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Bobby wound up the prayer with a reuered in their hearts, and naants who could use that kind of help The list was impressive He never used notes She tried to put the near ht bubble over her head, attaining Goodyear-bliet; she’d considered that sale, he was not into things of this world Just love She caught hisservices before she zoned out again Her h channels the way Cub did with the TV re, a form of persistent inattention that made her crazy, yet here she was The blasted o to Hester’s for Sunday dinner She remembered a navy blouse she’d borrowed fro Eula Ratliff in the choir had caused her to think of that It was Eula’s mother who died That blouse could easily have hidden in Dellarobia’s cramped little closet until someone else died--not that it ed by now, they’d worn the sa they were the size of eighth-graders still Dovey called that an achievenancies, but to herinto a size zero did not count for much as an accomplishment It sounded like nonexistence She soone for Cub just for the increase in marital volume
A couple ducked in late, slid into the pew next to her, and pro Dellarobia free to scrutinize thelasses pushed on top of his head as if he’d just hopped out of a convertible But if that was the ith him, there was no convertible in the story She’d probably spent two hours getting her hair organized and congealed, the bangs individually shellacked into little spears, all pointing eyeward, whichabout eyes Preston had a habit that killed her, of poking hi what to write Every pointed jab went into her own flesh, her own eyes wincing reflexively She was tempted to hide his pencils
The assistant pastor read a Bible passage about the Lord shaking the wilderness andthe oak leaves whirl, presumably to relasses now seeone through her phase of ave her a creepy antique fox stole with intact head and tail, on a dare that she would wear it here That was pre-kids Now she was lucky just to get everything zipped and buttoned, shooting for decency and not for show, a green turtleneck sweater and deniht to throw them in a river
The choir lit into a rock-and-roll version of "Take My Life and Let It Be," with electric guitars, keyboard, and druation was allowed to join in, but on the choir’s special nuave thereat, like hy, the choir looked like they were having a barrel of fun All except one older felloas too earnest, holding his hand to his chest as if asking Jesus toanswer The rest looked thrilled, raising their eyebrows and singing an exclamation point at the end of every line: "Take my feet and let them be! Swift and beautiful for thee!" She picked out those who’d been in her graduating class: Wilantic checkered top Ta, with her blue eyeshadow and a little e than necessary for the eyes of the Lord, it could be said Quaneesha Williale-dancing to the er o down better if you could dance Soreatest calls were answered not by the head but by the body Which is what got her into trouble, of course, e Tae? Her mood spiraled and crashed like a clipped kite
Pastor Bobby launched his serht to ht, read my mind, why don’t you She had all but flayed her flesh for hts, and in the end what it took was a burning bush that turned out to be butterflies Now she tried often to guide her mind back to the vision of those fiery hills, especially at night, hoping to lie down feeling like a person of some worth
"Jerehts," Bobby said " ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure’ Now this is hard to admit, because it scares us, but it’s true Every one of us here, and I’ht in the eye and give it a different name that suits us better" He had wide-set eyes and an entreating way of holding his hands paline a lot of domestic drama at his house But really, who didn’t lie to hiht call it a great passion When the true nareed, or lust We all have the special talent of believing in a falsehood, and believing it devoutly, ant it to be true"
"Yes, brother," someone said softly from the darkness
"That is how our Creator ain was answered with gentle assent He looked out at his flock with the kindest gaze, like a father having an i sons "The Lord wants us to secure our hearts against things that lure us wrongly When we’re struggling with jealousy, and guilt, and impatience, and hardness of heart, and lust, He wants us to use our rational s by their true names We all want to be in our minds, and not out of them We need them to behave Hoe do that?"
Dellarobia wondered howoff their personal résuestion, she was all ears
"There is no use in focusing on a bad thought and trying to chase it away," he said "Really that just won’t work You’ll see nothing in youryou want to shut out The hunter sees naught but that which he pursues Do you hear o Philippians counsels us to replace a wrong thought with a good one ‘Brethren, fix your thoughts on what is true Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things And peace will be with you’ "