You Will Know the Truth

John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Today, I've chosen to share an excerpt from my second novel in the Adventures in The Glade series, Redemption.  The scene between eight-year-old Anna, Davy's sister, her mother, Kate, and stepdad, Jim, unfolds shortly after Pastor Mike Russell meets Racer, True Squirrel of the Old Ones, for the first time.  As you read, I hope you will meditate upon what God's truth means for your life.

"It certainly was wonderful having Pastor Mike visit with us," Kate remarked as she placed the remaining cookies into a Ziploc.  "But I do hope he won't tell others about Racer."

Jim chuckled at this.  "Kate, I don't think that young man will breathe a word about a talking squirrel who sings hymns with a heavenly voice.  Who would believe him if he were to tell?"

"I suppose you're right, honey," Kate admitted.  "He wouldn't want the congregation to think he'd gone daft."

Anna, who was sitting at the table, coloring her latest picture, piped up.  "Mom, what does 'daft' mean?"

"It means 'crazy' or 'nutty,' sweetie," she responded casually, and headed over to the sink where the dishes were soaking.

Anna slowly put down her crayon.  Her face donned a pensive expression and her mouth curled into a pout.  As he was sitting close to her, Jim witnessed her unexpected transformation from carefree little girl to one whose shoulders bore the weight of the world.  He allowed for a few minutes to pass before he spoke.  "Penny for your thoughts, Anna," he said kindly, patting her arm soothingly.  When she finally looked up at him, tears were standing in her eyes.

"Do you think Pastor Mike thought I was daft when I told him all about Racer?"  she asked.  Her voice trembled and one tear trickled down her freckled cheeks.

"Not at all," Jim said.  "He saw you as a young lady with an extremely active imagination, and he was right about that."

"But you know I didn't make it up," Anna protested.  "I told him the truth about Racer and the Old Ones.  And he saw Racer for himself!  Why would others not believe him if he told the truth?  Why would they think he was crazy?"

When she heard Anna's worried voice, Kate stopped washing dishes and returned to the table.  Now she tried her best to answer her daughter's questions by asking one.  "Honey, let's face it.  Aside from being here at this farm, this most magical and mystical of places, how many times has an animal spoken to you?"

"Never," Anna admitted ruefully.

"So if Davy had told you he could hear and see the Old Ones, yet none ever appeared to you or talked to you, would you believe him, or would you think he was making it all up?"

Anna hesitated a moment as she mulled over the question before her.  Ever since she could remember, Mom had stressed always telling the truth, even if it hurt because, she insisted, "the truth will set you free."  She recalled the one time when Davy told a whopper about acing a math test he had actually flunked.  When Mom found out about it from the teacher, she was so livid that she grounded Davy for an entire month and took away his television.  Anna was certain Davy had learned his lesson about telling the truth then and there.  She knew how to answer her mother.

"I would believe him," she said firmly.

"You would?"  Jim and Mom asked concurrently.

"Yes," she declared, "because I know Davy doesn't lie.  And I don't think Pastor Mike is a liar, either, do you?"

"Of course not, Anna," Mom said, "but if he were to share his experience with Racer, people might easily conclude that the poor man is a liar.  Surely, sweetie, you understand why ordinary folks would have a hard time believing in such extraordinary creatures.  You do understand, right?"

Anna heaved a sigh.  "No, I don't," she confessed, "not when you know the person telling you is known for telling the truth."

"Miss Priss," Jim began, "it's a sad fact, indeed, but there are some people who wouldn't know the truth if it sat there, big as life, and stared them in the face.  And then, there are those who do see the truth, but choose to turn away from it."

"But if it's the truth, why would they turn away from it?" Anna asked, more confused than ever.

Kate put her arms around her daughter.  "Because," she said, "they imagine the way of truth to be too difficult.  They want to live life on their own terms, not God's.  And that, honey, is a treacherous, dangerous row to hoe."

Amen, Kate!  Amen!