Tides of Truth [03] Greater Love by Robert Whitlow Page A

me.”
    “Does Zach know about this?” Daddy asked.
    “Everything. He’s upset that I’m considering what Sister Dabney told me.”
    “And his vision is clouded by his feelings for you,” Mama added.
    “Not just his. Mine is, too,” I said. “It hurts like crazy to know he’s upset with me.”
    Neither Daddy nor Mama spoke for a few moments.
    “Let’s all pray about it and talk again on Wednesday,” Mama said.
    It seemed like a long time to hang in limbo.
    “Okay,” I sighed. “I’m trying to act grown up, but right now I wish I was one of the twins.”
    “It’s going to be fine,” Daddy said, with an air of confidence in his voice that came through the phone receiver.
    I SPENT THE NEXT FEW DAYS ON SPIRITUAL PINS AND NEEDLES, constantly alert for ways God might choose to speak to me. I memorized the passage in Ecclesiastes about the threefold cord and prayed that every way it applied to my life would be fulfilled. I spent time in intercession, not just for myself, but for everyone else who might be affected by my decision. I listened to Christian songs on the radio. I even read billboards, not wanting to miss a random opportunity for God to speak through the world around me.
    The breakthrough came Wednesday morning.
    As I was reading another passage in Ecclesiastes, I came across the first line of a verse in chapter 5 that said, “Do not be rash with your mouth.” I immediately stopped. That’s what I’d done. I’d been rash with my mouth in accepting the job at Braddock, Appleby, and Carpenter. It was as simple as that. And being rash was sin. Sin required repentance. In this case, repentance meant telling Mr. Carpenter I’d made a mistake—even if he didn’t understand, and even if it upset Zach.
    But did that mean I should accept the job with Maggie and Julie?
    As I asked the question, I was surprised by a sudden surge of compassion for the two women that welled up with irresistible force in my heart. And in that moment I knew my decision wasn’t based on salary or benefits or security or firm prestige or whether I’d be asked to work on a case I didn’t believe in. The Lord loves people, and he wanted me to work with Maggie and Julie because he loved them. My main job wasn’t to be a lawyer, but to be a human expression of God’s love they could see on a daily basis. I laughed out loud. The two greatest commandments truly are to love God and to love others.
    Then the thought of Zach squelched my joy.
    I prayed and waited for my heart to respond in a way that would help me know what to think and how to feel. Nothing came. I waited some more without a response. Finally, I closed my Bible with a prayer that God would show me at the right time where and how Zach fit into the future. That night I called home again.
    “I agree,” Mama replied after I nervously explained what I thought. “The situation with the two women has the mark of the Lord’s destiny upon it. I’m not sure what that means, but you’ll have opportunities there that won’t exist if you work for the other firm. God put us here to touch other people’s lives, and I’m thankful you’ve seen how that applies to this situation.”
    “Daddy, do you agree?” I asked.
    “I won’t disagree,” he said slowly. “I’m less confident than you and your mama about this, but I don’t have a reason from the Lord to tell you to go in another direction. I know you’re in a tight spot and have to make a decision.”
    “It’s going to be tough talking to Zach and Mr. Carpenter,” I said. “I dread both, maybe Zach more.” I paused. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that he invited me to fly out to California with him over Christmas break to meet his parents. It may help if I can tell him you’ve given me permission to go. He needs to get the tickets as soon as possible.”
    “Just a minute,” Mama said.
    I could hear muffled conversation as one of them placed a hand over the receiver.
    “You can pray about it and let me know