and listening to the audio Bri had shot with her bracelet.

“This is amazing, I can’t believe this,” Russ said excitedly... but quietly to himself.

“Can’t believe what?” Bri said walking in.

Somewhat startled, Russ turned around to see Bri standing there in the terrycloth robe, a towel wrapped around her head and her glasses on.

“Good morning bright eyes,” he smiled. “I hope you slept well.”

“I must have because I don’t remember sleeping. I really don’t remember a whole lot of anything.” She tried smiling.

“Yeah,” Russ said getting up from his chair. “You’ve had a rough few days kiddo. Let me make you some coffee.”

“That’d be great,” Bri smiled, adding, “Where’s Jack?”

“He is probably still knocked out. He only got to lie down about two-hours ago. We had a pretty busy late night or morning… which ever you want to call it,” Russ explained, while pouring her a cup of coffee.

“Oh my gosh Russ, it’s past noon. Did you even go to bed?”

“I tried laying down, but you provided me with so much information I couldn’t sleep. Bri, do you know what you have uncovered? This is totally amazing. If I weren’t here living this with you, I wouldn’t believe it!” Russ said.

“I guess this would be the story any reporter would love to uncover?” Bri mumbled.

“No. Bri, it’s not the reporter story… I mean the world story… the Biblical story… the story that many Christians who have been following prophecy are going to say… ‘I knew it, He is close to returning’… and then to be able to alert the world, at least the people that are willing to listen. This is amazing. I’m overcome with awe… excitement… disbelief…. total amazement!”

“Russ, I’m having a really hard time here watching you all filled with joy, while I feel as though my heart has been yanked… no ripped from my chest and twisted... till it stopped beating and basically completely destroyed. I’m sorry, but I have no idea why my pain is making you so happy,” Bri said, staring blankly at him.

“Oh Bri, Hon,” Russ said with compassion and trying to think before choosing his words. “I’m not happy because of your pain. I know your pain… I’ve felt that pain… I’m excited because I know things that many of us thought were true and were taking place… have been taking place! We were right! And now we have the evidence to help others from being deceived.”

Bri looked at Russ. She didn’t say anything. Slowly, she turned around to head for the hallway that would lead her back up to the stairs to her room.

“I guess God just never wanted me to experience real love. He must hate me,” she said meekly, as she started walking away.

“Bri!” Russ quickly called to her. “What is God?”

“What?” she turned and looked at him asking rather confused.

“What is God?”

“What do you mean ‘what is God?’ He’s God. He’s a spirit,” she answered, looking at Russ somewhat agitated that he would even ask her such a question when it was her, who was in deep emotional pain.

“No! What is God?”

“What?”

“Okay,” he said more calmly, “What is love?”

“It’s a feeling you have towards someone,” she answered a little confused.

“Bri, isn’t God love?”

“Yes,” she said giving him an odd look.

“Well then, if that is true, isn’t love God?”

“Yeah, but what…” she started to ask before Russ cut her off.

“So what is God?”

“He is,” she stopped and looked at Russ and slowly answered... “He is love.”

“Right! So, what is love?”

Bri answered. “Love is God.”

“So, if love is God and God is love, why would you think God is not allowing you to have true love?” he asked.

“You know what I’m talking about… being in love… that feeling that makes your heart race… that feeling you get when you have a crush on someone… that person you can’t live without,” Bri tried explaining without becoming agitated at his questions.

“Bri, caffeine makes my heart race. I don’t call that love. I call it a little scary.”

“Russ, you know what I’m talking about.”

“Yes..., unfortunately, I do. Follow me,” Russ said taking her into his living room where a beautiful fireplace mantel occupied the room’s main wall.

“See that picture?” he said pointing to a large portrait of a young woman with a small child.

“She’s beautiful,” Bri said. “Is she your wife?”

Russ just looked at the picture for a second then slowly answered, “Yes. She was…. She was my world.”

Bri noticed the word was. She wondered what he meant by that, but was too afraid to ask. Not knowing how to respond, she didn’t say anything. She waited for Russ to continue.

“She and my son were killed in a car accident... 20-years ago,” Russ answered, not taking his eyes off the picture.

“I’m so sorry Russ. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay. I know they are in a much better place. But, when it first happened, I was a very angry man,” Russ paused twisting his lips tightly as though he was fighting back tears.

