Prairie Storm
Page 25
“Welcome, Lily,” he said gently. “Welcome to the family of Christ.”
Lily tried her best to listen to the service, truly she did. But all she really managed was to soar through the heavens on eagles’ wings. Her mother had come all the way from Philadelphia. Her father was singing for her wedding. And beside her stood a man more handsome, more kind, more loving than any she could have dreamed possible. In spite of her rebelliousness, her weak faith, her many failings, God had blessed her beyond all imagining.
As she listened to Elijah express his deep love for her, Lily heard herself speak words of the vow she meant with all her heart. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.
“I do,” she said as the minister set her hands inside the warm grasp of her new husband. “Oh yes, I do.”
“Mercy, mercy, mercy!” The joyous voice at the door to the church drew everyone’s attention. Mother Margaret, hands lifted in praise, stepped into the building. As the melodeon began to play, the old woman trundled down the aisle.
“She told me she was ready to come home to Hope,” Elijah whispered, leaning close to Lily. “And she didn’t want to miss this moment.”
As the organ music swelled through the room, Mother Margaret took her place at the front of the church and raised her voice in blessing.
“My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!”
Prairie Storm
Discussion Questions
1. Lily Nolan has more Bible verses memorized than most Christians, more than Elijah himself. She also knows hymns. What effect does this knowledge have on her spiritually?
2. The main spiritual issue for Lily is “Did the Bible offer even a single promise of God’s abiding shelter at all times through all things?” How does the story answer this question?
3. Lily can’t understand, at first, why Elijah would go through all the trouble to take care of the baby Samuel. What motivates Elijah to make that commitment? How does Lily herself eventually become attached to Samuel?
4. Lily believes that Beatrice is her friend. What is the real dynamic going on in that relationship? What kind of spiritual beliefs does Beatrice hold? Why is this attractive to Lily? How does she break free finally?
5. What attraction does the prospect of going to China hold for Elijah? How does he come to realize that God has called him to Hope, Kansas?
6. D Describe the spiritual struggles Lily and Elijah each experience when they are so afraid they will lose Samuel. How does this affect their spiritual growth?
7. How does Lily help Samuel spiritually, even before she makes her own commitment to Christ? Can God use unbelievers in a person’s life to help him or her grow spiritually? Why or why not?
8. Elijah’s torment is that he loves Lily, but she’s not a believer (at least he doesn’t know for a while even after she commits her life to Christ), so he knows he must not marry her. Everyone else seems to think Elijah should marry Lily. Is his struggle a valid one?
9. What is it about Elijah and his faith that helps Lily see the truth of the gospel?
10. Lily struggles in the end with whether to obey her father’s wishes. She concludes that she should. Is she right in this? When does the command “Children, obey your parents” no longer apply, if ever?
11. How does Lily find healing from her past? How does her father find healing?
12. A running theme throughout this story is God’s wisdom vs. human wisdom. Beatrice persuades Lily that the only person she can trust and rely upon is herself. Her father has ideas about what is best for Elijah, Lily, and the baby. Discuss the contrasts between God’s ways and human ways in this story, and how the story illustrates the true wisdom of humility, repentance, and trusting God.
About the Author
CATHERINE PALMER lives in Atlanta with her husband, Tim, where they serve as missionaries in a refugee community. They have two grown sons. Catherine is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and holds a master’s degree in English from Baylor University. Her first book was published in 1988. Since then she has published more than fifty novels, many of them national best sellers. Catherine has won numerous awards for her writing, including the Christy Award, the highest honor in Christian fiction. In 2004, she was given the Career Achievement Award for Inspirational Romance by Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine. More than 2 million copies of Catherine’s novels are currently in print.
With her compelling characters and strong message of Christian faith, Catherine is known for writing fiction that “touches the hearts and souls of readers.” Her many collections include A Town Called Hope, Treasures of the Heart, Finders Keepers, English Ivy, and the Miss Pickworth series. Catherine also recently coauthored the Four Seasons fiction series with Gary Chapman, the New York Times best-selling author of The Five Love Languages.
Visit catherinepalmer.com for more information on future releases. To learn more about her work as a missionary to refugees, visit palmermissions.blogspot.com.