“Praying isn’t going to make things any better. There is no cure.” “A cure isn’t the only way for things to get better...”
Pastor Cooper began to pray... “Dear Heavenly Father,” Pastor Cooper prayed. “You are rich in mercy. Thank you for making us your own when there was nothing beautiful about us. Thank you for washing us in Jesus’ blood and cleansing us from our sins. Thank you for seeking after us even when we have sought after other things. We ask that Your Holy Spirit would work in hearts everywhere, that all may believe the beautiful truth of your mercy and be saved. Amen.”
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Faith smothered a yawn as she pulled into the dark parking lot at Daisy’s, steering past the empty spaces alongside the building to the employee parking area at the back. She didn’t have a reserved spot—she didn’t need one, since she was the first one here every day—but she always chose the same spot anyway: under the giant magnolia tree, looking out over the river. She turned off her car and just sat, watching the reflected light of the quaint lamps along the riverwalk ripple over the surface of the water. The sun wouldn’t be up for over an hour yet, and by then, she would be elbows-deep in mixing and rolling pie crusts. But she loved this time of the morning—she always had. Even in high school, when most of her friends would sleep in as long as they could, she would often roll out of bed before the sun rose and tiptoe out the patio door of her dad’s house to settle on the big outdoor sofa that overlooked the river. It wasn’t so much the sunrise she was watching for. It was the stillness of the moments before it, when there was only the gentle rustle of leaves and the quiet hush of the water to keep her company. And that first sound of the birds waking—that always sent a thrill through her that she couldn’t explain. But it felt like . . . like a little inside moment between her and God, when they were the only two up to hear the birds. She hadn’t paused to really enjoy those early morning moments in a long time, but this morning she needed a good dose of tranquility. Seeing Judah yesterday had shaken her in ways she hadn’t been prepared for. She’d spent half the night lying awake thinking about him, and the other half dreaming about what could have been, if only . . . No. Things couldn’t have been like that, and she knew it. Faith made herself open her car door, the already-humid air brushing over her body like a cloak as she stepped into it. She should get into the bakery and get busy, but the river beckoned to her. Maybe she could give herself just a minute more . . . As she strolled slowly toward the riverwalk, she let her mind drift to prayer. She prayed every day—multiple times, even—but it seemed like those were always rushed, terse prayers thrown off in the heat of the moment. Lord, please protect Evan. Lord, please help me get this order done on time. Lord, please let Evan remember to take his meds. Lord, please help me deal with this obnoxious customer graciously. But now, in the stillness of the morning, her mind and prayers slowed. Thank you, Lord, for this new day. Thank you that your mercies are new each morning. Thank you for redeeming me and calling me by name. Let me be a light of your love in my thoughts, words, and actions today. Please bless Evan and keep him safe. Bless his— She fumbled for a word in her mind, settling on, relationship with Willow. Let them both seek your will for them. In spite of herself, her thoughts drifted to the early days of her relationship with Judah. How thrilling it was the first time he asked her out at the beginning of their senior year of high school. The first time he held her hand. The first time they’d kissed, right across the way, along the riverbank in Founder’s Park. Stop. She made herself draw her thoughts back. It did no good to dwell on how different things had been then. And yet, she couldn’t help adding the little prayer she’d prayed for him on and off over the years. Touch his heart, Lord. Turn it back to you. Then, almost guilty, she turned and hurried back to the pie shop. When she reached the back door, she had to pause to dig her keys out of her purse. A strange sound caught her ear, and she lifted her head, straining to hear better. It was a sort of low hiss. Or maybe a shushing sound. She looked around, trying to pick out where it was coming from. Her hand landed on her keys, and she pulled them triumphantly out of her purse, deciding the sound would probably go away once she was inside. But the moment she opened the door, the sound intensified to a gush, with sporadic metallic clangs. She stepped inside, gasping as her foot came down with a splash and water surged into her shoe. “What in the world?” She took another step, her second foot getting just as wet. She reached for the light switch, then thought better of it. Was it safe to turn on a light switch when you were standing in water? But why was she standing in water? Had she accidentally left the faucet on