Grace Wins (2024)

[bunniefuu]

Out in the storm,

I stand all alone.

Yet finding you there,

I'm walking toward home.

Each footstep before me

brings credence to him.

Buffeted by wind and wave

and the shrapnel of sin.

Our hope is refrained

yet our soul is unscathed.

One truth will remain.

One last line.

I lost my mom to domestic violence.

My dad never stopped his hurt.

He drove her into a storm.

He led her to the dirt.

This darkness that's over me,

it's trying to take my life.

I can't,

I can't wake up again tomorrow

so full of sadness and strife.

I've got to ameliorate myself.

I have to find my way through.

I will stop my comfort method.

God, I don't need you.

Yo Q.

Yo, what's up Brian?

Get you a drink.

Something more?

Tonight, we celebrate.

What we celebrating?

A pirate bounty.

You're not gonna get this

type of money slinging hash.

And how exactly did you get that money?

By living smart in a free world.

It's time for you to get your share.

Say the word.

You got a job.

Yeah, we'll see.

Yo, you ever gonna tell

me how you got those?

Hey, this, let's pull up, man.

- Pirates bounty, bro.

- Okay.

Cool.

What do you do realistically,

when failure is your name?

Not sure if you're inside

just playing the world's game.

Ah, woo.

You do whatever you can

to pacify that drought.

You understand from all fronts

there's unquestionably no way out.

Oh crap.

An hour late again.

Come on, Brian, we got customers.

Let's go!

Okay, okay.

All right, come on man.

What's going on bro?

Sorry man.

Sorry, sorry.

I don't know what's going on.

Tables three and five,

both orders was wrong.

And table 12, they just left.

Brian, seriously, what's wrong, man?

I'm,

I'm sorry, okay.

It won't happen again.

No thanks.

You know, I can tolerate a

few mistakes in the kitchen.

I can even tolerate

you constantly coming into work late.

But what I can't tolerate

is an addict working in my restaurant.

Really?

No answer.

Okay, you're fired.

But?

Seriously?

You can pick up

your last check on Friday.

Ken, I, I need this job, man.

You need help.

This ain't no big deal, man.

Today it is.

You can pick up your check on Friday.

You know what,

I don't even need this job.

You never believed in me.

Man, I believe in you more

than you believe in yourself.

Whatever.

Baby

Ooh oh

Baby

Ooh oh

Baby

Ooh oh

Baby

Ooh oh

Darkness and confusion seems

inevitable wherever I tried,

receiving nothing from anyone,

not even a recognized nod,

the struggle that I have faced

from year after year

has made me starkly bitter,

not feeling anyone near.

Hey, who is this knocking

like they the po...

Brian,

you're three months behind on your rent.

Hey, listen, Mr. Miles,

I'll get you your money, okay?

I just need a little bit more time.

This is the same song and dance.

You've had three months

to pay up and you haven't.

Listen, I'm, I'm sorry, okay?

I'm sorry about all that stuff from before,

but I can get you your

money this time, I promise.

I get paid at the end of the month.

So I can give you two months

at the end of this month,

and then the other two months

at the end of next month.

Brian, you got three months

worth of renting those bottles over there.

Mr. Miles.

But, but that, that's how I'm

helping getting you the money.

Okay see,

I'm using those to recycle.

You got two weeks?

Come on Mr. Miles.

Come on.

Two weeks.

Mr. Miles.

Mr. Miles.

What do you do?

Where do you go?

God, I need some help.

I want to know.

I keep trying,

but I keep failing.

Nothing's changing.

So much railing.

Look man, I need your help, all right?

Experiencing some money problems,

and I need some fast cash.

So you finally want a

job that actually pays?

I'm just in a tight spot right now.

Listen, I got your back.

I'm glad you finally

going along for the ride,

but are you sure you want

to go down that path?

Lead the way, man.

I got you.

Sales were

actually up this past week.

That's right, I'm hopeful.

Be that, you know, small beginnings,

but great big endings.

You're right about that.

- We have faith to believe.

- Absolutely.

Yes.

Dumbed, dumb, dumb.

Oh, Dr. Jamal.

So what do you have there, friend?

I'm glad you asked.

I know you are.

It's two of my favorite

Greek philosophers.

Socrates and Aristotle.

Right?

Well, my favorite Greek

philosopher is Plato.

And he believed that there were two realms,

the physical and the spiritual.

Talk about it sis.

He also said that we are twice armed

if we fight with faith.

So what do you think about that, Dr. Jamal?

Dr. Jamal?

Well, Plato, I wouldn't call

the most critical thinker of his time.

Plato was more of an idealist.

I tend to lean towards more

concrete things like Aristotle.

You know, he was known as the

father of modern science...

- Bro.

- And...

You know, she's right.

Yeah, you know, she is.

I'm sorry, do you have a

background in Greek as well?

Well, I don't think that

anyone actually knows Greek.

It's more of something that

you're always learning.

Well, thank you for that.

That's enough, Jamal.

Can I help you?

Yeah, I've got some books I wanna sell.

Okay.

Why don't you set it down on the counter

and I'll take a look.

Hmm.

Well, you know, sometimes you need

to downsize if you want a little cash flow.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm Doctor Jamal Harris.

Brian.

Hi Brian, I'm Angela

and I'm the owner of the bookstore.

You've got a beautiful bookstore here.

It's something real peaceful about it.

Thank you.

This dump?

It's more like a horse and

a buggy in the age of Tesla.

Put these on my tab.

See you at eight.

No, I won't.

Only

thing you need to see

is a better attitude.

Bye Jamal.

So let me take a look at some

of the books that you have.

Okay.

Yeah, like this, you know, some are rare.

I know they're in rough condition, but

I can assure you that you'll

find some value in them.

I must say,

I'm impressed.

So have you read most of these?

No, I've actually read 'em all.

And did you find what

you were looking for

between their pages?

I did.

And what's that?

Beauty and inspiration.

- Yo, Brian.

- Hm?

Come on man.

We gotta go.

It is gonna take some research

to give you a fair price,

but why don't you write down

your contact information

and I'll be in touch.

Is this is your way of

getting my phone number?