Slowly, he added, “And, I’m ashamed to have to admit this, but after it happened … I hated God. She was so beautiful, and we had so much life to live... Things were perfect.”

Russ stopped, not wanting to go too far back into time where the hurt still lived.

Bri watched as Russ fought back the emotions he wanted to forget.

“God took me on a journey no man, excuse me, no person wants to go through… losing the desire of your life,” he said.

Russ stopped looking at the picture and placed his eyes upon Bri.

“Notice how I used the word desire versus love?”

Bri shook her head ‘yes’ as she looked at Russ very intently.

“Bri, this is what I have learned in my 53 years here on this earth... We as humans get the word love and desire mixed up. We think love is a happy, feel-good emotion. If that positive warm feeling is gone, then we think love is gone. That feeling should go more with the word desire or want.”

He went on....“Love is commitment. You know, better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health? Trust me being poor and sick is not something anyone, at least that I know, desires. But true love stays with us no matter what… sickness, rock bottom poor, miserable personality, negligence, abuse… all the bad stuff. Once we have accepted love, even when we may push it away, it stays with us, it stays committed.”

Russ stopped talking for a minute as he looked up at his wife and son’s portrait.

“When Laura died, love wasn’t taken from me. It was my desires and dreams that died. Love was still here. Actually it was Love that pulled me through all this. Do you get what I am saying?” Russ asked.

“I’m trying to follow,” Bri said.

“I’m sure you have heard true love never dies, right?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Bri answered giving Russ an odd look.

“And that is a very true statement because what is love?” he asked.

Bri didn’t answer right away. She thought about her answer. Then, slowly she answered... “God is love.”

“And what is God?” he asked.

“Love is God,” she said.

“So True Love is God… He never dies, He is always committed to us no matter what… even when our desires are taken away or our dreams are broken or when our life here on this earth ends…. if you have accepted Him, you have Love. He is committed to you forever. Love never leaves, even when your desire gets destroyed,” Russ explained.

“No person on this planet can give true love. Because of sin we all must die eventually. Even if everything had worked out wonderfully for you and Alex, one day one of you would be taken from this earth. Your desire for that person has had to come to an end and that’s where you have to let Love take over. And what is Love?” he asked.

“God,” Bri answered.

“God… Love… takes over and begins to mend your broken heart, your broken dreams, you lost desires... if you allow Him to. He knows suffering and lost. He experienced it first hand on the cross. He experienced the total rejection of His creation, but His love could not be destroyed,” Russ explained.

“But Russ, this hurts. I feel like I can’t bear it. Love isn’t supposed to hurt,” she said.

“Love doesn’t hurt. What’s hurting is the denial of a desire. Think of the crack addict or heroin addict, the alcoholic, the sex driven sins… they are all desires our body craves that often end up controlling many of us. The addict craves or desires the addiction. We as humans get like that… even with good desires… our pets, our physical fitness, our children, our spouses. When we put that desire before our God … which is love… that desire becomes our idol… it becomes what we live for… it actually gets put above Love and anything above Love doesn’t last. For only true Love lasts… desires eventually perish. So, if you place all your hope into a desire, you will be let down.” Russ said.

As Russ continued to talk, Bri walked closer to the fire mantel to look at the portrait.

“I know this is deep, but I wanted you to understand. I know what you are going through. And you haven’t lost Love. What you have lost is your earthly heart’s desires…. to be with the person you most desire or want. God is still there. He hasn’t left you. God can’t hate you… He is Love.”

“Wow, that was deep,” Jack said walking in on the conversation.

“Jack,” Bri said, “How long have you been standing there?”

“A few minutes I guess, but long enough to realize I’ve never really understood what love is. I had never heard anyone explain it that way. I mean the difference between desires and love. It’s very interesting,” Jack said, adding with a strange smirk, “and not too sure if I agree with all you said... but, I will admit it is an interesting theory.”

“Well, enough of this deep analytical stuff. We need to get to work. Come see the information that’s been downloaded. It’s already running on several servers around the world because once it gets out, they will try to stop it. It's already been pulled from some of the social media platforms,” Russ explained.

He directed Bri and Jack towards his office. Once he was at his computer, he pulled up the video he had made using the material Bri had recorded.

“I’ve started contacting different Webmasters and computer friends to help code each one in a different way. This way, it will be hard for them to track where the video and audio are coming from. Hopefully, as one gets pulled, we will have another one ready to run on some other server somewhere,” he said as he clicked the video to play.