Take Charge by Melody Carlson Page B

her tightly in her arms. “We thought you had drowned.”
    “How did you know we were in trouble?” asked Carlie.
    “Your friends,” explained Mom between sobs. “Amy used her phone to call 9 – 1 – 1. And then she called us. We saw them pick you up, and then we drove over here.”
    “It was a rip tide,” explained Carlie. “It just kept taking us out.”
    “I know,” said Mom. “The coast guard man told us. No more swimming in the ocean for you!”
    Carlie turned to Morgan now. “We prayed,” she told her. “We really prayed hard out there, Morgan! We both cried out to Jesus to help us.”
    Morgan hugged her. “And he answered, didn’t he?”
    Carlie nodded happily.
    “We were praying for you too,” said Emily with tears in her eyes. “We thought for sure you guys were goners.”
    “I’m glad you’re okay,” said Amy, hugging her too.
    “Thanks for calling for help.”
    Now Chelsea and her mom came over to join them. But it looked like Mrs. Landers was seriously angry. “I just told Chelsea, and now I’m telling you too, Carlie. She is not allowed to come to your house anymore! And no more swimming in the ocean — ever! That may be okay for some people, but not my daughter! You should be ashamed of yourself!”
    “Mom!” said Chelsea. “It wasn’t her fault.”
    “Come on,” said Mrs. Landers, jerking her by the arm. “You’re going home right now!”
    Chelsea made the shape of a phone with her hand, mouthing, “I’ll call you.” And Carlie just waved.
    Carlie wasn’t sure if it was the near-death experience or what, but as her mom drove her home — and despite the shrill voices of her brothers — she felt strangely calm and peaceful. Better than she’d felt in days.
    After she got home she took a nice, hot shower and got dressed. She felt tired, but happy. And after assuring Mom that she was perfectly fine and not about to catch pneumonia, she went outside in search of her friends. She found Morgan and Emily at the clubhouse. Amy had gone to the restaurant to work.
    “It’s Labor Day weekend,” Morgan reminded her. “They’re really busy.”
    Carlie sank into the plush couch and let out a big sigh. “Wow.”
    “This was quite a day,” said Morgan as she strung a bright purple bead. She and Emily were finishing up some beading projects that they’d been working on during the past week.
    Carlie nodded. “Uh-huh.”
    “Too bad about Chelsea’s mom today,” said Morgan.
    “Yeah,” said Emily. “That seemed a little over the top.”
    “She’ll probably get over it,” said Carlie.
    “You said you and Chelsea were both praying out there today?” said Morgan as she adjusted her glasses and peered curiously at Carlie.
    “Yep. We both were praying.”
    “Cool.”
    Carlie got up and went to sit next to Emily at the little table. She looked across at Morgan. “I was praying to Jesus,” she said, “just like you told me. And like you told me, he answered.”
    “Yeah?”
    “But I’ve been wondering why he should answer me … I mean, I pray in church, but not like you, Morgan. Not like God is really listening. I just say the words.”
    “He was listening,” said Morgan.
    “Really?”
    “You should invite him into your heart,” said Emily suddenly. “Like I did a couple months ago. It makes such adifference, Carlie. It’ll change you completely.”
    Carlie considered this. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
    “So do you want to?” asked Emily eagerly.
    “Yeah.”
    Both Morgan and Emily were grinning now. “You want to pray with us?” asked Morgan. “We can help you to ask Jesus into your heart.”
    “Okay.”
    So Morgan and Emily both led Carlie in a simple little prayer. And when they were done, Carlie knew that it was real — she knew that Jesus was living inside her.
    “Thanks for praying with me,” she told her friends.
    “Welcome to the
real
club,” said Morgan with a big smile.
    “You know,” said Carlie with fresh realization. “I think