A man and his family lived on a Native American reservation for ten years. He sacrificed and served to try to build the Church and help the people improve their lives, but he found himself constantly frustrated, judgmental, and unable to make a lasting difference. He got a job offer in Tucson and moved his family there, but went back to the reservation one last time to finish painting the ceiling in the half-finished church building. While painting, he recalled instances from his time living there, pondering his efforts, his motives, and the burnout he inevitably saw in himself, just like in all the other white people living there. Just as he finished painting, a long-awaited storm broke and, as he stood outside in the rain, he found it in himself to thank God despite the resentment in his heart.
Third Place, 1984 Dialogue Writings Award, Fiction