since junior high and knew how much she would miss her friends. It was
a big risk. But Ashley also loved to sing. She had dazzled local audiences since she was four years old and had occasionally
been approached by talent agents.
She’d even developed a fanlike following among the large congregation where her father was minister. And though she was not
quite ready to cut an album, the idea of singing nearly every night for a year was enticing. Finally, the possibility of getting
her dream off the ground loomed larger than her concerns about the small towns.
“Okay,” she told her mother a few days later. “I’ll do it.”
Her mother’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Yes.” Ashley swung her hair over her shoulder. “Maybe this is the break I’ve been waiting for.”
“The break you’ve been looking for?” Her mother wrinkled her nose. “This trip isn’t about getting discovered, Ashley. It’s
about serving God with your gift of music.”
Ashley gave a short laugh. “That’s what I mean.”
“I hope so.” Her mother hesitated for a moment and leveled a serious look at her. “Without the right mind-set, you’ll be nothing
but disappointed by a trip like this.”
Ashley knew her mother was right, but privately she was certain this trip would break her music career open. Yes, she would
be using the gift God gave her. But couldn’t she get discovered at the same time? Ashley was certain she could.
A month later, Ashley flew to Wyoming and met up with the rest of the Alive singing group. Fred and Rita were the couple in
charge, and they treated Ashley like a daughter. Despite the lack of city luxuries, Ashley sang as lead vocalist at a different
church every night that week. She was hooked. And besides, once the group set out on its national tour they would spend time
in bigger cities. Certainly the audiences would be bigger, too.
At the end of the trial period, Ashley flew home, spent a week packing, and after bidding her family and friends farewell
she flew to meet the group in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The group traveled from one city to the next in Fred and Rita’s motor
home.Each night they would sing at a different church, hoping to soften the hearts of those in attendance. Typically, when the
performance was over, they would collect small donations that would pay their food and gasoline costs until they reached their
next destination.
For the first few weeks, Ashley could hardly contain her excitement. Not only was she singing with a professional group, touring
the country, but night after night she was watching people come to know God. The experience gave her an indescribable joy.
God had a purpose for her life, and she could hardly wait for each night’s concert.
But as time passed, the joy of singing began to wear thin. Not only that, but the group’s meager accommodations began to irritate
Ashley. More often than not she found herself thinking about the inconvenience of sharing a motor home with seven other people
rather than the joy of singing.
There were occasional tire blowouts and breakdowns and times when the group’s funds ran so low there was no telling where
their next meal would come from. In addition, Fred was being far too generous with their cash. If a needy person crossed their
path, he would use a portion of the group’s dinner money to buy the guy a sandwich.
“God knows what we need.” Fred would smile at the others. “He’ll take care of us.”
Even though they had never gone without, Ashley was still bothered by Fred’s generosity. Oneafternoon, three months into the tour, the group stopped at a small southern seaside town for an Italian dinner. Weeks had
passed since they’d eaten anything other than fast food, but the previous night’s offering had brought in enough that Fred
decided they could afford a sit-down dinner.
As the group approached the restaurant, they noticed a man dressed in tattered rags. His
a big risk. But Ashley also loved to sing. She had dazzled local audiences since she was four years old and had occasionally
been approached by talent agents.
She’d even developed a fanlike following among the large congregation where her father was minister. And though she was not
quite ready to cut an album, the idea of singing nearly every night for a year was enticing. Finally, the possibility of getting
her dream off the ground loomed larger than her concerns about the small towns.
“Okay,” she told her mother a few days later. “I’ll do it.”
Her mother’s face lit up. “Really?”
“Yes.” Ashley swung her hair over her shoulder. “Maybe this is the break I’ve been waiting for.”
“The break you’ve been looking for?” Her mother wrinkled her nose. “This trip isn’t about getting discovered, Ashley. It’s
about serving God with your gift of music.”
Ashley gave a short laugh. “That’s what I mean.”
“I hope so.” Her mother hesitated for a moment and leveled a serious look at her. “Without the right mind-set, you’ll be nothing
but disappointed by a trip like this.”
Ashley knew her mother was right, but privately she was certain this trip would break her music career open. Yes, she would
be using the gift God gave her. But couldn’t she get discovered at the same time? Ashley was certain she could.
A month later, Ashley flew to Wyoming and met up with the rest of the Alive singing group. Fred and Rita were the couple in
charge, and they treated Ashley like a daughter. Despite the lack of city luxuries, Ashley sang as lead vocalist at a different
church every night that week. She was hooked. And besides, once the group set out on its national tour they would spend time
in bigger cities. Certainly the audiences would be bigger, too.
At the end of the trial period, Ashley flew home, spent a week packing, and after bidding her family and friends farewell
she flew to meet the group in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The group traveled from one city to the next in Fred and Rita’s motor
home.Each night they would sing at a different church, hoping to soften the hearts of those in attendance. Typically, when the
performance was over, they would collect small donations that would pay their food and gasoline costs until they reached their
next destination.
For the first few weeks, Ashley could hardly contain her excitement. Not only was she singing with a professional group, touring
the country, but night after night she was watching people come to know God. The experience gave her an indescribable joy.
God had a purpose for her life, and she could hardly wait for each night’s concert.
But as time passed, the joy of singing began to wear thin. Not only that, but the group’s meager accommodations began to irritate
Ashley. More often than not she found herself thinking about the inconvenience of sharing a motor home with seven other people
rather than the joy of singing.
There were occasional tire blowouts and breakdowns and times when the group’s funds ran so low there was no telling where
their next meal would come from. In addition, Fred was being far too generous with their cash. If a needy person crossed their
path, he would use a portion of the group’s dinner money to buy the guy a sandwich.
“God knows what we need.” Fred would smile at the others. “He’ll take care of us.”
Even though they had never gone without, Ashley was still bothered by Fred’s generosity. Oneafternoon, three months into the tour, the group stopped at a small southern seaside town for an Italian dinner. Weeks had
passed since they’d eaten anything other than fast food, but the previous night’s offering had brought in enough that Fred
decided they could afford a sit-down dinner.
As the group approached the restaurant, they noticed a man dressed in tattered rags. His
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