Everyone was up and moving early Saturday morning. Caroline had warned them all that breakfast was going to be over right at nine o’clock because she needed her kitchen to herself for at least two solid hours if she was going to get the wedding cake finished on time. Bill and Scott had their instructions, and everyone else was on their own. Once Caroline’s kitchen was designated off limits, it was off limits.
Scott got the ladder set up in the living room while Bill separated the decorations Caroline had instructed them on exactly how she wanted them hung. After forty-five years of watching her decorate this house, Bill knew not to question, but to simply do it.
Lisa watched them spin their decorating magic for a few minutes before deciding to run upstairs and get her shower. Susan was due in about an hour to help with her hair, and then all that would be left for her to do was double check her suitcase, and then enjoy the celebration.
Gladys was locked in Caroline’s room handling some secret gift wrappings, so Hope, having nothing else to do, wandered down and sat on the staircase to watch Scott and Bill. A few minutes later the doorbell rang and Bill, having his hands full, asked, “Hope, could you get that for me?”
“Sure, Mr. Thomas,” Hope called out as she ran for the front door. She swung it open, and there, standing right in front of her was Ruth Bascom, her arms full of Lisa’s wedding suit, blouse, and shoes. At first, Hope just stood there staring into Ruth’s face, not offering to take anything out of her hands, nor inviting her in. Ruth could have reacted in a hundred different ways at this obviously rude behavior from Hope, but just as always, Ruth simply smiled and said, “Why, hello there, Hope. How are you this morning?”
Hearing Ruth’s voice startled Hope out of her thoughts and she quickly responded, “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Bascom, let me take some of these things; please come in.” Hope laid the garment bag over the banister and Lisa’s shoes on the second step, then immediately turned back to Mrs. Bascom and said with teary eyes, “I am so happy you made it, Ruth. Your being here means the world to all of us.”
Ruth immediately recognized the difference in Hope’s demeanor this morning, compared to how cool she had been during their last meeting and thought to herself, “Something has changed in this young woman.”
Hope took hold of Ruth’s hand and led her into the study, saying, “Ruth, Gladys is locked away upstairs wrapping gifts, Lisa is in the shower, the kitchen is off limits to everyone until the wedding cake is decorated, and the living room is a danger zone with ladders and garland all over the place. Besides, I wanted to have a few minutes alone with you, if I could.”
Ruth studied this girl, wondering what had made the drastic change in her attitude toward her, then said, “Certainly, Hope, what can I do for you?”
“Actually, Ruth—you don’t mind me calling you Ruth, do you?”
“Of course not, Hope,” Ruth replied.
“Well,” hesitated Hope for an instant, trying to decide how to start, “first off, I want to apologize for how I acted the last time we met. I know I was rather cool toward you, but I don’t want you to get the wrong impression.” Hope sort of giggled, “Actually, I did give the wrong impression. You see, you might have gotten the idea that I was rather distant because of you being black, but honestly, Ruth, that was not the reason. You see, I am not a religious person at all, and I feel really uncomfortable around religious people. Lisa and Gladys pray all the time, and tell me how important God is to them. But then they started telling me about this Ruth Bascom, the godliest person they know, and I was a wreck. I felt trapped and ill prepared for whatever religious stuff you were going to do in front of me. Honestly, I was so nervous about who you were, I didn’t even notice what you were. Does that make sense to you?”
Ruth laughed, “Yes, it does, Hope. The last thing any of us wanted was to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Oh, I’m not uncomfortable anymore, Ruth. Yesterday Gladys told us all about you and Tobias. She told us how you two taught Karl that God loved him, and then the three of you taught Gladys the same thing. You three loved Gladys through her struggle with anger, and because you did that, Gladys was able to do the same thing for Lisa. I will love you until the day I die for what you and Gladys did for my mom.” Starting to cry with gratitude, Hope broke down and Ruth gathered her up in her arms as Hope said, “Ruth, seeing how your religion has changed their lives makes it something I want to have in my life, too. I know it took something more than human willpower to turn my mom’s life around, something as big as God. But, Ruth, even though this seems like such a natural thing to do when I’m back here with all of you, I don’t think it will work for me back home in California, not with my family and friends. I’m not saying I am not going to become a religious person, but I think it is something I do need to investigate.”
Upstairs, Lisa finished her shower, wrapped a towel around her wet head, put on some casual clothes and slipped down the stairs and stood quietly just outside the study. A moment later, Gladys joined her as they listened to Ruth gently explaining the difference between being religious and being forgiven. As Ruth and Hope continued to talk in the study, Lisa and Gladys stood there praying that Hope would understand what Ruth was saying.
Ruth knew she was going to shock her listener with her next comment. “None of us want you to become a religious person, Hope. A person who becomes religious is someone who has created some man-made rules they think will impress God. Then they use those rules to pass judgment on other people. Sweetie, religion is man’s way of climbing up to God, but being forgiven is accepting what God did to reach down to us. God sent His only Son, Jesus, down here to us to take our place and pay the debt we all owe. The gift of salvation is free to all who will accept it. People who live a forgiven life can never behave haughtily or arrogantly, using themselves as some kind of spiritual measuring stick. To live a forgiven life is to always know that God’s forgiveness has been offered to all. It cannot be earned because it is free to all who will accept it. Hope, all we have to do is confess to God that we are not perfect. Now, that isn’t so very hard, is it? We all know that none of us have lived a perfect life, right?”
Hope quickly agreed, “Perfect? Not even close, Ruth.”
“That is what sin is, Hope. It is not being perfect, so Jesus came to be perfect for us and all we have to do is accept His perfect and free gift. Then we can begin to live a forgiven life as God’s children.
“Hope, I always carry this study-guide that my Tobias wrote many years ago. I’d love to give it to you, if you don’t mind. You can read it at your leisure, and then, only if you want to, you and I can talk about what it says.”
Hope protested, “Ruth, I can’t take your study-guide.” Out in the hallway Lisa’s heart felt crushed until she heard Hope explain; “That would be like me giving someone my locket. That study-guide is your connection to Tobias.”
“Sweetie, this is not my one and only copy. I have hundreds of these study-guide at home,” Ruth explained.
Taking the study-guide, Hope read the title, Pray for the Peace of the City, by Tobias Bascom. “Ruth, I’m hoping this study-guide allows me to get to know your Tobias better. Gladys really loved him after all, didn’t she?”
“Yes, she did, Hope. Tobias was a very godly man who walked a forgiven life and taught others what it means to be truly forgiven and then to walk in that forgiveness. After you read it, you and I can talk, but only if you want to, Hope. Would you like that?”
Hope smiled, “I’d like that very much, Ruth. I will read it on the plane tonight, but right now let’s go find my Mom and Gladys and get this wedding party started.”