Page 14 of Sing with Me

“You don’t go to church anymore?” Skye asked.

“Brin asked me to go with her, so I might while I’m in town.”

“I can’t imagine not being in church. That’s why it’s called a sanctuary—although we know that Jesus is our sanctuary.”

Diehl didn’t say anything.

Is Jesus my sanctuary?

At the top of the stairs to the deck, Diehl asked Skye a question. “Do you think that a person can be saved and then lost again?”

“I think that once you are saved in Jesus, you are forever saved, but it’s also possible for you—speaking in general terms—to not be saved in the first place if you fell away from Jesus or reject Him.”

“I don’t reject Him.”

“I meantyouas in the general public, not you specifically.” Skye stopped at the kitchen door.

The weather was warm, the sun was hot, and Skye was still wet. Her hair was matted, but her face was bright and shining, like it was sunny inside.

She smiled a little bit just as the sun moved. Her eyes had specks of gold, and made Diehl want to see how far he could look into her eyes. What was she thinking right now? Assessing his prodigal state of mind?

“Next Wednesday night, our trio is singing at the Fire Pit Service on the beach by the pavilion at church. Would you like to go?”

“What is your trio called?”

“Treble Trio.”

“Interesting.”

“Most of the time, we just call ourselves the trio.” Skye turned his attention back to the Fire Pit Service. “If it rains, we meet in the wedding chapel. Either way, Pastor Gonzalez brings a short sermonette. We don’t call it a sermon because he keeps it to fifteen minutes.”

“Ah… I can’t go.” Diehl remembered his last encounter with Pastor Gonzalez.

Skye reached for his arm. “No one remembers. Besides, Pastor Gonzalez doesn’t always preach on Wednesday nights. He just is this time.”

“No one remembers what?” Diehl’s eyes widened. How much did everyone at church know about him?

“We’ve been praying for you since your wife passed away.” Skye’s eyes glistened. “It’s all going to be okay. God will take care of you, just like He takes care of the sparrows out there.”

Sparrows.

The theme of the day, it seemed. What was God trying to say to him?

“You might recall the sparrow verses in the Bible,” Skye said. “For example, Luke 12: 6-7 says, ‘Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ God will take care of you and your kids.”

“Why is everyone quoting Scripture to me?” Diehl asked. He started out genuinely wondering, but as he stood there with Skye, he started to feel less than everyone else, as though he had fallen short of every standard he ever knew.

“I would love it if someone shared a Bible verse with me,” Skye said.

“Well, I don’t. And for the record, I don’t need God.” Diehl sidestepped her and disappeared into the house, leaving her standing on the deck alone.

Chapter Four

“How was your rehearsal?” Diehl asked as he invited Skye and Marlo into the house.

“I missed it totally,” Skye said. “I had barely enough time to go over to Mrs. Morton’s house to cook her dinner and then rush back here.”

Skye tried to sound polite but inside, her heart broke for Diehl.

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