Page 33 of Gideon

“Yes. I haven’t always gotten things right, but?—”

“Bah.” He waved the criticism away. “Everyonethinks God’s so concerned about us getting everything right all the time. Isn’t it exhausting?”

“I’m just trying to?—”

“I know what you’re just trying to do. You’ve risked your life, right?”

“When? In the army? I wouldn’t go that far.”

“You’re a warrior.”

“I definitely wouldn’t say that.”

Eric turned, rested his hands on Gideon’s shoulders, and held his breath for a moment before he said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me.”

“I did. Unfortunately, I think you’ve been misinformed.” Of all the people he had to come clean to about the lies, Eric was not the first. In fact, he wasn’t even on that list.

“About what?” Eric’s smile was innocent and serene.

“I’m not a hero.”

“Who says?”

Gideon turned away, shame warming his cheeks. “Isay.”

“Maybe it’s you who has been misinformed.”

“I only told my dad I was in the special forces to get him to leave me alone. I didn’t want to listen to his derision. But I never meant for it to spread.”

“What’s the truth?”

“That I’m a mechanic. That’s all I was in the army. I fixed vehicles. And this injury wasn’t from combat or even while I was serving. I’ve been working in aworkshop outside of Denver. I had an accident. I hurt my leg.”

“And?”

“And that’s it. I’m a nobody. The son of the town drunk whose brother is in prison because he got into a fight in a bar and accidentally killed someone.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Well, me too. I didn’t mean to get your hopes up for whatever it was you expected from me.”

“No, you misunderstand me. I’m sorry that you feel that way about yourself. That you look at your circumstances as though they have any bearing on who you truly are or what God thinks of you. You are not a nobody, and this town is not nothing.”

“Your face might be healed up, but I think you got a pretty bad knock on your head. You’ve been in this town for a few days now. You know what a mess it’s in.”

“Hah!” He gave Gideon a shove. “You think that only because you’re looking at things wrong. You have to tilt your head a little to the side.” He demonstrated.

“What?”

“To see things differently. You’ve been looking from the wrong angle.”

“What is it I’m supposed to be seeing?”

“I can’t see itforyou. You have to experience the wondrous goodness of God for yourself.”

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