“I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” he said. “You did really great Sarah.”
Sarah regained her focus and looked up and saw Ezekiel looking down at her. For a moment she was transfixed by his gaze but then the moment was over.
“But, now we must go again. We don’t have much time,” said Ezekiel as he stood Sarah upright and then headed off into the woods. I thought this is what he wanted to show me. I guess not.
Sarah tried to keep up, but Ezekiel darted through the trees with skill and dexterity. he made sure that she wasn’t too far behind though.
“We are almost there,” yelled Ezekiel with more excitement in his voice than Sarah had ever heard before. “Just past these trees, and then...you will see.”
Sarah sprinted as fast as she could. Ezekiel was so excited that it was rubbing off on her. He must have something good in store for her. When she got past the trees and came out of the woods, she saw Ezekiel standing still. She stopped, and then walked to his side.
They were standing on top of a hill that overlooked a valley that stretched to the horizon.
“Look at that view, Sarah. Look into the sky. Look at the stars.”
Sarah looked up and saw more stars than she had ever seen in her entire life. There was no pollution to hide or obstruct them as they shown through the crystal night sky. They seemed so close that Sarah felt like she could reach up and grab a handful of them. She wished she could take some back to her father and show him.
“Look at the horizon Sarah, we are just in time.”
Sunlight crept over the top of the mountains in the distance as the sun began its journey. Sarah felt wonderment, as she had never seen anything quite so beautiful before in her entire life.
“watch as the orange hued rays kiss the skyline,” said Ezekiel. “The light will slowly creep over the valley. Watch as the flowers turn to face it as it greets them. Listen as the birds begin to sing as the sun ascends over the horizon. Feel the energy of the woods as the animals come alive all around us. This is the glory that each new day brings. Feel the sunshine kiss on your skin as it banishes the cold of night.”
Sarah did feel all that Ezekiel had said. She wondered how he had come to speak so poetically about the sunrise. She looked straight into the sun as it was not bright enough yet to hurt her eyes. It was beautiful.
“So this is what you wanted to show me?” Asked Sarah.
“Yes,” said Ezekiel.
“It is beautiful,” continued Sarah. “But what does this have to do with faith,” she asked.
“You really are clever, Sarah,” said Ezekiel. “The reason I brought you here is because you said that you could not have faith in a God that would allow suffering and your mother to die. Well I say how could you not have faith in a God that created something so wonderful as this sunrise.”
It made sense to Sarah. It didn’t answer a lot of questions, but it made sense. And it resonated with her.
“Sarah, there is a lot that we cannot know. I don’t know why your mother died. I don’t know why anything bad happens in this world. But I also don’t know why anything good happens either. So should I focus on being angry about the bad? Or should I focus on being grateful and happy for the good? You are a smart girl Sarah. You tell me which is more logical.”
Sarah nodded her head slightly, almost imperceptibly. She knew deep down that Ezekiel was right, that there was no good reason that she should focus on the evil and not the good. She was standing next to a wonderful guy that had shown her something amazing, and taught her something even better. She was with a family that loved her and would always be there for her. Her father was becoming a changed man and finding happiness. What did she have to be mad about anyway? Maybe this was God’s way of working things out for good?
“I think that we both know the answer to that,” said Sarah with a smile.
Ezekiel didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.
They stood and watched the sunrise for a while longer, making sure to soak in every moment. Ezekiel reached for her hand. It caught Sarah off guard. But he had been holding her hand all night, guiding her through the woods. It felt good she admitted to herself. She laughed to herself. A few days ago she hated everything to do with the Amish. Now she was holding hands with one of their own.
“We must go back now,” said Ezekiel. We need to make it back for breakfast and our chores. We wouldn’t want to miss any of that now would we.”
it was light out now, and Sarah could see her way through the trees much easier. her feet felt light as she still energized from the beauty of the sunrise. It was as if she was gliding through the forest. Ezekiel helped her across the creek and made sure she didn’t fall. He made sure that her every step was in its proper place, and something told her that he would always look out for her.