Detour: Destination Abiding Love by JoAnn Carter

nowadays.”
    Sierra wanted to say it was silly to hang onto a pipedream, yet her pulse picked up at the very thought of the possibility. But the nagging question remained, could it cause more pain not only for her, but for him, as well? “Do you think if you’re in God’s will that everything always works out?”
    “Absolutely,” Melissa said without hesitation. “But those ’things’ are working for His purposes and glory, and that doesn’t always mean smooth sailing here on earth. There can be strife, trouble, and even conflict when you’re right where God wants you to be.”
    “I’ve been reading a story about an amazing survivor of the holocaust, Corrie Ten Boom. It sounds like something she would say.”
    “Even more importantly, it’s what Scripture says.” Melissa set down her mug. “I don’t know if this will help at all, but once when I was going through a particularly hard time, my mom said that life is like a work of embroidery. From our perspective, we see the ugly underside with knots and mismatched threads, but when God sees our lives, He’s looking from the top and sees the masterpieces we are in the making.”
    “So, this thing with Cole could be one of those ugly knots?”
    “Perhaps, perhaps not. Are you willing to trust God to work it out if it’s meant to be and close the door if it isn’t?”
    “I don’t know. What if He is closing the door, and I’m trying to push my way through?”
    Melissa laughed and picked up her mug. “Speaking of pushing, I think my work is done here for tonight. Just do me a favor and pray on it, OK?”
    Sierra nodded. That she could do. Acting on it as Melissa suggested, well, that was another thing altogether.
     
     
     
     

8
     
    Cole enjoyed Sierra’s quirky sense of humor, expressive body language—even when confined within her seatbelt—and optimist attitude toward her time in New York. She was amazingly talented, and he marveled how she never seemed to put on airs or to think others were beneath her. Perhaps her past had something to do with that, but he was pretty sure that she was just who God made her to be. The hours flew by and, in his estimation, it was way too soon when they entered the city.
    As they pulled up to the curb in front of the music center, he looked at her.
    She sat taking in the large sculpture and water fountain with people milling about in front.
    Did it look as intimating to her as it did to this country boy? “Have you been here before?”
    She nodded. “Just once when I was called to interview.”
    Cole glanced at his watch. “Looks like we have an hour or so to kill before you meet your contact. Would you like to get a bite to eat?”
    “That sounds good. Would you mind if I just ran in to get a program? The director sent me all the music and a tentative schedule, but I’d like to see what else is going on before I meet with anyone.”
    “Sure, take your time. I’ll wait right here.”
    “Thanks.” She got out of the car and walked into the building. This was her element, what she was born to do, but right now he’d be happy if dairy cows interested her more. Even if he wasn’t a small town store owner, was there anything about him that would make her desire to leave all this behind?
    Lord, does her happiness mean I have to lose her?
     
    
     
    Sierra soaked in the smells and noise of the city. It was a comfortable feeling. She could get lost in the crowd; one anonymous person with an unknown past that no one in the multitude would seek to rectify. The here and now was all that counted.
    The little food joint they settled on was nothing fancy, with its red pleather seats and Formica table tops, but it was close to the music center and relatively affordable.
    She glanced at the program as excitement welled within.
    “So what’s going on with the orchestra?” Cole’s voice brought her back to the present.
    “Lots of great stuff. Other than the scheduled concerts in the hall, there’s concerts in