by Naomi King
Beside her, Beth Ann’s expression brightened. “Jah, I remember that. You were none too happy with him, Dat.”
“But boys’ll be boys. Matt’s trying real hard to grow out of that, and with the help of a gut woman, he will.” Titus leaned his elbows on the table, expecting an answer.
Joe had been five years older than her, so most of his teenage recklessness had happened when Rosemary was too young to be concerned about it. She still didn’t feel it was any of Titus’s business what had gone on between her and Matt. Then again…if Matt had told her father-in-law exactly what they’d been doing, maybe Titus was testing her to see if she would admit to that kiss. “I have a lot of things to consider when we move to Cedar Creek,” she said as she set the four bread pans in the oven. “And marriage is pretty low on my list.”
“But you’re going with us? For sure and for certain?”
Not in the mood to hand him an answer so easily, Rosemary reached into the cabinet for their dinner plates. “How much will this potential buyer pay for my land? You must be satisfied with what he’s offered or you wouldn’t be telling me about it.”
Titus grunted at her change of subject. “Twenty-two hundred an acre. He likes the looks of the house and the barns, and wants to run cattle in the pastures. Figures to raise hay and oats on your parcel.” His gaze sharpened as he rose from the table. “If you can’t forgive Matt for a simple mistake, I wonder if you’re setting your sights so high you’ll never find another man. A bird in the hand’s worth two in the bush, you know.” Titus went into the front room, as though he didn’t want to talk any more while he waited for his meal.
Tired of timeworn adages about greener grass and birds, Rosemary wiped the flour from the countertop. At the price Titus had quoted, her forty acres would bring eighty-eight thousand dollars…not a lot more than Joe had paid for it, but it would make a nice nest egg for her future.
When the floorboards creaked as Titus walked across the room above the kitchen, Beth Ann moved closer. “You know,” she murmured, “I always thought a bird in the hand sounded really…messy.”
Rosemary stifled a loud giggle as Beth Ann joined in. No doubt Titus would assume they were laughing at him, but she welcomed the relief from the afternoon’s heavy mood. Maybe her father-in-law had made a good point about Matt’s mistake being fairly common, and maybe the aroma of baking bread was lifting her spirits, but she felt better, and sensed she could share an important decision with Beth Ann. She opened the towel drawer and pulled a Lehman’s catalog out from under the dishrags. “You know how you’ve been hoping to sew for Abby once we move to Cedar Creek?” she asked quietly.
Beth Ann nodded, curious about the catalog that was filled with all manner of nonelectric farm and household equipment.
“Well, I’m going to bake for Aunt Lois’s café and find other places to sell my pies, too. Baking is my talent, like sewing is yours, and it’s time to set myself up with a business that’ll support Katie and me…something that’s all my own, just as Abby has done.” Rosemary smoothed down a page that displayed several models of gas cookstoves and ovens. “I’m going to invest some of the money I get for my land in gut, dependable appliances. No telling what condition the Bontrager kitchen’s in—and it could be that Salome and Perry will take their stove and fridge with them.”
“Oh, I like this one!” Beth Ann said as she pointed to a modern gas range. “It’ll be a lot less trouble than this wood-burning stove of Mamm’s. But mostly I’m happy you’re coming with us, Rosemary. It makes the move seem a whole lot easier.”
Beth Ann’s words confirmed that Rosemary had made the right decision, for Joe’s little sister as well as for herself. She hugged the girl, and for a moment they stood together with the aroma of warm bread surrounding them…a homey scent that set a lot of things right. “When I thought about staying here in Queen City, building a house and living there with just Katie and me, it didn’t feel so gut,” she confessed. “You’re a ray of sunshine for me, Beth Ann. We help each other a lot, ain’t so?”
“I was hoping you’d see it that way, Rosemary.” Beth Ann looked purposefully into her eyes. “So, what about you and Matt?”
