Following the Sparrows

by Karen Malley

  “Come here, you,” Adam said. He gathered her into his arms. “You’re here. All day, I’ve been thinking about you, and here you are.” He kissed the top of her head and then pulled back, looking into her eyes. “Is everything OK? How did the talk go with the department chair?”

  Kathryn gave him a wide smile. “I still have the job. He was understanding.”

  “That’s fantastic. I’m glad it all worked out. Now don’t take this the wrong way, because I am thrilled to see you, but…”

  Kathryn interrupted. “But what on earth am I doing here? I brought your laptop. Juanita said you needed some information from the case file before the grant deadline.”

  Adam’s eyes grew wide. “You’re a lifesaver! Thank you. I knew there was more going on than Juanita told me. Now I can stay here, visit with the family, and still get everything finished before the deadline.” He took Kathryn’s hands in his. “It means a lot to me you would do this. And seeing you here, surrounded by my family, well, it’s too good to be true.”

  Kathryn grinned at him. “I didn’t mind having an excuse to come see you. Your family is wonderful and accepting. I enjoyed myself tonight.”

  “Will you come to the hospital tomorrow and meet my mom? Once my dad tells her you’re here, there will be no way you can get out of it.”

  Kathryn laughed. “I’d love to.”

  Adam’s expression changed, his eyes searching hers. “Kathryn…” he said, his voice suddenly turning husky.

  Kathryn’s pulse quickened as Adam brushed a strand of hair from her face. He cupped her chin in his hand, lifted her face, and then tenderly touched his lips to hers. A chill passed through her entire body. Kathryn reached her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. She ran her fingers through his hair as his lips met hers again. The kiss deepened, and she was sure he could feel her heart pounding against him. After several moments, they broke apart.

  Adam was the first to speak. “I’ve wanted to do that since the day I found you by the side of the road with a flat tire.”

  “It’s a good thing you didn’t. I might have hit you with the lug wrench.”

  Adam smiled. “That’s why I waited until your hands were empty.”

  They settled in the living room on the sofa.

  She snuggled up next to him, his arms comfortably wrapped around her.

  “I still can’t believe you’re here,” Adam whispered.

  Kathryn leaned her head back and gave him another kiss. “I can’t believe I’m here, either. Adam, you’ve turned my whole world around. Because of everything you’ve told me, and how you’ve lived your life, I was able to finally reach out to God. You taught me how to trust Him when things didn’t make sense. You’ve showed me everything I’ve been missing out on by running from my mistakes. You’ve taught me to face my past, and now I can finally move onto my future without any fear. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I’m not afraid anymore, and I want you to know, I love you.”

  Adam’s face lit up with joy. “I love you too, Kathryn. Wherever life’s journey takes you, I want to be right there with you, by your side.

  Kathryn’s heart swelled with Adam’s words. No matter what happened, with God watching over her and Adam by her side, she was ready to take on whatever life had in store.

  A Devotional Moment

  EVEN THE SPARROW HAS FOUND A HOME, AND THE SWALLOW A NEST FOR HERSELF, WHERE SHE MAY HAVE HER YOUNG— A PLACE NEAR YOUR ALTAR, LORD ALMIGHTY, MY KING AND MY GOD. ~ PSALM 84:3

  Many of us go through a period when we feel unworthy. We think we do not deserve to excel in school, a job, or even in love. Our sins weigh us down. We have done things we’re not proud of. Sometimes that wrong-doing is due to our own ignorance, negligence, or laziness. Sometimes, we do the wrong thing for what we think is the right reason. No matter what, though, God knows us perfectly, and He gives us a chance. He sees our remorse, and He promises to forgive. We have only to ask. And when we sin again, He gives us another chance. In fact, God will give us chances to change our behavior and love Him until our dying day. The sparrow verse in Psalm 84 is meant to show that God loves all His creations.

  In Following the Sparrows, the protagonist is shattered by her past. No matter how much good she does, she is weighed down by guilt. Only when a Christian comes into her life does she realize there is hope in the future.

