Yes, lots of these lines were beyond human comprehension. English class must have been way harder back when these hymn-writers lived. But as his eyes moved down the page, he himself was moved by the timeless lyrics. Yes, he thought, this song needed to be part of Sammy’s new collection.
The congregation finished singing, and Brent sat. He tried to focus on the service, but his mind kept drifting back to Sammy. He hadn’t even talked to her yet, and yet he already felt he was growing closer to her again. Of course, that might have been because of how much he’d been praying for her.
No matter what happened with her, he would always be grateful to Adam for urging him to pray for his ex-wife. When he prayed for her, he felt his heart soften toward her even more. With every word, he felt more at peace. And for some reason, when he was praying for Sammy, he just really felt like God was listening.
Chapter 15
Samantha’s heart soaredas she played “Wide Awake” on her flute for her congregation. She’d been listening to the song on repeat since Wednesday night. She’d never known a song so well. She’d never loved a song so much.
This was day four. She was doing it. She was going to do it.
Her head was clear. Her body had energy. She wasn’t sick.
When Darren started his sermon, she fully expected it to be directed straight at her. She expected to hear from God.
That’s not what happened. The sermon was confusing, dry, and seemed to have nothing to do with her, and when it was over, she sat there, kind of stupefied. She’d been so excited to come to church, thinking this service would be different, but it hadn’t been. It had just been church.
“You okay, hon?” Cindy sat down beside her.
Oh great. The church’s matchmaker. That’s really not what she needed right now.
Confess your sins to one another.
Samantha looked directly into Cindy’s eyes. “I’m an alcoholic.” Simple. Unemotional. There it was.
The smile slid off Cindy’s face. After a brief hesitation, Cindy took Samantha’s hand out of her lap and into both of hers. “I love you.”
Samantha hadn’t known what reaction to expect, but this one still surprised her.
“Tell me more,” Cindy said in the same matter-of-fact tone that Samantha had shared her addiction.
Samantha took a deep breath. Where to start? “I’ve tried so many times.” Her voice cracked, but she reined in her emotions. “But this is the time. This time is for real. I’m on day four.”
Cindy’s face exploded into a smile, and she slid closer and wrapped her arms around Samantha for a quick, firm hug. She let go and slid back, still smiling. “Praise God! What are your thoughts on AA?”
Samantha exhaled. “Been going for years. Will keep going.”