by JoAnn Carter
****
Tuesday was field-trip day and dawned with a beautiful sunrise that Amanda admired from her kitchen window. Bundled in her pink terry-cloth robe, with a hot cup of coffee in hand, she felt the warmth of contentment wrap around her like a blanket. Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of Your creation all around me. Thank you also for the beauty of the people You have created. Help me to show my class and the people at the mission Your love today. Guide my steps I pray.
Amanda took a quick shower and continued to get ready for the day before the time ran away. She brushed her teeth and added a touch of color to her lips with her favorite lipstick. Amanda hummed along with the radio as she straightened up her apartment and did her laundry. Looking at the clock she found it was only eight-thirty. The children were going to be meeting her at the school at ten. Okay, Lord. I’m ready to go now, but the clock’s not.” Chuckling, she said, “How often does this happen?”
Thoughts of her neighbor, Mrs. Howe, popped into her head. How hard would this holiday be without her husband? Amanda looked around her tidy kitchen. Fresh bread, which she made every year as was her family’s custom for Thanksgiving, sat on the counter looking lonely.
She planned on throwing it in the freezer to keep it from getting stale until Thanksgiving Day. Oh, why not share? I have plenty of time to make another .
Amanda picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Howe, it’s me, Amanda.”
“Oh, hello, dear. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thanks. I was wondering if I could stop by for a minute before I go to work.”
“That would be lovely.”
“Great. I’ll be there in about five minutes if that’s okay with you.”
“That’s fine. I’ll put on some water for tea.”
“Sounds good.”
Amanda wrapped the bread in a towel and walked over to her table to jot a quick “Thinking of you” card before heading next door.
Mrs. Howe met her at the door. “I’m so glad you stopped over. I was beginning to wonder if you forgot me,” she said with a twinkle.
Amanda put her hand on her hip. “You know better than that.”
“Yes, I suppose I do.” She motioned with her hand for Amanda to follow her. “But I do miss talking to you. What have you been up to?”
“Oh, not a whole lot really.” Amanda followed her into the bright kitchen. “School, of course, and activities with the college and career group at church…”
“Any boyfriends?”
Amanda cringed. Why did it always have to come to this? “How’s that tea water coming along?”
Mrs. Howe laughed. “Apparently, better than your dating situation.” Her tone changed as she said, “Seriously, Amanda, my Fred was more than my husband. He was my best friend. I wish you had someone like that.”
Amanda cleared her throat. “I have friends.”
“It’s not quite the same, dear.”
“Not everyone’s called to be married.” Amanda sighed.
“No, you are right.” After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Is that your wish?”
Amanda sat down at the kitchen table. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew she couldn’t. Somewhere deep inside she knew one day, she hoped to meet her prince. “I wouldn’t say that.”
Mrs. Howe poured the tea and handed Amanda her cup. “What would you say?”
She considered the question for a few minutes. “I guess I’m a little afraid. I’ve seen more than enough to know not everyone has a happily-ever-after kind of life after they say, ‘I do.’ Besides I’m comfortable now; my life is pretty uncomplicated. I don’t want to do something just because it’s what everyone expects.”
“Amanda, that’s a bunch of hogwash! It was not my intention to have you over and give you a sermon so let me say one more thing and then I’ll drop it.”
Amanda breathed a sigh of relief.
“Forget about other people’s expectations, and for pete’s sake, don’t you go planning your own life. God already has the perfect plan for you. Trust Him and you’ll find happiness. Only He knows if there is a man for you or not.”
Amanda followed the pattern on the plaid placemat with her finger. She knew Mrs. Howe was right, but it was scary surrendering her thoughts and dreams to God. Who knew where He’d lead her? “That’s easier said than done,” she admitted.
“Yes, I know, but it’s when you take the time to sit back and look around that you are able to see the way the Lord works. Take this morning, I was feeling quite upset. As you know, this Thursday will be my first Thanksgiving without Fred.” Very openly, she admitted, “I haven’t been looking forward to the holiday at all. However, the Lord has been sending me little reminders all week that I can always trust Him and His plans for my future. You, Amanda, are one of those reminders.” Mrs. Howe gave Amanda a big hug.
“I hate for you to feel lonely. Would you care to go to the soup kitchen with my class this morning? I’m sure they would love it.”
“No, thank you, dear. Wilma said she was going to stop over some time this afternoon and I’ve got a few things I need to get done here. I’ll be fine.”
Amanda glanced at her watch. “Oh my, I really do need to go.”
“Thanks for stopping by and for the bread.” Putting her hand on Amanda’s shoulder, she apologized, “I hope you don’t mind my old busybody ways.”
Amanda hugged her and said, “I love you just the way you are.”
“You are quite the diplomat.”
Amanda laughed. “I’ll give you a call soon.”
“I’ll be looking forward to that.”
Amanda gave her one last smile before she ran to her truck.
