Ava Ascending

By Dina Wecker

God is tired of gluttony, tired of greed, tired of the slovenly. He is tired of hypocrisy and Santa Claus prayers, tired of the selfish, tired of the selfless seeking praise. Tired of eons of dedication, of centuries of miracles, of decades of abandonment. Tired of creating worlds, tired of enacting wrath, tired of the doubtful, tired of the diligent. Tired of making all decisions, tired of working, tired of watching, tired of answering, tired of ignoring. Tired of being the Alpha and the Omega, tired of being idolized, tired of worship, tired of requests, tired of thanks, tired of you, tired of me, tired of being the only One.

So he decided to stop. Maybe not forever, but for now, to just stop. Again, that should be where it all ends. Where the cosmos collapses and all living things shrivel and perish in the neglect of a tired God. But it isn’t. He might be tired, but he isn’t positive he is finished. Merely a working father that wants to turn off the laptop, turn off the phone and take a vacation. But how does God do this? He hadn’t ever thought of it, not until that movie where the comedian gets all the powers of God and God gets to rest. So he decides he will too…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: May 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685627270

Dina Wecker

Dina Wecker is an educator with a passion for reading and writing. She has an Ed.S. degree in early literacy and spends her free time reading and reviewing books for readers of all ages. She lives with her husband, two children, and a dog (Fitz) in the beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah.

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About the Author

Dina Wecker is an educator with a passion for reading and writing. She has an Ed.S. degree in early literacy and spends her free time reading and reviewing books for readers of all ages. She lives with her husband, two children, and a dog (Fitz) in the beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dedication

Thanks to my wonderful husband and our two mini creatures for all the patience, love, and time my work has taken.

Copyright Information ©

Dina Wecker 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Wecker, Dina

Ava Ascending

ISBN 9781685627263 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781685627270 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023906762

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street,33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Acknowledgment

Thank you to Tyler for being my beta reader and to Jill for all of her help on my website: dinawecker.com

Chapter I

God is tired.

That should be where it all ends.

But it isn’t.

********

My first memory isn’t of the womb, my first steps, or even a pre-school fight. I wish it were, but I have virtually no memory prior to my eighth birthday party, prior to the fear. I am sure that interesting things happened in kindergarten, preschool, and in toddlerhood, but I don’t remember any of them. It all starts with kids everywhere. My mom had hired a clown and a magician. In our town, having one was a super party, and having two was virtually unheard of. But my mom wanted my birthday to be special. I was born just after Christmas, and people were always on vacation or couldn’t make it to my party. That year, my mom invited every kid in the entire grade, even ones I didn’t know before we left for Christmas break. She included a ticket for a balloon animal and for a face painting in every invitation. These were the normal tricks of the magician and the clown, but the tickets promised each kid would get at least one of each. The invitations also invited each kid to bring a guest. The word guest was pretty open-ended, some people brought their brother or sister, some their mom, but most, brought kids that lived by them. There was never a party of that size before or again in my entire elementary school. My dad created a maze of plywood and tarps in the empty lot next door. He added a strobe light in a few dark corners. All the kids took turns trying to find their way through it. It wasn’t near Halloween, but that made the maze all the better. A clown would follow kids around the maze misguiding them. Everyone burst from the maze laughing and squealing as my black lab, Orbit, chased them out. Finally, my balloon flower hat was finished, and I entered the maze clutching my best friend’s hand. We wandered around and around with Orbit nipping at our heels. The clown kept misdirecting us, the dog would bark, we would scream, and go the wrong way, the wrong way, the wrong way. The clown breathing down my neck started chanting, This way Ava, not this way, Ava. You’re going the wrong way. He followed me, around and around each corner I went. He didn’t know any of the other kids’ names, he just chided me. This way Ava, you are lost, Ava. You’re alone now, going the wrong way! I dropped my friend’s hand and squished myself up against a wall, covered my ears, clenched my eyes shut, and began to scream. I screamed and screamed. Orbit began to bark, everyone in the maze began to scream, and I closed my eyes harder and screamed louder. The clown grabbed my arm, I yelled so loud that he dropped my hand and took a step back. I took off running. Bumping into walls, Orbit barking, my own screams scaring me more. Finally, a door opened and light poured in and I got out. Standing outside, the maze, everyone looked at me in silence, the magician mid balloon twist, my mom beginning to light the eight candles. They all wanted me to perform, to make the party good for them. My mom smiled at me expectantly, I turned and ran back into the maze.

Sitting in a dark corner, I tried to hide from the bodies going in and out of the maze. I could hear everyone enjoying my party. I even heard them sing Happy Birthday. I wondered who blew out my candles, but I never asked. Once everyone went home, Orbit came and sat by me, and I heard a small knock. My granddad came in.

Hey, toots. How are you doing? He hugged me and scraped his day-old stubble on my check. I got a present for you. He pulled a present wrapped in a bright pink foil and handed it to me. I smiled and stepped outside with him so I could open it. As I carefully removed the paper, I shrieked at a stuffed clown about the size of a Barbie. I am glad you like it. I picked it out myself. He was very proud of himself, and he thought my shriek was a squeal. I smiled and hugged him. We walked into the house, and down to my room, I put the red-haired clown in front of my stuffed animals, their new leader of fear.

********

God is tired of gluttony, tired of greed, tired of the slovenly. He is tired of the hypocrisy and Santa Claus prayers, tired of the selfish, tired of the selfless seeking praise. Tired of eons of dedication, of centuries of miracles, of decades of abandonment. Tired of creating worlds, tired of enacting wrath, tired of the doubtful, tired of the diligent. Tired of making all decisions, tired of working, tired of watching, tired of answering, tired of ignoring. Tired of being the Alpha and the Omega, tired of being idolized, tired of worship, tired of requests, tired of thanks, tired of you, tired of me, tired of being the only One.

He decided to stop. Maybe not forever, but for now, to just stop. Again, that should be where it all ends.