Page 127 of Faking the Shot

“No.”

The word clanged conviction through him. “I haven’t?”

Drew pointed to Chris. “He did, but I thought he was clowning around like he always does.”

“Hey!” Chris protested.

“And okay,” Drew continued, “maybe, now I think about it, you did say something, but you never said anything much since.”

Zac studied Drew, his friend. His friend, who needed Jesus, but to whom he’d never really owned up about his faith in any real or deep way. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not being more upfront. Yes, I’m a Christian. I’ve realized for a few years now that something was missing in my life despite all the wins. So I’d noticed Chris was weird but had peace, so we talked, I learned about God, and it made sense, and here we are.”

“You’rea Christian.”

He nodded. “A pretty bad one, obviously, because I keep getting things wrong, but I gave my life to Jesus and I’m trying to do things His way.”

“Wow.”

Zac’s lips tweaked. “And look, I know it mightn’t look like it right now, but I truly am glad that I have God in my life. I’ve found a deeper peace and assurance that helps give purpose to my days. There’s a whole lot of stuff that fills our lives that really is kind of meaningless when you stop to think about it.”

“I’d be okay with some of your stuff.”

“No, no you wouldn’t. All it does is distract you for a little while. What’s the point in fame or money? It’s gone in the blink of an eye. Even a Stanley Cup win only lasts a season.”

“I can’t believe you just said that,” Drew muttered.

“But it’s true. It’s like this game we all play, being busy, focused on things that don’t last, when a peek behind the curtains shows there’s a much bigger game that’s at play.”

Zac took in a breath, the words seeming to crystallize in his brain and spout from his mouth. “When you think about it, likereallythink about it, if God isn’t there, then what’s the point of our lives? We live, we die, we’re done. There’s no point to wanting to make a better world, there’s no real value in wanting to improve our lives, because it’s based in what others see, which is basically pride, isn’t it?”

Drew stared at him.

“Isn’t it?” Zac repeated.

Drew coughed. “Well, yeah.”

“But if Godisthere, if He is real, if He sent His Son Jesus Christ to the planet to show people a way to connect to God, to follow Him, and find real purpose in this world that doesn’t just die when we do, then don’t you think that’s worthwhile?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Yeah. So I found real meaning and purpose for my life when I surrendered it to God. And I know I mightn’t have been very vocal about why I’ve done this, but I’m hoping to change that. Starting now.”

“Good for you.” Chris fist-bumped him.

Drew’s lips rolled in, and he glanced away.

Chris studied Zac. “You know, you say you want to do things God’s way, and I think you are.”

“What do you mean?”

“You said before you wanted to figure out how to do Christian relationships, and I know Diana and I encouraged you to focus on being Ainsley’s friend, and I feel like that’s what she’s needed. She needs time to figure out what God has for her.”

Huh. Hadn’t he said something similar to her on Valentine’s Day?

“And you’re learning what real love is. It’s not just kisses and romance. Real love is gritty and real, and sometimes it’s not pretty. And, there’s a place for fluffy ducks and rainbows and roses, but sometimes love means dealing with dirty diapers and not screaming at your kids because they pushed you to the limit, and your husband is rarely home and doesn’t seem to notice so you don’t say anything.”

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