Madeleine & the Mind
and stared. Then he let go of her leg and lay back on his bed. He looked completely relaxed with his arms behind his head.
    Madeleine opened the Bible and turned to Psalms. "I'm feeling a little low today, so I'm going to read from Psalms. It's a collection of songs, many of them written by the second king of Israel. His life became one turmoil after another, and yet he always remembered God was his source, his strength, and the reason he should get up, praising every day. I figure if he can do it, so can I."
    She flipped through several chapters before she found the one she wanted.
    "I think you'll like this one." She read from chapter one hundred and two. "Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.'" She looked up. "That sounds like you, Steven."
    He didn't look at her.
    She kept reading but stopped as she got to verse eight. "Listen to this, 'All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse.' I feel sure someone feels that way about you. You've discovered something they want, and you won't let them have it.
    "'But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through generations…He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea. Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord: The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death. So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem.'"
    She sighed. "That gives me hope when I have none. Did you like it? The next one is so moving, it makes me want to sing at the top of my lungs. There's no way I can feel low after I've read it. 'Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.'
    "Can you say that, Steven? Can you say that all the things you've achieved brought you satisfaction? Has there been anyone to tell you that your sins can be forgiven, that your diseases can be healed?"
    His eyes were closed, and she wasn't sure he listened. But God's Word encouraged her, so she continued.
    "'The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.'
    "I think that's one of the most beautiful psalms in the Bible. He knows who you are, he formed you, and he wants to get rid of every wrong you've ever done. I don't know about you, but I've made my share of mistakes. I'm glad he wiped the slate clean."
    Steven seemed to be resting, so Madeleine went to her room and collapsed on the bed. She needed to think about the day. So many events had occurred; she didn't feel she'd been able to process them all.
    Father, I know all these circumstances are leading me somewhere. I'm asking you to make sure my path is straight. Make the enemy fall into his own traps. Anoint the works of my hand, and grant me success according to your Word. And Lord, give me inspiration in working with Dr. Faraday. There has to be a reason for what

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