8

 

The interlude with Hailey Beth over the weekend changed everything for Ben. The near-kiss had knocked him way off center. The near-kiss had turned into a pulse of need, of promise. The near-kiss had him tempted to chuck all his grandiose plans and stay right where he was, sweep her off her feet, and seal their future together forever.

And he was supposed to handle that truth how, exactly?

Ravaged, he tried to pay attention during the bi-weekly mission planning and orientation meeting at Antioch Christian Church. Nothing doing. Instead, his mind drifted to Hailey Beth rather than the details of serving the destitute in rural Arkansas, details of a missionary exercise he had shifted his entire life plan to join.

He forced himself to engage as Reverend Taylor read a passage from Chapter One in the Book of Ezra. “Let everyone who has survived, in whatever place he may have dwelt, be assisted by the people of that place, with silver, gold, goods and cattle together with free-will offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem. Then, the family heads of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites—everyone, that is, whom God had inspired to do so—prepared to go up to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors gave them help in every way, with silver, gold, goods and cattle, and with many precious gifts.”

A hammer-strike of purpose brought him fully around. All it took was the revelation of Scripture to bring about renewed determination. God was speaking to him directly, right down to King Cyrus’s call to lend aide and the call of Benjamin’s name.

Reverend Taylor continued. “Eyes on the prize as we keep pushing for donations and community-wide, parish-wide support. That prize is sustainability. We’re teaching men to fish. Hands-on training will empower a disenfranchised town to survive. We have a brain trust assembled around this table that can show them the means to utilize the gifts of the earth.”

One of the half-dozen volunteers spoke up—Tim Abraham—a retiree who owned a storage and rental truck company. “I’ve got my former company on standby to store, and ship, so we should be good with transporting supplies.”

Ben added those bullet points to his meeting notes and gave a satisfied nod. Things were coming together. He had already secured material and financial support from several local businesses. For starters, Pepperfield Farm Supply had donated fertilizer, soil, and a variety of flower and crop seeds. At the Founder’s Day dance, Byron Thomas had said he’d chip in supplies as well as a monetary donation.

“That’s perfect, Tim. Thanks.” Reverend Taylor continued. “We’re on our way. In a couple months, we’ll be taking what we do on our farms, what we’ve learned through the course of our lives, and bringing that knowledge to a community in need. A community that’s hungry for help and eager to produce. It’s the truest essence of being a disciple. You’re leaving home for new, fertile grounds, to spread a form of nourishment that’s both physical and spiritual.”

Ben’s thoughts strayed all over again and he cursed himself as a fool for loosening the reins on his heart. The pattern of tonight’s meeting cut to the essence of his struggle. His commitment remained solid, but the idea of leaving stirred a vibration through his soul, a push and pull that led him into conflict. This opportunity was incredible, but as the clock continued its relentless tick toward leaving, he felt scrambled. Nowadays he was torn, and left wondering. Could he do any of this without Hailey Beth? Only in those moments, when the image of her swirled to focus in his heart, did doubts creep in.

Once the meeting ended, he left as soon as decorum allowed. He needed time by himself. Uninterrupted prayer and introspection would soothe some of the rough edges. He’d get to work on some equipment maintenance at the farm, or maybe he’d start a project. He loved the long days of summer, when the sun didn’t even set until after nine o’clock. He’d dive into creation, focus his energy, and pray. Through it all, God would speak.

A pair of Founder’s Day banners still draped the span of Main Street. The hand-painted sign closest to him snapped in the wind. HB had been so beautiful that night, a soft, feminine silhouette bathed by milky-white moonlight and the mysteries of a flower-kissed summer night. Those last few celebratory markers would be removed before long. Life would move on through the weeks and months of summer. Ben crossed the church parking lot and climbed into his vehicle. Before cranking the engine, he paused, leaned against the steering wheel and looked up at a bright blue sky uninterrupted by clouds and a sun just beginning its descent.

Life would move on.

OK, he’d find a way to cope with that fact. Meanwhile, he wanted to make the most of the time he had left in Antioch. With Hailey Beth. A trip to one of the nearby lakes for a long bike ride and a swim, a kayak adventure, or a picnic maybe. Something special for the two of them alone. Or, maybe he could do something for her. Something tangible to leave behind, and remind her of her importance to him. As one of the program coordinators in charge of the mission, he’d be gone for a year, taking up residence with a local family, but a year wasn’t forever.

Unless service projects like this one continued to pull at him and he continued the journey.

What then? If his time in Arkansas intensified the fire already building at his gut, the last thing he’d do was buck God’s prompting. Instead, he’d need to trust. And risk the equally unexpected, and powerful, prompting of his heart.

 

~*~

 

Hailey Beth paused from lunch when she heard the doorbell chime and clang above the entrance to the grocery store. Mila bounded across the threshold, brown curls bouncing around her shoulders, smile wide and happy as she greeted friends, her arms laden by a bouquet of multi-colored tulips. Leaving her office behind, but bringing along the bowl of cereal—lunch should never go soggy, after all—Hailey Beth tagged up with her sister and admired the blooms.

“How pretty!”

