Free Sara's Soul by Deanna Kahler

difficult to maintain a healthy relationship with anyone. For this reason, she was trying to proceed slowly and cautiously where Chip was concerned. But she couldn’t help that she had fallen deeply in love with him, any more than she could help the visions and uncontrollable feelings of despair.
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 6
    Timeless
     
     
    On the way to Chip’s house Saturday night, he and Sara engaged in a deep intellectual conversation about love and lucky coincidences.
    The July evening was warm, and they relished the soothing summer breeze that blew in through the rolled-down car window. Lush, green trees framed the road, their vibrancy bringing a healthy glow to the world around them.
    “Do you believe in fate?” Chip asked.
    “I’m not sure,” Sara said honestly. “I never believed our lives were predestined. Other than the fact that we all die. But when I met you, it was so different and unexpected. I felt like I already knew you. I don’t know if it’s just hormones or something more, but whatever it is, it sure is powerful.”
    “Well, I totally believe in fate,” Chip said confidently. “I think God places people in our lives for a reason—whether to learn a lesson, have a relationship, or further our purpose. I believe there are no accidents in the universe and that everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t see it or understand it at the time.”
    A monarch butterfly landed on the windshield in front of Sara, its orange and black wings struggling to hang on.
    “What about free will?” Sara asked. “Don’t you believe we have a choice in how we live our lives and what happens to us?”
    “I do believe we have the opportunity to choose,” he agreed. “I think our decisions will ultimately affect the direction of our lives and can even alter a pre-charted course if we stray too far from what was planned for us. But I still think there is always a greater plan at work.”
    “So you believe in both destiny and free will? Isn’t that contradictory?” Sara asked.
    Chip could sense her confusion, so he did his best to explain how he saw things and why they weren’t really contradictory in his mind.
    “I do believe in both, and I think they can coexist. Here’s why: I think we all come with the potential for certain life events to happen. Kind of like we are prewired for particular experiences and encounters with certain people. What we choose to do with those experiences and how we respond to each situation will determine whether we stay on course or branch off onto another path. If we end up on an alternate path, then a new set of possible predestined events can occur. I believe we inherit the potential to experience one of several realties, and our free will affects which one we end up in. I also think that we receive spiritual guidance from God, the universe, and guardian angels. They try hard to ensure we don’t stray too far from the planned course, but ultimately we decide what to do and how to live our lives. When we make the best choices, everything falls into place. When we make a choice that throws us off course, we will have problems and struggles or the distinct feeling that something isn’t right. That’s because we aren’t living as we are meant to live; we’re not living up to our full potential.”
    “That’s pretty deep, Chip,” she said. “But strangely it makes sense. If what you say is true, then I’ve been off course for a very long time. I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do with my life or if I even have a purpose. Nothing has ever felt right for me. That is, until I met you. Let’s hope this destiny thing really is true.”
    Chip pulled into the driveway and shut the engine off. He looked at Sara, but she didn’t seem to realize they had arrived. She was somewhere else.
    “Can I ask you something, Chip?” she said, returning to the present moment. “As a psychologist?”
    “Of course.”
    “Are fantasies a sign of