A Searching Heart Read Online Free

campus. He likes the young minister, and he says they’ve a good group of young people. They have some real fiery discussions. Coming from many church backgrounds, they find they have different opinions—on many things. Jamison says it’s good for him. Makes him think through issues that he has just blindly accepted as truth in the past.”
    â€œSuch as?” Rodney wondered.
    â€œNot . . . not basic things like who God is or if Jesus is really divine or anything like that. Just . . . small things. Baptism or communion.”
    â€œThey’re not small things.”
    â€œI didn’t mean like that. But different churches do treat them in . . . in various ways.”
    Rodney nodded.
    â€œJamison says that it is good to understand why other churches take different views. It opens one up to thinking through things and making Bible-based decisions.”
    â€œBible-based decisions are good,” agreed Rodney.
    Rodney sounded sincere, and Virginia was about to continue on concerning Jamison’s church and spiritual journey, but Danny dropped back beside them and broke into the conversation. “You know that fox kit that I had last summer?”
    Rodney nodded.
    â€œI was out in Grandpa’s field a couple weeks back and I saw him. I’m sure it was him. He stopped and looked right at me like he couldn’t decide whether to come to me or run off. Then he trotted away and looked back twice before he disappeared. I’m sure it was him.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œHe had that funny little crimp in his left ear. Remember? Well, this one had it. Right up top.” Danny indicated where the crimp had been located.
    â€œAnd he didn’t bolt?”
    â€œNo. Just stood there and studied me. I . . .”
    Virginia hastened her step. She knew she had lost her audience. She might as well walk up beside Francine.
    â€”——
    The university campus was interesting, and Virginia thought about her own college experience less than a year away. But in spite of being used to walking, she found that she was tiring as the day wore on. There were just too many walkways. Too many buildings. Too much to see and too great a distance separating them all.
    Francine complained first. “My feet are whining. Besides, all these buildings look the same. Can’t I just sit down somewhere and wait for you?”
    â€œNot alone . . .” began their mother.
    Virginia saw her opportunity. “I’ll stay with her,” she was quick to offer.
    â€œThere’s a little shop with a soda fountain just up ahead,” Rodney informed them. “You can get yourselves a cool pop and wait for us there.”
    Rodney ushered them in and indicated an empty seat. He even ordered frosty Cokes and saw them settled before moving off with Danny and their parents. Virginia stretched out her legs under the table and even slipped off her shoes. Like Francine, her feet were aching.
    It was fun to just sit and sip, watching the young and chattery university students. Virginia envisioned herself as one of them and could hardly wait for her upcoming graduation so she might join the friendly, laughing crowd. But she would not be attending this university. No, her plans were already made to be with Jamison. What fun it would be to be in college together. How wonderful it would be to watch him play football. Already she saw him as the star of the game. People would be cheering, “Yeah, Jamison,” and she would be cheering more loudly than all the rest. She could hardly wait.
    And she would go with him to his little church and share in the discussions on faith and how to live it in a world that showed indifference. She would listen to the various ideas presented and be free to express her own thoughts on subjects. Jamison said that anyone was welcome into the discussions.
    Another little cluster of students entered the shop and took seats not too distant from Virginia and Francine.