You wish.

Make sure you write neatly.

There you go.

Thank you.

- It's nice to meet you.

- Likewise.

- Ma'am.

- Mm, sir.

Beauty and inspiration.

Such good taste for one so scruffy.

But you liked that scruff, didn't you?

Maybe I did.

- He's back.

- Yeah.

- I think he'll snitch.

- Think so.

Yo, look what you decided to show.

- What's up man?

- What's up?

Hey, what's up?

All right, here's the plan.

The first house we rob

has a lot of cash and jewelry.

Easiest slice of pie on a summer day.

I got a homeboy, he cleans

his carpet for a living.

But the side hustlers provide intel

on the best houses to rob.

He gets a cut off top.

Any dogs, motion detectors,

alarms, jewelry, cash on hand,

everything is taken into account.

But I need you to be focused.

You gotta be on your game, no mishaps.

Yo, is there anything else I can do, man?

Just stick with me and

you guaranteed to get rich.

So are you in?

Yeah,

I'm in.

Well, let's do it.

Hey, we're just gonna grab the

valuables and get outta here.

All right.

Grab money

Grab money

Take money

Take money

Shake money

Shake money

Grab money

Grab money

I don't think you understand

I'm a renaissance man

You hit that

room, I got this one.

Now tell me

All right.

Cash at

Give me the money and the

jewelry that we snatched at

I'm gonna come home prized

That implies

I can see right through your lies

I'm a big truck driver

Soul survivor

Keeping that balanced like an equalizer

Yo, what's my name

It don't matter

My money low like a fire ladder

Make money

Make money

Take money

Take money

Shake money

Shake money

Break money

Break money

Make money

Make money

Take money

Take money

Shake money

Shake money

Break money

Break money

Make money

Make money

Take money

Take money

Shake money

Shake money

- Hey.

- Huh?

Jackpot.

Come on man.

Maybe I'm not this guy.

Tell that to the man in the mirror.

Don't get a brand new moral

compass in the midst of a heist.

Pull yourself together.

Get those clubs to bring that bag,

and let's get the rest of the house.

Let's go, let's go.

Brian, come on, come on.

Why didn't you take the money?

Yes, sir.

Yeah, that was a,

that was a real close one, huh?

Ah, very close.

Where's the cash?

Where is it?

I must have dropped it when I fell.

You dropped it?

You dropped our bread and butter?

Brian, we been friends

for a very long time,

but this is my business.

They had to be at least 10K in there.

You owe me.

Next time, you do exactly as I say.

Understood?

Yeah, I got you.

Okay, good.

Hold on, hold on.

I'll be right there.

Who are you?

You don't know me,

but I'm somebody you should know.

What?

You selling vacuum

cleaners or something, bro?

Vacuum cleaners?

From the looks of things, you need one.

But let me tell you something.

When you finish vacuuming,

don't leave anything behind.

Yeah, I started to fill

out that police report.

- Listen.

- No, you listen.

My name Samuel Tims

and yours is Brian Gilchrist,

which ironically means servant of Christ.

But you sir, do not appear to be.

What are you doing here, man?

Asking myself that very same question

because a sensible person

would've already turned you in.

So then why didn't you?

That depends on how

this conversation goes.

Are you gonna invite me in?

I know you saw the money.

Why didn't you take it?

Empty bookshelf.

You get robbed too?

I plan to rebuild my collection.

Might be hard to do from prison.

Hmm?

Poetry is when emotion

has found its thought

and the thought has found words.

I like that.

Who wrote that?

I don't know.

You probably wouldn't know

either, is just some guy I found.

What are you doing, Brian?

Are you some kind of writer?

I hope to be.

Got something to say to the world, right?

Yeah, I'd like to think so.

What if I told you I can

help you find your voice?

I'd say why?

I tell you what, I'm

not gonna press charges.

But I have one stipulation.

I'm gonna need you to

attend counseling sessions

twice a week, 12 week session.

Counseling?

You're joking, right?

Monday, 1:00 PM.

I don't think you understand.

I don't need counseling.

Sure.

Hey,

why you doing this man?

Probably for the same reason

you didn't take that church donation.

Everybody deserves a second chance.

I don't need no therapy.

I'll figure it out, dad.

And no, I'm not closing

the bookstore anytime soon.

Forget it.

I've been through rough

patches before, dad.

Dad, listen.

I know this isn't what you

and mom wanted from me.

I get that.

But hey, give me just a minute.

Dad.

Dad, can you just listen?

It's not just stories,

it's stories told and yet to be told.

And it always has been.

Yeah, I, I know about you

and mom's anniversary.

I know you're excited.

I get it.

I've already made arrangements to be there.

Don't panic.

Love you too.

Bye.

Hey, Brian, I'm, I'm sorry

you had to hear that.

Just a little family drama.

Is the bookstore having problems?

Yeah, it, it's been a

big struggle, you know?

But I've learned the meaning

of Hebrews 11 and one,

which says, now faith is the substance

of things hoped for and the

evidence of things not seen.

Hm.

Well said.

You know, my parents,

they're eagerly hoping

that I shut this place down

so that I can finish what

really matters to them.

What's that?

Law school.

I take it that one of

your parents is an attorney.

Try both.

Ouch.

Yeah you never stood a chance.

Not at all.

You gotta laugh at the cliche.

Hey, I didn't wanna be the one to say it.

By all means.

Well, I mean, you're a small town girl

who's got a bookstore that's

having financial problems,

but yet you have the "doctor boyfriend".

Wait a minute, he's not my boyfriend.

Okay.

And then you've got the

power couple parents.

Wow.

They have a vision for your life,

but your life, you already treasure.

And?

And you know, a handsome

man walks into your world.

Handsome?

Really?

Uh huh.

This handsome man walks into your world and

feels like he's at home.

Hmm.

Well it was nice doing

business with you, Brian.

You can pick up your check on the way out.

Alright, well I'll just

exit stage left then.

You do that.

All right, yeah.

Thanks, and you have a good day.

Hey Brian, any chance

you like street food?

What do you have in mind?

I heard there's a festival this weekend.

We should go together.

All right, you still got my number?

I do.

