Looking For You All My Life Part 120

that's when things really began to change for me."

"So do you believe in G.o.d now?" asked Michael, his eyes

glowing with excitement.

"I think so." Gavin seemed a little uneasy. "But I don't

really know what to do about it. I mean, is that all I need to

do? Just believe in G.o.d and then go about my business trying

to live right and be good and everything?"

Michael smiled. "That is just the beginning, my brother.

If you want to talk to me about the next steps, I would be

most happy to share what I know with you."

"I might just take you up on that."

"Good," said Michael.

"Did you know that Michael prayed for snow," said

Spencer suddenly, "and the next day it snowed six inches!"

"Really?" exclaimed Barbara.

Gavin laughed. "Maybe he'd better pray again. From

what I'm hearing already, the business community could

really use it."

"Maggie," said Barbara as if suddenly remembering

something, "I read your newspaper from cover to cover

today. It was very nicely done, I might add. There's quite a

lot going on in Pine Mountain these days." Then she glanced

uncomfortably at Michael. "But that story about the Ebbert

family was rather frightening, don't you think? Do you sup-

pose they're very dangerous?"

"I don't know. It's hard to understand those kind of

people."

"I read the story about Randy Ebbert too," said Michael

gently. "And I have made him number one on my prayer list.

But you must know that there are people like him every-

where. There will always be those who hate others because

they are different. It will never stop until they learn to think

differently themselves." His voice grew dramatic. "For

instance, in my village, there was a group of men who hated

us because we were Christian. Certainly our skin was the

same color as theirs, but their hate became like a big wall 188Melody Carison

between us. But in time, we learned how to break down that

wall."

"How?" asked Maggie.

"With love." He smiled. "Instead of getting angry or

demanding retribution for the mean things they would do,

we did what Jesus said to do. We chose to love our enemies.

We prayed for those men who tried to destroy us. And, in

time, every single one of them became believers. All, except

for one. Bilami-he was a very angry man. He finally gave

up and moved from the island to live in another village, but

we sadly learned that he died within that very same year."

"That's a cool story," said Spencer. "I don't know why

you couldn't be the preacher at church every Sunday."

Michael laughed. "Thank you, but I do not wish to take