Shining Night Read online

  Just one bite at a time, I said to myself and giggled while Ansley shouted my name again.

  “Coming!” I yelled back while sliding down the hall in my polka dot socks as fast as I could. I dove onto the middle of the couch and landed right between my sisters.

  Chapter 9

  The next weeks were busier than I could have ever imagined. Mom and Dad knew that I was going to have a hard time staying focused so they helped me create a calendar with detailed to-do items on it. Dad explained that this was how he accomplished his busy weeks at work. On my calendar, he included the tasks for the event as well as everything else I had to do—like homework, spending time with God, and even spending time with family! Then he put little dates next to each. Those dates are when I needed to have certain things completed. There was also a place for me to mark when I actually completed each task. I tried to follow the schedule he created but it was hard.

  Sometimes I would have a thought or idea that I wanted to work on even though it wasn’t what was due. For example, I drafted a design for the advertising poster four days before it was scheduled and I turned in my history project two days early. Dad said staying ahead of the calendar was okay, but he encouraged me to never get behind. “You have too much to do and if you get behind it will be really hard to catch up,” he insisted. I didn’t want to find out for myself. I believed him and worked as hard as I could to stay on schedule.

  His calendar helped me stay organized but my black notebook with my large checkmarks and doodles all over the pages was what I really loved looking at and using to help me plan. The pages filled with our lunch table notes made me smile.

  We decided that every Friday night would be our family movie night. My sisters and I took turns choosing the movies we would watch and Mom would let us choose our meal. When it was my turn, instead of a movie we found a few kid’s talent shows to watch while eating my favorite—taco soup! Amber chose a movie about horses, Ashton chose one with talking dogs, and Ansley chose her favorite mermaid story.

  These nights quickly became my favorite time of the week. Things were going so quickly, and The Big Give was only one month away, but I loved spending time with my family. Relaxing and laughing with them made the busy and sometimes stressful Saturday workdays more fun.

  Saturday afternoons at 1:00 were the best time for everyone to meet for our planning and work sessions, so that’s what we ended up doing. Mom let us girls turn most of the game room into our workroom. She covered an old table with a brown paper tablecloth and filled three cups with pens, pencils, crayons, and markers. She also laid a large stack of paper in the middle of the table along with scissors and glue. She placed little matching notepads, a pen, and a bottle of water in front of every chair each Saturday. It looked like a real office and it made our meetings feel very important. Every Saturday, Savannah and Emma piled into the house in their gym shorts and non-matching T-shirts ready to work. Joey wore the same pair of striped leggings every week because during one meeting she accidently wrote on her leg with a hot pink permanent marker! Her mom was not happy about that and told her not to ruin any other clothes.

  The adults we had helping us—Ms. Blount, Mom, Dad, and a few other teachers and friends from church and the neighborhood—met with us to see what we were doing with our checklist each week. Then they would move to the kitchen to discuss the more adult things like budgets, permits, and other details I really didn’t know much about.

  We all started every meeting together by praying just like the Fenways had when we filmed Above the Waters. When Dad was home he would read us a Scripture like he did after our family dinners in the evening. He loved talking to us about being kind to each other and the importance of asking God to help us no matter how big or small the task was. He said we needed to remember that we can do all things with God’s help, and that even if things were getting difficult God would still help us. After we prayed we always played our favorite songs, usually Mallory Winston songs, and we would all jump right into our list of tasks.

  By the third week of this routine I could tell that my friends were getting a little tired of all the lists and hard work. I tried to help everyone stay happy and motivated but I was feeling a little tired too.

  Even deciding on the color of our flyer seemed like too difficult a task.

  “Neon green,” Emma said. “That way everyone will notice it.”

  Savannah sighed and with a bit of annoyance in her voice replied, “That is way too bright. It’s a concert not a carnival.”

  “Emma has a point, though,” Joey chimed in. “We do need everyone to notice it. We want people to be interested and to buy the tickets.”

  “Okay, guys, let’s just choose a color so that we can move on. We still have to figure out where people will go to buy the tickets.”

  Emma threw her hands up in the air and flopped her elbows on top of the table. Her head landed in between her balled-up fists.

  Mom must have heard the discussion because she walked right in holding her computer and smiling really big. “Hey, ladies, I have a surprise for you!” She was so excited that she was practically jumping up and down.

  Amber, Ashton, and Ansley were two steps behind her and giggling.

  “What is it?” I asked, sounding a little down.

  Mom turned her computer to face us. “AHHHH!” Emma screamed first. “Mallory!”

  “Hey, guys!” Mallory waved at us through the screen. “I hear you ladies have been working really hard!”

  “Yes, we have!” I answered. Everyone else was too shocked to respond.

  I reminded Mallory of who everyone was and introduced Joey. She remembered Emma and Savannah from their visit to California and she was excited to finally meet the newest member of our team.

  “Joey! It’s so fun to meet you!” she said.

  Joey could not stop smiling and laughing. She just kept staring at the computer. I nudged her a little to break her silence. “Oh, uhhh, ooops . . . fun to meet you too!” she finally spoke.

