Leading the Way (6 page)

Thumpity thump. Thumpity thump.
“It’s your turn.” Someone seemed to be speaking to Skye.

Skye looked at Mr. Chambers, whose eyes had already found hers. Their message was loud and clear.

Now, to make matters worse, busy Mrs. Chambers just happened to look toward Skye. “It’s your turn!” That same voice spoke through the woman’s beautiful blue eyes.

But I can’t!
More than ever, Skye wanted to crawl inside the crate on which she sat.

Thumpity thump. Chick-en…Skye!

Am not…am not…am not!

“Anyone else before we close in prayer?” Mr. Chambers fired his question right at Skye.

Skye’s glance swept the circle. Every pair of eyes, without exception, had found the same person.

Dad means me! Gulp!

Skye had been a Christian long enough to know that in times of crisis, the best thing to do was pray.

And the crisis is now! God, I need you. Right this minute. I do have a lot to thank you for. So if it is my turn, I’ll do it!

Finally, Skye’s chicken heart mustered a swell of new-found strength. Like an electric charge, courage coursed through every nerve in her body. In an instant, Skye the Coward became Skye the Brave!

She could do this.

She would do this—for her Lord.

Slowly, Skye stood.

S
kye, go right ahead!” A smile of victory beamed from Mr. Chambers’ face.

A circle of eyes riveted on Skye.

Mrs. Chambers strolled from her table and stood behind Joey. She folded her arms and gave Skye an assuring wink.

“I—I—”

“You can do this,” a Voice whispered deep in Skye’s soul.

Skye took a deep breath, determined.

Amazingly, words started flowing from her lips as fast as her heart was pounding. “I just wanna say that I used to be a pretty rotten kid. I blamed everybody else for all the trouble I caused. I ran away from everything and everybody, even God. But when Jesus came into my life, he gave me the guts to face my problems. I found out that it was him I was running away from all along. Now I know he’s with me through anything. He’s the best friend I have. That’s all!” Skye looked at her foster mother for approval, released a deep, long sigh, and sank back down onto her crate.

Eyes watery, Mr. Chambers took a moment to find his voice. “Thank you, Skye. The Bible says that Christ wants to be as close as a brother to those who ask. If any of you would like to talk to me privately about your walk with God, see me afterward. Your testimonies were excellent. Let’s stand and we’ll close in prayer.”

As Mr. Chambers started, Skye glanced at Morgan, who gave her a quick thumbs-up. Out of the corner of her eye, Skye watched Katie, who slowly stood with her head hung low. Her solemn face seemed set in stone.

Now what’s goin’ on in that brain of hers?

Skye just had to find out.

Sunday and time to go to church!

Katie surprised everyone. Dressed in her Sunday best, she arrived first at the breakfast table. She smiled all the way to church—and through it! It seemed to Skye that Katie actually listened to the video in teen class and to the pastor in the main service, as well. At dinner as at breakfast, Katie used her best manners, taking only one serving of every dish. Something was definitely different!

Skye studied her new friend as though Katie had grown an extra head. Despite prodding from Mr. and Mrs. Chambers as to why she had decided to attend church, Katie simply said, “I just wanted to. That’s all.” Not until the afternoon when the girls were grooming their horses in the barn did Skye have the chance to find out what was really going on.

“All right, Katie, let’s have it,” Skye said as she ran a metal comb through Champ’s long, flowing tail.

“Have what? One of these brushes?” Katie’s tone was light, almost a giggle. With a brush in each hand, she worked hard on Boomer’s coat.

“You know perfectly well what. What’s with you and church all of a sudden? And you usually inhale two plates of food at every meal. Are you sick or something?”

Silence filled the barn, except for two lazy horses whisking their tails to shoo away flies.

“Katie?”

“Oh, all right, Skye. You won’t give up until I spill it. I want you to be the first to know. It’s been killin’ me to keep this in until you and I were alone.”

“What? What?”

Katie rested her arms on Boomer’s back, her eyes darting rapidly. “I’ve given everything to the Lord. I mean
everything.
I did it last night at the campfire.”

“But I thought you did that in your bedroom a few weeks ago.” Skye worked the comb through a stubborn knot in Champ’s tail.

“Well, I only gave part of my life to God that day. Last night I gave up all the things I had been holding on to.”

“What were you holdin’ on to, and what made you give them up?”

“It was what the kids said. Mostly what you said, Skye.”

“Me?” Skye’s voice squeaked. “I hardly said anything. I just told the truth, the way the Lord has been helping me. It was tough to give that testimony, but now I’m glad I did it.”

