Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father by Andrea Randall

Author:Andrea Randall [Randall, Andrea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-08-23T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Hope Now

It’s Parents’ Weekend!

Do I seem excited enough? Really, I truly am thrilled to be seeing Mom and Dan for the first time since the semester started. As the weeks have gone on, our every other day chats have moved to 2-3 times a week. Between studying, working, and praying, I’m busy. Honestly, I’m starting to feel a little burned out from the thrice-weekly church services, but I’m digging my heels in. I need it, I’ve rationalized to myself.

That’s the other thing. I’ve been feeling this tug, a tug I recognize as God. It’s really been all-consuming—much the way the Bible indicates it should be—and I don’t know how to tell my mom. Sure, she goes to church (she raised me Episcopalian) but spirituality is fluid for her. Go to church on some Sundays, but make sure we hit the important holidays, and say grace before those holiday meals. Prayer is something reserved for before bed or when someone is sick. There is church life and regular life. And, by the way, feel free to pull on tenants from other spiritual traditions outside of Christianity to get through tough times. You know, pray to “Mother Nature” when you need a sunny or rainy day, and count on Karma to take care of those who’ve wronged you. These were all things I’d counted as normal before coming to CU.

I know that CU isn’t necessarily what’s “normal” when placed in the scope of the entire United States, but—as Roland so helpfully pointed out—it’s normal for here. And, while I’m not prepared to evangelize to anyone but myself, I am reading beyond class materials. I don’t need knowledge of the Bible, per se. I have a course load that helps with that. But Bridgette was overeager to lend me some books of hers that deal with prayer life and doubt. Who knew hardcore Christians admitted they doubt? Well, they don’t so far as I’ve seen—but Bridgette had the book. Maybe she figured she’d meet someone like me.

Anyway, my family will be here in a few short hours, and my roommates and I are making our room extra cute to show off to our parents. Twinkle lights, pictures of flowers and inspirational Bible quotes to decorate the wall, and we look like model students who don’t spend the ten minutes before room inspections tearing around the room like crazy people to keep us a few checkmarks above demerits in that area.

“Who did you say Jonah was with?” Eden asks as she puts the finishing touches on making her bed.

Even though my “chat” with Jonah at the coffee shop was two weeks ago, I’m just getting around to telling the girls about it.

I look up, thinking for a moment. “John and Mark… No. Matt. John and Matt.”

“Stevens and Wells, I think,” Bridgette says to Eden before turning to me. “They’re in his dorm, right?”

I nod.

“That’s them. John Stevens and Matthew Wells.”

“Weird,” Eden says, stepping back from her bed and seeming to admire it for a minute.

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