Faithful Through the Year: October Edition
Here is the October edition of Faithful Through the Year: A Maple Lane Mystery — a cozy, heartfelt story of belonging, self-expression, and the courage to be faithfully yourself… even in costume.
Faithful Through the Year: October Edition
Title: The Curious Case of the Crimson Cloak
Theme: Belonging, Identity & Showing Up Authentically
Scripture Focus:
1 Samuel 16:7 — “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Story: The Curious Case of the Crimson Cloak
Aimee Little was Carmen Sandiego this year.
Red trench coat. Matching fedora. Black gloves. Confidence on point.
Sort of.
She stood backstage at the Maple Lane Community Church’s annual Fall Festival, clutching a clipboard with trembling fingers. A dozen kids dressed as pumpkins, cowboys, and the occasional poorly-glued paper robot lined up for the costume parade. The bounce house squealed under a gaggle of shrieking toddlers, and someone had just lit the cinnamon-sugar donut station on fire. (Again.)
Aimee breathed deep.
She loved Halloween. She always had. From her moody emo teen days and fascination with dramatic eyeliner, to her present adult joy in planning quirky costumes, decorating with bats and cobwebs, and making sure every kid had a full-size candy bar by night’s end.
But this year, she felt the tension.
She wanted to be seen as faithful. Grown. Serious about God. And yet… still unapologetically her.
Earlier that week, someone had made an offhand comment at Bible study: “I don’t really get how a Christian can be into Halloween.” The sentence wasn’t aimed at Aimee, but it had settled into her chest like a ghost in the attic—whispering doubts and shadows.
Did people think she was just playing dress-up with faith, too?
That night, the mystery began.
After the costume contest was underway and the hayride chugged into the woods, Aimee noticed something odd: her special prize bag for “Most Original Costume” had gone missing. It had been wrapped in crimson tissue and tucked behind the refreshment table—just where she’d left it.
And now it was gone.
Aimee’s eyes darted around the fellowship hall, scanning the crowd. There—a streak of red. A figure disappearing out the back door.
The chase was on.
Through the church garden and around the side of the building she went—nearly tripping on her own cape. But when she turned the corner, she stopped short.
There stood Molly Carter, the shy middle-schooler who always sat in the back pew with her grandmother, clutching the red prize bag. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes brimming with tears.
“I didn’t mean to steal it,” she blurted. “I just thought… if I could win something tonight, maybe people would see me. I never win. I didn’t know it was a special prize.”
Aimee knelt beside her, heart softening.
“Hey,” she said gently. “I know what that feels like. Wanting to be noticed. Wanting to be seen for who you really are.”
Molly nodded, wiping her nose on her skeleton-gloved hand.
Aimee looked at the bag, then at the girl, then slowly smiled.
“Well… you did pull off the world’s smoothest candy heist. That deserves some kind of award.”
Back inside, Aimee made a spontaneous announcement. “Tonight, we’re adding a new prize,” she declared into the microphone. “The ‘Moxie & Mystery Award’—for boldness, creativity, and commitment to costume crime-solving!”
Molly beamed as she took the prize, and the crowd cheered.
Later, while sipping cider on the steps of the fellowship hall, Clara sat beside Aimee and nudged her with a knowing smile.
“Faith doesn’t mean you stop being colorful,” Clara said. “You just glow from a different kind of light.”
And under the orange October moon, Aimee smiled. In her crimson cloak, with a heart full of grace, she felt seen. Not just by others—but by the One who looked at the heart.
Reflection Prompt:
Have you ever felt like your personality or passions didn’t fit in with what people expect of someone “faithful”? How can you embrace who God made you to be without apology?
Faithfulness Thought:
God delights in authenticity. You were made to shine uniquely, creatively, colorfully. Faithfulness isn’t about fitting in—it’s about living true to who He made you, with love as your costume of choice.
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