to bring joy back into Martha’s life. Except for the promise of heaven, her joys are diminishing with each day. Please reveal Your will to me. I’m not concerned with what people think about me. But I care what You think about me.
She took a deep breath of the cold moist air.
I long for peace.
“Forgive.”
As the idea downloaded into her mind, she was convicted about her resentment toward Sherie and Simon. “Jah, I know. But I need Your help with that.”
She moved along the walls and looked at the rafters. Ran her hands over the carvings of lovers’ initials. What had happened to all those relationships? A severe pang of loneliness shot through her so that she could relate to Martha. And she knew she would pursue the quest.
Thanks, Lord. If my loneliness serves others, then living the single life is good enough for me.
Overhead the sky darkened and churned. She decided to eat her lunch at a picnic table, with the river to her back. She watched rotten apples drop from a large hanging tree. Suddenly the rain began, pelting hard from its onset. Grabbing her peanut butter sandwich, she spotted a huge tree and wondered if it was the tree where Martha got kissed. She lingered there, gazing through the downpour to see if there were any other big trees in the vicinity. But a loud clap of thunder had her tossing her sandwich and running for the bridge.
As she drew her sweater tight, the rain deluged her, flattening her prayer cap. She fled. Jimmy was right. Again. She jumped over water rivulets and reached the bridge’s shelter. With the open sides of the bridge, water spray still reached her.
Her phone rang. She snatched it and stared at the screen, a smile forming as she answered. “I’m at the Crawfordsville Bridge. Not swimming, but almost. Okay, bye.” Adam was on his way, and she didn’t regret it. Fickle heart.
Although the bridge had been restored, she watched puddles form under a leaky roof. By the time Adam arrived, she was drenched and cold. She made a dash for his truck as he handled her bike. When he jumped inside, water dripped off his dark hat. He grinned at her, and they both broke into laughter.
“Too stubborn to call,” he chided.
She shrugged.
The truck windows grew foggy. “So was it worth it?”
“Jah. I had time to think. I’m going to do it.” She raised her hand to stave off any determent. “I was standing on the bridge, praying about it, and this deep loneliness swept over me.” She let out the part about needing to forgive. “It was like the loneliness is a calling so that I can empathize with the residents. I think it’s God’s plan for me.”
He frowned. “Loneliness?”
She nodded. “I can’t argue with God’s plan, can I?”
Amusement crinkled his mouth. “Well you could, but I wouldn’t advise it.”
He leaned close, and his rugged form filled the tight space. “Did you get any other insights? Like maybe your lonely years are about to end? You don’t have to constantly eat pie to remember what it tastes like.”
Her heart sped as it always did when he flirted. She untied her prayer cap, smoothing its wet strings. “I don’t know. But I felt God on that bridge.”
“Carly.”
She looked into his wistful eyes. “Jah.”
“I wish I felt that kind of certainty. I want to fill that lonely spot for you, but I’m afraid that if it wouldn’t work out, I’d hurt you. Jimmy’s afraid of that, too. He warned me away from you.”
Her jaw dropped. “But how did he even know about us?”
Adam shrugged, wiped drops of moisture from her cheek. “We’re close.”
Her voice broke, “So are you taking his advice?”
His expression reluctant, he asked, “Do you want me to?”
She stared at the foggy window. If they got closer and it didn’t work out… if Adam’s friendship was somehow removed from her life, she’d be devastated. She knew he had some kind of issues to work out before he could commit to her. If she waited, he might even change his mind.
She took a deep breath of the cold moist air.
I long for peace.
“Forgive.”
As the idea downloaded into her mind, she was convicted about her resentment toward Sherie and Simon. “Jah, I know. But I need Your help with that.”
She moved along the walls and looked at the rafters. Ran her hands over the carvings of lovers’ initials. What had happened to all those relationships? A severe pang of loneliness shot through her so that she could relate to Martha. And she knew she would pursue the quest.
Thanks, Lord. If my loneliness serves others, then living the single life is good enough for me.
Overhead the sky darkened and churned. She decided to eat her lunch at a picnic table, with the river to her back. She watched rotten apples drop from a large hanging tree. Suddenly the rain began, pelting hard from its onset. Grabbing her peanut butter sandwich, she spotted a huge tree and wondered if it was the tree where Martha got kissed. She lingered there, gazing through the downpour to see if there were any other big trees in the vicinity. But a loud clap of thunder had her tossing her sandwich and running for the bridge.
As she drew her sweater tight, the rain deluged her, flattening her prayer cap. She fled. Jimmy was right. Again. She jumped over water rivulets and reached the bridge’s shelter. With the open sides of the bridge, water spray still reached her.
Her phone rang. She snatched it and stared at the screen, a smile forming as she answered. “I’m at the Crawfordsville Bridge. Not swimming, but almost. Okay, bye.” Adam was on his way, and she didn’t regret it. Fickle heart.
Although the bridge had been restored, she watched puddles form under a leaky roof. By the time Adam arrived, she was drenched and cold. She made a dash for his truck as he handled her bike. When he jumped inside, water dripped off his dark hat. He grinned at her, and they both broke into laughter.
“Too stubborn to call,” he chided.
She shrugged.
The truck windows grew foggy. “So was it worth it?”
“Jah. I had time to think. I’m going to do it.” She raised her hand to stave off any determent. “I was standing on the bridge, praying about it, and this deep loneliness swept over me.” She let out the part about needing to forgive. “It was like the loneliness is a calling so that I can empathize with the residents. I think it’s God’s plan for me.”
He frowned. “Loneliness?”
She nodded. “I can’t argue with God’s plan, can I?”
Amusement crinkled his mouth. “Well you could, but I wouldn’t advise it.”
He leaned close, and his rugged form filled the tight space. “Did you get any other insights? Like maybe your lonely years are about to end? You don’t have to constantly eat pie to remember what it tastes like.”
Her heart sped as it always did when he flirted. She untied her prayer cap, smoothing its wet strings. “I don’t know. But I felt God on that bridge.”
“Carly.”
She looked into his wistful eyes. “Jah.”
“I wish I felt that kind of certainty. I want to fill that lonely spot for you, but I’m afraid that if it wouldn’t work out, I’d hurt you. Jimmy’s afraid of that, too. He warned me away from you.”
Her jaw dropped. “But how did he even know about us?”
Adam shrugged, wiped drops of moisture from her cheek. “We’re close.”
Her voice broke, “So are you taking his advice?”
His expression reluctant, he asked, “Do you want me to?”
She stared at the foggy window. If they got closer and it didn’t work out… if Adam’s friendship was somehow removed from her life, she’d be devastated. She knew he had some kind of issues to work out before he could commit to her. If she waited, he might even change his mind.
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