her Bible out to her. “You left this in the car.”
“Oh.” She reached for it, setting it on the desk next to her. “Thanks.”
Dad stepped back to the door but then stopped. With a perplexed expression he rubbed his hand through his hair. He only did this when something was really frustrating him. Something like her.
“You have something you want to tell me?” he asked quietly.
“What?” She frowned. “No.”
He let out a long, irritated sigh. “Nothing? Nothing at all?”
“Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t put gas in the car. I’m the worst person ever.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he said sharply.
“Then what?” With defiance in her eyes, she met his stare head on. “Unbelievable! I don’t fill the car up, and you come in here and look at me like I’m a serial killer.”
Now Dad reached into his shirt pocket and slowly extracted a small slip of paper and set it on her Bible. Her movie ticket. She took in a sharp breath, trying to think of some way out of this, but she knew it was futile. He knew. “How was the movie?” he asked in a flat tone. She couldn’t even look at him.
“This pattern, Grace. These lies!”
She looked up now, locking eyes with him again, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.
“And your attitude!” He grimly shook his head. “You know it’s a sin to lie. What on earth are you thinking?”
She just continued staring at him. If he thought he was a perfect picture of Christ, he really needed to take another look.
“Are you?” he demanded.
“Am I what?”
“Thinking!” His features twisted in anger. “Are you even thinking, Grace? Because none of this makes any sense to me. You never used to be this way.”
She looked back down at her Bible and the theater ticket. As much as she knew what she’d done was wrong, what about how he was acting right now? Was it right to stand there and make your daughter feel like dirt? She could feel tears building in her eyes, but she was determined not to cry. No, she was going to take this like an adult. Because, whether Dad believed it or not, she was an adult. And maybe if he would quit treating her like a child, she would have a chance to act like one.
“Grace, I know you’ve always wanted your life to be about God. But lately you’re just all about you .”
She took in a deep breath. Did he really believe that?
“I’ve always told you we’d be a team, but if this doesn’t stop, I don’t see how you can stay in the worship band . . . or be part of the album.”
She slowly exhaled, calculating his words, his intent. Now she forced what she hoped was an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
He pursed his lips and shook his head. “It’s late. We have church in the morning. Since I haven’t replaced you on the worship team yet, I’ll expect you to do your part. On piano. ” He pointed his finger at her. “Don’t let me down.”
He shook his head again as he reached for the door. His disappointment in her was so intense, so palpable, she could still feel it in the air after he left. And maybe she did deserve his scorn and criticism. Maybe she was a disappointment to God as well. However, as she got ready for bed, she was determined to do better tomorrow. Somehow she was going to change Dad’s perception of her. Somehow she was going to make him proud of her.
Chapter 4
R esolved to make her father happy today, Grace took her place on the stage and put her best effort into the first worship song. She liked “Desert Song” well enough, but she knew her heart was not fully engaged. Still she was determined not to disappoint.
As she played along with the other worship leaders, singing the familiar song with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, she observed a well-dressed man slipping into the back of the church—at least ten minutes late. As he made his way up the aisle, taking a seat about midway up, she could see that he appeared to be a little older than her dad
“Oh.” She reached for it, setting it on the desk next to her. “Thanks.”
Dad stepped back to the door but then stopped. With a perplexed expression he rubbed his hand through his hair. He only did this when something was really frustrating him. Something like her.
“You have something you want to tell me?” he asked quietly.
“What?” She frowned. “No.”
He let out a long, irritated sigh. “Nothing? Nothing at all?”
“Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t put gas in the car. I’m the worst person ever.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” he said sharply.
“Then what?” With defiance in her eyes, she met his stare head on. “Unbelievable! I don’t fill the car up, and you come in here and look at me like I’m a serial killer.”
Now Dad reached into his shirt pocket and slowly extracted a small slip of paper and set it on her Bible. Her movie ticket. She took in a sharp breath, trying to think of some way out of this, but she knew it was futile. He knew. “How was the movie?” he asked in a flat tone. She couldn’t even look at him.
“This pattern, Grace. These lies!”
She looked up now, locking eyes with him again, bracing herself for what she knew was coming.
“And your attitude!” He grimly shook his head. “You know it’s a sin to lie. What on earth are you thinking?”
She just continued staring at him. If he thought he was a perfect picture of Christ, he really needed to take another look.
“Are you?” he demanded.
“Am I what?”
“Thinking!” His features twisted in anger. “Are you even thinking, Grace? Because none of this makes any sense to me. You never used to be this way.”
She looked back down at her Bible and the theater ticket. As much as she knew what she’d done was wrong, what about how he was acting right now? Was it right to stand there and make your daughter feel like dirt? She could feel tears building in her eyes, but she was determined not to cry. No, she was going to take this like an adult. Because, whether Dad believed it or not, she was an adult. And maybe if he would quit treating her like a child, she would have a chance to act like one.
“Grace, I know you’ve always wanted your life to be about God. But lately you’re just all about you .”
She took in a deep breath. Did he really believe that?
“I’ve always told you we’d be a team, but if this doesn’t stop, I don’t see how you can stay in the worship band . . . or be part of the album.”
She slowly exhaled, calculating his words, his intent. Now she forced what she hoped was an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
He pursed his lips and shook his head. “It’s late. We have church in the morning. Since I haven’t replaced you on the worship team yet, I’ll expect you to do your part. On piano. ” He pointed his finger at her. “Don’t let me down.”
He shook his head again as he reached for the door. His disappointment in her was so intense, so palpable, she could still feel it in the air after he left. And maybe she did deserve his scorn and criticism. Maybe she was a disappointment to God as well. However, as she got ready for bed, she was determined to do better tomorrow. Somehow she was going to change Dad’s perception of her. Somehow she was going to make him proud of her.
Chapter 4
R esolved to make her father happy today, Grace took her place on the stage and put her best effort into the first worship song. She liked “Desert Song” well enough, but she knew her heart was not fully engaged. Still she was determined not to disappoint.
As she played along with the other worship leaders, singing the familiar song with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, she observed a well-dressed man slipping into the back of the church—at least ten minutes late. As he made his way up the aisle, taking a seat about midway up, she could see that he appeared to be a little older than her dad
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