Free Bad Connection by Melody Carlson Page A

looked really rocky and rugged and jaggedy. Not like the ones we have here in Oregon, at least not the ones I've seen.” I open to a clean page of my notebook and attempt to sketch what they looked like, then hold it up for her to see.
    “Hmm…” Ebony studies my pathetic-looking drawing and nods.
    “Well, I'm not much of an artist, but if I saw a photo of something that looked similar, I think I could identify it.”
    “Doesn't look much like San Diego.”
    “Maybe someplace near there?”
    “Maybe…” She looks at me. “Anything else?”
    “That was it. Not much, huh?”
    “It might be another piece of the puzzle, Samantha.”
    “I just wish there weren't so many pieces. Why can't God just show me the whole thing at once?”.
    She kind of laughs as she opens the door. “What would be the fun in that?”
    “But what if Kayla's in danger?”
    “I guess we'll just have to trust God for that too.” She locks the door, then slips the key underneath a flowerpot off to the right. “You can only see as much as God wants toshow you. And there might even be a reason for this delay -e I've come to learn that God's timing is a lot better than ours.”
    “I just hope she's okay.”
    “So do I.”
    Ebony asks about my family as she drives me home.
    “We've definitely had our ups and downs,” I admit.
    “I'm sure it hasn't been easy”
    “Mom works a lot, and Zach's been in rehab a couple of times. Once for alcohol, once for drugs.”
    “I'm sorry.”
    “Me too.”
    “You guys have been in my prayers,” she says as she turns down my street. “To be honest, a lot more right after your dad was killed. But you'll be in them a lot more now.”
    “Thanks.”
    “And go easy on yourself, Samantha.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Like I said at Kayla's house. You can only know what God wants you to know. If He's not showing you everything, then you'll just have to trust Him for it.”
    “I know…but I guess I kind of feel responsible too. Like He's placed this huge burden on me, and maybe I'm the only one who knows what's going on with Kayla. And yet I don't know much of anything. Or maybe I'm not listening well enough.”
    “I think you're doing just fine, Samantha. And I'm going to share my favorite Scripture with you. I'm sure you've heard it before, but I think you may need to hear it again. Okay?”
    “Okay.”
    She pulls up at my house and turns and looks at me. “It's Philippians 4:6-7, and I glommed on to it shortly after your dad died. I used to say it to myself over and over throughout the day Now it's more of just a once-a-day thing. I memorized it in King James Version. Here goes. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.'”
    I nod. “Yeah, I'm familiar with that verse.”
    “Good. You might want to memorize it too. And then I'm going to challenge you to really think about what it says. It doesn't just say to simply pray, Samantha. It says to make
supplications
, which means to really beat on God's door. And then it also says to thank God. And I've come to believe that means we need to thank Him even before we see the answers to our prayers. You know what I mean?”
    I smile at her. “I'm surprised you're a cop, Ebony. Did you ever consider being a pastor?”
    She laughs. “Actually, my daddy was a preacher man.”
    “Was?”
    “He died when I was fifteen.”
    “Oh…”
    Just then her cell phone rings, and I'm not sure whether to get out of the car or to wait to say good-bye. But she motions me to stay put.
    “Is that so?” she says into the phone. “Very interesting.”She glances at me and nods. “Well, thank you very much, Eric.” Then she hangs up. “Guess what?”
    “What?”
    “Kayla never went to San Diego at all.”
    “Really?”
    “The bus company did a little more research,