Read Online Beyond Reach by Melody Carlson - Free Book Online Page B

think maybe God wanted to use the vision as a present for me, to show me that He's still going to use me. It's exciting. “I'm sure that would sound crazy to some people. I mean, having a vision about someone jumping off a bridge isn't exactly cheerful.”
    “I know, but it must be encouraging to know that God still trusts you with this sort of thing, Samantha.”
    “It is.”
    “And happy birthday!”
    “Thanks.” I feel a little silly now, like I shouldn't have told her about my birthday. “I'll let you know if anything else comes up, now that I know the door is open again. Or at least I think it is…1 hope it is.”
    “Maybe ‘break time’ is over.”
    I sort of laugh. “Cool.”
    Then we say good-bye, and I pick up my dirty breakfast dishes and clean up the kitchen. I'm still replaying the vision and trying to understand what it all means as I wipe down the countertops. Then I go to my room, thinking I'll do a little online research about suicide.
    Okay, it's a grim subject. No doubt about that. But I am curious as to why anyone would want to end it all. I mean, I can get bummed sometimes, but I would never want to take my own life. That seems like a slap in the face to our Creator. And frankly, I just don't get it. But I'm curious about that suicide website and what kind of information is really available there.
    Once I've spent some time reading, I feel shocked and slightly depressed. So many heartbreaking feelings and situations—things I never would've believed if I hadn't read them with my own eyes. Very sad.
    “Hey, you!”
Olivia bursts into my room holding an
enormous
bunch of helium balloons.
“Happy Birthday!”
    I nearly fall off my chair from the shock. “Who let you in?”
    She releases the balloons in my room then hugs me. “I knocked and no one answered. Since I know where the key is, I just let myself in.”
    “Well, you nearly gave me a heart attack,” I say, turning off my computer screen. Then I stand, and realizing that at least one person remembered what day it is, I hug her and thank her for the balloons.
    “Please tell me you're not doing homework on your birthday.”
    “Homework would be a piece of cake compared to what I was just doing,” I admit.
    Of course, this only makes her extremely curious, so I explain about my vision of the bridge and the jumper. This is followed by my general confusion about suicide, and then, still horrified over what I've just read, I unload on her about the gruesome website I've been visiting.
    They have a website like that?” she says. “How is that even legal?”
    “It's the Internet. Who knows? Ebony's the one who told me about it, so it's not like the police aren't aware. And remember I told you about Peter leaving his suicide note through a site like this?”
    “You'd think his parents could sue someone.” Of course, her dad's an attorney so she would naturally go this direction. But maybe she has a point.
    “Well, anyway,” I continue, “I was just in this chat room where people ask for advice on how to Mil themselves and actually get answers, including medical advice describing which poisons or gases or whatever means are most effective, or least painful, or cheap, or less messy, or more daring, or whatever. It's totally appalling. And everyone is so positive about death and dying. It's like they all encourage each other to just be brave and do it—like they'll be some Mnd of hero afterward.”
    “And really, they'll just be dead,” Olivia says sadly. “Standing before God and trying to explain why they did what they did. Swell.”
    I nod. “Isn't that weird to think about? I mean, what would it be like if you just checked out and suddenly discovered there was a whole lot more going on than you realized? It's not like you can change your mind.”
    “Yeah, I'll bet a lot of them will be, like, Oops, I had no idea that You were real, God. Maybe I should've thought this through a little better.’“
    “And what do you think God