now.”
“Yeah, but it’s going to get better, Emily. I have a strong feeling that God has great plans for you.”
“You really think so? Sometimes I wonder about God. We never really went to church much. I hope you’re right though.”
“I think I am,” Morgan assured her. “Grandma says I have a pretty strong spiritual connection to God.” She smiled sheepishly. “Not that I want to brag or anything.”
“Well, I probably better go. My mom will be getting home soon.”
“Be ready for church at nine thirty,” called Morgan as she waved at Emily from her porch, watching until Emily made it safely back to her house.
chapter eight
The next morning, Emily seemed to be a little more cheerful as she rode to church with Morgan and her mom and grandma. Amy wasn’t able to join them today. She had to help out in her family’s restaurant since her sister had come down with the flu, but she promised to come another time.
“You didn’t wear the new dress you made,” observed Emily as they sat together in the backseat.
Morgan shrugged and rubbed her hands over her jeans. “I didn’t feel like it today. It’s so foggy and cool this morning, it seemed more like a blue-jeans day.” She smiled.
Emily looked down at her own jeans, running her finger over the patch that Morgan had made.
“Besides, like I said, you can wear whatever you like at my church.”
As usual, Morgan’s mom parked the car behind the church, which was located at the end of a somewhat-rundown strip mall.
“It doesn’t really look much like a church,” Morgan explained as they got out. “But that’s because it used to be a shoe store.”
“But it’s got a lot of soul,” joked Grandma as they walked toward the back door.
Morgan normally sat in the front row. She grinned and greeted her church friends, pausing to introduce Emily to a few as they made their way down the center aisle. She hoped that Emily wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable being here.
“I always sit up here,” she whispered to her. “That’s because when we first started going here, no one sat in the front row, and I always felt sorry for the pastor. It was like no one wanted to get very close to him —like they thought he had the chicken pox or something. So I decided to make it my special mission to sit right here.” She nodded at some high school girls also sitting in the front row. “See, they always sit up here now too. And Pastor George likes it. He calls us the cheering section.”
Morgan noticed that the college girls, as usual, were dressed pretty cool. She fingered one of her braids. She would’ve liked to have worn her new dress today. She knew that some of the girls might even have commented on it. They thought she had style. But knowing that Emily would be wearing blue jeans made her decide to dress down as well. Besides, as Grandma often reminded her, “church isn’t a place for showing off.”
“Good morning, everyone!” boomed a voice from up front, jarring Morgan back to the present. A young manwith shaggy blond hair smiled at the congregation. “Isn’t it great to be alive? And isn’t it great to know the one who makes life worth living? My friends and I came all the way from Vancouver, British Columbia, to share about all the amazing things that God has done in our lives.” Background music started up and the group began to sing. Morgan blinked her eyes in surprise. Boy, could they sing! This was like having a front-row seat at a first-rate concert.
“Aren’t they great!” whispered Morgan after they finished their first song.
Emily nodded enthusiastically. “They’re awesome, Morgan.”
After a couple of songs, the group did a skit about a girl who decided to steal money from her parents and then run away from home. But the runaway, played by a pretty red-haired girl, only found hard times and bad luck. Finally she decided to return to her family. She thought her father might reject her and throw her back out. But
“Yeah, but it’s going to get better, Emily. I have a strong feeling that God has great plans for you.”
“You really think so? Sometimes I wonder about God. We never really went to church much. I hope you’re right though.”
“I think I am,” Morgan assured her. “Grandma says I have a pretty strong spiritual connection to God.” She smiled sheepishly. “Not that I want to brag or anything.”
“Well, I probably better go. My mom will be getting home soon.”
“Be ready for church at nine thirty,” called Morgan as she waved at Emily from her porch, watching until Emily made it safely back to her house.
chapter eight
The next morning, Emily seemed to be a little more cheerful as she rode to church with Morgan and her mom and grandma. Amy wasn’t able to join them today. She had to help out in her family’s restaurant since her sister had come down with the flu, but she promised to come another time.
“You didn’t wear the new dress you made,” observed Emily as they sat together in the backseat.
Morgan shrugged and rubbed her hands over her jeans. “I didn’t feel like it today. It’s so foggy and cool this morning, it seemed more like a blue-jeans day.” She smiled.
Emily looked down at her own jeans, running her finger over the patch that Morgan had made.
“Besides, like I said, you can wear whatever you like at my church.”
As usual, Morgan’s mom parked the car behind the church, which was located at the end of a somewhat-rundown strip mall.
“It doesn’t really look much like a church,” Morgan explained as they got out. “But that’s because it used to be a shoe store.”
“But it’s got a lot of soul,” joked Grandma as they walked toward the back door.
Morgan normally sat in the front row. She grinned and greeted her church friends, pausing to introduce Emily to a few as they made their way down the center aisle. She hoped that Emily wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable being here.
“I always sit up here,” she whispered to her. “That’s because when we first started going here, no one sat in the front row, and I always felt sorry for the pastor. It was like no one wanted to get very close to him —like they thought he had the chicken pox or something. So I decided to make it my special mission to sit right here.” She nodded at some high school girls also sitting in the front row. “See, they always sit up here now too. And Pastor George likes it. He calls us the cheering section.”
Morgan noticed that the college girls, as usual, were dressed pretty cool. She fingered one of her braids. She would’ve liked to have worn her new dress today. She knew that some of the girls might even have commented on it. They thought she had style. But knowing that Emily would be wearing blue jeans made her decide to dress down as well. Besides, as Grandma often reminded her, “church isn’t a place for showing off.”
“Good morning, everyone!” boomed a voice from up front, jarring Morgan back to the present. A young manwith shaggy blond hair smiled at the congregation. “Isn’t it great to be alive? And isn’t it great to know the one who makes life worth living? My friends and I came all the way from Vancouver, British Columbia, to share about all the amazing things that God has done in our lives.” Background music started up and the group began to sing. Morgan blinked her eyes in surprise. Boy, could they sing! This was like having a front-row seat at a first-rate concert.
“Aren’t they great!” whispered Morgan after they finished their first song.
Emily nodded enthusiastically. “They’re awesome, Morgan.”
After a couple of songs, the group did a skit about a girl who decided to steal money from her parents and then run away from home. But the runaway, played by a pretty red-haired girl, only found hard times and bad luck. Finally she decided to return to her family. She thought her father might reject her and throw her back out. But
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