Free The Winning Summer by Marsha Hubler

before.
    A nervous silence settled over the campfire. The teens sat in their tight circle . . . staring at the coals . . . waiting . . . as eager to say a word as the dying coals were willing to burn.
    Mr. Chambers folded his arms and waited. “I’ll give you a moment to think about what you’d like to say.”
    Finally, Chad raised his hand. “I’d like to say something.”
    “Go right ahead.” Mr. Chambers grabbed at the chance to let someone else speak.
    Chad stood, and his dimples highlighted a set of perfect teeth. “I just wanna say that the Lord has really been good to me. He allowed me to get two jobs this summer, one at the hardware store and one here at Keystone, helping kids learn to ride. All that money goes into my college fund. So I just wanna thank him.” He sat and sent a special smile in Skye’s direction.
    Whoa! Skye’s racing heart tore for the finish line, out of her chest and up her throat. Chad, you are too cool. Her face was anything but.
    “Thanks,” Mr. Chambers said. “Anyone else?”
    With the wave of her hand, Morgan got the man’s attention.
    “You’re on, young lady,” he said.
    Morgan took a deep breath and began. “Most of you know that I was born with cerebral palsy, and I’ve never been able to walk.”
    Everyone nodded.
    “Well, for a long time I was really mad at God for letting me be born like this. There was a time when I thought I was useless. I didn’t even want to live. No one in my family is a Christian, so we never went to church. But then I came here to Keystone Stables, and I learned that God has a special purpose for me. It was only after I accepted Christ that I could see that. I just wanna thank Mr. and Mrs. C.—and God—for showing me the right way.”
    “Thank you, Morgan.” Mr. Chambers smiled again and ran his fingers down both sides of his mustache. “Sooner or later, we must all make the decision whether we want to turn it all over to God. Does anyone else have a testimony?”
    Impulsive Bobby jumped up and poked his glasses back off the tip of his nose. “I wanna thank God for my trumpet!” He dropped back down abruptly, nearly overturning his bucket.
    Peals of laughter erupted.
    “And your father tells me he’s thankful for earplugs!” Mr. Chambers chuckled. “I’m with him!”
    More ripples of laughter.
    Skye sat like a statue, her heart playing havoc in her chest.
    But this was nothing new. Staring at Chad or being near him set her heart off like a flurry of butterflies or, worse, like a beating drum on the warpath. She could count on it!
    Thumpity thump. Thumpity thump . Definitely not butterflies!
    Skye had just about had enough. Cut it out, heart!
    But wait.
    Skye’s thoughts had long since drifted away from Chad, back to the others and what they were saying. What was going on?
    Thumpity thump. Thumpity thump . “It’s your turn.” Someone seemed to be speaking to Skye.
    Skye looked at Mr. Chambers, whose eyes had already found hers. Their message was loud and clear.
    Now, to make matters worse, busy Mrs. Chambers just happened to look toward Skye. “It’s your turn!” That same voice spoke through the woman’s beautiful blue eyes.
    But I can ’ t! More than ever, Skye wanted to crawl inside the crate on which she sat.
    Thumpity thump. Chick-en . . . Skye!
    Am not . . . am not . . . am not!
    “Anyone else before we close in prayer?” Mr. Chambers fired his question right at Skye.
    Skye’s glance swept the circle. Every pair of eyes, without exception, had found the same person.
    Dad means me! Gulp!
    Skye had been a Christian long enough to know that in times of crisis, the best thing to do was pray.
    And the crisis is now! God, I need you. Right this minute. I do have a lot to thank you for. So if it is my turn, I ’ ll do it!
    Finally, Skye’s chicken heart mustered a swell of newfound strength. Like an electric charge, courage coursed through every nerve in her body. In an instant, Skye the Coward became Skye the