“Yeah, and remember what you said about running away from God?”

“How could I forget? I meant it.”

“That’s when I felt like somebody punched me right in the nose. I’ve been running away from God too, because I was mad at him. Just like you were.”

“It’s no fun runnin’ from God, is it?” Skye asked. “You never get too far. I found that out the hard way.”

“Me too,” Katie said. “I realized last night that I had been runnin’ from him not only with my attitude about blindness and my parents, but also about other things.”

“Hmmm…let me guess. How about the way you eat all those bags of junk food and get no exercise? Then there’s your attitude about schoolwork. Am I gettin’ warm?”

“Right on.” Katie resumed brushing Boomer’s neck. “I realized last night that I’ve been using food as an out. Half the time I eat when I’m not even hungry! It just helps me get my mind off how frustrated and mad I am.”

“Hey, you’re not alone in that one. I used to do that with pills. Now, that was dumb with a capital D.”

“Well, I really mean business this time,” Katie said. “I want to come clean. I know if I do, my parents will get back together. Will you help me?”

“Well, sure.” Skye jumped at the chance to help her new friend. “But what else can I do besides help you with Boomer?”

Katie slipped her arms around Boomer’s neck and gave him a hug. He nickered.

“I have the Bible on cassette tapes buried under a pile of stuff here in my room.”

“You do? Wow! That’s awesome. I’d love to see it.”

“My mother made me bring it. I also have a box full of Christian music CDs that I’ve kinda been ignoring. Actually, big-time ignoring. I want to start my life all over with God. But first, I need to houseclean my room. Will you help me?”

“Houseclean?”

“Let’s go up to the house, and I’ll show you.”

The girls put their horses out to pasture and headed straight for Katie’s room. In five minutes, they had dug out at least a dozen bags and boxes of snack foods that now lay in a foot-high pile on the bed.

“This answers a big question I’ve had since you got here.” Skye flopped on the bed’s small empty space next to the mound.

“What question?”

“I never could figure out why Mom and Dad allowed you to have all this stuff. They’re into healthy eating big-time. I thought maybe your mom had made some kind of special deal with them or something.”

“No special deal,” Katie confessed.

“Mom and Dad don’t know you have all this stuff, do they? How would they know? I mean, they don’t spy on us or inspect our rooms.”

Katie shrugged. “Mom told me they wouldn’t allow me to have all this stuff in my room, so I lied to her. I said I’d give Mr. and Mrs. Chambers all of it to share with the other kids. As soon as Mom left, I hid it. Now I’m really sorry about lying to her and being so sneaky. You can have any of it that you want.”

“Um, I’m not into junk food too much.” Studying the pile, Skye spotted her favorite candy bar. “Although I do see something that definitely has my name on it.”

“Help yourself!” Katie skirted the room’s furnishings to reach her closet. There she felt for the handle, opened the door, and knelt down. “I almost forgot that I have a whole bunch of candy hidden in a shoe box.” Reaching behind a row of shoes, she grabbed her prize stash and held it up. “See?”

“You are so ridiculous.” Skye laughed. “Like you weren’t gettin’ enough to eat at the table!”

“I bet Joey and the other boys will love this.” Katie hobbled on her knees to the bed and emptied the shoebox onto the pile. “I think that’s all of it.”

Skye stood and headed toward the door. “I’m gonna get Mom and an armful of plastic bags. She can figure out where to store this stuff.”

“And who gets what—and when,” Katie added.

“I’ll be back in a minute!” Skye could hardly wait to seek out her mom and watch her reaction.

Katie sat on the only empty corner of the bed. “Then I want you to help me with one more project, okay?”

“What’s that?” Skye stopped short at the doorway and looked back.

“Didn’t you tell me when I first came that Mrs. Chambers has a treadmill somewhere?”

“Yep. She has it in the basement with some other exercise equipment.”

“Don’t you think I need to get in shape?” Katie giggled and pinched her sides. “If I lose some of these pounds, then my parents will know that I’m serious. Can you show me how to use that treadmill?”

“No problem,” Skye said. “We can work out together. It wouldn’t hurt me to do a little sweatin’ either.”

“Skye, hasn’t anyone ever told you that horses sweat, boys perspire, but girls glisten?”

Skye laughed. “Then let’s glisten and kiss those carbs good-bye!”

H
appy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! God bless you, dear Katie! Happy birthday to you!”

Laughter and popping balloons echoed through the Chambers’ basement the last Thursday evening in August. Silly games and gifts in fancy paper took center stage while delicious smells of barbecue and freshly baked chocolate cake filled the air. Mr. Chambers was right. With the help of the youth group, Keystone Stables did birthdays up in a big way!