  Have you ever felt as if redemption were impossible—that you’ve fallen too far to ever make it back to “goodness”? Remember that no matter how many times you fail, God is always waiting with an eager ear and unlimited mercy. All you have to do is ask for forgiveness, and you’ll receive it. There is nothing too big or too small for God. And, once He forgives, He forgets. He isn’t waiting in the wings to slap you in the face with your past mistakes. He forgives perfectly and forgets completely.

  The next time you start to beat yourself up over all the shortcomings in your past, remember that if you’ve already asked for forgiveness, those sins are gone. If you need forgiveness for a new transgression, simply ask with a pure and honest heart, and forgiveness will be yours.

  LORD, HELP ME TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN MY SINS. DON’T LET ME DWELL ON THEM AND, IN THE PROCESS, RUIN TODAY. LET ME SEE ME AS YOU SEE ME: VALUABLE. IN JESUS’ NAME I PRAY, AMEN.

  Keep reading for an advance sample of A Second Chance for Grace...

  1

  “Aunt Susan, I’m pregnant.”

  Susan Montgomery almost dropped the phone. God, no. She’s only sixteen. She took a deep breath. “Are you sure, Claire?”

  “I took the test. I’m sure.” Her voice shook.

  Susan could hear Claire sniffling.

  “OK, hang tight. I’m coming over.” Susan grabbed her jacket and purse and drove to her sister’s house, praying all the way. God, how could this happen? Claire was such a good kid. Susan’s hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white. She parked in front of the three car garage for a moment and slowed her breathing. This wasn’t the kind of neighborhood used to dealing with teen pregnancy. People in this neighborhood were more concerned with their golf scores and their beauty salon appointments. Before she could get out of the car, Claire pulled open the passenger door, breathless.

  “Mom and Dad will be home soon. Can we get out of here?”

  Susan took in Claire’s swollen eyes and makeup-streaked cheeks, and her heart melted. Claire was far too young to be dealing with all this.

  “Sure, Claire-bear,” Susan said. “Have you told your parents?”

  “No way,” Claire said, as she got into the car.

  “Do you want to get a milkshake or go back to my place?” Susan asked.

  “Your place,” Claire said. “I can’t even think about food.”

  Back at Susan’s apartment, Claire sank into the plush sofa, hugging a pillow to her chest. Susan sat next to her, cross legged, and ran her hand along her niece’s cheek. “Are you ready to talk about it?”

  Claire picked at the pillow. “What’s to say? Mom and Dad will kill me.”

  Susan started to object, but clamped her mouth shut. Claire was right. Her mom was a control freak. A pregnant teenage daughter wouldn’t fit into her perfect plans. An involuntary chuckle escaped from Susan’s lips.

  Claire turned to her, aghast. “What could possibly be funny to you right now?”

  Susan bit her lip. “Sorry. I was imagining your mom’s face when she realizes she’s about to be a grandma.”

  Claire’s eyes narrowed in anger before softening. “Yeah, that would be perfect, wouldn’t it?” She turned to Susan. “Are you sure I shouldn’t take care of the problem? No one would need to know.”

  Susan clenched her fists. “Claire, absolutely not. It is a child, not a problem. No matter how inconvenient this may be for you, it’s not the baby’s fault. Do you understand?”

  Claire shrank under her gaze. “Yeah, I kind of figured you’d say that. Fine. I’ll talk to them.”

  Susan touched Claire’s hand. “Did you
tell Jake yet?”

  Claire shook her head. “No. He’s so busy with basketball.”

  “I hope you’re more important to him than a game.”

  “It’s not like that. I told you he got a basketball scholarship. His dad is super excited.”

  “I didn’t think his dad was around. Doesn’t he live with his mom and stepdad?”

  “Yeah, but his dad lives nearby. He sees him a lot,” Claire replied.

  “Wow—two dads. Poor guy will get double the lectures.”

  “No, his step-dad doesn’t care much. He pays about as much attention to Jake as my parents do to me,” Claire mumbled.

