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“And you can fight those feelings with the truth. That you make mistakes, and it’s okay. You live your life, and sometimes that offends people. Not because you do anything on purpose, not because you’re not kind, just because you’re you. And then, there are people like your husband who make mistakes, and then want to blame everyone around them for them. Who can’t own up to what they are. And in order to make themselves feel good about themselves, they have to knock everyone around them down, so they’re the only ones left standing. But, he can’t knock you down, because you aren’t about you. You’re about Jesus. And therefore, your life is about Him, and about pleasing Him, and so it doesn’t matter what other people say.
“Sometimes they’re right.”
“True.”
She took the wind out of the sails a little bit with that. But he rallied. “Sometimes things people say about us are correct, and sometimes we have to examine ourselves, and make changes. But, that doesn’t affect our worth. That doesn’t affect how Jesus loves us. And it doesn’t affect our purpose, which is to live for Him.”
“Good point. You’re right. Just because someone says something to me with a grain of truth in it doesn’t mean that I have to think they’re right when they tell me that therefore I don’t amount to anything.”
“Exactly. Because, I think you’re pretty awesome.”
She grinned, like he’d said something funny.
“I’m serious. I... I admire you more than I’ve admired anyone in my life before. I feel drawn to you. I hope that’s okay.”
Chapter 22
Maybe that wasn’t thebest thing for Matt to say, but he wanted to move forward. Wanted to do more than hold Jubilee’s hand, wanted to have the right to be beside her. But he supposed all of those things took time, and he couldn’t just snap his fingers and have her wanting to be with him.
“I think that’s what I want too. But, I think I just need a little bit of time. Not because of you, but to get used to everything. To get rid of the fear. You’re so much different than Cody. So much better. In every way. But I suppose it’s just going to take my head a little time to tell my heart. Or vice versa, whichever,” she said with a little smile, and he laughed.
“I don’t know which it is either, but I’m glad that you see. I was trying not to be offended that I was kind of getting lumped in with Cody and everything that he’s done.”
“No way. Not at all. You’re so much different. Maybe because I’m older, and hopefully a little wiser too, it’s easy for me to see that. Maybe it’s hard to believe that someone like you could be interested in someone like me.”
“I don’t see why that would be so hard to believe. You’re an amazing person, and it’s an honor to be with you.”
Did she think he was just saying that? Her brows tilted down a little as though she thought they were just words that he said to everyone. She didn’t realize that when he said it was an honor, he meant it was an honor. Those weren’t things he said lightly, to just anyone. There were plenty of people that he was friends with, and he liked them, but to say that it was an honor meant something. At least to him.
But he didn’t get time to say anything, because he heard his name, and then, “Jubilee!”
There was a little bit of curiosity and interest in that word.
“You’re holding hands with my brother. What’s going on?” Clara, smiling and looking pleased that Jubilee was holding his hand, walked over to them.
Sunday was nowhere to be seen. He imagined that she was probably trying to find her son, who had a tendency to run off. Matt had never met a more energetic little boy.
