For school we were to write a short story (less than 1000 words, but I didn't quite make that cut) about either Jasper Chase and what his decision to drop his pledge meant in his life and exactly what happened to him or about what happened to the little girl of the man who died in the beginning (The one who asked what Jesus would truly do) so I chose Jasper.

If any of you have read "In His Steps" by Charles Sheldon then you'll get the general idea of this but in case you haven't I'll try to fill you in on a little of Jasper Chase's history;
Certain members of a church took a pledge to do as Jesus would regardless of what circumstances would come to them and Jasper was in this group along with Rachel Winslow as well (who he was in love with). Basically when she did not return his love he avoided the church meetings and became a bit of a hermit and wrote all the time even more so. The whole experience made him bitter and he didn't want to act like Jesus would have so he dropped his pledge.
--The characters are not of my own creation but belong to Charles Sheldon, merely the plot is mine. No 'real' profit is being made.--


“Tell us what your next novel is about! Is it an adventure or romance?” asked a plump woman of about forty years grandly dressed in a golden gown richly embroidered with lace.
“Oh, yes, we are so looking forward to it. We can hardly wait! Do tell.” interjected one of the younger girls coming from a nearby group of young people playing cards.
Jasper Chase was withdrawn and reflecting on any number of things when he was approached with the question. He was more comfortable being solitary but as a well-known author had learned to cope with the long-winded people of society and also even appeared to those around him that he enjoyed their company.
“Well, lately I’ve been working on something different; something along the lines of ontological naturalism. I’ve been interested in it for some time but I feel that I have theories of my own that I’m ready to present. I expect it to be complete in the following year.” The younger crowd stifled their disappointed comments and contented themselves by sighing. But the other philosophical members of the circle began an aggressive debate where Jasper then chose to make his escape into solitude. He reached his car where the chauffer then opened the door and he slid into the backseat. The streets of New York City on a Sunday at dusk were thronging with fashionable couples exiting theaters while scruffy looking beggars stood at the side with tin cans out held and imploring eyes. Uninterested in the view from the foggy window Jasper’s eyes wandered to the back of the seat in front of him and held a blank expression but his mind went inside himself which was not an unusual occurrence. Coming upon the next street he was awakened from his daze by the sounds of upbeat music being sung and the clapping of hands. Clearing the murky window with his palm he looked out to see a couple just coming down the steps of the First Christian Church clasping hands and smiling blissfully. Jasper’s face drained of color and his lips pursed together with tension.
“Quick stop, if you please, Robert. To the right.”
“Yes, of course, Mr. Chase.”
“No need to open the door. I’ll be back in a moment,” said Jasper as he stepped out of the car onto the sidewalk. He walked nonchalantly toward the church and passed the couple he had spotted but kept his eyes on the stores just past them.
“Oh, excuse me, but is that you, Jasper Chase?” asked the lady, “My, it has been years but do you remember me?”
Turning around casually Jasper responded with a calculated coolness, “Why, of course Ms. Rachel Winslow. What a pleasant surprise.”
“Quite! It’s been ages. It’s actually Rachel Page now though. Rolin and I just came to New York to help with a revival meeting some friends are holding and it’s been better than we could ever have expected. But how are you doing?”
“Well, very well. Coming from a social call and doing an errand.” At this point Jasper was wondering why he had thrust himself into this awkward situation. What love he had for Rachel Winslow had completely turned to bitterness and jealousy by the time she had become Rachel Page many years back and Rolin’s arm around her shoulder made him feel strangely out of place.
“Well, we’ll let you go but I must invite you to tomorrow’s meeting if you can make it. It will be wonderful.”
The look of sympathy on her face as she invited him made him aloof as he said, “I actually have prior engagement tomorrow evening but perhaps, perhaps.”
That night Jasper was restless and had a difficult time of focusing on anything the next day but the meeting seemed to be gnawing on his mind. Still, he told himself that he would not go but keep his plans to dine at the restaurant he commonly went to on Mondays usually by himself. When the waiter led him to his table he was so absent minded that he nearly missed the chair when he sat down.
