said.
Well, Sarah was thankful for that. She’d felt Stephanie’s animosity and didn’t understand it. But that line about coming over for dinner had made the woman’s intentions perfectly clear. Stephanie had her eyes set on Justin.
“Oh, my, of course. I had forgotten she was your sister-in-law. Anyway, think about it. Maybe next Saturday or Sunday.”
“We’ll see,” he said noncommittally. Then, dismissing Stephanie by turning to Sarah, he said, “We need to find a seat before the service starts. Have a nice day, Stephanie.”
Taking Sarah’s elbow, he led her off, leaving Stephanie standing in the foyer. Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Using me as a convenient excuse?”
“The woman is, ah, interested in getting better acquainted,” he said.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Sarah remarked dryly.
“Go ahead, laugh. She’s just about relentless. Won’t take no for an answer. Mickie said she insistedshe get in the car and discouraged her from calling, saying she could phone when they got to her house.”
Sarah frowned. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah, well, I told Mickie if that ever happened again to find the nearest teacher and hug her legs until she got her attention. She’s not to go anywhere with anyone, no matter how insistent the person is. I told her the teacher would understand if she got out of line to tell her what was happening.”
“How can you still talk to Stephanie after that?”
Justin shrugged. “I’m polite only because if I really said what I was feeling, I’d be at the altar praying for the next week or two. When I calm down enough to discuss it without saying anything in anger, I’ll tell Stephanie not to try that again. I’ve already spoken to the principal. She assured me there would be no repeat performance. That’s the important thing.”
Sarah seated herself on the pew and watched as family after family came in, greeting others, laughing, talking, sharing what had happened during the week, before finally finding their seats. Several people stopped by and Justin introduced them to her. All were friendly, open and so kind. Justin was right. A small church was much nicer. Sarah had never attended a really small church of a hundred or so, which was what she estimated this group to be.
The music started and she stood. The songs were a lot like her old church’s: upbeat, fast. Then the tempo slowed and became more worshipful, the songs talking about simple things—loving the Lord, praising Him for what He had done.
Peace flooded Sarah’s soul as the congregation sang and offered a special prayer for the sick and needy.They mentioned a family who needed help with their house. A recent storm had torn up one corner of the roof and the pastor called for volunteers to help rebuild it.
Then the pastor opened his Bible. “’Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.’ Romans 8:1.” The pastor closed his Bible. “We’re going to discuss two things today in this sermon—sin, which is the breaking of God’s law and is forgiven simply by asking God to forgive you for your transgression, and guilt, which is after God has forgiven you, the inability to forget it, as God does, but instead, hold on to it in the form of guilt as your penance for the wrong you’ve committed.”
Sarah sat up, her eyes widening. Oh, no, she thought. This was a sermon she didn’t want to hear, one that was already convicting her.
“People don’t often realize that conviction and guilt are two different things. Whereas conviction brings you to your knees to tell God you messed up and want to start over again, guilt has you dropping your head and hiding in shame over and over and over again. Yet once it’s forgiven it’s forgotten.
“Self-condemnation brings it up again, not the spirit of God. Jesus paid the price, and all we are required to do is go to Him and confess
Well, Sarah was thankful for that. She’d felt Stephanie’s animosity and didn’t understand it. But that line about coming over for dinner had made the woman’s intentions perfectly clear. Stephanie had her eyes set on Justin.
“Oh, my, of course. I had forgotten she was your sister-in-law. Anyway, think about it. Maybe next Saturday or Sunday.”
“We’ll see,” he said noncommittally. Then, dismissing Stephanie by turning to Sarah, he said, “We need to find a seat before the service starts. Have a nice day, Stephanie.”
Taking Sarah’s elbow, he led her off, leaving Stephanie standing in the foyer. Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Using me as a convenient excuse?”
“The woman is, ah, interested in getting better acquainted,” he said.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Sarah remarked dryly.
“Go ahead, laugh. She’s just about relentless. Won’t take no for an answer. Mickie said she insistedshe get in the car and discouraged her from calling, saying she could phone when they got to her house.”
Sarah frowned. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah, well, I told Mickie if that ever happened again to find the nearest teacher and hug her legs until she got her attention. She’s not to go anywhere with anyone, no matter how insistent the person is. I told her the teacher would understand if she got out of line to tell her what was happening.”
“How can you still talk to Stephanie after that?”
Justin shrugged. “I’m polite only because if I really said what I was feeling, I’d be at the altar praying for the next week or two. When I calm down enough to discuss it without saying anything in anger, I’ll tell Stephanie not to try that again. I’ve already spoken to the principal. She assured me there would be no repeat performance. That’s the important thing.”
Sarah seated herself on the pew and watched as family after family came in, greeting others, laughing, talking, sharing what had happened during the week, before finally finding their seats. Several people stopped by and Justin introduced them to her. All were friendly, open and so kind. Justin was right. A small church was much nicer. Sarah had never attended a really small church of a hundred or so, which was what she estimated this group to be.
The music started and she stood. The songs were a lot like her old church’s: upbeat, fast. Then the tempo slowed and became more worshipful, the songs talking about simple things—loving the Lord, praising Him for what He had done.
Peace flooded Sarah’s soul as the congregation sang and offered a special prayer for the sick and needy.They mentioned a family who needed help with their house. A recent storm had torn up one corner of the roof and the pastor called for volunteers to help rebuild it.
Then the pastor opened his Bible. “’Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.’ Romans 8:1.” The pastor closed his Bible. “We’re going to discuss two things today in this sermon—sin, which is the breaking of God’s law and is forgiven simply by asking God to forgive you for your transgression, and guilt, which is after God has forgiven you, the inability to forget it, as God does, but instead, hold on to it in the form of guilt as your penance for the wrong you’ve committed.”
Sarah sat up, her eyes widening. Oh, no, she thought. This was a sermon she didn’t want to hear, one that was already convicting her.
“People don’t often realize that conviction and guilt are two different things. Whereas conviction brings you to your knees to tell God you messed up and want to start over again, guilt has you dropping your head and hiding in shame over and over and over again. Yet once it’s forgiven it’s forgotten.
“Self-condemnation brings it up again, not the spirit of God. Jesus paid the price, and all we are required to do is go to Him and confess
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