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Lisa settled herself and her coffee into the porch swing just before sunrise on Sunday morning. She sipped the steaming liquid as the sun rose in the eastern sky, painting the feathery clouds with fiery reds and oranges. From where Lisa sat, spring was alive with birdsong and vibrant shades of newly sprouted green. It all seemed incredibly peaceful.
She knew better.
Across town...across the bridge...havoc reigned.
Yesterday’s tornado had crossed Harrison in a zigzag path, touching down at odd intervals like a toddler on a sugar high racing from one toy to another. But this was no youngster in need of a nap. This was destruction on a scale Lisa had never experienced. On its way through town, the fickle wind had laid waste to a dozen houses in Harrison before it uprooted the enormous tree outside of Mrs. Craig’s dining room. Disappointed with its new plaything, it dropped on the tree on the house before it skittered away.
Lisa shuddered at the memory of the crash, thankful for Dave’s quick thinking in getting them into the closet. The tree had blocked the door and held them captive, but another twelve inches to the west, and that closet would have been toothpicks, and them with it. They’d come out of their hiding space grateful to be alive only to learn the dreadful truth. Mrs. Craig’s house, along with a handful of others, was lost. Minimal damage given the circumstances. But Yellow Veil had not been so lucky.
The damage across the bridge was devastating. Ruined businesses, destroyed homes, foundations wiped completely clean of the buildings they once supported. This had been the fate of Abundant Life Church. The building was simply gone.
Lisa’s hands shook so badly she set her cup aside. Her heart ached for everyone affected, but especially for Dave. She closed her eyes. Father, please just be there for them today. Once the sun was up she’d go offer what physical help she could, but—
“I thought I heard someone out here.”
Mom stepped onto the porch with her own cup. The sight of her mom safe and sound brought tears to Lisa’s eyes. She’d been so worried yesterday, but God had her back, just like always.
Lisa made room on the swing. “Morning.”
Mom joined her, swiping Lisa’s cheek with a kiss as she settled. “Morning, baby. Mercy, would you look at the colors out here. How can everything look so lush and peaceful when the world is shambles just a few miles away?”
“I know. I still can’t believe it. I’m so glad you’re OK.”
Mom shook her head. “Me? I wasn’t anywhere close to the storm. I’m the one who’s glad today. If it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of that young man of yours, I might have lost you.”
Her mother’s comment twisted the lid off the can of worms Lisa had been trying to contain since the day before. Surely it was wrong, even selfish, to think about Dave and his romantic suggestions at a time like this. There were much more urgent concerns right now, weren’t there?
“Talk to me, baby girl.”
Lisa gave her a glance. “What?”
Mom smiled. “You had your nose wrinkled in that I’ve-got-a-problem face you’ve been making since you couldn’t sound out your library words in first grade. It’s a dead giveaway that somethings bothering you.”
Lisa raised a hand and indicated the world beyond the porch. “Where do I start?”
“Um hum.” Mom sifted so that they faced each other. “As horrible as this twist of nature is, no one died, and things can be replaced. And don’t you dare frown at me young lady. I’m not marginalizing anyone’s loss. I’ll be lining up to help where I can, same as you.” She studied Lisa with knowing eyes. “Your nose wrinkling wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain young pastor over in the next town, would it?”
Lisa looked away from her mom and reached out to retrieve her cup before giving the swing a gentle push. “It’s impossible, Mom.”
“How so?”
“How so?” The words were sharp as she lunged to her feet, setting the swing to rocking so violently, her mom was forced to hold her sloshing cup away from her lap. “Sorry.” Lisa slung the lukewarm contents of her cup onto the lawn, set her mug on the porch, and paced away a few steps before turning to face her mother.
“How can you even ask me that after the way Daddy treated me...you”—she raised her hands—“us?” She hugged the support and leaned her head against it, her words a desolate whisper. “I like Dave. Way down deep inside, I’ll admit to a little more than like at this point, but I won’t do that to myself, not when I know better.”
Mom patted the seat beside her. “Come sit.” When Lisa complied, Mom put an arm around her shoulders and tucked her close. She didn’t say anything for several seconds. When Lisa glanced up through her lashes, she could tell her mom was praying. She added her own silent request. Jesus, I need your wisdom I asked Dave to give me a couple of days, but there’s no way my answer can be anything but no...is there?
