Ron Rash

There Peter was, looking straight into the very eyes of God, walking the Sea of Galilee and then all of the sudden up to his neck in water. Some would argue he lacked the true believing, I say he had enough faith to go it a ways, and when he couldn't go farther Christ fetched him up.What am I saying? I'm saying that the walk to God ain't easy for the best of us. Now some would say, Preacher, if Peter had misdoubts there in the very glory of the Lord, what of us left here that ain't seen the dead raised nor the leper folk healed. All we seen is hard trial and sorrows. I'd not deny it.Burdens are plenty in this world and they can pull us down in the lamentation. But the good Lord knows we need to see at least the hem of the robe of glory, and we do. Ponder a pretty sunset or the dogwoods all ablossom. Every time you see such it's the hem of the robe of glory. Brothers and sister, how do you expect to see what you don't seek?Some claim heaven has streets of gold and all such things, but I hold a different notion. When we__e there, we__l say to the angels, why, a lot of heaven__ glory was in the place we come from. And you know what them angels will say? They__l say yes, pilgrim, and how often did you notice? What did you seek?

I don__ even have a choice. Rachel thought how that was pretty much true of everything now, that you got one choice at the beginning but if you didn__ choose right, and she hadn__, things got narrow real quick. Like trying to wade a river, she thought. You take a wrong step and set your foot on a wobbly rock or in a drop-off and you__e swept away, and all you can do then is try to survive. (83)

You got one choice at the beginning but if you didn't choose right, things got narrow real quick.

It struck her how eating was a comfort during a hard time because it reminded you that there had been other days, good days, when you__ eaten the same thing. Reminded you there were good days in life, when precious little else did. (268)

She had not remembered then what she remembers now, a memory like something buried in river silt that finally works free and rises to the surface...

Others can make us vulnerable and the sooner such vulnerabilities are dealt with the better