****
Amanda arrived at school and pulled into the parking space next to Tracy’s car. She grabbed her purse and bag of supplies, then reached for the door handle. At the same time Tracy pulled her door handle from the outside. “Hey there, Teach. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to get here.”
“You missed me that much, huh?” Her eyes widened. Did she really say that?
Thankfully, Tracy seemed to take her remark in stride. “Yeah, well, you know, you are the one in charge here. I didn’t want to spoil your fun by having to leave without you.”
Amanda walked past him toward the school. “Well, let’s get this gang organized and on the bus.” She stopped suddenly, causing Tracy to bump into her back. “Oomph!” She turned and looked up into his eyes. He was so close she could smell his spicy after-shave. Her heart betrayed her as she dreamed of what it would feel like to be held in his arms. If only her heart would behave as her head mandated. Thank goodness Thanksgiving break was coming. Perhaps some time away from him would help her get things back into proper perspective—away from any chance of hurt. The one time she thought she had fallen in love in college was enough to cure her for a lifetime. Love was too much of a risk.
She took a few steps back and tried to clear her head. “Thanks for all the work you’ve put into this Thanksgiving celebration, Tracy.”
“Thanks to you, too. It’s been a pleasure to help out.” He dropped his voice to a whisper, “I must say, you look lovely today.”
“Thanks.” Amanda mumbled as she quickly walked to the class gathered near the bus. The excited children engulfed her with laughter, hugs, and warm Thanksgiving wishes.
Amanda pasted a smile on her face and raised her voice to be heard above the commotion. “Okay everyone, let’s load up. Time’s a-wasting. You have five minutes before we go over some last minute details. Use the restroom now if you need to, please. Once we get there, we’ll be too busy for breaks. We’ll meet you on the bus.”
The children quickly settled on the bus. En route to the soup kitchen, Amanda went over the day’s agenda with her students. Everyone knew what job they were to do and how to do it. Excitement was running high with thoughts of the fun morning ahead with their friends. Amanda sighed as she looked out the bus win
dow while listening to the rambunctious noise coming from the children. She turned toward Tracy in the adjacent seat. “Sometimes they can make a body tired with all their wiggles and giggles.”
Giving her a sappy grin, Tracy said, “Well, conserve your energy then and just look at me.”
Amanda did a double take and studied his face for a full minute while he looked right back at her. She could see the sparkle of humor in his eyes while at the same time almost a questioning look. Above all else, Amanda didn’t want Tracy to think she was interested in him romantically. After what seemed like a small lifetime, Amanda tried to make light of the whole thing, opting to change the subject. “Did I tell you that Pastor Brown is coming to the kitchen today?”
“Yes, you did mention that yesterday. I’m looking forward to hearing him.” Tracy turned his body toward the back of the bus and talked to the children for the remainder of the ride.
Amanda, on the other hand, sat looking out her window trying to sort out the thoughts swirling through her head like a blizzard, complete with the inability to see, or in this case, think about anything else. Lately, every time she was around Tracy, she had a vague feeling of uncertainty but also some sort of eager expectancy about the future.
Lord, I can’t go through the heartache again of loving someone who holds commitment lightly. Are You trying to tell me I’m not trusting in You? Mrs. Howe’s words really resonated in me. Please give me wisdom. As the Soup Kitchen came in view she finished her prayer, In the meantime, help me keep my sanity! Finally, the bus reached its destination and stopped. In her haste to exit the bus, she tried to leave her seat at the same time as Tracy. Tracy put out an arm to steady her as he moved back into his seat. Amanda was embarrassed as her heart skipped a beat at his nearness.
“I’m...sorry.” Needing more than ever to exit the bus quickly, she turned and left before he could sense her turmoil. She resolved she would try not to think of Tracy any longer this morning. She was here for her children and thoughts of him would only get in the way. That’s easier said than done.
The group quickly assembled on the steps of the entrance. “Okay, class. Come gather around for a minute.” She waited until everyone was quiet. “You’ve all worked so hard. Without you and all the efforts you put into today, it would not be the same for the people who are here today. This is what being a community is all about. Helping each other.” Amanda smiled tenderly at her students. “Thank you for all you’ve done. You’re a great class. Now, let’s go give it our best.” With that, she opened the doors for them to enter.
Tracy’s stomach rumbled. Boy did that turkey smell good! He marveled at how some smells made it feel like Thanksgiving. He pulled off his coat and noticed how the people and their eager chatter filled the room. Somehow, in a pleasant way, it made the decorations fade into the background.
Amanda appeared at his side. “Looks like a good turnout.”
“I’d say! How many people do you think are here?”
“I’d hazard around eighty people or so by the time you count the workers, our class, and the clients.”
“Smells good.” Amanda sighed.
Tracy didn’t even smell the food any longer. She was standing so close, her shampoo or perfume, or whatever it was that smelled like coconut, filled his senses. And so do you, he felt like saying. Better not go there—yet. “Know where they got the food?”