“Sweetheart, your father was a very driven man. He accomplished so many great things for God, but he gave up a lot in the process. Things I didn’t like, things he could never get back, and things that left a sour taste in your mouth. I’m not going to take up for him, I did enough of that while he was alive.”
“Why did you put up with it? I mean you just always followed right behind him like you agreed with what he was doing.”
Mom gave the question some thought before she answered. “Love, I guess, and in a lesser measure, security. What would it have benefited us if I had refused to go with him? He wouldn’t have been a part of our lives at all then. At least this way, we got the left overs of his time.”
“And that stunk.”
“I won’t disagree with you,” Mom said. “But I’ll share what I’ve learned. Some people are called to the ministry, and that’s all they should do. They just aren’t wired for anything else. That was your father. He loved us, but we were never his first love.” She squeezed Lisa’s shoulders. “But I met a lot of ministers in our travels and ninety-nine out of a hundred of them combined their ministry and their family seamlessly.”
“But, what if—?”
“Hush now. What ifs don’t get us much. There’s only one question that needs an answer today.”
Lisa pulled away from her mother and studied her expectantly.
“Do you like this young man?”
“More than I thought it was possible to like anyone after just four weeks.” Lisa’s response held no hesitation.
“Then let me give you some Scriptures to read. Proverbs 3:15-17. Solomon is encouraging his child to seek wisdom. Pay special attention to verse seventeen. I think you’ll find part of your answer there.”
Lisa glanced at her watch. Time to get moving. She stood. “Thanks Mom. I’m going to go look that up. I’ll be ready to go in an hour or so.” Once Lisa was in her own room, she pulled out her Bible and read the whole third chapter of Proverbs. Her mom was right. Verses fifteen through seventeen told her exactly what she should do. Calm settled over her as she read Solomon’s words about seeking wisdom aloud.
“She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her. Length of days is in her right hand: and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”
Lisa closed the Bible and her eyes. “Father, You know my heart. You know what I fear, but more than that, You know what I need even when I can’t see it for myself. I’m asking You for wisdom to make a good choice...the right choice. I’ve been looking for my future, and maybe I’ve ignored what You’ve put in front of my face. I haven’t asked You about Dave, because I eliminated him from the equation the moment he mentioned the ministry. It’s just so scary to see the same things when I look back and when I look forward. I don’t want to hurt either of us, but I do want your will. That pleasant and peaceful path that only wisdom can reveal to me.” She kept her eyes closed for a few minutes, waiting for God to drop that more-precious-than-rubies nugget into her heart. When the answer came, it was no less than what she’d expected.
***
DAVE PAUSED ON THE threshold of his pastor’s home office. Noah Tate hadn’t noticed his arrival yet, and Dave took the few seconds to study the man and the room. At nearly eighty, the old man still carried himself straight as a stick. Age had left his round face a little heavy in the jowls and stolen most of the hair from his head, but the eyes behind the glasses were sharp, knowing, and compassionate. The room was nothing less than a library of theological reference books and notebooks filled with sermon notes spanning a fifty-five year old ministry. Even from the doorway, Dave could see colored notes sticking out from them like quills on a porcupine. There wasn’t anyone in this world that Dave wanted to pattern his life after more than Noah Tate. He knocked on the door to gain the old man’s attention.
“Oh, Dave. Come in, son, come in. Close the door if you would.”
Dave did as the old pastor bid and took a seat in one of the comfortable, worn arm chairs that faced the desk.
Pastor Tate followed Dave’s progress across the room with his eyes and, when the younger man sat, looked at him with an unreadable expression. His sigh was heavy as he took out a handkerchief, removed his glasses, and polished them under the desk light.
With the glasses removed, Dave could see a weariness in the man’s gray eyes that hadn’t been there a week ago. He guessed that was normal, given the circumstances. The building the storm had destroyed was only ten years old. Dave hadn’t been here during that building program, but he’d heard the stories of how this man had worked day and night for months doing grunt work early and late to move the project along. He looked at the odd angle of the man’s left wrist, which he’d been told had been caused by a fall from a ladder during that time. The sight straightened Dave in his seat. He made a promise to himself, then and there, to do whatever he could to lessen Noah Tate’s burden as they rebuilt Abundant Life.
