The kind old gentleman shook his head. "I have no answers for you, my child. That is not a simple question, and has been asked before in many a heart. You're a young woman now, no longer a child that needs to be led by the hand in relation to your faith. You have sought, and found, many answers already. Only God can help you to find the rest. I am your friend, here for you whenever you need a listening ear. I cannot tell you the answers to life's complexities. But with God's help and through prayer and the Scriptures, you will find the way. His divine wisdom is as available to you as it is to me."

        It was a troubling yet glorious thought, and Nicole found herself reaching for it, claiming it as a sacred promise. She had free access to a holy, all-powerful, loving Father.

        "It is ever our challenge to draw closer to the Master's heart. To search for his way through life's maze. With each step that we take with Him, our faith deepens, our steps become more certain. Take your dreams, your fears, your struggles, and use them for stepping stones to Him, my child. Let every issue of life be a means of bringing you closer to the Shepherd."

~ taken from The Distant Beacon by Janette Oke & T. Davis Bunn