For weeks, Skye had helped Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and Morgan plan a “half surprise” for Katie. Katie knew about the party; she just didn’t know about all the people who had been invited.

Despite the many church friends attending, Katie focused on one thing and one thing alone: her parents and whether both would be there. Had her scheme worked?

Arriving on Wednesday night, Mrs. Thomas had planned to stay for the party and the horse show, Katie’s surprise debut!

Mr. Thomas, on the other hand, offered his daughter no satisfaction. “I’ll try to make it,” was all he would say whenever she called.

Thursday came. Katie put her father’s arrival as the number one special event of the day, even ahead of her party. Whenever the phone rang or a car pulled in the driveway, Katie had only one response. “Is it Dad?”

But Thursday went by as quickly as it came. At nine o’clock the party ended, the guests all left, and Mr. Thomas still had not arrived.

In the basement, while Mrs. Chambers and Mrs. Thomas cleaned up the galley kitchen, the girls sat amid a sea of torn wrapping paper beside the Ping-Pong table. Katie slumped in her chair with her arms folded while Skye and Morgan inspected the beautiful and thoughtful gifts Katie had received. But Katie’s mind was not on gifts.

Skye cuddled a large, brown teddy bear. “This is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. He’ll look super on your bed. His cool cowboy outfit matches the colors of your room. Didn’t Chad give this to you?”

“Yes,” Katie said glumly.

“And this Bible Library CD from Melissa has puzzles and quizzes on it.” Morgan handed it to Katie. “It is so-o-o awesome!”

“Why didn’t he come?” Katie fingered the case nonchalantly. Suddenly, streams of tears were making wet tracks down her fiery cheeks. “He didn’t even call.”

Ring-g-g!

“I’ll get it!” Skye and the bear rushed to grab the phone off a nearby wall. “Hello, Chambers’ residence. Skye speaking.” Her eyes met Katie’s, already turned toward the phone.

“Hello, Skye, this is Mr. Thomas. I’d like to speak to my daughter.”

“Sure. She’s right here. Just a sec.” Skye handed Katie the phone and flopped the bear comfortably on her own lap.

“Who’s on the phone, Skye?” Mrs. Chambers asked from the kitchen.

“It’s Mr. Thomas,” Skye yelled back, “for Katie.”

“Hello, Dad?” A smile surfaced through Katie’s teardrenched face.

Chewing her lip, Skye exchanged glances with Morgan and gave the bear a hug.

“Yeah,” Katie said flatly.

A long pause.

“But why not?” she whined. “But Da-a-a-ad! Don’t you care about me?”

Morgan pursed her lips.

You’re right.
Skye shook her head.
This is so-o not good.

“Yeah—sure—bye,” Katie barely whispered.

Skye gently touched Katie’s arm. “Here, I’ll take the phone.”

Katie choked back another flood of tears. “He said he doesn’t think he can make the horse show. Something to do with his new business—or so he says.”

Mrs. Thomas rushed in from the kitchen. A look of disgust settled over the woman’s face as she sat down and stroked her daughter’s long blonde hair. “I was afraid this would happen. He’s always too busy!”

Katie faced her mother and shrugged, a clear signal to back off. “M-o-m…don’t,” she said with a choking sob.

“Now don’t let this spoil your birthday, Katie.” Mrs. Thomas slowly pulled away. “Everyone’s been so nice to you. And you’ve come so far in the few months you’ve been here.” She looked at Skye. “Could you get us some tissues, please?”

“Yep. Be right back.” Skye set the bear down, replaced the phone, and rushed into the kitchen. In seconds she returned and gave a handful of tissues to Katie. “Did you tell your mom how God’s been helping you with Boomer? And with your weight?”

Mrs. Thomas smiled at Skye then studied her daughter. “I did notice you’ve trimmed down a little the last few weeks. You look great!”

Katie sat with her head down, tears dripping off her cheeks. She blew her nose.

Morgan offered encouraging words. “Mrs. Thomas, do you know she’s been goin’ to all our church services and youth activities too?”

“Yes. Every time she called, she gave me a full report.” Mrs. Thomas smiled. “I’m so glad she’s let God back into her life. I’m very proud of her.”

“I wanna go to my room,” Katie said, sobbing.

Mrs. Thomas gently touched her daughter’s arm. “But Katie—”

“Mom, I just wanna go to my room!” she sassed. “Now!”

Whew…nasty.
Katie’s demeanor took Skye aback.