  “I am so happy to get to talk to you all! I have heard so many fabulous things about each of you,” Mallory gushed. “I know I have already told Lena, but I want you to know that I am super proud of each of you! I wish I would have been so dedicated and caring about others when I was your age. You girls are truly amazing and are doing what God wants us all to do every day—show His love to others!”

  We all smiled, nodded, and chuckled out the words, “Thank you.”

  “Okay! So what are you guys working on today?”

  We looked down at the bright pieces of scrap paper we had just been arguing over and laughed.

  “Well, actually, we could probably use your help,” I said.

  “Perfect, what is it?” Mallory look closely at the screen.

  “We are designing the flyers . . . and well . . . we sort of can’t agree on what color paper we should use,” Emma admitted.

  “Ooooh, great! I love making these types of decisions. So fun! What colors are you choosing from?”

  Joey held up a few pieces of crumpled paper and playfully let them fall onto the table in an even messier pile.

  Mallory laughed so hard that she snorted. When Ansley heard her, she laughed even harder and squirted a little water from her nose. Mom shook her head and tried to stop herself from laughing. She didn’t want Ansley to think that she approved. Emma saw Ansley and started imitating the face she made when she saw the water accidently drip from her nostrils. Before we knew it, laughter had taken over our meeting. We forgot our stress, the argument over the color of paper we should use, and everything else at that moment.

  “I think we use them all!” Mom tried to compose herself again.

  “Oh, yes! I love that.” Mallory added, “Just print a certain amount on each color!”

  Emma, Savannah, Joey, and I exchanged apologetic smiles and cheered. This was the perfect solution to our most recent issue.

  Before ending our chat, Mom thanked Mallory for taking the time to talk t
o us and Mallory asked if she could pray with us.

  We each grabbed onto the person’s hand next to us and closed our eyes while Mallory prayed. “Dear God, thank you so much for the way that you orchestrate and plan out the details of our lives. I am so grateful for Lena and that a year ago she auditioned for the part in Above the Waters. God, that was something so fun. We can see how you have worked out the entire thing! Now, as Lena and her friends use their influence to help Caroline and the other children, we pray that you continue to work out all the details. Will you give them the energy they need, patience with each other, and all the resources needed to make this event a success? And I pray that they have fun and create wonderful memories together. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

  As soon as she finished, Savannah said, “Thank you so much, Mallory!”

  We all said goodbye and watched as Mallory disappeared from Mom’s computer screen.

  I ran over to Mom and placed my head on her shoulder. “Thank you, Mom! We needed that so much!”

  She smoothed a piece of hair from my cheek and smiled. “I know.”

  “That was so cool!” Joey let out one last squeal.

  I watched as Savannah’s face shifted from a smile to a more serious look. I knew that she was ready to get back to work.

  “Now that we know the colors of the flyers, maybe we should figure out exactly what information we want to include—like the cost of the event!” She couldn’t stay serious for too long, though, and started laughing. “Or we could just hang a bunch of colorful pieces of paper around the school and neighborhood, with Mallory and Lena’s pictures on them! Everyone would come!”

  Once the laughter started again it was almost impossible for us to stop. We decided that was enough planning for the day. I told them that I would work with Ms. Blount to decide on the cost of the tickets and other important information we needed before we printed the flyers.

  Everyone thought that sounded like a good idea, and we celebrated the end of the meeting with more smiles and rainbow-colored popsicles!

  Chapter 10

  It seemed as though every minute that I wasn’t working on a school project, studying for a test, working on my at-home chores, or doing a massive amount of math homework, I was working on plans for The Big Give.

  When Dad first added spending time with God to my calendar I didn’t understand why it needed to be there. He always tells my sisters and me that reading our Bible should not be a chore. That we should do it because we want to spend time getting to know Him, like we do with our friends. When I told him that I didn’t understand why it needed to be scheduled like all of my other tasks he explained. “Do you schedule sleepovers and time to practice for track?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Those aren’t chores, but you schedule them to make sure you leave time for them. It’s the same with spending time with God. It should never be a chore, but if it’s something you want to do, then it helps if you have a planned time to do it.”

  Now that there were so many things going on, I was starting to understand what Dad was saying. So even though waking up earlier than my sisters so I could read the Bible and pray a little was getting harder and harder to do, I kept trying because I knew that I couldn’t really do anything in my day without God’s help.

  The Monday morning after our Saturday flyer planning I dragged myself into the game room to read my Bible. As usual, Dad was already in there. I flopped down on the floor in front of him and closed my eyes.

  Dad sat up in his chair and reached down. “Are you okay, Lena?” he asked in a very quiet voice.

  I opened my eyes. When my eyes met Dad’s, they filled with tears. “I am really tired,” I said. “This is all a lot of work.”

  Dad pulled me up to my feet and sat me on his lap. “I know, Lena. Mom and I are doing as much as we can to help. We don’t want you to feel like you are doing this all by yourself. Remember, you have friends that are helping—Ms. Blount, some of the other teachers, and all of your family. Just ask for more help if you need it.”