“I’ll figure that out eventually. Now that I’ll have my own money coming in, I won’t be dependent on Titus or Matt either one,” she mused aloud, “and that means I can make my own decisions. I like the way that feels.”
Rosemary glanced at the clock, contented with the way this difficult day had worked out. “I got out stew meat for tonight. Shall we brown it in the skillet? Stir in some gravy makings and serve it over noodles?”
“Oh, that’ll make Dat happy. He loves anything with gravy.”
Rosemary smiled. Now that she had opened her heart to new possibilities—made herself happy—she was finding more satisfaction in making others happy too.
Chapter 21
As Abby sat in the biggest room of James’s workshop among the other women for the preaching service on May 21, the air around her vibrated with the congregation’s anticipation. It was the day God would choose their new preacher.
“‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?’” Pete Beachey read from the big Bible.
How appropriate that today’s sermons would be inspired by the third chapter of James, about proving out one’s faith by doing God’s work. Here in the carriage shop, where special tools hung on the walls, they sat surrounded by evidence of James Graber’s service, his calling. Abby remembered the work James had done on behalf of members in need, as when he’d replaced the vehicles the Ropp family lost in their fire last December and when he’d built a special carriage with a lift for Joel Detweiler’s wheelchair. James would make a fine preacher, but only married men’s names would be whispered to their deacon after worship this morning. Every man and woman present sat forward in earnest, awaiting the falling of the lot that would determine which family’s life would be changed in a heartbeat.
As Vernon rose to preach the morning’s main sermon, Abby noticed how the men looked among themselves, wondering who would be called to serve. Any fellow whose name got mentioned by at least three members would be summoned to the front for the choosing…
“As we are all well aware,” Vernon began, “today marks a milestone in the life of our community.” He gazed about the crowded workshop, first at the women and then at the men. “Preacher Abe and I can attest to the gravity of this process, this ordination by the Lord our God, which our departed brother Paul knew, as well. Paul Bontrager’s life bore out the verses in the tenth chapter of Mark, which tell us that ‘whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister.’”
Bishop Gingerich clasped his hands before him, solemn yet joyous about the wondrous act they were about to witness. “We came not to this earth to be served, my brothers and sisters, but to serve. And while God has known from the beginning of all time which of you men will be chosen today, we will witness His presence in a profound way as He makes His will known to us. What a marvel it is, to participate in this ceremony today!”
Two rows in front of Abby, Barbara shifted on the pew—as did the wives of other men who might have to answer the call. While Vernon spoke of the privilege of becoming Cedar Creek’s new preacher, everyone in the room realized that the new leader they chose would be required to put his spiritual duty before all personal commitments and earning his living. He would be called to correct them when they strayed from the righteous path. He would stand before them and preach God’s word without any training or notes, regardless of how terrified he might be and how inadequate he might feel.
As Vernon continued his sermon, a little child chattered. Abby smiled back at Rosemary, who hushed Katie with a finger and a stern look. Titus had brought them into town yesterday, and they’d stayed at Lois and Ezra’s so they could attend their new preacher’s selection. Time had sped by these past weeks
since Titus had first mentioned his desire to return. Not only had the best stitchers among them completed the Friendship Star quilt for Salome, but Zanna had also hosted a frolic where they had made a smaller, more colorful version of that pattern for Beth Ann’s new room. Rosemary had mentioned that Beth Ann would celebrate her thirteenth birthday next week, so Abby was excited about presenting the quilt this afternoon after the common meal.
As they sang the final hymn, Abby felt the tension escalate. After the benediction, Vernon, Abe, and Pete stood silently before them to instill the solemnity of the moment and to prepare their hearts for the process of naming candidates they felt were worthy to carry out the Lord’s work as their leader.
“Deacon Pete will await your nominations at the front counter,” Vernon announced with a nod toward the shop’s main room. “As we speak freely and with utmost sincerity, we are doing our part in God’s great plan for our lives. It is a holy mission we fulfill here. A journey toward our spiritual future.”