Use it.

I will.

All right.

See you soon.

So we have a new client.

His name is Brian.

I put his information in the system,

so you should have it on

your computer right now.

Brian is going through a

really tough time right now,

and I think he could really

benefit from Grace Place.

This Brian guy, are

you close to him at all?

No, no, no.

I'm not close to him, but

he has a spark about him

and I think that he reminds me of me.

However, he has some things

that he's struggling with.

And you being the LPC,

I really believe that we can help him.

- Mm.

- Yeah.

Okay.

Huh?

I really think that there's

a lot more to this Brian guy

that you're not telling me about.

And that's okay.

That's okay.

It's just that if it's the case like this

and it's that special to you,

then Samuel, I think you should

be the one to take Brian.

Really?

Really!

Really, and look, just hear me out, okay.

I know I'm an LPC

and normally I would have you defer to me

in situations like these, right?

But Samuel, you are a

counselor too, you know,

and you're a really good one at that.

Thank you.

And I just really feel

as if the only way that Brian's gonna truly

get the help he needs is

if he gets it from you.

Think so?

Yeah.

- So do this for me, okay.

- Okay.

You talk to him first

and then you bring them to me

and I'll start the regular sessions.

You think you can do that?

- Yeah.

- All right.

Well, look, I gotta go. I

t's busy, busy, busy.

- No, appreciate it.

- All right.

Inside me is the damaged place.

Pursuing

a derailed train.

It appears no help for me in sight,

my mind so consumed with pain.

How can such damage ever be fixed?

How can this derail and end?

I tried to operate on myself

to help my vexations mend.

Perfect timing.

We almost have music,

no thanks to you.

Just one more adjustment,

and I think we'll have it.

Seems like everything's

gotta be in place.

Yeah, there's supposed to be

some kind of technique to this, but

I've never really been one for directions.

Here, pick one.

Seriously?

Yeah, just consider

it part of your session.

Let's stick to the one

on the record player.

That's a good choice.

All right, pick up the queuing arm

and place the stylus in place.

Stylus?

Needle.

Just put the needle on the record.

There we go.

You hear that crackle?

Yeah.

It's good, right?

It's all right.

Let's begin.

So who are the five people

that you spend the most time with?

I don't see any degrees on the wall.

Do you even have one?

Look, this is how this is gonna go.

I ask you a few questions

and that helps me help you.

So tell me about your parents.

I got two of them.

Hobbies, personal interests?

You're a writer.

Okay, tell me about your writing.

Ink on paper.

Look, man,

we can do this all day.

I guess I'll get comfortable.

All right.

What would you like to talk about?

I'm not really here to talk.

I'm just doing this to try to help, okay.

Talk to me about your scars.

You know, this song's

really getting annoying.

Matter of fact, all this is

just a big waste of time.

You know that.

You're welcome to the door.

Great point.

Great point.

So,

Samuel,

I don't need your help.

I don't need nobody's help.

So if you want to, you can turn me in.

If not, you know where I'm at.

Jesus.

Oh God, protect us and help us now.

Help us.

My life has been such a struggle.

Lord, please take care of my Brian.

King Jesus lit the

candle by the waterside

To see the little children

when they truly baptized

Honor, honor

Onto the dying lamb

King Jesus lit the

candle by the waterside

To see the little children

When they truly baptized

Honor, honor

Unto the dying lamb

Oh, run along children and be baptize

Mighty pretty meeting by the waterside

Honor, honor

Unto the dying lamb

Oh, run along children and be baptized

Mighty pretty meeting by the waterside

Honor, honor

Unto the dying lamb

I would wipe it off if I could.

Hey, I appreciate it.

You know, I've eaten in a

Michelin star restaurant before,

but there's something exhilarating

about eating street food.

What restaurant?

Il Bellagio in Florence, Italy.

Oh, sounds fancy to me.

You ever hear of the silver spoon?

It always comes with great expectations.

Man, that food was good.

Yeah, the food was good.

But you know, the company is even better.

So, Brian, tell me something.

What's up?

Who's your favorite poet?

Hmm.

Robert Frost.

You?

- Maya Angelo.

- Ooh.

Why Frost?

Oh, come on.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

miles to go before I sleep.

Hmm.

- Miles to go before I sleep.

- Yeah.

That's profound.

So why Maya Angelo?

She saved my life in a very real way.

You know, she's been like

an inspiration for me.

Someone I look up to.

She believed it was her mission in life

to go from surviving to thriving.

And that's what God's grace does for us.

Yeah, you know,

I always look at poetry as

something like a lifeboat,

something to hold onto during the storm.

Yeah, and just the word itself.

You mean the word poetry

from the Greek "poiema",

to create, to make, to do.

Yeah, with the emphasis

that we are created to be storytellers.

We should share our hopes

and our dreams with others.

So Brian, what do you do for work?

Let's just say that

I'm a starving artist.

You're a writer.

I knew it.

Nah.

Nah, nah, nah, nah.

Dickinson, Frost, Whitman, Wordsworth.

Those are writers.

Me, I'm all right.

You still have

to let me read your work.

Yeah, I doubt that'll ever happen.

Look, just because I

have better taste in poetry

than you, sir,

doesn't mean I won't appreciate your work.

Okay.

We'll see.

I'll hold you to it.

I hope so.

Get right church and let's go home

Get right church and let's go home

Get right church, come

on, and get right church

Come on, get right church

And let's go home

I'm going home on the morning train

I'm going home on the morning train

I'm going home, oh lord

I'm going home

You know that I'm going home

On the morning train

So what was your favorite thing

about the festival today?

Seeing you try on that ridiculous hat.

You know, I had a really good time today.

I haven't laughed this much in a long time.

Nice.

So,

sorry to hear about the bookstore.

To me, it's more than a bookstore.

How so?

It's a dream and a promise.

You know, I grew up with my grandparents

because my parents, well,

they were busy

carving out their legal careers.

You're close to them, aren't you?

Yes.

My grandmother, she lived

across the street from us,

and honestly, she was my

best friend growing up.

What do you remember the most?

I remember she had a

couple shelves of books

in a back room,

she called it Angela's Bookstore.