The old gentleman slipped his glasses back into place. “Terrible thing yesterday. I can only give God praise that the town had enough warning to take shelter. The property loss is great, but lives were spared, thank God.” He tilted his head. “I heard you rode out the storm in a closet.”
“Yes, sir. It’s not an experience I’d like to relive, but God had his hand over us.”
Noah Tate nodded. “I’m glad you’re OK.” He seemed to hesitate over his next words. “Dave, I want you to know what a pleasure it’s been to work with you over the last year. Watching you grow in the Lord has reminded me of my own early days. Thank you for that.”
Dave swallowed, appreciating the praise but afraid of where this conversation might be going. “Thank you, sir. You’ve taught me a lot.”
“That’s good to hear.” He rose and paced back and forth behind his desk. “I didn’t get much sleep last night. Too much in my head and my heart. Lots of soul searching and even some arguing with my Heavenly Father about what comes next. I’m not entirely happy with the answer, but I understand it.” He stopped and faced Dave. “I’m retiring.”
The floor fell out from under Dave with those words. “Sir?”
“I’m not as young as I used to be. Another building project of this size just isn’t in me. I would have pressed forward anyway, but God is telling me to leave this in the hands of a younger man. The argument was ugly, but I’ve always prided myself in following the path God had laid out for me. I can’t backtrack on that now. When Abundant Life’s congregation meets in Harold Anderson’s barn this morning, it’ll be to receive my retirement. I’ve apprised the board of the situation. They’ll be looking for us a place to meet while the building is rebuilt, and they will be lining up candidates to fill the pulpit.”
Dave swallowed, speechless.
The older man sat and folded his hands on the desk. “Now the hard part.”
Hard part? Dave leaned forward.
“As you know, your appointment to the position of youth pastor was totally at my discretion, maintained by a reasonable give and take of working together. You’ve never let me down. I want you to know how much I appreciate that. But as I retire, the position you fill must be opened to the discretion and needs of the new leadership. I know your ministry with us has just been part time—”
“It’s been much more than that to me.”
There were tears in the old man’s eyes when he continued. “I know that, Dave. Just like I know that God has big things planned for you down the road. Once the congregation installs a new pastor, I’ll make sure he gets a glowing recommendation of your faithfulness and abilities, but I can’t begin to guess what direction the church and its new leadership might take.”
Dave understood everything the old pastor said, even agreed with ninety-eight percent of it. Didn’t matter. He’d still had his life yanked out from under him. Even if it had been done with love, it still hurt.
Behold, I will do a new thing.
The words settled into his spirit. He completed the verse in his head. Now it shall spring forth, shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
God had a plan. Yes, the decision of his mentor gave him a reason to grieve in the present, but God’s promise gave him a reason to hope for the future. Thank You, Father.
He the shook the elderly pastor’s hand, promised to help in whatever way he could to make the time of transition easier, and left the office. Dave sat in his truck and mulled the verse. The words were like a present he could hold but couldn’t open until permission was given. And just like a little kid, he turned it over and over, shaking it in an effort to discern the contents by the sound of the rattle. Just a hint? He grinned when the truck remained quiet. God wrapped a sturdy gift.
The ringing of his phone startled him. He sent a glance upward when he saw Lisa’s name on the screen. He held it while it rang a second time. He’d agreed not to push, and she’d promised to call him when she’d worked some things out. The phone rang a third time, and still he hesitated. Father?
Answer it.
Dave swiped the call open doing his best to ignore the way his hands shook. “Hello.”
“Yes!”
His lips ticked up. “Yes, what?”
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
“I think it’s only fair.”
“You’re just mean, but all right.” Lisa’s deep breath was audible over the connection. “Mom and I talked. God and I talked. I owe you an apology for trying to make you pay for someone else’s mistakes. If you still want to go out with me, if you still feel like exploring a future with me, then I want those things too.”
He didn’t know exactly what God had in mind with His promise of new things, but if this was the first hint, he couldn’t wait to unwrap the rest of that package.