Abby waited, barely breathing, as the men filed into the front room first. Again and again Sam’s name had come up at their frolics and in the mercantile—but other fellows had also been mentioned. The big room rang with silence broken only by the movement of folks going out and then walking sideways to resume their places in the tightly packed pews.
Abby rose with the rest of her row of women…Eva Detweiler, Hannah Hartzler, Marian Byler, and other friends near her age walked quickly into the other room. Each whispered a name to Pete and then returned, most of them white-knuckled. Ever since Paul’s passing, each of them had considered the consequences to her family if her husband were chosen. It almost felt like a betrayal to mention a friend’s man for this duty, yet God’s will was to be carried out.
When Abby reached Deacon Pete, she leaned close. “My brother, Sam,” she whispered—not because she wanted to burden him and Barbara but because she believed Sam’s wisdom had increased so greatly last year during their difficult days with Zanna. She returned to her pew with her eyes lowered, to await the next step in this nerve-racking procedure.
During the nominating process, James had helped Vernon set a table front and center, and they had gathered hymnals to use in the selection process. The whole room held its breath as Pete returned with the list of men who had been mentioned at least three times. Vernon studied it for a long moment.
“From the gospel of Matthew, which tells the parable of the talents,” he said as he held up a slip of paper he’d written on, “‘His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ We have received the names of five fine men, whom you and the Lord have summoned to this holy moment.”
As James and Matt placed five chairs behind the table, the bishop slipped the Bible verse into one of the hymnals, mixed the books around, and then laid them across the table. “Will you please come forward as I call your name?” he said in a voice that quivered with anticipation. “Moses Hartzler—”
Beside Abby, Hannah gasped and covered her mouth.
“…Samuel Lambright,” Vernon continued, and Barbara bowed her head.
“Amos Coblentz…Carl Byler…Ezekiel Detweiler.”
Abby clasped her hands in her lap, gazing at the five who came forward, tight-lipped and apprehensive. Quite a mix of personalities and life experiences were represented: a chimney sweep, a storekeeper, a master carpenter, a farmer, and a mechanic, who ranged from her own age of twenty-seven to about fifty. Vernon stood solemnly, flanked by Preacher Abe and Deacon Pete, studying each man who stood before him. Indeed, the bishop seemed to be the only fellow in the place who radiated a quiet joy at this moment of utmost importance in all their lives.
“I never once doubted that our members would choose the best among us, but I shall ask the time-honored questions nonetheless,” he said in a voice that carried to all corners of the big shop. “Are you men in harmony with the ordinances of the church? And in harmony with the articles of our faith?”
Down the row, each man nodded.
“Please kneel as we invoke our Lord’s blessing on this holy selection process.”
During the moments of silence, Abby was aware of how quickly her heart was beating. She heard only the shallow breathing of the women around her.
“And now, if you would each have a seat and choose a copy of the Ausbund from the center of the table,” the bishop instructed, “we shall determine how the lot has fallen and whom the Lord has chosen. This ritual takes us back to the book of Acts, where Christ’s apostles chose Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot. We are grateful that with today’s lot we choose a man under more positive circumstances.”
Abby and those around her craned their necks to watch as each man reached for a hymnal and then placed it on the table in front of him. What must be going through their minds? Certainly, this moment had rendered her brother and her friends a solemn bunch. Their faces looked tight and pale above their white shirts. Their foreheads glistened with sweat.
“Lord of all generations,” Vernon intoned, “show us which one you have chosen from among these brethren.” He reached over Carl Byler’s shoulder and then opened the hymnal in front of him and fluttered its pages. The whole room exhaled when no slip of paper fell out. The same happened as he shook Zeke Detweiler’s hymnal and then Mose Hartzler’s.