  Which was exactly why she got herself into this situation. Susan rubbed her temples. “Listen, Claire, I’m sorry. I never thought about talking to you about sex. I assumed your mom would. I knew you and Jake were pretty serious, but I thought you’d have made better choices.”

  Claire’s gaze dropped to the sofa pillow. A tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry I disappointed you.”

  “Hey, now, none of that. What’s done is done. But your choices led to consequences you need to face.”

  “What will I do?”

  Susan gazed into the trusting eyes of the girl that was more of a sister to her than a niece and sighed. “We’ll pray. And you’ll call your mom and tell her you’re staying here tonight. You can go to church with me in the morning, and afterwards we’ll face your parents together.”

  That night, after getting Claire settled in the spare room, Susan lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Claire was counting on her to take care of her, but that didn’t mean she had all the answers. There wasn’t anything easy about this situation. If only her sister wasn’t so difficult. Or her brother-in-law. Emily and Darren were nothing but proper. This would tarnish their stellar reputations. Susan sighed. She and Emily were never close. One would think since they were the only family left, things would be different. Still, Emily was eighteen when Susan was born, and they couldn’t be more different. Emily was through college and married before Susan was even out of elementary school.

  Their mom tried to bring them together over the years, but it wasn’t until Claire came along that there was any reason to. Susan was twelve when Claire was born, and she loved her from the moment she laid eyes on her. She baby-sat every time she could, and Emily was more than willing to let her. But now, that baby was about to have a baby of her own. Susan fell asleep praying for her small family.

  The next morning, after finally finding clothes Claire was willing to borrow, they entered Faith Community Church.

  “This church is nothing like ours,” Claire said. “My parents wouldn’t approve.”

  Susan huffed. “I’m not concerned about their approval. I love this church. I get a lot more out of this church than I ever did at theirs. Pastor Mark is awesome.”

  Claire shrugged. “I’m surprised they let me stay over on a Saturday night. You are a bad influence on me.”

  Susan smiled. Claire joking around was a good sign. She was right, though. In all these years, Claire had never attended church with her.

  A deep voice interrupted her thoughts. “Hello again, Susan.”

  Susan turned to see Christopher, or Mac, or whatever he was called. Her friend, Adam, stood beside him, balancing on crutches. With everything going on with Claire, her encounter with the man a few days earlier was all but forgotten. As those eyes twinkled at her, she wondered how that was possible.

  “Christopher, hi,” she breathed. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Please. Everyone calls me Mac.” He grinned at her.

  “And Adam, you’re finally out of the hospital. It’s great to see you up and around.” Susan smiled.

  A moment later, a young woman approached Adam. He beamed at her, and they took seats in the row behind them.

  Susan glanced back at Adam and the woman. She seemed familiar, but Susan couldn’t place her. And since when did Adam have a girlfriend? There was no mistaking the way they gazed at each other.

  “Who’s the guy?” Claire whispered to Susan. “He’s good-looking for an old man.”

  “Shh,” Susan whispered back. “He’s a friend of a friend. I met him the other day.”

  “He seems happy to see you again.”

  “Will you stop? The service is starting.”

  As they rose to sing, she couldn’t help sneaking peaks at the man beside her. He stood a half head over her, which was saying something. At five foot-eleven, she rarely looked up to anyone. Mac’s rich deep singing voice warmed her.

  She’d need to ask Adam more about this guy. She and Adam attended Bible study together since he moved to Pine Springs the year before. When Adam was injured in a construction accident, she and Mac met in the hospital while visiting him. Mac definitely caught her attention.

  She sighed. What did it matter? Nothing would come of it. Nothing ever did. At twenty-eight, she was tired of being alone, but that seemed to be God’s plan for her. She had enough to deal with right now with Claire, anyway.

  As the singing drew to a close, Pastor Mark announced it was time for the congregation to greet one another.

  Mac turned to Susan and held out a hand. As she put her hand in his, a shiver ran down her spine. His hand was warm, rough, and huge.

  “Hi, I’m Claire.” Claire reached around Susan to Mac.

  As Mac released Susan’s hand, the warmth drained away. What was it about this guy?

