Read Online When Lightning Strikes by Brooke St. James - Free Book Online
Authors: Brooke St. James
Ads: Link
know. I just don't think I could have done something like that on my own."
"Don't you think that's just you being humble and not wanting to take the credit for it?"
"I don't mind taking credit for things," I said. "But in this case, I had no idea what I was doing. I honestly can't believe that worked out the way it did."
"So you think God helped you?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said shrugging. "I mean, yeah, I think God helped me. Once you believe He's real, it's easy to believe all the other little details like that. I know it must sound crazy."
He paused for a few long seconds. "What's crazy is that you're the way you are, and you still believe that."
"What do you mean I am the way I am ? What's that mean?"
"I mean, you're cool, and smart, open-minded, and you have all this life experience and opinions about things. And you have purple hair and tattoos." He glanced over the console at me with a smile. "You just don’t seem like the type of person who'd—"
"What? Love God?"
"Yeah."
"The sad part is, I don't really like Christians either. I shouldn't say it like that," I quickly amended. "Most of them are great, I'm sure, but I get annoyed by some of them. It's just that part of me feels like sometimes churches are more like businesses, and maybe some of the time, the intentions of the leadership are not pure and not about God at all—at least not the same God I know."
Patrick nodded his head.
"I'm sure there are a lot of Christians out there whose intentions are pure, but some aren't, and quite frankly, some of the things I see done in God's name sickens me. But you know what? Under all that crap—greed and bad intentions and whatnot, there's something real." I shrugged. "God is real. There's no other way to say it other than I know it in the very core of my soul. I know it with more certainty than I know anything else." I sighed. "Therefore I ignore everything about Christianity that annoys me. I ignore all the humans who do stuff I don't agree with in His name. I'm sure there are things I do that annoy other Christians—probably lots of things. All we can do is try to get past each other and trust what we know to be the truth."
Chapter 9
Patrick was quiet for a minute as we drove. I figured I'd put the nails in the coffin of our non-existent relationship with all the God talk, but I couldn't help myself. He was asking me direct questions, and I wasn't going to lie.
"So you think when you die your soul's gonna go to heaven?"
My gut sank at the question. It was bolder and more direct than previous questions and I caught myself thinking, here we go…
"Yes." I said.
"And you think those of us who don't believe in God are going to hell?"
"If by God you mean Jesus, then yes."
"So you're one of the Christians who believe you have to go specifically through Jesus?" he asked.
I gave him a confused glance thinking he might be joking, but apparently he wasn't. "That's the only kind of Christians there are," I said. "The whole point of the name is the 'Christ' part, meaning Jesus Christ." I sighed. "Honestly, that's another thing I struggle with. It's much easier for me to say God than it is to say the word Jesus , but as a Christian, I believe the way to life in heaven is through Jesus specifically. It's really hard for me to say that out loud because I know it makes you cringe and everything, but it's the truth. It's the foundation."
He smiled and shook his head as he stared at the road. "I'm sorry. I'm trying, but I can't understand how someone as intelligent as you would say something like that."
I felt my blood start to boil and had to tell myself to calm down and take a deep breath. I didn't say anything right away.
He glanced at me. "I'm not trying to offend you or anything. I like you and I'm just trying to understand why you choose to believe that stuff."
"Because why not, Patrick? If believing is all you have to do, then why not? I can't think of any reason not to believe when the
"Don't you think that's just you being humble and not wanting to take the credit for it?"
"I don't mind taking credit for things," I said. "But in this case, I had no idea what I was doing. I honestly can't believe that worked out the way it did."
"So you think God helped you?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said shrugging. "I mean, yeah, I think God helped me. Once you believe He's real, it's easy to believe all the other little details like that. I know it must sound crazy."
He paused for a few long seconds. "What's crazy is that you're the way you are, and you still believe that."
"What do you mean I am the way I am ? What's that mean?"
"I mean, you're cool, and smart, open-minded, and you have all this life experience and opinions about things. And you have purple hair and tattoos." He glanced over the console at me with a smile. "You just don’t seem like the type of person who'd—"
"What? Love God?"
"Yeah."
"The sad part is, I don't really like Christians either. I shouldn't say it like that," I quickly amended. "Most of them are great, I'm sure, but I get annoyed by some of them. It's just that part of me feels like sometimes churches are more like businesses, and maybe some of the time, the intentions of the leadership are not pure and not about God at all—at least not the same God I know."
Patrick nodded his head.
"I'm sure there are a lot of Christians out there whose intentions are pure, but some aren't, and quite frankly, some of the things I see done in God's name sickens me. But you know what? Under all that crap—greed and bad intentions and whatnot, there's something real." I shrugged. "God is real. There's no other way to say it other than I know it in the very core of my soul. I know it with more certainty than I know anything else." I sighed. "Therefore I ignore everything about Christianity that annoys me. I ignore all the humans who do stuff I don't agree with in His name. I'm sure there are things I do that annoy other Christians—probably lots of things. All we can do is try to get past each other and trust what we know to be the truth."
Chapter 9
Patrick was quiet for a minute as we drove. I figured I'd put the nails in the coffin of our non-existent relationship with all the God talk, but I couldn't help myself. He was asking me direct questions, and I wasn't going to lie.
"So you think when you die your soul's gonna go to heaven?"
My gut sank at the question. It was bolder and more direct than previous questions and I caught myself thinking, here we go…
"Yes." I said.
"And you think those of us who don't believe in God are going to hell?"
"If by God you mean Jesus, then yes."
"So you're one of the Christians who believe you have to go specifically through Jesus?" he asked.
I gave him a confused glance thinking he might be joking, but apparently he wasn't. "That's the only kind of Christians there are," I said. "The whole point of the name is the 'Christ' part, meaning Jesus Christ." I sighed. "Honestly, that's another thing I struggle with. It's much easier for me to say God than it is to say the word Jesus , but as a Christian, I believe the way to life in heaven is through Jesus specifically. It's really hard for me to say that out loud because I know it makes you cringe and everything, but it's the truth. It's the foundation."
He smiled and shook his head as he stared at the road. "I'm sorry. I'm trying, but I can't understand how someone as intelligent as you would say something like that."
I felt my blood start to boil and had to tell myself to calm down and take a deep breath. I didn't say anything right away.
He glanced at me. "I'm not trying to offend you or anything. I like you and I'm just trying to understand why you choose to believe that stuff."
"Because why not, Patrick? If believing is all you have to do, then why not? I can't think of any reason not to believe when the
Similar Books