“Get your self together,” he thought to himself with mild irritation and embarrassment, “Why should I want to go to that meeting? It would be an utterly complete waste of my time and energy to even acknowledge a god that simply doesn’t exist. So that’s the end of it.” But that wasn’t the end of it. For some reason he felt an urgent need to go that he knew would not subsist or be satisfied until he went. Little did he know this was the handiwork of the Holy Spirit so long had he ignored its direction. Being so disconcerted he could not just sit there sipping his wine but instead walked hastily out of the restaurant and in the direction of the church. He arrived there quicker than he had intended but there was already a large assembly so he secured a seat in the very last pew on the far left. Rachel was singing on the platform and the people by him were raising their hands and worshipping while tears flowed down their faces. Soon after a Reverend Marshall Jones came to the pulpit to pray and then began his sermon. It was on Saul and the Apostle Paul. He had heard it many times growing up in church but it was just another Bible story back then that supposedly promoted good morals but it was like he was truly hearing it for the first time now. Saul was highly educated and a greatly respected man in authority but he was a persecutor of Christians therefore a persecutor of God. But even in all that God showed him His light, literally, of salvation and when Paul really knew God he could never go back to his coveted position and comfortable life. He wanted with his entire being to serve Christ even though it would be at times unbearably painful. And God was able to use him so much for the kingdom of heaven even when he had denied Christ at one time. He felt like Saul. Growing up he attended church every Sunday and even went to special meetings during the weekdays but it was a respectable thing to do and so it was done but he thought that was his duty and nothing more. Hearing about Paul being a willing vessel for God’s work even at the expense of the rest of his life and all he had ever known prior to finding God made him feel a deep shame.
“God gave me so many opportunities and I turned my back on God because I wanted to keep my bitterness for what He had allowed in my life more than I wanted to serve Him. Now I realize He was trying to show me the light. Not to put Rachel first but Him. He tried to help me not take away what I believed I deserved,” he thought and the first tear in years escaped his eye. His emotions so surprised himself that he almost hardened again but he let the tendency slide and allowed God work on his heart.
When the reverend made the call for salvation and rededications Jasper trembled but humbly went to the front and made the great profession. As he repeated the words he felt the love of God cover him and he felt more secure than he ever had and knew that like Paul, no matter what lay ahead of him heaven was always at the end. And he momentarily thought that the book he was currently working on would need to be burned when he went home.
Seeing Jasper Chase confessing Christ as his Lord was comforting to Rachel’s spirit. She had always cared for him and to be assured that she would see him in heaven made her just about leap for joy. She met up with him after the service and invited him to other meetings and prayed with him for guidance in his new walk with Christ.
Jasper went home late that evening not in his usual dream like state but incredibly conscious of the decision he had made and exactly what changes would take place in his life as the consequence of it. He promptly took the manuscript he had been working on and disposed of it properly and then took out a clean sheet of paper and wrote as the title “Transformed, Renewed”.
“That title will work nicely for an autobiography. Now it has to have something worth reading in it. I’ve just got the rest of my life for that though,” he said to himself with a grin and a determined look in his eyes.

This is based off of Gundam 00. It was for a fanfic contest on gaia and Aya is a character that was created by U.S. Airforce Airman on gaia so I take no credit for her.
--The characters are not of my own creation but belong to whoever created Gundam 00 and also U.S. Airforce Airman, merely the plot is mine. No 'real' profit is being made.--


“Aya! I am going to a meeting shortly and you must stay here until I get back. Is that understood?” A stately looking man said harshly.
“Yes, Father,” said Aya submissively. She thought that maybe if she behaved well she could go out and play when he returned instead of…she blocked the next thought out of her mind.
“I will be weary when I come back so you’ll be a good girl and cooperate tonight, won’t you?” He attempted to say nicely.
“Oh, nothing will ever change! I must be a very wretched girl and I know I should be punished but I can’t help but want what all the other girls have but they must be perfect or why would theirs fathers play with them? I’m just being ungrateful. I wouldn’t have a home at all if it wasn’t for Father,” she thought but just nodded in reply.
“Oh, come now child. Don’t act so despondent. Think about the life you would be living in a Brazilian orphanage. No toys, good food or clothes but I give you everything and this attitude is what I receive in return.”