Abby clasped her hands tighter. Only Amos and Sam remained. The glance they exchanged was a weighty one. Both men ran thriving businesses and were raising children who would soon be of an age to join the church. Until those sheep were out of their rumspringa days and into the fold, all eyes would watch the new preacher’s offspring very closely.
Across the room in the men’s section, James caught Abby’s eye. A few rows behind him, Matt pressed his lips into a tight line as he watched the bishop reach over his dat’s shoulder for the hymnal in front of him. As Vernon ran his thumb over the edges of the pages, the piece of paper fluttered out like a white dove. The members sucked in their breath as one, while Adah Ropp slipped her arm around Barbara’s shoulders.
“In this holiest of moments, God has reached down to us from the heavens,” Vernon said softly, “and He has chosen a new shepherd for our flock. We, in turn, must pledge our support and assistance as Sam Lambright yields himself to God’s will and gives himself up to a higher cause on our behalf. Let us all share a moment of prayer to praise our Lord for this marvel He has worked among us today.”
Abby squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely hear her own thoughts. Lord, You’re always with us and I ask that You guide Sam and the rest of us to live out Your will…to live as examples of Your truth and divine love. Help me not to falter as I step in wherever my brother and my family need me. Help me to speak Your peace when conflicts arise in the coming days, as our family adjusts to Sam’s new calling.
After Vernon spoke his benediction, Abby filed out with the other women to prepare the common meal. A crowd of men had gathered around her brother, and several women huddled around Barbara to assure her that they’d help with whatever she needed as Sam prepared himself to be a minister. As Abby stepped into the Grabers’ kitchen, Emma grabbed her shoulders.
“Abby…Abby,” her best friend murmured. “Such a gut thing for all of us in Cedar Creek means such a commitment and sacrifice on Sam’s part—and for your whole family,” she murmured. “How will Sam leave the store at the drop of a hat to visit a member who’s stepped outside the lines? Will you still be able to run your sewing business?”
“Will Barbara continue to be a midwife?” Eunice chimed in, her face etched with concern. “Gals hereabouts depend on her, but once a fella becomes a minister, everybody in his family has to toe a straighter line.”
Abby took their hands, smiling gratefully. “Jah, we’ve been called to face some new challenges,” she replied in a tight voice. “Seems to me the best answer would be for all our members to toe tha
t straighter line so Sam won’t have to nudge them for confessions or tell them to put away the gadgets and habits forbidden by the Ordnung.”
“Jah, there’s that,” Emma replied as she pulled bowls of fruit-filled gelatin from the fridge. “Might not make things any easier, but everyone’s pleased Sam was chosen. He’s a gut man. Strong and dependable. Already a leader among us.”
“Denki for that, Emma,” Abby murmured. “Your prayers and best wishes will be greatly appreciated.”
Chapter 22
The meal following Sam’s ordination was quieter than most, yet as she ate Rosemary enjoyed listening to her new friends discuss the divine process they had just witnessed. Marian Byler, Eva Detweiler, and Hannah Hartzler had shared their relief in the Grabers’ kitchen, while Nell Coblentz, Amos’s wife, now sat at the table alongside Barbara Lambright. How must it feel to go to church as a merchant’s wife and leave with a preacher for a husband? Within a few fateful minutes, life had changed dramatically for the entire Lambright family…including Matt. Rosemary shifted sleepy Katie on her lap, considering.
Would Sam’s new calling affect the way Matt made his living now? Would he feel compelled to help his dat manage the Cedar Creek Mercantile rather than becoming Titus’s partner? Titus had already settled up with Perry Bontrager, so it was too late to back out of the move.
“Rosemary?” Beth Ann came up behind her and gripped her shoulders. “Abby says she has a surprise for me! We’re to go to the Lambrights’ whenever we’re ready—”
“And you’re ready right now, ain’t so?” It was good to see Beth Ann looking so excited, considering how everyone else seemed subdued after the drawing of the lot. “Shall we give Abby a little longer? She might want to help Emma in the kitchen or—”
