A Cry Out To Jesus (The Extended Hobson Family Triliogy: Book 1)

Paint War and Youth Group

We pull into my driveway and all I can do is stare at the house, my house. The house is rustic looking, like a giant log cabin. There's nothing, but trees in the front yard, so I start imagining what I could do to the landscape.

"Earth to Meli!" Andy says, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was asking if you were just going to stare at the house all day or come and explore it. This house is much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. It'll take a while to give you the full tour."

"How could Dad afford something like this? We weren't the richest family around Elberta."

"Dad told me that this place was a dump when he bought it. He spent years fixing it up to look this nice."

"Just imagine what I could do to the front yard. A flower plot could go there and those trees would make the perfect overhang for a bench to sit under-"

"Before you go all designer mode, let's get inside. We have quite a bit of work to do before youth group tonight, probably more afterwards."

"Where did Dylan go? I thought he was following us."

"He went home to get some paint clothes, he'll be right over." Andy and I walk into the house. It defiantly needs a woman's touch. There are no decorations anywhere in sight, just furniture and pictures.

"Hello my name is Andrew Applegate, and I'll be your tour guide today." Andy says, just as Dylan walks in with the paint. He sets it down next to his shoes in the mud room. "Sir and Madam please follow me this way." Dylan and I just laugh and shake our heads. We walk through the left doorway. "Here we have the living room, and if you follow me we have the dining room." Andy gives us the full tour, it’s going to take some time to get used to living in such a big house. Dad is in his office, getting his things ready for tonight, so we decide to skip that room for now. We all grab the paint, rollers, and brushes and head upstairs to my empty room.

"What color should the background color be?" Dylan asks.

"I think this gray would go best with the rest of the colors. First thing we need to do is cover up the windows though, I don't want to have paint all over my windows."

"I knew I forgot to get something. I guess we'll have to settle for duct tape and garbage bags." Andy says and rushes downstairs.

"Thank you, Dylan."

"For what?"

"I didn't get the chance to thank you earlier about not dropping the God subject. Everyone I've met after I stopped believing just stopped talking about God after I asked them to, but you didn't. You just kept going on about God, and that song is exactly what I needed to hear."

"It wasn't me that chose that song for you to hear, it was God. God used me to get to you."