บททั้งหมดของ BEHIND THE AMEN: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 15

Chapter ElevenChildhood had a gentle way of slipping by unnoticed.The days no longer felt as long as they once had. School terms came and went. Birthday candles were lit and blown out. Christmases were celebrated with laughter, family prayers, and Grandma Evelyn's famous coconut cake.Before anyone realized it, Grace had turned ten.She was no longer the tiny girl who had clung to her mother's dress on her first day of school.She had grown taller.Her curly hair now reached just below her shoulders, and her bright brown eyes reflected a quiet wisdom uncommon for a child her age.Yet, despite the changes everyone could see, Grace remained the same at heart.She still loved reading beneath the mango tree.She still kept a small notebook where she wrote down Bible verses that inspired her.She still whispered a prayer every night before closing her eyes.And every Sunday, she still sat beside her parents in the third row of the church sanctuary, listening attentively as Pastor Samuel

Chapter ThirteenThe Harmattan season arrived quietly.Each morning, a thin veil of dust settled over the streets, softening the edges of houses and trees. The air was cool, and the sky often appeared pale and hazy.Grace loved walking to school with her father during that season.There was something peaceful about those mornings.Thomas usually walked beside her with his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket while Grace held her schoolbag tightly against her shoulder.One morning, they were halfway to school when Grace noticed an elderly man struggling with a heavy sack.The man stopped several times to catch his breath.Thomas slowed down."Good morning, sir."The man looked up."Good morning.""May I help you with that?"The elderly man hesitated."Ah, my son, it's heavy."Thomas smiled."Then we'll carry it together."He took hold of one side of the sack while the man held the other.Grace followed quietly.They walked together until they reached the man's compound."Thank y

Chapter FifteenThe new school term brought changes Grace could feel, even if she could not yet explain them.She had entered the senior primary section.The classrooms were larger.The lessons were more demanding.The teachers expected more from the pupils.And for the first time, Grace began to feel that childhood was slowly making room for something new.She still carried the journal Mrs. Collins had given her.It had become one of her most treasured possessions.She wrote in it regularly.Sometimes she wrote prayers.Sometimes she recorded lessons she had learned.And sometimes, she simply wrote down questions she didn't yet know how to answer.One evening, she wrote:*Dear God,**Help me understand the difference between doing what is right and doing what people expect of me.*She stared at the words for a long time before closing the journal.She didn't have an answer yet.But she had learned that not having an answer did not mean she had to stop asking the question.A few weeks