CHAPTER 1
Submerging herself in the salty water, Summer swam deep into its beautiful depths. The ocean surrounded her as she glided through the water taking perfect strokes. After an hour of swimming, she climbed out of the water, shaking saltwater from her tresses of silky black hair. The beautiful teenager strode up the beach to the beach house that she practically lived at during the summer. After changing into a salmon colored shirt and a floral skirt, her summer outfit was complete, exotically infused with a rainbow of colors and summery flair. Brushing out her sleek hair, pulling it up into a loose bun, and putting a bring headband on her head. Then she applied simple makeup that emphasized her beautiful face, and finished up quickly by grabbing her pink Bible, a notebook to take notes in, along with a book full of the songs. Walking barefoot down the beach she took in the beauty of the ocean and the radiant sun. She finally arrived at their special meeting place, a bay where visitors never came, and a soothing place on the middle of the sandy beach where the teens met. Summer settled down into the sand with her Bible and was reading from Job 26 verses seven through nine, when he approached, looking deeply at her.
“God spreads the Northern Sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing. He wraps the rain in His thick clouds, and the clouds don’t burst with the weight. He covers the face of the moon, shrouding it with His clouds.” – She said reading it aloud to herself.
Then in a humbled voice she added, “thank you God for making me and the entire world that is around me. Help me to be a witness every single day of my life; I praise You, Lord, for You are greatly to be praised. Work in my life, Father and change me from the inside out. I love you father, amen.” She said in a soothing voice, and then felt a presence overshadowing her. Looking up, she peered into the streaming blue eyes of Andrew. “Oh you scared me!” She exclaimed. Andrew looked at her, and then said. “Sorry, I just came a little early. I text the others and they said they’d be here in a little bit.” He said sinking down into the sand beside her. “You wanna go ahead and practice some of the music?” She said in a friendly manner. She really liked Andrew, and thought that he would be the perfect boyfriend, but they had remained friends, him being new to the area, and her simply not ready. They had a bond that connected them deeply, and would make the perfect couple, but neither admitted their true feelings, each waiting for God’s right person. After practicing some, the rest of the group, all fourteen of them, ambled up, and sat on the sand alongside them. Sitting in a circle, they started off by doing prayer requests, and then Andrew said the prayer. Looking around, Summer grabbed bongo drums with bright reds, blues, and oranges covering its surface, off the sand and started beating them softly. She started singing, her beautiful and airy soprano voice ringing out over the beach.
“This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here
This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