last night? Would that create a puddle all the way over here? She pulled out her phone and flipped on the flashlight, shining it first at the floor, where a good couple of inches of water covered everything, and then in the direction of the sound. “Lord, help me,” she cried. A waterfall gushed from a gaping hole in the ceiling, pouring onto the large island below and pinging off of the pots and pie pans she’d set out last night so they’d be ready to go today. All the air caught in her chest and every single one of her limbs seemed to be set in concrete. She stared at the spraying water, trying to figure out where it could be coming from. Who cares where it’s coming from? You have to make it stop. The thought jolted her into action. She had a vague memory of seeing a spigot outside, on the side of the building. Maybe that was the building’s shutoff? She backed out the door, her wet feet heavy as she ran around the building. There was no light over here, and she shone her flashlight along the wall, searching— There. She flew to the valve and cranked it to the right as far as it would go. Then she ran back to the building, praying she hadn’t made everything worse. The first thing she noticed when she yanked the door open was the silence. She swung the light from her phone toward the ceiling. Water still dripped from the hole, but the gushing had stopped. She let out a breath and stepped carefully through the door, shining her flashlight ahead of her as she waded toward the center of the room. Huge chunks of plaster rested in the water on the floor, and she pointed her flashlight up to inspect the hole more closely, wincing as a drop of water smacked the middle of her forehead. The hole leered at her, big enough for a much larger person than her to climb through. She had no idea what the pipes up there were supposed to look like. But she was pretty sure there wasn’t supposed to be water on the outside of them. She sighed and lowered the light, shining it on her island workspace. Bits of plaster floated in the water that filled all of the pots and pans, and a shiny puddle gleamed on the surface of the cooktop. She spun and pointed the light toward the wall of ovens behind the island, cringing at the water that dripped down their doors. “I guess the other shoe did fall after all,” she muttered to herself. She flipped her phone over to check the time. It was barely 6 a.m. The shop didn’t open until 10 a.m., but there was no way she could prepare even a single pie by then. She waded over to the small office where she managed the books and pulled out a piece of paper and a marker. She scribbled a quick sign: Closed. She bit her lip, looking at the word, then added one in front of it: Temporarily. She prayed that was true. Then she grabbed a roll of tape and carried everything to the front door, hanging the sign up just as the first golden rays of the sun broke the horizon. She blinked into the light, then shook her head and turned back to her darkened kitchen.
...it had been a long time since he’d really noticed the sunrise. He paused at the top of the porch steps, watching the almost breathtaking play of colors against the silhouetted treetops of the mountains to the east. The majesty of it was almost enough to make him wonder— But no. Of course it wasn’t God. It was the scattering of sunlight as it passed through the atmosphere...Walking with her last night had been . . . really nice. It had been a long time since he’d had anyone in his life he could really talk to. Maybe she had been the only one ever. He shook the thought off. It wasn’t like he needed to talk to anyone.
~~~~
Faith and Judah had been in love as teenagers and when Judah went to college, they had met when he came home to a small town where they had both lived all of their lives... Absence had made them grow fonder and Faith had become pregnant... She had gone to talk to Judah but he was ranting about a friend... and what he said that day, made her pull back from telling him anything about what she had come to reveal. That was a mistake, yes, but, like all of us Faith had become afraid. Especially when her father, when he learned about her pregnancy, had denounced her!
The relationship fell away as Judah worked to meet his career goal as a heart surgeon. He became one of the best in the world and, as we learn later, made much money. Money that meant little to him. He had saved many lives which is what he felt he was meant to do... But in choosing that life, he had also chosen to separate himself from his family back home. At first, he would mention his faith in God, but was ridiculed by many classmates who had chosen to leave religion out of science... Judah was ready to make a final decision in that direction. He and his father had fought. Judah said something to the effect that if his Dad didn't quit talking about God all the time with him, he would leave... His Dad was a pastor. His life was dedicated to God. Little in his life was separated from God. He could not make such a promise to even his son...
