17

Still in a joyful daze, Maggie went with Lila and Luke to the parking area. After sitting for so long, the pain and stiffness had increased, but she tried not to notice, and she made it to the car with the aid of her cane and some help from Lila. The spur-of-the-moment plan was to meet Lila’s family at a nearby restaurant owned by her father’s uncle.

“You don’t mind if Glenn Brubaker meets us there, do ya?” Lila asked as the two of them got settled in the back seat.

Luke turned to tell them that Glenn wanted to share the rest of his story with Maggie. “I hope that’s okay with you girls.”

Maggie had hoped she might have the opportunity to talk with him further, so she was pleased at this turn of events. “Your parents must know Glenn, then,” she remarked.

“Jah, and his whole family,” Luke said as he turned the key in the ignition.

“Are they all comin’?” Lila asked her brother.

Maggie held her breath, wondering.

“Just Glenn this time,” Luke said, backing out of the parking spot. “A little pie and some fellowship will be nice.”

Maggie was relieved that Glenn hadn’t come along in the car. Then again, as carefree and happy as she felt tonight, it really wouldn’t have mattered.

It was nine-thirty when Rachel heard footsteps on the porch out back, and she sat up in bed to listen. If it was Maggie, Rachel would have expected to see headlights shine on the bedroom window shades, but there had been nothing of the kind as she rested, eyes open as she prayed for both Maggie and Leroy.

Now someone was loudly running up the stairs, and that was definitely not something Maggie could do. Besides, Maggie slept downstairs.

Still keening her ear, Rachel heard a creak from the two floorboards toward the end of the long hallway. Leroy must have returned and was headed to the room he shared with his younger brothers.

Rising from the bed, Rachel pulled on her cotton duster and crept barefoot down the hall. She knocked lightly on the doorjamb, and Leroy cracked the door open, only his face showing. “Just wanted to make sure you’re home all right,” she whispered.

Without meeting her gaze, he nodded.

“We missed ya at supper, Leroy.”

He pressed his lips together. “I had someplace to go,” he said, staring at the doorjamb.

“Well, you’re safely home now.” She gave him a smile.

“Gut Nacht,” he said and softly closed the door.

Making her way back toward her room, Rachel could hear Joseph’s gentle snoring, and the sound of it calmed her some. Even so, she wondered how he’d managed to give in to sleep before knowing Leroy was home. He knows his son better than I do.

How much later will Maggie be? Rachel thought, fretting like a mother hen.

At the restaurant, which was filling up with folks Maggie assumed were other tent goers, Luke asked for a table to accommodate ten.

Once they were seated, Glenn came around and sat next to Maggie, Luke on the other side of him. In a few minutes, Cousin Tom and Sally and their other children arrived and joined them, all dressed in their Sunday clothes, the younger two boys looking very sleepy as they rubbed their eyes. One of the boy’s black suspenders had broken and was hanging loose.

After pie and ice cream had been ordered all around and everyone else was talking, Glenn asked Maggie how she had enjoyed the service.

She pondered that. “God’s presence is the most powerful thing there is, I think. Sometimes it can shut everything else out, even fear.” She wasn’t ready yet to share fully about the events of this evening. Her prayer had been so very personal, between herself and the Lord above.

“Well, I can’t speak for you, of course, but I remember being afraid when I realized how weak and needy I was,” Glenn said, his expression vulnerable.

Without thinking, she realized she was nodding in agreement, which encouraged Glenn to go on. “I was afraid of being paralyzed, you see.”

She swallowed hard. A similar thought had often lurked at the back of her mind. How bad will my illness get? she’d wondered, having heard the whispers about Dat’s side of the family. The fears had fed into her worries about marriage. What if her husband ended up having to take care of her?

“I want to hear more,” Maggie said quietly.

“Sure,” Glenn said. “I was hoping I’d have this chance. It was only a few years ago that I, too, was living with constant pain, and no one seemed to know what was wrong with me—not a single doctor, and none of my family.” He paused to draw a breath. “It was my first year in college, and I’d fallen and hit my head while playing basketball with some fellows from church. I had to have stitches, but soon the injury began to affect my legs, and within a few days, I could hardly walk.”

Glenn seemed so robust, Maggie could scarcely imagine it.

“I was terrified when I asked my father and the elders of our church to anoint me with oil and pray . . . afraid I wouldn’t be healed.” He opened his Bible and lightly turned the pages, and when he found the verse he wanted, Glenn glanced at her a moment, as if waiting for permission to place the Bible between them.

She nodded, and he pointed to Second Corinthians, chapter twelve, his finger tracing along the words as he read, beginning with verse nine. “‘And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’” Then, skipping down to the last phrase of verse ten, Glenn read, “‘For when I am weak, then am I strong.’” He looked at Maggie, his gaze unfaltering. “Just think of that.”

She was moved by the words he’d read and equally touched by the fact that he seemed so interested in encouraging her yet again.

“The men prayed, and God healed me,” Glenn said, eyes shining. “And to this day, I couldn’t be more thankful.” He closed his Bible and set it on the table. “I’m praying you’ll be healed, too, Maggie.”

“Denki,” she said, her gratitude threatening to overcome her.

They talked about the fact that not everyone was healed. “But no matter our circumstances,” Glenn said, “God’s grace is present to carry us . . . always. We can count on Him.”

“For some, it might sound too simple,” Maggie said softly. “It doesn’t mean I’m not anxious for the suffering to pass, though. And I get impatient waiting . . . waiting for something good to come of it.”

“I understand, Maggie.” He nodded. “I really do.”

The journey through difficulties like chronic illness was overwhelming at times, she knew all too well.

“Remember that God cares—He weeps over us.” Glenn sighed, then offered Maggie a small smile. “Remember to seek the Healer and not the healing. Whether you’re ever healed or not, Christ Jesus is by far the more important gift.”

Maggie nodded. It seemed odd, but Glenn had chosen to befriend her. He understands, she thought, amazed.

———

When the waitress brought their desserts to the table, Cousin Tom offered a blessing on the food, and Maggie silently gave thanks for Glenn’s encouragement to her. When the prayer was finished, Maggie picked up her fork and took a small bite of the delicious cherry pie, glad that others, too, had ordered ice cream on the side.

Tom and Sally asked Glenn questions about the next location for the tent crusade, as well as how they might pray for him and his family as they traveled that summer. Maggie listened closely and learned that the crusade would be moving to Souderton, Pennsylvania, after July twenty-second.

Only three more weeks here, she thought.