Probably no more than 30 books, but

to me it was a big deal.

So I get the dream,

but what's the promise?

I promised her that someday

I'd have my own bookstore.

You know, my memories of her

is that she encouraged me to dream.

And that bookstore is that dream.

And losing it

is in a small way,

losing part of her.

Well, there's still

time for the bookstore.

You never know what will happen.

Regardless, the main

promise I'll always have.

What's that?

Is I'm a Christian because of her.

Christ's spirit working through her life

brought me a new life.

- Brian.

- Huh?

Do you believe?

I don't know.

There's a concert coming up this weekend

with a Christian artist, Canton Jones.

One of my favorites.

Would you like to come with me?

That'd be cool.

You're late.

Can I help you?

Yeah, just something about the sound

that was bothering me.

So I watched a couple videos

on YouTube last night.

That's better.

Cool.

The height just needs to be adjusted.

Does sound better.

Oh, but no, I was starting to enjoy that.

- Session's outside today.

- Outside.?

But we just,

Mr. Sam, we just fixed that.

A glimmer of hope

may survive.

It looks like the shores now on my side.

I walk with just instincts.

Now I see

that you really do have a plan for me.

I see just a flicker,

but it's coming my way.

So dark was the night

now a glimpse into the day.

This addiction was arresting,

holding me tight.

But my mom told me once

Jesus gets it right.

You have got to be kidding me.

Relax.

Have you ever ridden a horse?

What does it look like?

This is Coco.

Hey Coco.

You got me twisted.

Ain't no way I'm getting up on that thing.

Well, we'll see.

Come on.

You're serious?

Okay.

What you're gonna do is you're

gonna take your left foot,

place it in the stirrups,

grab onto the horn,

and push yourself over.

Do what now, what?

Here, the stirrups.

Your left foot goes into the stirrups.

Grab onto the horn.

Swing your right foot over.

Stirrup, oh, the,

why didn't you say so?

No, I'm not doing this.

Look, it takes trust.

You trust the horse.

The horse is gonna trust you.

When you get up there, if

you feel any kind of tension,

the horse is gonna feel that tension.

You gotta relax.

Trust?

Trust.

Well, could be worse things, right?

Like going to jail.

Let's give it a shot.

Grab onto the horn.

- To the horn.

- Yeah.

- Do we have to do this?

- Yes, we do.

There you go.

All right.

There you go.

All right, how do you feel?

Taller.

Tall is good.

All right.

Tell Coco you trust her.

I trust you, Coco.

There we go.

Coco, you ready?

All right, come on girl.

Took a good portion of the day, but

I actually rode a horse.

So what you think?

Outside of putting my life on the line,

it was actually pretty fun.

I definitely thought you

were gonna get tossed today.

So what got you on the riding, man?

It was a family thing.

My wife and son used to ride with me.

We really enjoyed it.

Oh, okay.

So you got a family.

Yeah, that's a

discussion for another day.

But you did good.

Thanks.

Hey, in our,

in our last session, you

asked me about my scars.

I did.

Yeah, they,

they still hurt every day.

Nerve damage,

Some scars never fully heal.

Okay, then counselor,

how do you deal with the pain?

Have you ever heard of Shadowfax?

The horse from Middle Earth?

Of course, I've heard of Shadowfax.

Come on, bro.

Tolkien.

Well, since you know about Shadowfax,

you know what they say of Shadowfax,

that no one could really ride him.

He was merely willing

to take them where they needed to go.

The Holy Spirit is just like that.

He wants to carry you, Brian,

but you have to trust that he

knows where he is going and,

and he's gonna take you

through the thorns of life.

And the most important thing is

that he offers you redemption

through his sacrifices.

So do you think that God,

hold on real quick.

Hey, yeah, we should

probably get going, right?

Before we go, I have

an assignment for you.

Hopefully this will start your collection.

I need you to read Ephesians by St. Paul.

Read it slowly.

We'll talk about it in the next session.

- Okay.

- Let's go.

Where the heck is Ephesians?

What's up, B, you ready?

What's up Q?

Getting religious on me?

Nah.

What's up?

We got a few drop offs to make,

time to repay that debt.

You good?

Yeah, I'm good.

Let's go.

In him, we have redemption

through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins.

May God give you the spirit

of wisdom in revelation

so that you may know him better.

For we are God's workmanship

created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Excuse me?

Are you hungry?

Yes, I am.

Thank you.

God bless.

God bless you.

But by the grace of God, I go.

- Well, thank you.

- You're welcome, thank you.

Appreciate it.

Let's have a seat.

Thanks for bringing me out here, Samuel.

It serves many purposes.

There's a specific reason why

you're studying Ephesians.

It's one thing to talk about grace,

but it's something entirely different

to be in the midst of it,

to see it with your own eyes.

Grace wins.

What's that?

Nah, it's just something

Mom would always say.

That's all.

Gotta listen to Mama.

Yeah, she would always say that

no matter where you're at in your life,

no matter the struggle or the pain, that

God's grace will always prevail.

Grace wins.

I like that.

But do you believe it?

I believe that God's 'bout

to start passing out miracles

God's 'bout to start

passing out miracles

Like Oprah

You get a miracle

You get a miracle

You get a miracle

Oprah, you get a miracle

You get a miracle

I believe that God's 'bout

to start passing our miracles

God's 'bout to start

passing our miracles

Like Oprah

You get a miracle

You get a miracle

You get a miracle, Oprah

You get a miracle

You get a miracle

You get a miracle

Oprah

You get a miracle

I believe I'm approaching the pinnacle

The devil can't touch me, I'm digital

Blessings from the

spirit to the physical

Anybody need a miracle

Won't let the devil cheat me

You know, this is the

atmosphere that I grew up in.

I'm so glad you're here with me tonight.

Me too.

Isn't he awesome?

Yo, he's off the chain.

About to blow your mind

Though the storm is raging

Look here you're gonna be fine

I made a mistake

And it seems as if my

love ones disappeared

I feel

And wondered if you were still here

The pain

The shame

This game of life is too heavy

So I cast all my cares on you

'Cause right now your all I have

Jesus you loved me

When nobody cared

You loved me

When nobody cared

You loved me

When nobody cared

At all

Jesus you loved me

When nobody cared

So here's the million dollar question.

