Stillwater Promise - H S #857
ISBN: 9781602605183
His nod was barely perceptible.
As desperately as Sara wanted to look away from the hurt on his face, she couldn’t. His eyes glistened and he blinked. Bending down, he picked up his jacket. She hadn’t seen it on the floor behind the coffee table. At the sight of the scarred brown leather her pulse skipped. She tried not to remember the scent of it, but couldn’t block it out.
He stood, slid his arms into the jacket. He hadn’t said a word after her reply. Sara rose to her feet, but couldn’t have moved away from that spot if she’d wanted to. Her legs felt nailed to the floor. Reece had told the truth—this was not the same man who walked out on her. His body had filled out and his face had lost its boyish look. A long-sleeved black t-shirt fit tight across well-defined muscles. She wondered how he could move his arms in the snug jacket. The sky-blue eyes she saw in her dreams seemed deeper set and held the look of a man who had lived hard for the past two years.
As he zipped his jacket, he looked at her with a slight smile that hinted of regret. “I’ll be at Mom and Dad’s until the day after Christmas if...” Leaving the sentence unfinished, he walked past her, then turned and reached out to her. The back of his hand touched her cheek. His eyes gleamed with tears. “Sara...” His voice was soft and hoarse, just above a whisper. “I still love you.”
He took his gloves from the shelf and walked out the door.
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
How can Sara trust a man who abandoned her twice? When Sara's dream of her own bed-and-breakfast is finally coming true, the man who left her twice shows up wanting to be her prince again. Life has been harsh for James since he ran out on Sara for the second time. None of his music dreams have been realized. As a new Christian, he truly wants to make amends - but knows he won't be welcomed warmly. Will James and Sara surrender their marriage to the Lord? Or will misconceptions and selfish ambitions once again cause James to run?
Has there ever been a time when trusting someone who hurt you was easy? How did you do it?
I really don't have an answer for that question. I will have to think on it...
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good book. :)
Not easy, at least for me, but I've had God restore trust with time and a lot of prayer. I'd love to hear Becky and Cathy's story behind this concept. I love redeemed heroes.
ReplyDeleteCathy's driving home from Florida with her daughter today, so I can talk about her and she won't know for a few days! If you read Wednesday's blog entry, you heard about her abusive stepmother. When Cathy left home in her teens, she took years of resentment with her. But when she surrendered control of her life to Christ a few years later, He gradually softened her heart and replaced her anger with forgiveness. It was a steady day-by-day, year-by-year transformation. I think Cathy would say that for quite a few years they were blessed with a peace-filled relationship. I believe her mother changed in response to the grace God allowed Cathy to extend, and as a result, a measure of trust entered their relationship that had never before existed. When her stepmother died a few years ago, Cathy spoke at the funeral and gave a beautiful, sincere tribute to the woman who had treated her so harshly and unfairly.
ReplyDeleteWe are commanded to forgive. We are not commanded to trust. In Pleasant Surprises, James is a selfish man, but he was never abusive. There are situations where trust should not be restored, but forgiveness should always be the goal.
Writers can be wordy! I'm not sure, even with all those words, I really answered Jeri's question. We chose to write a story about a married couple because we have both experienced incredible grace in our marriages and we desperately want to extend hope to people in difficult relationships. The message we want to shout from the rooftops is, "Hang in there!! It is SO worth it!" Through Christ, forgiveness and restoration are more than possible and a redeemed love can be much, much sweeter than a young, untested love. DON'T GIVE UP!
ReplyDeleteBecky, you answered beautifully. Thank you. I appreciate how intentional you and Cathy are in the spiritual truths you hope to convey thru your writing.
ReplyDelete