Eighteen years later is when the book begins. Judah has been fired from his surgery career. He had developed an inherited disease, essential tremor, which created constant tremors in his hands. He could no longer perform surgery. There really was no choice by the hospital. One of his brothers has contacted him to come home to meet his new baby. He forced a promise out of Judah--else he probably would never have come back. Could Judah enter a family celebration where all those who would be there worship God?! What could he say... He didn't want to tell them about the tremors, for surely they would think he came back because of not being able to work. Lies began to be developed... Although as it turned out, he and his father did share a little and it was an uneasy alliance at least at the start...
But then there was also Faith...
He had actually met her first when he came back. She had inherited a pie shop from an old friend and had returned, also to her home town. Each were shocked to meet each other when Judah had stopped there to buy pies. Her mind immediately went on guard. Questions started to form... Because Judah didn't know he had an 18-year-old son...
I mentioned recently that I have lost my trust in people given what has happened during the last decade in our country. But I don't think I've ever Not Trusted My Father in Heaven... That doesn't mean that I've not turned away at time...or that I have not lied at times, usually to keep peace with somebody... and what I was thankful most about this bookwas that Bodden wrote exactly where most of us are on a day-to-day basis. Trying to trust that when God sent His Son to die for our sins, that He Meant It! Yet, time and time again, yes, with God's gift of Free Will, we choose to depend upon our own thoughts, feel our own fears, and/or just not know what to do in a chaotic situation. That's exactly how I'm feeling these days.
God told me "I Got This..." about what has been done to split Christians in America. I and many others grow afraid, and become impatient. This, then, is one family's life shared that, in my opinion, reflects the life that each of us lives... Being almost persuaded to Trust... Having trouble accepting that God takes each of us, Just As We Are! And there's even a lovely story to illustrate exactly that... BTW, this is part of a sermon! I wish there were more churches like the one in this book...
“Well, y’all,” Pastor Cooper began, his tone friendly and conversational. “About a month ago, I got a dog.” He shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe it. “I blame our friendly town veterinarian over there.” He pointed to the Calvanos’ pew, and Joseph lifted a hand to wave. “He called me up, and he said, ‘I know you’ve been looking for a dog, and I have the perfect one for you.’” Pastor Cooper paused. “Y’all, I wasn’t looking for a dog. I have a cat.” A sprinkle of chuckles sounded around the room, and Judah smiled. His old friend sure had captured the interest of the congregation. “But I said I’d take a look at the dog, mostly to humor the good doctor. So I go down there, expecting to find a lab or a husky or, you know, some kind of beautiful dog. And Dr. Calvano comes out with this mangy, half-starved, flea-ridden, parasite-riddled, matted-hair, chewed-up-ear dog.” He shook his head vigorously. “It was a dog no one could have wanted, not even its mother. So I took one look at that dog, and I said—” He paused dramatically. “‘I’ll take it.’”
The congregation roared with laughter, and Judah chuckled along. Faith’s shoulder lifted against his as she laughed too. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” Pastor Cooper pressed his hands to his temples. “Or, well, actually, I do. I felt sorry for the poor dog. I couldn’t bear to see her hungry and homeless and broken. I wanted to save her. I wanted to have mercy on her. Just like Dr. Calvano knew I would.” He glanced over at Joseph again. “Thanks for that.”
And, that's why I claimed that you'll be going to a revival (if you know what that means) when you read this book. It is, by far, the most overall uplifting fiction novel I've ever read. Bodden gets US... She obviously has been given the gift to share her words and thoughts about how people really are. We are often afraid. We are angry, We are afraid not to trust God in ALL things... And, yet, we see what happens when God is in Control...
You will learn that the timing may not be what we want. After all, these two main characters, Faith and Judah had lost 18 years before a plan of action was put in place. And you will, as I was--as all of the family in that little town was--see the miracles that God "could" generate... Sure, it's fiction... Or, is it?
“I feel so wishy washy, like one minute I trust God, and then something happens, and I doubt, and then I trust again. But then the next thing I know, I’m doubting again, even though God has shown me time and time again that he’s there for me.” She shook her head in frustration with herself. “I want to stop doubting. But how do I do that?” Pastor Calvano chuckled gently. “I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”
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