What did you think of Canton Jones?

Woo.

Powerful,

raw,

honest.

He's fire.

Yeah, he's awesome.

Uh huh.

So how's everything

going with the bookstore?

Well, I'm seeing a

little bit of improvement.

You know, sometimes God is

working behind the scenes

and my faith is getting stronger.

I just wish there was

more I could do to help.

I'm praying for a miracle.

Well, while you are

waiting for the miracle,.

What's this?

Something I'll never let anyone read.

You're poetry.

Yeah.

Can I read one?

You're the critic.

"Questions" by Brian Gilchrist.

When the tide seems to shift

and normalcy is gone,

suddenly your life has changed

and your spirit seems to roam.

How do you maneuver

when nothing seems to move?

Because the guilt

and the frustration

has taken away your groove.

Life seems so unreasonable

when you feel so all alone,

when no one understands you,

it makes you joyless, prone.

Wow.

That was amazing.

Really?

Yeah, you're really gifted, Brian.

Thank you.

There's a lot more inside of those pages.

I know.

I know you are

You are my blessing

No more stressing

I know that we gonna make it through

The sun will shine

With this love of mine

We are, we are gonna make it through

You are

You are my blessing

The trauma of transition

has gripped my very heart.

I felt that I was at the finish line,

but was only, again, at start.

This darkness is so cloudy

I can't see my way through.

Don't know who will win,

me or grace you.

Hurting you is inevitable

if I stay and hold you close.

For I'm still bewildered,

let me suffer the most.

I must protect you from me.

My path is still uncertain.

Not sure yet of myself.

Will he roll back my curtain?

I still must distance myself

and watch my steps, my pace.

Still uncertain if I win,

but knowing I need his grace.

- Hello?

- Bri.

Oh hey, hey.

I haven't heard from you in a while.

I hope everything's okay.

No, e, e, everything's fine.

I, I've just been busy.

Why don't we do something this weekend?

We can watch a pretentious movie

and eat some overrated food.

Yeah.

You know what?

Matter of fact, let me,

let me get back to you about that.

Okay, I guess we'll talk soon.

Oh, Angela?

Yeah.

Hey, there's a,

there's a poetry reading going on tomorrow

if you interested.

Let's do it, let's go.

Great.;

Okay, well, yeah.

I'll, I'll, I'll call you soon.

How many days since your last drink?

It's none of your business, okay?

Eight.

Now, are we almost done?

Look man, there's facilities

to help you with this.

Don't try to fight this fight by yourself.

Okay, well, I've been doing

that my entire life, okay.

I got this.

And where's that gotten you?

Have you ever had an

addiction before Sam?

Huh?

Something to where you want it as bad

as something like the air

that's on the other side of that window.

But you gotta be the one to lock it.

You gotta be the one to close it.

You don't know what that's like.

So what's your point?

All you do is just sit

there and give me advice.

But what's your story?

You've never talked about your family.

Because it's none of your business, man.

None of my business?

You can see me go through all this,

but let's figure you out then.

Okay, wait,

your wife, she divorce you?

Nah, matter of fact, no, no, no.

Your son, he don't want to talk to you.

- Stop.

- Oh no, it's,

Sam, it's cool.

And you're probably so much of a coward

to even fight for your own marriage.

It all makes sense.

And you supposed to be counseling me?

You want to

know about my family?

Yeah.

Yeah, tell me about your family.

My son.

My son is dead.

And my wife,

my wife didn't leave me.

I left her.

It's not a day that goes by

that I don't regret making that decision.

You almost had me there, almost.

But I know what this is about, come on.

We know why you doing this.

And why is that?

Come on, Sammy boy,

I'm your second chance.

That's what it is.

Get out.

It makes sense.

Hey, I get it, bro, I get it.

- I'm your second chance.

- Get out.

Come on, Sam.

Come on.

You heard me.

Leave now.

All right.

It's like that?

Yeah, it's like that.

Brian.

Brian!

I wrote a poem for you all,

and I'm gonna read it tonight.

There is a place of solace,

so high above the hills,

a place of great peace

that defies the human will.

Jesus has a love and joy

that captures the heart of man.

Reach out and embrace his song

as only a believer can.

I know you're hurting

There's a piece of your

heart that needs fixing

I know what you're missing

You know, that poem was really good.

And who knows, before long,

it might be you up there on that stage

sharing your poetry with the world.

Oh, well, I can assure you

that there's absolutely nothing

that will get me on this stage.

You never know.

Love heals

Love heals

Love heals

Love heals

Hey, are you okay?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm fine.

You can find hope when

You've lost it all

Are you sure? Gotta spread your wings

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I just need

to step outside okay.

Call on

Love heals the broken

Oh yeah

Love heals the broken

Brian, what's wrong?

I'm sorry.

I'm, I'm just not feeling that well.

Well, let's just go.

Yeah, good idea.

Angela?

Jamal.

And this is?

Brian from the bookstore.

Oh, from the bookstore.

What's up, man?

What's going on?

Brian, are you feeling okay?

You don't look so well, buddy.

Him?

Really?

You got a problem, man?

Maybe.

My bad, bro.

I'm just messing with you.

Don't take me serious.

He's obviously sick, Jamal.

And it's not funny.

Hey, let's just go, all right.

Okay.

Angela,

what do you see in this guy?

He's nothing like you.

Come on.

Come on, you gotta be kidding me.

What do you want, Brian?

Hey, Mr. Miles.

Hey, listen, my keys don't work.

Why you think that is?

I said all the back rent

was due in two weeks.

It's been two weeks and you haven't paid.

Now you're out.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Mr. Miles, this is a really bad time.

It's never

good timing for you is it?

Mr. Miles, please.

Okay, listen.

I don't have anywhere else to go.

Look, I have

other concerns for tenants

who actually pay their rent.

Mr. Miles, if you just

gimme two more weeks, please.

It's Quinn,

you know know what to do.

Yo Q, it's me, man.

All right, can you just gimme a call back?

