Finding Faith

by Anthony Lampe

  Andrew had stayed up late, hoping and praying that his sister was alright.

  Uncle Billy had already gone to bed, and Andrew had taken a seat in the living room with a clear view of the door, waiting for it to open. He nearly fell asleep across the sofa, when suddenly he heard the door unlock.

  Angela walked inside, with her high heels in her hands, and she closed the door softly. When she partially glanced towards the couch, she noticed Andrew there. Despite seeing his concerned look, she headed for the stairs.

  “Angela!”

  She lingered at the foot of the steps, until finally she turned fully towards him. Andrew now saw that the heels of her shoes had broken off and the mascara on her face was ruined by tears.

  “Are you okay?” Andrew’s heart nearly jumped through his throat in fear. He quickly got up and walked to her.

  Angela hesitated to answer as she plopped down on the sofa and tossed her high heels aside on the floor. “No,” she said softly, “I’m not.”

  “What’s wrong? What did Carson do?”

  “He… I shouldn’t have trusted him.”

  She broke down into tears and hid her face with her shaking hands.

  Oh, God. Please no. Andrew was afraid to ask, but needed to know the extent of what happened. “Did Carson—”

  “He forced a kiss,” Angela said, lower lip trembling. “I didn’t want him to, I told him no, but he kissed my lips.” She stared off for a moment and then said, “I feel dirty now… I trusted him to respect me and my body, but he just kept pushing for more. Holding hands wasn’t enough for him, kissing my cheek wasn’t enough… nothing was enough.”

  “I’m sorry. So sorry.” Andrew felt he was to blame. If I was the right kind of brother in the first place to Angela, she would have trusted me and stayed away from Carson. She would never have gotten hurt.

  Angela shook her head. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. You warned me that Carson wasn’t respectful, but I gave him too much credit. He only liked me for my looks, and that’s all he wanted me for. I ignored all the warning signs about him not working out for me. I shouldn’t have dated him at all.”

  “I remember a long time ago,” Andrew began, “when our parents recommended against casual dating. They said that they both believed in courtship, where two people seeking marriage could learn about each other while staying chaste and treating one another with respect. I think it’s way too soon to meet someone. For both of us.”

  His sister looked torn on the issue. “But the good times with Carson… they felt so right. I liked the attention he gave me and us having a good time together. I loved his compliments. He made me feel special.”

  “The problem is that we’re too young,” Andrew confessed. “We’re still learning about what will make us truly happy. We’re still working on our relationship with God. How can we have a healthy relationship with someone else unless we first strengthen our relationship with God?”

  Angela remained silent, either unsure how to respond or just uncomfortable talking about God. Andrew could still see the sadness in her eyes. He hoped that now would be the time he could help lead her back to God, but he also did not want to push her further away.

  “You know I’ve made some bad decisions recently,” Andrew admitted. “I fell into the wrong crowd, I’ve given in to peer pressure, and I haven’t been a great friend or brother.”

  “Are you implying that I’m making poor choices,” she asked angrily, “and hanging out with the wrong crowd? That I’ve given in to peer pressure?”

  She narrowed her eyes and stared at her brother with her defenses up. Andrew knew her heart was wounded and he did not wish to make it worse.

  “No, of course not. I’m only talking about my mistakes. I had come to realize that I had been living the wrong way. I listened to offensive music, I had friends that were corrupting my morals, and I treated women like objects. Instead of admitting my mistakes and sins along the way, I was blinded by them. After the vandalism incident, I hit my lowest point. But, Senior Counselor Robertson had reached out to me and gave me the chance to change my life. He encouraged me to seek God and ask for His forgiveness. And so I did.”

  Angela shook her head. “A counselor at our public school told you to seek God?”

  “Yes,” Andrew said with a wide smile. “That’s how amazing God truly is.”

  She fell silent again as she struggled with her emotions and thoughts. “You’ve really changed, Andrew.”

  “I know. I was afraid to turn back to God for so very long, and I just needed someone there to encourage me. I really needed a father figure. Counselor Robertson has been almost like a father to me in the way he has given me spiritual guidance. I feel fortunate and blessed, and now I would like to help others find God as well.”

  “That’s… very mature of you.”

  “Thank you.” Andrew excitedly continued, “You deserve a better life too, and if you’re interested, I’d love to help you.”

  Angela stood up and waved her hands. “I… I need some time to be alone.”

  “I understand. I hope you know that you’re never alone though. God’s always with you, and I’m here for you too.”

  She wiped a tear away. “Thank you.”

  Angela then picked up her broken high heels, walked to the kitchen and tossed them into the trash. Andrew watched her head towards the stairs and he decided to follow her. As she reached her room, she turned back and saw her brother lingering in the hallway.

  “Are you going to be okay?” His brown eyes were filled with worry.

  Angela gave him a weak smile and shrugged. “I think so.”

  “Everything will be better tomorrow. We could always play games and hang out if you’d like.”

  She tilted her head, crunched her eyebrows and then said, “That could be fun.”

  For the first time since she came home, he saw his sister smile.

  “Hey, you know, Counselor Robertson is picking me up tomorrow morning to go to Mass. Would you like to go with us?”

  Angela hesitated and then replied, “I don’t think… maybe some other time.”

  “Well, we go every weekend. You’re always welcome to join us. Have a goodnight, Angela. God bless you.”

  She smiled again. “God bless you too, Andrew.”

  They both headed into their own rooms and closed the doors. Andrew walked over to his bed, kneeled down before it, did the sign of the cross, and prayed, “God, please be with my sister and let her feel your presence and your love. Please guide her in all of her decisions and let her find peace. Thank you for watching over her, bringing her home safely, and for protecting her virginity. Thank you for also allowing me the opportunity to support her and help her through this difficult time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

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