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can get back before that,” Bailey said.
    “Yeah, I feel like I’m being barbecued.” Elizabeth wipedsweat from her forehead.
    Elan stopped and looked around.
    “What’s wrong?” Bailey scanned the area, looking for signs of trouble.
    “Nothing.” Elan looked the other way.
    “E-laan,” Bailey said, drawing out his name. “Tell me what’s the matter.”
    “Nothing! I just thought the cliff dwellings were right over there, but they’re not. We must have gotten turned around when we stopped to take a drink or when I gave Beth my hat.”
    “How could we have gotten turned around?” Elizabeth said. “We barely even stopped.”
    “I don’t know, but something’s not right.” Elan walked ahead, and the girls followed. “I think we need to go this way.”
    “Are you telling me we’re lost?” Elizabeth said.
    “Not lost,” Elan replied. “Just turned around. We need to go toward those rocks over there.”
    Bailey followed Elan’s finger to the rocks and saw them in the distance. “Clear over there? I thought you said the cliff dwellings weren’t far?”
    “They aren’t if you take the direct route!” Elan’s voice rose. “But when you’re traveling with two complaining girls, it’s easy to get turned around.” Then he mocked them. “I’m hot. I’m getting sunburned. I need a drink. Are we almost there?” Then back to his own voice. “No wonder it’s taking so long!”
    “It’s not our fault if it’s taking longer than usual,” Bailey shot back. “We’ve kept up with you step for step.”
    Elan stomped toward the distant rocks. Elizabeth and Bailey hurried behind him, determined to keep up with his faster pace. Bailey wiped the sweat from her face with her T-shirt sleeve. Elan was now ten feet ahead of them.
    “Elan, slow down!” Elizabeth called.
    But he continued, angry, toward his destination.
    “Bailey, we’ll never be able to keep up this pace.” Elizabeth’s face was red with heat.
    “Let’s stop and rest.” Bailey sat on a rock and opened her water bottle, gulping the lukewarm water that filled her mouth.
    “He’ll wait for us when he sees how far behind we are.” Elizabeth took a drink and sat beside Bailey. She put both feet on the rock and rested her head on her knees.
    Suddenly, the girls heard a rattle. They looked at each other and froze in fear. “A snake!” Bailey whispered.
    Elizabeth nodded, her face paling.
    “We have to step away from this rock so he knows we won’t hurt him,” Bailey said. She slowly stood and took a giant step. “Come on, Beth!”
    Elizabeth opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
    “You can do it, I know you can!”
    “I can’t move!” Elizabeth finally squeaked.
    “Yes, you can.” Bailey held her hand to her friend. “First you have to stand.”
    “I’m afraid to put my feet on the ground. The snake may strike me!”
    Bailey spoke in a calm, soothing voice. “No, he won’t. I was sitting next to you when I got up, and he didn’t strike me. You can do this.”
    The snake’s rattle continued.
    “You know snakes are one of my worst fears, Bales.”
    Bailey saw tears run down Beth’s cheeks. “I know, but you can do everything through Him who gives you strength! We learned that verse at camp, remember? Philippians 4:13. It applies to situations we think are too hard for us. You can do anything with God’s help. Even this.”
    Elizabeth closed her eyes and pointed her face skyward as if praying silently. She wiped the tears from her face, then inched her feet down the rock until her toes touched the ground.
    “Good girl!” Bailey cheered quietly. “If that snake wanted to hurt you, he would have already done it. Now stand and take a step toward me.”
    Beth steadied herself against the rock as she slowly stood. Then she practically ran to Bailey’s waiting arms.
    “You did it!” Bailey hugged her friend.
    “More like God did it,” Beth said. “I couldn’t have done that without His help.”
    “You are