Face the Music by Melody Carlson Read Free Book Online

me strong— in Him . And that’s not a bad thing.
    HEART SMART
only You can
guard my heart
keep it safe
make me smart
help me learn
help me choose
Your way, Lord
so i don’t lose
keep me honest
keep me true
let me save
my heart for You
amen
Friday, May 6
    We were doing our M and S tonight when a girl about my age came up to me. She said her name was Haley and she was from Memphis. She had a tattoo of a black widow spider on her left hand and more piercings than I’ll ever have, about thirty I’m guessing. Her hair was partially shaved and what remained was dyed green and blue and purple, kind of a rainbow effect. Naturally, I complimented her on her hair colors. Without even responding, she looked me straight in the eyes and asked how I could possibly know that God was for real. It was more of a challenge than a question.
    So I thought about it for a moment before I said, “I used to be an atheist, Haley. I mean, I absolutely did NOT believe in God, not at all.”
    She looked skeptical. “Really?”
    I nodded. “Yeah, I actually find it pretty hard to believe myself now. I’ve changed a lot since then.”
    “What happened?”
    “Faith.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “It’s kind of hard to explain faith. First of all, no matter how badly you might want it, it’s not something you can manufacture in yourself. It’s a gift that God gives. Of course, I didn’t understand that when I was obsessed with not believing in God. But even back then, I could see that being an atheist was definitely not working for me. I had reached this place in my life where I was totally miserable. I didn’t even want to live anymore.”
    “So what’d you do?”
    I went on to tell her about how I was so bummed about everything, and how I went to the cemetery and read the words on Clay Berringer’s gravestone, a quote from Jesus that said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
    “That’s the moment when God gave me the faith I needed to believe in Him,” I told her. “And I knowit was from God because there’s no way I could’ve made something like that up myself.”
    “So you honestly believe it’s real?”
    “I know it’s real. God is like the air I breathe,” I told her. “I believe I would literally die without Him. I wonder how I ever lived before He came into my heart.” I smiled at her. “I guess I didn’t.”
    Her face was pinched up like she was trying not to cry. “I just don’t know. I mean, there are these kids who say they’re Christians, but they seem kind of stuck up …” She glanced toward the exit, and I wondered if she was thinking about making a break for it.
    “That happens sometimes, Haley. But it’s not fair to judge God based on how some ignorant people act. You need to get to know Him for who He really is, for yourself.”
    She seemed to be considering this.
    “Do you want me to pray with you?” I asked. Now I have to admit that this is something I’m not that comfortable with, at least not by myself. I don’t like to come across as too pushy. I mean, I figure if God is doing a number on someone’s heart, they don’t need me pressuring them too. But Allie and Laura are perfectly fine doing this, and I usually rely on them to help me out. But I glanced over my shoulder to see that they were both busy with fans. In the same instant, I noticed Jeremy nearby and he wasn’ttalking to anyone, but I really didn’t want to ask for his help. I quickly turned back to Haley and smiled.
    “I guess so,” she said.
    So, silently praying for God’s help, I bowed my head and began to pray for her. I don’t even remember what exactly I prayed for, but I felt as though I was bumbling along and probably making a mess of everything, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see that Jeremy had joined us and put a hand on Haley’s shoulder too. When he started to pray, I actually felt my eyes filling with tears. It was so powerful and