I need you right now, bro.

So how can I help?

Yeah, I need a room.

Cheapest one you got.

Lucky for you, we have a vacancy.

That'll be $75 for the night.

Are you all right?

- Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.

- You sure?

Your, your card's been denied.

Oh, could you try again,

- please?

- Sure.

Do you have another card or cash?

I got 40 bucks.

That's not enough.

I'm sorry, is there

someone I can call for you?

No.

You sure you're okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Good luck to you.

Thank you.

Hello?

Hey, it's me.

You okay?

I need your help.

Okay, give me some landmarks.

I don't know, I'm in the alleyway

over by Aspen or something, I think.

Where?

Can you please just come and find me?

Hey, don't worry about

it, don't worry about it.

Please?

Brian.

He's even in the storm.

I'm on my way, I'm on my way.

Brian.

Brian.

Come on, get up.

Come on, man.

Gotta sit up.

There you go.

What took you so long?

Come on, man, sit up.

I just remember

talking to you on the

phone and then passing out.

You're going through extreme withdrawals.

We gotta get you to a hospital.

Oh, no, no, I'm okay.

Come on, man.

We gotta get you to a hospital.

No, no, Sam,

I'm okay.

He was out there, you know.

Who?

In the storm,

he saved me?

I couldn't save her.

It's all my fault.

What was?

We were running away from my dad.

Oh, Brian.

Everything's going to be okay, all right.

I'm so tired of

watching him beat my mom.

You sit back and put your

seatbelt on for mom, okay?

Put your seatbelt on.

- Mom, I'm scared.

- Get ready.

Oh, God, protect us and help us.

After years of abuse,

I thought we were finally gonna be free.

My life has been such a struggle.

We left one

storm, but found another.

My God, the weather's getting bad.

It's getting bad.

Tornado came outta nowhere.

Hit our car.

She put her arm out to protect me,

and I lost her.

It's not your fault, man.

I failed her.

I'm still failing her to this day.

Come on, man.

Let's get you outta here.

Come on.

It is obvious to me right now

that I can't do this alone.

The will to do it in my flesh

has caused me further to moan.

Mama, you told me to trust him,

to receive his gift of grace.

I see now that when I do yield,

he inarably sets the pace.

Mom, you gave me the gift of poetry,

way to express my heart.

Now I'll run back to his grace

that brings me out the dark.

All right, tell me something good.

Come on, man, you can't find one?

I know, I know.

All right, keep me posted.

You good?

Yeah, man.

You feeling good?

Oh.

One might say it's the dawn of a new day.

Hey, is this because of me?

Don't worry about it.

No, but it seems like it's

really important to you.

I said don't worry about it.

No, Sam, Sam, no, for real.

It's okay, all right.

I wanna know.

It was a birthday gift from my son,

and it was rare, a collector's item.

But I, the end of the

day, it's just an album.

Yeah, but I'm still sorry, bro.

And

in our last session,

I kind of said some things

that I really shouldn't have.

You spoke some truths.

I usually don't talk about

this with my clients.

But when my son died,

my life started spiraling outta control.

I dove in a bottle and

tried to drown myself,

but I shouldn't have left my wife.

Well, if you ask me,

I say, you should give her a call.

It's never too late.

Yeah, I should give her a call.

You're right.

Hey, my landlord's giving

me another extension.

That's shocking 'cause

I thought he hated me.

Hey, man, like you said,

it's the dawn of a new day.

Yeah, dawn of a new day.

I found out distinctly from my falls,

that self effort never wins.

Divine support and healing

causes the status to bend.

Damage is your specialty, Jesus.

You know how to make us again.

Thank you, my grace savior.

Thank you, my powerful friend.

It doesn't matter how hopeless it is.

It doesn't matter the view,

your grace has the ethereal power

to make everything about us new.

You know, there's something

different about you.

I can't put my finger on

it, but you're different.

No, just a beautiful night

with a beautiful woman.

Well, enjoy it while you can,

because you know there's a storm coming.

Oh, nah.

I ain't worried about no storm.

I finished your poems.

Okay, well go ahead and critique me,

miss "I've got better

taste in poetry than you".

You are an okay writer.

It was that bad, huh?

Bad enough that I sent it to my friend

who owns a prestigious publishing house.

For real?

Yeah.

Your work is that good.

Prestigiously good?

I don't know about that,

but seriously, I was impressed.

I don't know what to say, Angela.

Thank you.

So where do you want to go?

We got the whole night to us.

Wherever you like to go.

I got some ideas.

Can I ask you a question?

Is the wise Brian asking me a question?

Are you a counselor or not?

I always thought of myself as a sage.

All right, bro.

Now you're pushing it, okay.

I just wanna ask a question.

My bad, what's your question?

The medallion?

My five year AA medallion?

Five years?

That was a long time ago.

I got a collection of those now.

And each one of those means something

so very profound to me.

Did your wife always

know about this stuff?

I would probably say not at first.

But she ended up

eventually finding out, huh?

You can only hide

some things for so long.

When I think back,

I would've done a lot

of things differently.

Like what?

Honesty.

I wish I was more honest sooner.

I've learned that,

to be honest with others,

I really had to be

honest with myself first.

- Angela, look at you.

- You look so beautiful today.

- So do you.

- Thank you.

Apple cider?

- Thank you.

- No, thank you.

Oh, hey, yeah, no thank you.

Baby, are you okay?

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah,

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, well,

there's actually something

I need to talk to you about.

Yeah, of course.

What is it?

Well, no, I've,

I just been going through a

lot and some stuff happened.

Oh, we see you made it.

Hello, Angela.

Hi, daddy.

And hi, dear.

Oh, by the way, we invited Jamal.

You did?

Yes.

Yes, we felt he should be here.

He's like part of the family.

Anyways, firstly, happy

anniversary to you both.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

Secondly, this is Brian,

the guy that I told you about.

Hey, it's nice to meet you.

Happy 30th anniversary.

So, what's the deal with the store?

Now is not the time.

Well, when is the right time, Angela?

Well, it's, it's a

very beautiful bookstore.

I've been there a couple times and

I think Angela's doing a great job with it.