“I guess the party’s over,” Morgan wisecracked.

She is so-o-o unreal.
“I’ll go with her,” Skye’s sharp tone betrayed her deepening anger with Katie.

Katie stood and again wiped her nose. “I don’t care about anything,” she smarted off. “Life stinks. And Skye, I know the way upstairs. You don’t need to go with me.”

“But I want to!” Skye insisted.
Maybe I can talk some sense into her.

“I’ll help clean up all this stuff.” Morgan tried her best to lighten the mood that had soured the air like a backed-up drain. She scooped up paper balls from the floor, collecting them on her lap.

Mrs. Thomas released a long I-don’t-know-what-to-do-next sigh. “Thanks, girls. Katie’s fortunate to have two friends like you. Maybe all she needs is a good night’s rest.”

“No problem.” Skye followed Katie toward the stairs.

“Good night, Katie,” Mrs. Thomas said warmly. “I love you.”

In mute defiance, Katie made her way up the stair-case. Her silence said it all.

Friday, one day before the horse show!

A ham-and-egg breakfast at dawn started the hot summer day off right. Afterward, Keystone buzzed from the house to the barn to the field and back. There was so much to do: practicing events, polishing tack, grooming the horses until they glowed!

In the open field, Skye and Morgan worked Champ and Blaze through a tough obstacle course for their Advanced Trail classes. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers and Chad walked the three boys and their horses through the Beginners Showmanship routines in the small paddock. Between practices, Mrs. Chambers saw to it that each “cowpoke” had just the right western clothes, hat, boots, and all! Determined to have Keystone Stables come home with an armful of ribbons, everyone plunged in with both hands!

Everyone except Katie.

Katie, back to her old nasty self, kept busy with her mother—shopping and eating out. Returning after supper, she headed straight for her room.

The horse show? Only Skye’s nagging convinced Katie to run Boomer through the course a few times and then groom him.

“I know what I’m doing,” Katie bragged as she mounted Boomer, “and I don’t need the practice.”

“Listen, Katie, we
all
need it if we want to win,” Skye said sharply as she checked Boomer’s cinch. “And your attitude has you about one crummy millimeter away from Mom and Dad bootin’ you out of the show!”

“I couldn’t care less,” Katie snapped as she took off toward the barrels. “Let them!”

While Skye finished last-minute barn chores on Friday night, her anger, frustration, and confusion just
about finished her. She couldn’t wait until family time in the living room after Katie and the three boys had gone to bed.

As Mr. Chambers read from the book of James, Skye stared at a framed picture of a white stallion. Struggling to listen, she found her thoughts wandering more than once…thinking about Champ…the horse show…Boomer and Katie.

Mr. Chambers continued, “This study in James…first chapter…wisdom…patience…”

Patience? Skye’s attention swung back to Mr. Chambers. “Dad, how did you know I needed a lesson on patience? I’m going crazy with a certain person in this house,” she confessed.

Mrs. Chambers gave Skye a compassionate smile. “Honey, we all know who you mean. Katie has tested everyone’s patience.”

Morgan played with a few fiery red strands. “I’ve been ready to pull my hair out more than once.”

“Girls,” Mr. Chambers said, “it’s not an accident that this chapter in James talks about wisdom as well as patience. We need both of those traits in our own lives before we can even think about helping Katie.”

Deep in thought, Skye stared at Mr. and Mrs. Chambers on the sofa. Morgan had parked her Jazzy beside them. Slumping back, Skye folded her arms and crossed her legs at the ankles. “I’ve just about given up. She is so-o-o frustrating. I feel like I’m on a roller coaster with her. One minute we’re up; the next minute we’re down. I don’t know how to take her! She just makes me mad. That’s all.”

Mrs. Chambers spoke in a positive tone. “Girls, surely you remember how you tested our patience. And not too long ago at that, either. God can change anyone. Just give him time.”

Mr. Chambers closed the Bible on his lap. “The best thing we can do for Katie is to love her through this crisis. I’m sure you girls know how parents can mess things up for teenagers.” His mustache framed a teasing smile.

“Okay, okay,” Skye conceded as she sat up straight. “I need to remind myself more often that God’s always there for us. He’s there for Katie too. Can we pray for her?”

“And her parents?” Morgan added.

“We sure can,” Mrs. Chambers said. “Let’s pray right now.”

“And just be patient, girls.” Mr. Chambers leaned forward and folded his hands. “God wants the Thomas family back together more than any of us do. Skye, why don’t you start?”

“Okay, Dad.” Skye closed her eyes. “Dear God, please help Katie…”