  Mac and Claire shook hands, and Susan turned to speak with Adam.

  “Susan,” Adam said. “I want you to meet someone special. This is Kathryn.”

  Susan shook her hand, studying Kathryn’s face. “It’s great to meet you. When did you two get together?”

  Adam grinned at Kathryn, and then answered Susan. “We met over the summer, and our relationship has gradually grown since Kathryn accepted the Lord early this year.”

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you.” Susan sincerely meant it.

  Kathryn smiled. “Me too.”

  “You look so familiar to me.”

  “Kathryn is Anne’s brother’s widow,” Adam told Susan.

  Susan’s eyes went wide. “Robert’s wife? Really?” She smacked her forehead. “I knew I recognized you. I’m so sorry about Robert. We were all rocked when he got in that accident,”

  Kathryn gave a weak smile. “Thanks. It’s possible we met, but I wasn’t particularly good about making it to church with Robert.”

  “I met Robert several times through Anne,” Susan said.

  “Robert spent a lot of time with Mark and Anne,” Kathryn said. “I’m glad to meet you.”

  Adam turned Kathryn’s attention to Mac as he shook Mac’s hand. “And this, Kathryn, is the famous Mac.”

  Kathryn’s eyes lit with recognition. “Nice to meet you, Mac.”

  Mac rolled his eyes and greeted Kathryn. “Don’t believe anything he says about me.”

  Susan was about to ask what that meant, but Pastor Mark signaled it was time for the service to continue.

  ~*~

  The drive to Claire’s parents’ house was strained and silent. Claire stared out the window, chewing on her fingernails.

  “Claire-bear, it will be OK. They love you.”

  “Sure, they do. As long as I follow all the rules and do exactly what they say,” Claire said. Her phone chimed. As she pulled it out, relief crossed her face. “It’s from Mom. They’re going out to lunch with some church people. Guess we don’t need to do this now, after all.”

  “Claire, you need to tell them. This isn’t something you can hide for long.” Susan pulled into her sister’s driveway.

  “Yeah, whatever. They probably wouldn’t even notice,” Claire muttered as she climbed out of the car.

  “Claire, give them the benefit of the doubt. They do love you. Now get your homework done. Baby or no baby, it’s a school day tomorrow. Call me whenever you need me.”

  “I will, Aunt Susan. Thanks.”

 
2

  The phone jolted Susan from a sound sleep. She glanced at the number and groaned. Mrs. Fulton. Apartment 304. She grabbed the phone and croaked out a groggy hello.

  “Susan, don’t tell me you were sleeping?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Fulton. It’s 5:00 AM.” Susan sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Is there a problem?”

  “My faucet is leaking. I need you to come and fix it.”

  Susan groaned inwardly. “Mrs. Fulton, I will be happy to take care of it during normal working hours. From 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, I take care of the maintenance requests. The emergency call number is meant to be reserved for emergencies.”

  The older woman’s disapproval was evident in her tone. “Consider all the water we’re wasting while we’re talking.”

  Susan took a deep breath. “Mrs. Fulton, if you’re concerned about wasting water, put your watering can under the faucet, and use the drips to water your plants.” She listened to the silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

  “Yes, well, that will be OK, I suppose. It is Monday, and I water all of my African violets on Monday. On Tuesday, I water the ferns, and on Wednesday…”

  Susan cut her off. “Great. I’m going back to sleep until the sun comes up, and then I’ll be by to take care of your faucet.”

  Susan tossed the phone on the end table and flopped back onto her pillow. Normally she loved her job as the manager of the apartment building, but sometimes the residents tried her patience. She closed her eyes again, but it was no use. Her mind was full. She hadn’t heard from Claire again. Poor kid. The conversation with her parents would not be easy.

  Her thoughts drifted to Mac, as they had several times over the past twenty-four hours. She didn’t know anything about the guy. She’d never seen him in church before. Even if the church wasn’t so small, she would have noticed a guy like that. With his height, his light brown skin, and those eyes, so dark they were almost black. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it.