Page 62 of Sing with Me

“Us? You’re not grieving anymore, are you?”

“I still feel sad whenever I remember my own mom. I know it’s been almost twenty years, but you don’t just forget everything, you know? She wasn’t there for my high school senior prom, when my brother and I graduated from college and chef school, when he started his award-winning restaurant, when he got married to the woman of his dreams, when I started my own personal chef company, and here now, when I am looking at the sky. I wish Mom were here with me right now.”

“I wish my Mom were here with me too.” A tear trickled down Elisa’s eye.

“And yet God comforts us with His mercy.” Skye wanted to hug the poor child, but she did not. She wasn’t a hugger like her brother. “Would you like us to pray for God to show you the answer to your questions and to comfort you at this time?”

Elisa nodded.

“So we close our eyes when we pray.”

“Okay.”

Skye closed her eyes. “Father God, we know that You are the father to the fatherless and motherless, and that You comfort and care for us in our time of need. My sister Elisa here is very sad right now. Many years ago, You comforted me greatly when I was suffering after my parents passed away suddenly. You walked with me through the valley of the shadow of death. I pray that You will walk with Elisa now through her valley. Let her know that You are with her. Give her the peace of Jesus Christ in her heart.” Silently, Skye prayed for Elisa to know the Lord someday soon. “In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

Elisa didn’t say anything.

But another voice did.

“Amen.” It was Diehl.

Skye’s eyes sprang open. On the other side of Elisa, lying down like they were on the grass, was Diehl.

“What are we looking at?” he asked.

“The universe, Dad.” Elisa pointed. “You see the clouds up there?”

“Yeah?”

“God’s mercy goes above those clouds. How high did we fly in Grandpa’s jet?”

“At least forty thousand feet in the air, but clouds can go way beyond that,” Diehl said.

“And all around the world,” Skye added. “Like God wrapping the whole world in His mercy.”

“Cottony, cotton ball mercy. Soft and comfy,” Elisa said. “Skye?”

Skye turned her face toward Elisa and smiled. “Yes?”

“What did you do when you waited for God to answer your prayers?”

“I kept praying, kept busy, kept going,” Skye said.

“I missed the first part: praying,” Diehl said. “I kept so busy—such that I didn’t have to think about it—that I shipwrecked.”

Elisa chuckled. “That’s very bad, Dad.”

“I know. How did you keep busy, Skye?” Diehl asked.

“I was in high school then, so I started working in my uncle’s kitchen after school. I was also very active in my youth group at church. We were busy all year long with many activities. We did field trips, camps, drama, Christmas plays, charity events, local missions to the nursing homes and homeless shelters in the area. There was always something going on to keep me busy, keep me going.”

“Plus school,” Elisa said.

“Right. I practically lived at church since Uncle Miller’s house was one block from the church. After they passed away, we sold the house before we knew it was going to be razed to build those high-priced condominiums.”

“I remember that,” Diehl said. “That wasn’t us. That was the Urquharts.”

Skye didn’t want to be distracted by rabbit trails. “But that wasn’t all. My aunt sent me to take voice and guitar lessons. At that time, Seaside Chapel had a huge music academy. They still teach music to kids, but it’s not as big anymore since there are other music academies in town, like your Aunt Brinley and Uncle Ivan’s Yun McMillan Music Studio. If you want to learn a musical instrument this summer, that’s a place to check out.”

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