  I wiped my eyes and laid my head down on his chest. “I really feel like having this event is something God wanted me to do, but then sometimes I wonder if maybe I am wrong.”

  “Why is that?” Dad asked.

  “Because it’s so hard. Why would God want me to do something so hard?”

  Dad let out a long sigh and gave me a tight squeeze. “Lena, remember when you were filming Above the Waters and you felt the same way? Like it was too hard?”

  I nodded my head.

  “Just because something is hard, doesn’t mean that doing it is a mistake.”

  I sniffled and tried to keep the tears inside.

  “The mistake would be trying to do hard things without God’s help. He gave you the opportunity to be in the movie, He gave you the opportunity to meet Caroline, and He gave you the desire to want to help her. Now let Him give you the strength and the help you need to do it.”

  As Dad continued to talk, I felt my body start to relax. I needed to hear his words and they were starting to make my heart feel better.

  Dad reached next to him and grabbed his Bible. With arms still around me, he opened it in front my chest and read, “Philippians 4:6–7: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’

  “Lena, God doesn’t want you to be overwhelmed. So if you need a break, let’s take it. The rest of us can carry the load until you are feeling better! Young lady, we are in this together! Mom and I would not have let you even start this fundraising journey if we hadn’t been ready and willing to help as much as possible.”

  Dad closed his Bible and set it back on the table.

  “I am okay,” I said. “I just forgot that I needed God’s help. Thanks for the reminder, Dad.”

  I closed my eyes and fell back to sleep on Dad’s lap until a wet kiss from Austin woke us both up a little while later.

  Mom was already in the middle of fixing breakfast, so I rushed off to my room to get dressed for the day. Within 20 minutes everyone was dressed, finished eating, and standing in our family circle to pray. Dad read the same Scripture that he read to me earlier and reminded us all that as God’s girls we don’t have to worry about anything. Instead, we just need to pray and ask Him for help.

  Even though I had just heard him say it, hearing it again, while holding my sisters’ hands, made me feel even better.

  Once I arrived at school I gathered Savannah, Emma, and Joey in the hall outside of Ms. Blount’s classroom and told them about the Scripture Dad had read to me. It seemed as if it were helpful to me, then it would probably be helpful for each of us.

  “Thanks, Lena. We definitely need to remember that,” Savannah said.

  “Yup!” Emma said in her usual chipper tone.

  Joey stood quietly. “Does your dad always read the Bible to you guys?” she asked just before I turned to open the door to the classroom.

  “Yes. Well, I try to read it on my own too, but he normally reads us a verse in the morning and we do a devotional together at night.”

  “Wow. I wish my dad did that.” Joey looked sad.

  “Well, you could always start reading it to him! Or maybe ask if you could tell him about one of the devotionals from the book I gave you while I was on tour,” I suggested.

  “I don’t know,” she said. She looked around a little at all of us and lowered her voice. “My family doesn’t even go to church.”

  I blinked a few times and tried not to look surprised. I couldn’t believe that I had never even asked Joey about her family. I didn’t even know if she believed in God. “Oh, Joey! That’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” I grabbed her hand and swung it back and forth.

  Joey smiled a little.

  “I just feel weird sometimes. I’ve never really had friends that talked about God until I
met you guys. Now sometimes I feel left out because I don’t know or understand as much as you guys do. Since I don’t go to church, I don’t even know God.”

  “If you want, you can come with us sometimes! But going to church isn’t what makes you know God. You know God by believing in Him and asking Him to be in charge of your life. Then the more time you spend learning about Him, the more you know Him.”

  Emma grabbed her other hand and said, “My family didn’t always go to church, and they never used to talk about God until I was in the 4th grade! Now that’s all they talk about!”

  We all laughed.

  “Joey, if you want, we can talk more during lunch today. This is way more important than anything else on our to-do list!”

  “Okay. That sounds good.” Joey looked happier.

  The bell rang just as we were opening the door and taking our seats in our morning class with Ms. Blount. Ever since Ms. Blount started helping us with the event she seemed to smile just a little more when she saw us. As we walked by her desk, we each said, “Good morning, Ms. Blount,” and took our seats.

  As we got closer to lunchtime, I wasn’t thinking about the normal list of things we needed to talk about. Instead, I was thinking about Joey and how I could help her. My family had always gone to church, and I didn’t always remember that not every dad was like mine. I didn’t want her to feel bad or weird around us. I really wanted her to know that God loved her and she didn’t have to feel weird. If God could help us plan this event, then I knew he could help Joey’s family too.

  Now that we were in the final weeks before The Big Give, Ms. Blount agreed to let us have lunch in her room every Monday and Thursday in order to work with her on some of the final details. This was perfect because being alone in her room would give us a chance to really talk to Joey and to maybe even pray for her.

  Like always, we grabbed our lunches as quickly as we could and made our way back to the classroom. Ms. Blount was busy strolling the aisles in the cafeteria so we were all alone.

  There were a few moments of awkward silence before Savannah asked Joey if she was okay and if she had any more questions about God.