“If it’s permission you ask, permission is granted. You may marry my daughter…if she so pleases.”
Maria couldn’t believe her ears. She had started the day off agonizing about the decision she had to make. She wanted nothing more than to be with Eldon, but she also didn’t want to leave the community life. The two seemed to be incompatible, but suddenly the resolution was falling into place. God was doing just as she asked in her prayers and laying out the obvious path for her to take.
“I’ll leave you two to talk things over,” her father said, backing away from the kitchen.
“Father, wait,” Maria said, halting him from taking his leave. “I have a question for you and it’s more important than anything I’ve ever asked you.”
Maria’s father took a step forward, waiting for her to speak again. “Can I be baptized?” she asked. “I want to be baptized.”
Her father smiled and quickly moved closer, taking her into his arms and hugging her tight against his chest. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you,” he said, smiling down at her.
When her father left, Maria turned to Eldon to finish their conversation. Eldon looked stricken.
“So, you’re staying?” he asked.
Maria hadn’t even thought that he might assume she was going to stay simply because she asked to be baptized. “I’ve wanted to be baptized for as long as I can remember,” she explained. “But I also want to be loved. And you, Eldon Schrock, love me. I could never ask for anything more than for someone to love me the way you do.”
Eldon smiled and Maria took pleasure in seeing the dimple dive into his cheek.
Eldon tossed his hat on the table and lowered himself to one knee. “Maria Miller,” he began as she crossed the room and took his outstretched hands. “Will you be my wife? I promise no one but God will ever love you more.”
“Yes,” Maria cried. “Yes, Eldon, I love you. I’ll marry you. I’ll build a whole new world with you from scratch. Where you go, I will go.”
Eldon jumped up and pulled Maria against him, wrapping his arms tightly behind her back.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The day Maria got baptized was the best day of her life.
“Maria Miller,” the preacher said, reaching toward her with the holy water from the basin, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Maria closed her eyes and smiled. She felt the spirit descend upon her and bless her in a whole new way. She’d had a relationship with Christ and God since she was a little girl, but she was making it official by standing up in front of the church and proclaiming that she was a believer and that she wanted to be known as nothing else other than a Christian woman.
Maria opened her eyes and turned to the side where Eldon was waiting. She held out her hand and he joined her at the front of the chapel.
“And now,” the preacher continued, “for the second part of our service today.”
Maria looked into Eldon’s eyes and allowed them to draw her in as they always had. She was getting everything she ever wanted all in one day. She got baptized into the church and she promised that she would live a plain and simple life for all of her days. She wasn’t going to join the community and she was going to leave her family, but she was going to live the Amish life as best she could with Eldon by her side.
“Do you Eldon Schrock, take Maria Miller…”
The idea
Maria couldn’t believe her ears. She had started the day off agonizing about the decision she had to make. She wanted nothing more than to be with Eldon, but she also didn’t want to leave the community life. The two seemed to be incompatible, but suddenly the resolution was falling into place. God was doing just as she asked in her prayers and laying out the obvious path for her to take.
“I’ll leave you two to talk things over,” her father said, backing away from the kitchen.
“Father, wait,” Maria said, halting him from taking his leave. “I have a question for you and it’s more important than anything I’ve ever asked you.”
Maria’s father took a step forward, waiting for her to speak again. “Can I be baptized?” she asked. “I want to be baptized.”
Her father smiled and quickly moved closer, taking her into his arms and hugging her tight against his chest. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you,” he said, smiling down at her.
When her father left, Maria turned to Eldon to finish their conversation. Eldon looked stricken.
“So, you’re staying?” he asked.
Maria hadn’t even thought that he might assume she was going to stay simply because she asked to be baptized. “I’ve wanted to be baptized for as long as I can remember,” she explained. “But I also want to be loved. And you, Eldon Schrock, love me. I could never ask for anything more than for someone to love me the way you do.”
Eldon smiled and Maria took pleasure in seeing the dimple dive into his cheek.
Eldon tossed his hat on the table and lowered himself to one knee. “Maria Miller,” he began as she crossed the room and took his outstretched hands. “Will you be my wife? I promise no one but God will ever love you more.”
“Yes,” Maria cried. “Yes, Eldon, I love you. I’ll marry you. I’ll build a whole new world with you from scratch. Where you go, I will go.”
Eldon jumped up and pulled Maria against him, wrapping his arms tightly behind her back.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The day Maria got baptized was the best day of her life.
“Maria Miller,” the preacher said, reaching toward her with the holy water from the basin, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Maria closed her eyes and smiled. She felt the spirit descend upon her and bless her in a whole new way. She’d had a relationship with Christ and God since she was a little girl, but she was making it official by standing up in front of the church and proclaiming that she was a believer and that she wanted to be known as nothing else other than a Christian woman.
Maria opened her eyes and turned to the side where Eldon was waiting. She held out her hand and he joined her at the front of the chapel.
“And now,” the preacher continued, “for the second part of our service today.”
Maria looked into Eldon’s eyes and allowed them to draw her in as they always had. She was getting everything she ever wanted all in one day. She got baptized into the church and she promised that she would live a plain and simple life for all of her days. She wasn’t going to join the community and she was going to leave her family, but she was going to live the Amish life as best she could with Eldon by her side.
“Do you Eldon Schrock, take Maria Miller…”
The idea
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