A Lova' Like No Otha' by Stephanie Perry Moore

some time to myself.”
    “I understand that, but, child, I've been goin' plumb crazy wonderin' what's going on.”
    “You don't have to worry, Mom. I'm all right. I'm getting a new perspective on the whole situation.”
    “Baby, I hate not knowing where you are or what you're doing. Why don't you just come home?”
    I paused for a moment, thinking about what it would be like to be living with my mother again—especially after all I'd been through. “Mom, I'm not ready to do that. I know you love me and you're trying to help, but I really need the time by myself to clear my head.” When I heard my mother sigh, I continued. “But there is something you can do for me, Mom.”
    “Okay, baby.” She perked up, eager to help me through in any way she could.
    “Pray for me, okay? Keep me lifted up before the Lord. That's what I really need.”
    “That sounds good and fine, baby,” she said, sounding disappointed. “But God's got your mama here to do more than that. I need to take care of you. Now, you need to come on home.”
    I sighed. My mother could be so exasperating sometimes! This was one of the reasons I hardly ever talked to her. “Look, Ma,” I started, needing to explain my point. “I have to quit depending on other people and let God take care of me,” I said, thinking of what Chase had said to me earlier. “I need to give Him a chance to be Lord of my life.” As I said the words, I realized how true they were. I knew I had been on quite a roller-coaster ride—first wanting to depend on God, then not wanting to talk to Him at all. But now I knew where I wanted to be—I wanted to rely solely on Christ. I longed for that to be my reality, to be what I truly lived.
    “You ain't talkin' to that dog Devyn, are ya?” my mother whined. “You know you gotta let that go.”
    I rolled my eyes.
Where did that come from?
I wondered. Here I was talking about Christ and making Him the center of my life, and my mother was talking about Devyn. Besides, even if Devyn wasn't the best man I could end up with, he'd still given me much more than Mom's string of men had ever given her. “Mom, I'm really not in the mood for a lecture. I know you care, but I just don't want to hear it. I don't mean any disrespect, but I can't handle this right now.” I paused, but only for a moment. Then I said quickly, “I love you, Mom, but I gotta go.”
    Hanging up the phone while my mother was still yakking was a difficult thing to do, but I didn't have any other choice.
    I tossed the phone onto the table and sat on the living-room sofa. The apartment felt more than empty without Chase. But I knew I had to learn to adjust to the solitude. I expected to be alone quite a bit from now on.
    I lay back, closed my eyes and thought about the things I'd told my mother—about depending solely on Christ. I'd always relied on other people for everything, from taking care of me to making me happy, but sinful human beings were far from perfect. I never fully realized how easily they could let me down.
    But giving everything to Christ, letting Him be in control, was a new concept to me. I really wanted to do that, but I needed a road map.
    I opened my eyes and stared at the Bible sitting on the coffee table. I knew I should read it, like I'd promised Chase. But I really didn't know where to start, so I closed my eyes again.
    I couldn't get the thoughts of God from my mind. I really wanted to find direction for my life. I'd been running in a million different ways but not really going anywhere.
    Finally, I sat up and lifted the heavy book. I opened it to the table of contents. I turned to Psalms and found the twenty-third chapter, one that was familiar to me.
    “‘The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want,’” I read out loud, my voice sounding strange in the quiet room. I stopped right there and read that passage over and over again.
    Just that verse was an answer to a prayer for me; I thought of all the things I'd been wanting. Devyn. The