Page 156-157 – The Bottle House

“Strength comes in different forms, Stefan,” Chaplain Miller said gently. “As you know, there is physical strength. Having the power to put one foot in front of the other sometimes requires more strength than a football player needs on the field.” Chaplain Miller paused a moment to let his words sink in before he continued.

“There is mental strength. This is having the ability to think and reason within difficult situations. There is emotional strength. This is needed to keep someone balanced in his feelings, so they don’t destroy the person or someone else. There is also spiritual strength. I call this faith. Faith that you can take God at his word. It sounds to me that God gave all of these to your dear Sophie.”

Stefan nodded. “Okay, even if that’s true, he certainly didn’t give me mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. I was so weak, emotionally, I tried to take my own life, and I just don’t think I have faith anymore.”

“Oh, but, Stefan, God has given you emotional and spiritual strength. He saved you from the ocean waters and placed you here at Bethany so you can experience some healing. He has seen your pain.”