Grace In The Shadows
Book One - The Journey of Grace series
BOOK EXCERPT
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Grace In The Shadows Excerpt - Chapter 45
“Father wounds strangle us,” Mo said quietly. “They leave the soul gasping for air. Addiction often follows.”
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Dalton felt a chill crawl across his scalp. He hadn’t mentioned his dad, yet Mo had somehow struck a nerve. The memories already ambushed him enough—during worship songs, at his mother’s grave—any quiet moment was a trap. Only the Oxy muted the pain.
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Mo was right. No matter how hard Dalton fought, he couldn’t shake the drugs. He let the words spill out, low and raw. “I couldn’t stop. I kept needing more. And then more. And more.”
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Mo scratched at the stubble along his chin. “Opiates numb a deeper pain. You’re starving inside, but nothing physical can fill that hunger.”
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Dalton studied him. carried the weight of something more than knowledge. It was wisdom—more than even his mother possessed.
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“I saw you praying earlier,” Dalton said. “You a Christian?”
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Mo smiled and nodded. “I believe. What about you?”
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Dalton turned his gaze toward the iron bars just a few feet away. “Wouldn’t matter if I was. God’s done with me. I really messed up.”
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Mo’s eyes softened. “That’s exactly who He’s drawn to—the broken. The 'bruised reeds. the smoldering wicks'. right?"
"Bruised reeds?
"It’s a verse. You should read it.”
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“Old Testament?”
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Mo nodded. “Isaiah. It’s a gold nugget—easy to miss unless you’re looking.”
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“I’ve heard it. Just never really thought much about it.”
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“Not surprised,” Mo said gently. Then, after a pause, “Can I be straight with you, brother?”
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Dalton tensed, jaw locking. “Go ahead.” He braced for judgment—he’d heard it all before.
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“You’ve spent your whole life trying to earn a smile from God, haven’t you?”
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A smile from God? Unlikely. Being tolerated, perhaps. Scraping by on crumbs under the table—absolutely. But a smile? A warm, affectionate grin? He couldn't imagine it. Not for someone like him.
"Rigid obedience is just a temporary fix for a sinking boat. Sooner or later, you run out of patches, and the water overtakes you. No one has what it takes to navigate this stormy sea called life. People fail. They slip up, lose their drive, and their boats start to sink."
Dalton’s head dropped to his chest. “I lost my will last year.” He recalled the moment he’d stopped following “the rules.”
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