Edith cleared her throat, looking at her guests and smiling at her husband, a quiet man who seemed to enjoy letting Edith have her yenta moment. “I’m so glad all of you have joined us for this day of thanksgiving,” she said. “Will you pray for our meal, Dan?”
Dan nodded. His gaze went around the table, stopped at Ellie. She tingled to her toes at his smile. “Before I pray, I want to answer a question that Joe asked me a few months ago.” He looked at Joe, who wore a frown. “What exactly does God require of us? Especially those who live surrounded by friends or family? By churches full of the healthy, as well as the hurting?”
Dan took a deep breath. He lifted Ellie’s hand and kissed it. “I think the answer is in John 15:17: ‘Love each other.’ Love that is authentic. Love that erases condemnation. Love that means laying down your life for another. And then we will bear fruit. Fruit that will last to eternity.”
Amen, Ellie thought as she bent her head in prayer.
A Note from the Author
In my author’s note in Tying the Knot, I wrote of my journey to understanding the depth of God’s grace and how embracing that gave me the courage to surrender my future to God, including committing to return to the mission field in Russia, if He chose. Indeed, on New Year’s Eve 2002 we decided to return, and by the time March rolled around, I had filled containers with supplies and even felt an excitement building for the next term. I knew in my heart that God had good things planned.
I just didn’t expect how He would accomplish them.
Over our plans to return hovered the increasing threat of changing visa laws, continued violence, and our children’s emotional needs for security. We knew that life might be difficult, but we clung with tenacity to our plans. Even when missionaries began to be ousted from the country, we gritted our teeth and said, “We will return!”
Perhaps that is why it felt like a knife to the chest when God said no. He slammed one door after another to our return and miraculously opened the door to a new chapter of our lives in northern Minnesota, in a tiny town where we’d always dreamed of living. We stumbled toward this new opportunity like confused children, looking back over our shoulders asking, “Are You sure?” But God put peace in our hearts, confirming His plans. More than that, He gave us a place to live where we could dig roots, heal, and recharge. He sent us to our very own Deep Haven.
However, it was in this peaceful place that questions began to simmer in my soul. I’d been a missionary, either in training or on the field, for fifteen years. My life plans had been to be a career missionary. Now what? Did my fifteen years of sacrifice etch any foothold in the kingdom of God? Did I still matter to God if I didn’t live my life on the cutting edge of evangelism, my life poured out for that one purpose?
Again, God spoke to me through writing. Yes, He said. You matter. Your life matters, your sacrifices matter, your dreams matter. Because you are My beloved child. And your dreams of making a difference in your world will be accomplished through Me, as you abide, one day at a time, in My love. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
Like Ellie, I’ve surrendered loved ones and precious moments for the sake of a goal. Like Dan, I’ve looked back, wondering if I made an impact, wrestling with past choices or how I could have served better. And through writing The Perfect Match, God showed me that only by turning my eyes on Him and letting Him feed me is there any hope of bearing fruit.
I hope this thought encourages you. Life with Christ bears fruit, whether you serve in full-time missions proclaiming the gospel overseas or full-time missions wiping runny toddler noses in the middle of Iowa. And this fruit, my friends, is eternal.
Thank you for reading The Perfect Match. I’m blessed that you would spend time in Deep Haven with me. May you find the joy and hope of abiding in Christ, and may the truth of His love for you radically impact your life.
In His Grace,
Susan May Warren
About the Author
SUSAN MAY WARREN recently returned home after serving for eight years with her husband and four children as missionaries in Khabarovsk, Far East Russia. Now writing full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, she and her family enjoy hiking and canoeing and being involved in their local church.
Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota and is a multipublished author of novellas and novels with Tyndale, including Happily Ever After, the American Christian Romance Writers’ 2003 Book of the Year and a 2003 Christy Award finalist. Other books in the series include Tying the Knot and The Perfect Match, the 2004 American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year. Flee the Night, Escape to Morning, and Expect the Sunrise comprise her romantic-adventure, search-and-rescue series.
Finding Stefanie is the sequel to Reclaiming Nick and Taming Rafe and the third book in Susan’s new romantic series.
Susan invites you to visit her Web site at www.susanmaywarren.com. She also welcomes letters by e-mail at [email protected].
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