Jeremiah thought that underneath that fidgeting, restless…

““Jeremiah thought that underneath that fidgeting, restless man was someone he could look up to. He had seen his friend go through many transitions in his lifetime, but the last one seemed to be the most difficult of all for him to understand. He saw Paul’s countenance change this past year since he found faith in God. But it was more than a mere belief in God, for Jeremiah himself believed the existence of a god. He almost felt his presence on a clear summer’s day up on the tall mountains. No, what Paul and Amelia had was different. They seemed to actually know God. And their lives reflected the sincerity of their convictions. Jeremiah decided that what they had was real. He respected them and even envied them. They were so happy. It was as if their faith in God made them more complete human beings.  Through their steadfastness in the face of many dangers and hardships, he had become acutely aware of his own inadequacies to cope with some of life’s most difficult problems. And he also became aware of the emptiness in his heart. Even though he had lived a basically good life, he knew he wasn’t perfect. He knew he was a sinner and didn’t deserve to be in the same room with his two wonderful, Christian friends. Paul and he had basically lived the same life, yet his friend was free of bitterness and anger. He had no emptiness inside, despite the harshness of the trials that befell him this past year.””

— Jeanne Marie Leach