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As always, he’d refound his faith in bothhis priestly duties Yes, he still felt a bit fraudulent, giving advice with so little experience to back it up, but over the days and nights he’d spent with these people, he’d seen the effects of his efforts … in the way Joe Santiago had begun to reach for his wife’s hand as they walked to the dining roo smile Levi Abramson tossed to his bride when she spoke of their children; in the slowly developing sense of hope that had started as a nugget of pro more

It had strengthened Francis’s faith again

“Father?” It was Tho Francis back into the conversation

Francis grinned “Sorry, guys I was just thinking”

“Any divine inspiration slide your way through the rain?” Levi asked with a laugh

Francis started to respond, then stopped Soe—shivered in the air around hi on a thinout to hi voice

Could it be that simple?

“You know, Levi,” he said slowly, feeling his way like a blind hts “Maybe it did Maybe divine inspiration isn’t e think it will be”

Thomas scooted closer “What do you mean?”

Francis stared into the fire, feeling its heat, experiencing its dancing color, hearing the popping crack of a log God felt close to him all at once, closer than He’d been in years “Maybe it’s divine intervention that brought us here in the first place Maybe that’s all God’s supposed to do, point us on a road and wait The road’s there, it’s always there, through the wind and the rain and the snow”

A silence slipped into the room, collected on the indrawn breaths of thetheir faith in him, in God, in themselves and each other

Goodness Hope Faith

He saw it all in this roo at the older man “You love Maria and she loves you, but soht of that road Yet still you’re here, reaching for her hand, knowing it’s her you want to ith Maybe what you have to do is stop searching so hard for the road beneath your feet Just take her hand and begin to walk, and believe that the paveiven each of you the incredible gift of love”

“It can’t be that easy,” Thoh, and Francis could see the doubt that twisted the younginsideI don’t want”

“Are you so sure?” Francis asked