“I’m sorry, Father. I know I should be---I am very happy. Thank you, Father,” she said with a strained smile. With that her father took his leave and Aya took refuge in the corner of her room and wept. She had planned to mope for around 10 minutes before doing something productive but this was interrupted by the sounds of mirth from outside. She rose and made her way to the window. She saw two boys racing bicycles and a group of kids playing tag. She envied them far above any of the fine dolls she had. She felt miserable and knew she could not take living here any longer. She ran to the door but it had been locked from the outside so she went back to her window where the children could be seen but it then struck her that she might be sought after so she opened it but then went to the window on the opposite side of the house and climbed out over it but closed it again. Maybe that would delay their search for a little while if they thought she went in the opposite direction. It was already around five in the afternoon so there would not be much daylight left but she ran as fast and as far as she possibly could from the place where her Father would return that evening. She was running so doggedly that she ran right into a person coming around the corner of a building. They hit each other quite forcefully so they both fell backwards. Aya was much lighter than the boy, who she could now see was several years older than she was but was most definitely still a teenager, and because of his height and weight his fall was a little more severe so he was moaning with apparent pain. He was rubbing the back of his head, so it probably took the brunt of the tumble. Aya didn’t want any diversions but she had to see if he was alright.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.”
“You wouldn’t have looking at your feet so intensely,” he said. Well, his tongue seemed to be in working order so Aya was going to start running again but he asked,
“I’m sorry, there’s just a lot on my mind. Are you alright little girl?”
“I’m all of ten, thank you very much and I faired better than you did. But I’m in a hurry so good bye.”
“Oh, well you are almost grown then. Wait, why is a lady like yourself by herself when it’s going to be dark very soon?”
“It’s none of your business,” she said curtly. At this point she thought if he really knew what she was doing he would take her right back home and then she would be in even more trouble.
“Okay, okay but to me you look like the type that is running away. Don’t look so shocked. It’s not that hard to tell. If you need help I can hide you for a while.” Aya did not expect to be so easily detected as a runaway but the sun was setting and any place was better than home in her mind.
“Alright, but I have nothing to offer you,” she said almost waiting to for him to recant his offer.
“I don’t expect you to give me anything. That’s why I told you I’d help you, not be a landlord. Now follow me.” She was still rather surprised that he didn’t want anything in turn for helping her. She wondered if he knew what type of person she was he would help her so freely.
Where ever they were headed it was very out of the way from the center of town but there were many houses and apartment buildings that all looked exactly a like.
“I never did ask your name. I’m Aya by the way.”
“Call me Neil, Aya,” he said as they made their way into the apartment.
“You can stay here.” It was most obviously his room.
“But where will you sleep?” asked Aya feeling a little guilty now for not being very polite to him earlier.
“Don’t worry about it. I do own a couch. Follow me.” While he led her she looked around the apartment and a picture caught her eye. There were two boys that both looked like Neil with a little girl between them and a man and woman behind them that could be assumed were the parents. She was still studying the photo when Neil said,
“They are my family. But my parents and little sister were killed two years ago. My brother, Lyle, is away at school.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, no need to pity me. Feel sorry for the man who is responsible for it.” With that he saw that this conversation was probably inappropriate for a ten year old and one he just met at that so he changed the subject,
“Now onto the kitchen. I’m not much of a cook so you’ll have to fend for yourself most of the time in this respect. How about PB&J tonight?”
“What?”
“Peanutbutter and jelly sandwich? Well, there’s a first for everything, now dig in.” After an interesting dinner for Aya they sat in the living room a little awkwardly until Neil said, “So why did you run away? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“It’s just my Father…I don’t really want to talk about it though.”
“There’s no need for you to put up with being mistreated so feel free to stay here as long as you want.”
“Thank you. Hopefully you won’t regret your offer too soon.”
“That’s up to you but I don’t think I will,” he said with a grin, “I’m gonna catch up on some sleep so good night.”
“As she made her way out of the living room she saw that Neil had already fallen asleep so she took the opportunity to examine him more closely. His brown curls were an untidy heap upon his head and his pale skin was so unlike her very tan skin. As she was gaping in his direction Neil’s eyes suddenly opened and a huge smirk was on his face.
“Sweet dreams, Aya,” he said dreamily. And Aya then swiftly made her way to her room.