We know, we funded part of it,

and now it's time to let it go.

It's greener pastures on the other side.

Yes Angela, come join us in the practice.

We've been talking about

this for years now.

Here we go again.

I don't think that's what Angela wants.

And she works really hard at the store.

- Jamal, so glad you made it.

- Benjamin,

Clara Ann, so nice to see you.

Happy anniversary.

- Thank you.

- Oh, thank you.

Angela, don't you

look stunning as always.

Ah, nice to see you

again.

Pleasure.

So, Brian, what's new?

Nothing, not much.

You know, I was thinking

about it when I saw you

at the art venue

and it all really started to make sense.

What's that?

I know an addict when I see one.

Do you think you're crossing a line, man?

Oh, I'm sorry.

I don't mean to embarrass you or anything.

What is Jamal talking about?

Nah, it's, it's nothing.

It's, it is really just a

big misunderstanding, okay.

Can y'all just excuse this for moment?

Hey, Angela.

Okay, just let me explain, okay?

Is this true?

Kind of, yeah.

But, I'm,

I'm telling you,

it's a big misunde...

- I thought I knew you.

- You do.

- Whoa, whoa.

You need to leave

before I have you escorted up out of here,

and stay away from our daughter.

Listen, you don't

understand what's going on.

I don't care to

understand what's going on.

You need to leave now.

Yes, leave now.

Now, Angela, you see why we invited Jamal.

Angela.

- You need to go.

- Leave now.

The prodigal son returns.

Now you look amiss.

Angela dumped me.

Can't offer you any comfort,

but I can offer you this.

In a little bit,

you'll forget anything ever happened.

What am I doing with my life, Q?

You living life on your terms.

There's no other way to do it.

Thought I found a way.

Give me another.

What's wrong with me now?

Can't detain my thoughts.

Feel so unproductive.

I know it's my own fault.

Come back to me creativity.

No time for you to roam.

I need to help myself

to arrive at the dome.

Hi, this is Angela.

I'm not available right now.

Leave me a message.

Hey, Angie, it's,

it's Brian.

I'm just,

just trying to finish up this poem and

you're part of the last stanza, so.

Yeah, just call me back.

I am so sorry to hear

that you're closing.

You have been such an inspiration,

a blessing to this community,

and I just want to thank you.

Thank you.

That means a lot to me.

- God bless you.

- God bless you.

Hey, what brings you here?

I've got news.

News?

We're publishing Brian's poetry.

I haven't told him yet.

I figured you should be the one.

Also, could you tell him we

need the end to that one poem.

I don't think that's gonna happen.

What is it?

We had a falling out.

I thought you said you two

were perfect for each other.

I really thought that.

We've known each other for a long time.

I've never seen you care for

someone this much before.

But what if I don't really know him?

From everything you've told me,

Brian sounds like a pretty good guy.

Sometimes you just have to trust.

Brian.

Are you serious?

Angela?

- Angela?

- I didn't wanna believe this.

Come on.

Angela, wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait,

wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Listen, listen, Jamal was right, okay?

I am who I am.

That's all I'm ever going to be.

People like me can't change.

You're wrong, Brian.

People can change

no matter how much they've been damaged.

Look, Brian, I want you to know

that I care about you.

I do.

And you have done so much for me.

But you need to know this.

I will not endure the hell

that you have cast yourself into.

This world,

it owns you, Brian.

But it doesn't own me.

No.

It's like I'm losing everything

that's important to me.

First the bookstore.

Now you.

But Angie, I ain't going nowhere.

By the way.

You got a book deal.

I sent you the contact information.

Do me a favor.

Don't waste it away.

I still believe that you

have something powerful

to share with the world.

Goodbye Brian.

This is the big payday.

After this, your debt is paid in full.

Let's go.

Come on.

I can't, bro.

You can't?

Brian, you owe me.

I know, but there's gotta be another way.

This is the only way.

You think there's another path

out there for you, for us?

You need to choose right now who you are.

I might not know who

I am, but I'm not this.

I'm done, bro.

With all of it.

You walk away right now, we're finished.

You don't have to keep

living like this either, Q.

There's another way.

Unlike you, I know who I am.

Get outta here, Brian

Saved his mercy,

kept by his love,

with a joy to taste

Jesus' wonder through the dove.

The Holy Spirit has divulged

to me the depth of his grace.

Doesn't matter how far you fall,

you land succinctly in his face.

Can I be earned nor merited,

nor is it deserved at all.

He gives it to his children by faith.

A remedy from the fall.

Oh, Mr. Miles.

Hey, hey,

listen, I know you're not

my biggest fan or anything,

but why'd you give me the extension?

I didn't give you an extension.

Your friend paid your debt in full.

Who, Samuel?

I told him it was just like

setting his cash on fire.

You know, you didn't

have to pay my rent, right?

I could.

So I did.

But you didn't have to.

Just pay it forward.

You're real annoying, you know that.

I've been called worse.

It don't even matter

'cause I just came here today

to tell you that it's over.

All this.

Listen, we all reached this point,

but you're here now.

That's all that matters.

I started drinking again.

So you already know

what's gonna happen next.

I'm gonna start using and

then I'll be back on drugs.

I failed you, Sam,

and I lost Angela.

Listen, man,

I never said this was gonna be easy.

Yeah, but you had rules.

All right, and I broke 'em.

So go ahead.

Turn me in.

I deserve it.

Do it.

The blessing for you and me

is that we don't always

get what we deserve.

Oh my God, you and your words, man.

They haunt me.

I tell you what,

let's have an out of office session today.

No, no, no, you don't get it.

People like me don't

deserve a second chance.

Trust me.

Let's go, man.

Jay.

What's up Sam?

It was supposed to rain.

That's why I wasn't expecting you today.

Come on.

Rain or shine, we got work to do.

You are a good friend, Sam.

- I appreciate you.

- Thank you.

Jeremiah, I want to introduce you to Brian.

Brian, Jeremiah.

Brian, pleased to meet you.

Good grip there, man.

Nice to meet you too.

Thanks.

So what are we doing here?