“Local churches donated it. Ed told me yesterday they had three huge turkeys, a ham, lots of sweet potatoes, heaps of corn, stuffing, rolls and cranberry sauce.”
“Not only does it look like a feast, but it is one.” Tracy saw Ed pick up the dinner bell to ring. “Time to find our seats.
“Do you think the kids will cluster together?”
Tracy smiled indulgently at Amanda. “Are you kidding? If you’ve told us once, you’ve told us a thousand times to mingle in pairs.”
“I guess I did.” Amanda sheepishly admitted.
“Look.” Tracy pointed to the tables where everyone was being seated. The class was indeed interspersed among the clients.
“Oh good. I’ll tell you what, these kids are great.” She glanced around the room. “Do you see Joey? He’s my partner for today.”
That lucky duck. “He’s over there waiting with an empty seat for you.”
Tracy led Amanda to her seat and held it for her as she sat down. “Thanks, you didn’t need to do that.”
“I wanted to.” Before turning away, he studied her for a moment. Amanda looked right back at him with her beautiful eyes. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, “Enjoy your meal.”
****
Amanda, not wanting to draw attention to herself, turned to her partner Joey to see he was talking with an elderly woman next to him. It was exciting to watch how well they were mixing. With all the chattering around her, Amanda sat back in the chair and tried to imagine what the first Thanksgiving was really like. Accidentally, one of the clients bumped her arm, bringing her daydreaming to an end as she was drawn back into the conversation floating around her.
A half-hour later, Ed called everyone’s attention to the front of the room. “It looks as if everyone is about done eating. Please feel free to eat more if you’d like while Pastor Brown is speaking.” He gestured to the side for someone to join him as he continued, “I’d like to introduce you at this time to a dear friend of mine, Pastor Brown.” As the older man made his way up to Ed, the people applauded. Amanda glanced at the program Ed had given to her earlier. She found that no desserts were to be served before Pastor Brown was to speak. He had explained that by doing this perhaps it would encourage folks to stay for the devotion. Looking around the crowded room, Amanda could see that Ed’s plan was successful.
“Thank you for this opportunity, Ed.” Ed nodded and walked off to the side. Pastor Brown’s voice was soft and crackled slightly, but that only made everyone listen more intently to hear him. “I’m sure some of you have a few memories of a special Thanksgiving Day. This afternoon, I want to tell you a story about my favorite Thanksgiving Day.”
Pastor Brown pulled a folded piece of cloth out of his pocket and opened it to show off the many colors. “This was given to me by a person very dear to my heart, my grandmother.” Smiling, he continued, “I know to you folks this piece of material probably doesn’t look like much more than a rag. However, to me it is very significant. You see, with this piece of material, my grandmother told me about Jesus.”
While everyone’s curiosity was piqued, he passed the cloth to a woman sitting in the first row. “Go ahead and take a good look at it and then give it to your neighbor.”
“Thank you.” She said as she gently handled the heirloom.
“My grandma made this cloth at a weaving loom that was passed down through her family. It was a design and story her mother taught her and she passed down to my brother and me on this particular Thanksgiving Day.” Stepping back, he watched their expressions as they handled it. “You may be wondering about the color scheme. They don’t coordinate real well do they?”
One mother quipped, “Isn’t no worse than the clothes my little junior picks to wear in the mornin’.”
Laughter could be heard throughout the room.
“Hum, yes,” Pastor Brown chuckled “that’s one thing about young children. It’s an anything goes philosophy as far as clothes are concerned.” While taking a few steps, Pastor Brown rubbed his neck. “Our bread was wrapped in this cloth when my grandmother asked us if we knew who the Bread of Life was. My brother and I looked at each other, puzzled by her question. Bread of Life?” With a twinkle in his eye, he asked, “Has anyone ever asked you a question like that?”
A bold, middle-aged man responded, “No, but I tinkered with food for a while when I was young. So, I know all about it.”
The woman sitting next to him swatted his arm. “Oh, you don’t know nothin’, Ian!”
“Oh, yes, I do. Bread lasts about two or three days if it doesn’t have all the preservatives pumped in
to it, Hillary.” He puffed out his chest confidently. Hillary rolled her eyes.
Pastor Brown quickly stepped in. “Yes, I suppose bread does last about three days, but I wasn’t referring to the life of bread. I was actually talking about a person called the ‘Bread of Life’.” The man looked confused.
“That’s exactly how my brother and I felt. Let me see if this will clear up our little misunderstanding. In short order, my grandmother explained to us that the Bread of Life was just another name for Jesus in the Bible. Then she told us about the colors of her cloth.”
He picked up some papers from the table and held them up high so all could see. “So you can see the colors better, I have here in my hand, pieces of paper that are the same colors which are in the cloth’s pattern. I will show them to you one at a time as I explain their meaning. “
