Although Ellie Sanders had given no indication during that brief interlude that she knew who he was, somehow Brody suspected that she did. Perhaps it was her social standing in the art world that had prevented her all these years from publically acknowledging him. Maybe now that she had met her son, she would throw caution to the wind and want to get to know him.
Strangely, he hoped that one day she would.
But Brody refused to lose any sleep if she didn’t. With or without a mother, his life was complete because he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was loved and accepted by his wife, his child, and his siblings. Most of all, he was loved and accepted by Almighty God. And that was all that mattered.
Setting the empty champagne glass down on a passing tray, he linked one arm in Charity’s, the other in Madison’s and flashed them each a wide grin. “Come, my fair ladies. This is your night. Your fans await.”
“Oh, before we go, Dad, can I make a request?” Charity flashed Brody a grin.
“Of course,” both Brody and Madison said.
“Is it too early to tell you what I’d like for Christmas?”
Brody gazed down at his beautiful daughter, so grateful for her enduring faith and prayers that had brought them through the valley and onto the highest mountaintop. “It’s never too early to make a Christmas list, Charity honey. So what is it that you’d like? Because you know your mother’s career is about to skyrocket.”
Charity laughed softly. “All I want is my own French easel, palette, some brushes, paint, and canvases. I’d like to try my hand at oil painting, I think.”
“In that case, Christmas can come early this year.” Brody smiled and walked his two special ladies into the room with confidence, thankful for the knowledge that with God and them at his side, he could face anything the world threw at him.
Even a mother who may, or may not, ever love him.
You, O Lord, have turned my mourning into dancing.
THE END
Scripture References
Chapter 3:
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
~ 2 Corinthians 12 v 7-10 (NIV)
Chapter 5:
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.
~ Ephesians 4 v 26 (NIV)
Chapter 14 & 15:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
~ Matthew 6 v 25-34 (NIV)
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
~ Romans 8 v 28 (NIV)
Chapter 15:
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
~ Psalm 56 v 8 (NLT)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
~ Ephesians 6 v 1 (NIV)
Chapter 18:
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
~ Hebrews 13 v 5 (NIV)
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
~ Matthew 27 v 46 & 50 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
~ John 1 v 1-5 (NIV)
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
~ Ecclesiastes 3 v 11 (NIV)
And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity.
~ 1 Corinthians 13 v 13 (DRA)
Chapter 19:
Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
~ John 4 v 35 (NIV)
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.
~ Psalm 30 v 11
Thank You for Reading!
I hope you enjoyed reading Reclaiming Charity. If you did, please consider leaving a short review on Amazon, Goodreads, or Bookbub. Positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations count as they honor an author and help other readers to find quality Christian fiction to read.
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About Marion Ueckermann
USA Today bestselling author, MARION UECKERMANN’s passion for writing was sparked when she moved to Ireland with her family. Her love of travel has influenced her contemporary inspirational romances set in novel places. Marion and her husband again live in South Africa, but with two gorgeous grandsons hanging their hats at the house next door, their empty nest’s no longer so empty.
Please visit Marion’s website for more of her books:
www.marionueckermann.net
Contact Marion:
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Titles by Marion Ueckermann
CHAPEL COVE ROMANCES
Remember Me (Book 1)
Choose Me (Book 4)
Releasing June 2019
Accept Me (Book 7)
Releasing December 2019
Trust Me (Book 10)
Releasing May 2020
Other books in this tri-author series are by
Alexa Verde and Autumn Macarthur
THE POTTER’S HOUSE
SHAPED BY LOVE
Restoring Faith (Book 1)
Recovering Hope (Book 2)
Reclaiming Charity (Book 3)
A TUSCAN LEGACY
That’s Amore (Book 1)
Ti Amo (Book 4)
Other books in this multi-author series are by:
Elizabeth Maddrey, Alexa Verde, Clare Revell, Heather Gray, Narelle Atkins, and Autumn Macarthur
UNDER THE SUN
SEASONS OF CHANGE
A Time to Laugh (Book 1)
A Time to Love (Book 2)
A Time to Push Daisies (Book 3)
HEART OF ENGLAND
SEVEN SUITORS FOR SE
VEN SISTERS
A Match for Magnolia (Book 1)
A Romance for Rose (Book 2)
A Hero for Heather (Book 3)
A Husband for Holly (Book 4)
A Courtship for Clover (Book 5)
A Proposal for Poppy (Book 6)
Releasing 2019
A Love for Lily (Book 7)
Releasing 2020
HEART OF AFRICA
Orphaned Hearts
The Other You
HEART OF AUSTRALIA
Melbourne Memories
HEART OF IRELAND
Spring’s Promise
HEART OF CHRISTMAS
Poles Apart
Ginger & Brad’s House
PASSPORT TO ROMANCE
Helsinki Sunrise
Soloppgang i Helsinki
(Norwegian translation of Helsinki Sunrise)
Oslo Overtures
Glasgow Grace
BOX SETS
Seasons of Change
[Books 1-3]
(A Time to Laugh, A Time to Love, A Time to Push Daisies)
Love is all around
[A collection of Christmas stories from around the world]
(A Husband for Holly, A Time to Love, Ginger & Brad’s House, Melbourne Memories, Poles Apart)
Seven Suitors for Seven Sisters
[Books 1-4]
(A Match for Magnolia, A Romance for Rose, A Hero for Heather, A Husband for Holly)
ACFW WRITERS ON THE STORM
SHORT STORY CONTEST WINNERS ANTHOLOGY
Dancing Up A Storm ~ Dancing In The Rain
NON-FICTION
Bush Tails
(Humorous & True Short Story Trophies of my Bushveld Escapades as told by Percival Robert Morrison)
POETRY
GLIMPSES THROUGH POETRY
My Father’s Hand (Coming soon)
My Savior’s Touch (Coming soon)
My Colorful Life (Coming soon)
WORDS RIPE FOR THE PICKING
Fruit of the Rhyme (Coming soon)
Purchase link to all titles
Reclaiming Charity Page 17