Well, you know, Samuel's

been coming out here for years

trying to help me recultivate my land

after the tornado that came through,

it flipped a barn, tore up a shed.

So today we going to tear

down one of the barns,

remove the debris,

and eventually build a new one

with a stronger foundation.

Brian, are you up for that?

Yeah.

Appreciate you.

Appreciate it.

- Y'all call me if you need.

- All right.

I'll see y'all on the little.

Rough day.

Takes a lot of force to

create destruction like this.

Why do you have me out here, Samuel?

Your final exam.

But I told you I already failed.

We'll, see.

There's is more to my story.

You know, my son died,

but I never said how.

Overdose.

I am sorry, Sam.

I should have been there for him.

It's not that I didn't see the signs,

I just didn't pay attention to them.

You can't put that

on your shoulders, bro.

It'll crush you.

Brian, I was an alcoholic

whose only focus was to find

my way into another bottle.

And after my son died, it only got worse.

I crashed my car into a ditch.

I was drunk, of course.

But that's when it happened.

When what happened?

Grace.

God's grace came in the form

of a off-duty firefighter.

He pulled me out of that ditch

and because no one got hurt,

he didn't call the police.

Instead, he made me an offer.

I had to commit to going to counseling.

Two sessions a week for

12 weeks at the Grace Place.

And you made me the same offer.

I had a problem

that only God could solve.

I really do want to do better, Sam.

I really do.

But this thing it, it just claws on to me.

Then it just feels like it's

breathing fire into my soul

every time I drink out the bottle.

The Holy Spirit is a dragon slayer.

It'll take the hard road

with you and not skirt it.

But it's just so hard.

I don't think it's possible.

You're right.

It's not possible on your own.

You need a helper.

Your last assignment,

what was that verse you had to study?

Philippians 4:13.

I can do all things.

Through Christ who strengthens me.

New life, bro.

Yeah, new life.

Jesus made it to the finish line.

His grace was enough.

I tried to do it all.

Yeah, I tried to be so tough.

I analyzed the grace message

to see just how I fit.

I found that grace not only saves us,

but puts us in Jesus' niche.

Hey.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's been a long time.

Oh wow.

It is great to hear your voice too.

So all this time that I wasted

thinking that I didn't count,

kept me from experiencing

the power of Jesus' mount.

Hey man, you completed your sessions.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I guess I'm done.

No, no, my brother, this

is just the beginning.

Yeah, I just planted the seed.

But I tell you what,

I got something for you.

This is the LPC.

- Okay.

- Her name is Brenda.

That's your next step.

- Cool.

- Yeah, man.

Well, I've got something for you.

Yeah?

How'd you, are you serious?

Where'd you find this?

Hard work,

patience and endurance.

You wanna give it a listen?

Yeah.

You know what, I think

you'll do it this time.

Okay.

Go ahead, you know, put it on

and the put the vinyl in

the middle, there you go.

And don't forget the stylist.

The stylist.

- The stylus.

- Like this.

You know with the needle like that.

Yep, yep.

- Uh huh.

- Ah.

I hear the crackle.

Uh huh.

Oh,

I got a poetry reading on Saturday.

Come out?

Man, I don't think I'm

gonna be able to make it.

What, why not?

I got a date.

Somebody from my past.

Ah.

My guy.

Hey man.

You paying?

I have to.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Stopping by to see the

place for one last time?

Not quite.

Then what is it?

You don't have to close.

Your lease is paid in full

for the next two years.

That can't be right.

One of my new clients

who you introduced me to, says otherwise.

Brian?

His advance was ample enough.

Trust me.

I cut the check myself.

You mean to tell me

the first thing he does

after being published is pay my lease?

He's a good guy

and he cares about you.

He's doing his first major reading tonight.

I think he should come.

I'll think about it.

Good evening everyone.

We're so happy to see you,

your smiling faces.

You look wonderful.

Thank you for coming out tonight.

And as we always do,

before we start our event,

we always like to give you

a thought for the evening.

I'd like to share this with you.

The Holy Spirit gave me this

one thought, and that is

the depth of your life is measured

by the decisions that you make.

Not just the straight roads,

but the terms that you take.

This young man that's

coming before you tonight

will be publishing a

book entitled "Storms".

And we are extremely

excited that he will be

reading that poem tonight.

I know that's why many of you are here.

And if you will help me,

let's give a warm welcome

to Brian Gilchrist.

Thanks for coming out.

I'm Brian Gilchrist

and I used to shake for other reasons,

but tonight I'm kind of nervous.

So yeah, let's, let's get started.

Like a dandelion,

so small yet so bold.

Stands so tall against the

tempest winds, so cold.

Out in the storm,

I stand all alone

yet finding you there

I am walking toward home.

Each footstep before me

brings credence to him,

buffeted by wind and wave

in the shrapnel of sin.

Our hope is refrained

yet our soul is unscathed.

One truth will remain

by grace

we've been saved.

Your love

Is why I'm free

The hands of God

Is holding me

And your mercy

Covers my life

It keeps me strong

When I belong

And your grace

Is compassionate

The love of god

Is infinite

You're more than enough

Sufficient for us

Forgiver of our sins

Your grace wins

Wins

Grace wins

Wins

Your love

Is why I'm free

The hand of God

Is holding me

And your mercy

Covers my life

It keeps me strong

When I do wrong

And your grace

Is compassionate

The love of God

Is infinite

You're more than enough

Sufficient for us

Forgiver of our sins

Your grace wins

Wins

Grace wins

Wins

Grace wins

Wins

Grace wins

Wins

Sin has no dominion over us

No

We live under God's grace

Sin has no dominion over us

No

We live under God's grace

Sin has no dominion over us

No

We live under God's grace

Sin has no dominion over us

No

We live under God's grace

Sin has no dominion over us

No

We live under God's grace

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me, yeah

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me, yeah

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me, yeah

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me, yeah

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me, yeah

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me, yeah

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me, yeah

I'm alive today

Because of the way

Your grace has covered me

Your grace is compassionate

The love of God

Is infinite

You're more than enough

Sufficient for us

Forgiver of our sins

Your grace wins

Wins

Grace wins

Wins

Grace wins

Wins

Your grace wins