“They’re for you. I left my batch at Sundae Afternoon. Thought they’d brighten the check-out counter.”

“I’m sure they will, and thank you!” She pecked Mila’s cheek. “This is so sweet.”

“Couldn’t resist. Spotted them while I strolled through the farmer’s market. I had a few minutes after lunch with Phillip, so I thought I’d try to get some flower arrangement ideas for the wedding. Is that old, curved vase still in the back storeroom?”

“Sure enough. Here, let me—”

“No prob. I’ve got it.” In passing, Mila eyed the half-eaten bowl of crunchy, sugar-sweetened goodness. “Your food choices never cease to amaze me.”

Hailey Beth pouted, donning a mask of affront. “What? I like breakfast, and I like cereal. Come sit with me for a minute. Your visit is perfectly timed.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I was stalking online photos for wedding ideas and found the coolest table favors. I want to run my favorite past you and see if you want me to order it.”

“What I need are flower ideas.” Mila trekked to the rear of the store, securing the vase from a cabinet beneath the sink. She filled it with water and blew at the fringe of her bangs, shaking her head. “Actually, what I need most is to elope. I swear, I’m getting so nervous and jumpy these days. The shower is only a couple weeks away, and the wedding is coming up so fast after that.”

“Don’t be silly. You’ve always dreamed of your wedding day, and the big white gown, the church, and your friends. It’ll be fine.”

“That was then. This is now.”

Hailey Beth laughed. “Leave it to your maids, Mila. We’ve got this. Your only objectives are to be gorgeous, to glow with love, and nab yourself the eldest Fisher man.”

“But, what about the youngest Fisher man?”

Oh, why had she mentioned the Fishers? Since a light, breezy quip had landed her in hot water, Hailey Beth tried to battle back. “I think Phillip would be a tad put out if you focused on the youngest Fisher man. Green with jealousy, in fact.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

Hailey Beth opted to ignore the comment. “Put the flowers out front, then sit down and give me your undivided attention. Let’s talk table favors. And flowers. I have some ideas on both. Tell me what you think.”

After fulfilling Hailey Beth’s request, Mila pulled a chair into place and they teamed up behind the aged desk. Before them hummed Hailey Beth’s open laptop, already displaying images she had culled during her luncheon/breakfast break.

Hailey Beth clicked on an image, making it large. “Look at these!”

“Oh, my goodness—HB, fans, made of sandalwood? That’s brilliant!”

“Isn’t it? Look at the carvings! They’re so delicate looking, but they’re made of wood, so they’ll last. They’re collapsible, and they even come boxed. They’ll smell delicious.”

“Plus, around here, you never know what kind of weather you’ll get this time of year. Could be cool, or rainy, or it could be hot and humid.”

Hailey Beth’s enthusiasm mounted. “Exactly. But, no matter what the weather, they’ll be a super nice keepsake. Plus, we can have them personalized with your names and the wedding date. Check out the white silk tassels, too, which are a nice touch. Do you like them?”

“Honey, I love them! Consider your fan idea a major score.”

“Awesome. I’m placing the order tonight, with personalization. Next on the hit parade? Flowers.” Mila heaved a sigh, her gaze all dreamy and happy—just as Hailey Beth wished.

“You’re such a God-send. Truly.”

“Aw, shucks, sis.” Hailey Beth bumped shoulders with Mila, then scrolled through her own set of inspirational photos and floral motifs. She made ready to click on the image of a floral arrangement she thought would be perfect for the reception. Mila grabbed her hand and stilled her effort to execute a mouse-click.

“HB, what’s that?”

“What’s what?”

“Those Mason jars. The ones stuffed with flowers and greenery. They’re gorgeous. What beautiful colors. I feel as if I could reach out and touch them. The twisting fairy lights are a perfect touch.”

Confused, Hailey Beth zoomed in on the image. “Those aren’t table arrangements. They’re wall-mounted decorations. They’re permanent. I added them to an on-line design page I created because I was thinking about doing something like that to give the walls of the store some pop and fresh color at some point.”

“Imagine some green spikes, and some hyacinth, or lilac, or lily of the valley. That would look awesome, and smell like a slice of heaven. Plus, you could switch out the flowers and make the decorations seasonal. Some daisies or sunflowers for summer, some big fall mums.”

Hailey Beth chuckled. “What about winter, when there isn’t a fresh flower to be found in all of Indiana?”

“When did you become such a cynic? You could do evergreen, dusted by faux snow, capped by tiny, colored ornaments.” Mila speared her with a look. “If you don’t do it, I’m going to. Sundae Afternoon would—”

“Slow down, sis. This is a project, and you have enough on your plate. So do I. It’s a great idea, and I’ll take it under advisement. After life settles down. That’s why I saved it. Kind of the purpose of these idea pages, know what I mean?”

Mila pursed her lips. “Suit yourself. It’s awesome, though.”

Hailey Beth scrolled on, clicking on what she hoped would be a gorgeous addition to the reception festivities. “Look at this arrangement. Can’t you just see those giant peonies, in all different colors, filling up a clear, glass holder? The vase would be square, just like in the picture, and low, so it won’t interfere with table talk and socializing…”