“Not anymore, Paul,” she interrupted. “Not since I found out what really happened between my parents.”
“I know that. But I want to tell you this, to dispel any doubts you might have.” He cleared his throat. “Now look what you did, I have to start over again.”
“So, start.”
“So, let me.”
They laughed, sharing a moment of accord.
“Seriously, Amy. I was thinking about this the other day, as I was reading II Corinthians, chapter five, where it says ‘We live by faith, not by sight.’ Our faith in Christ is like that. We can’t see, but we trust that one day all will be revealed. Sometimes it happens sooner and sometimes later.” He paused a moment, tilting his head as he struggled to find the right words.
“You always worried about being faithful, and you were. You kept faith with God when I was running around ignoring Him and His love. And the truth is…you have always been faithful to me. That sounds conceited, but I know it’s true. And I cling to that. I feel unworthy of your love, much as I feel unworthy of God’s love.” He turned to her, his expression tinged with sadness. “But I cling to the comfort that as God is faithful, so you have been and will be.”
Amy could say nothing. To hear him speak so freely of God showed her even more clearly what she hadn’t felt with Tim. She had never doubted Tim’s faith, but the accord she and Paul shared, the faith they had in common, bound them firmly.
“I’m so glad I am able to love you, Paul,” she whispered, reaching over to brush a kiss across his cheek. “I thank God for you. And I pray that we can continue to be faithful to Him and each other.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and watched the windshield wipers slap back and forth, each beat bringing them both closer to their new life. Closer to home.
Dear Reader,
How many of us have ever made a promise and decided to stick with it to the bitter end? Our friendships can be like that, our business decisions, our other relationships.
When Amy made her promise to marry Tim, she was determined to prove that she could be faithful, that she could show herself to be true to her promises, unlike her mother. However, her determination was misguided and I believe there are times that we make the same mistakes in our lives. We want to be faithful, we want to be true, but sometimes we need to cut ties before we get pulled into a situation that cannot change.
I believe our lives are a balance of keeping promises and changing circumstances and we must prayerfully make every decision. We must never be afraid to change our mind if we know we can’t truly glorify God in the path we have taken.
We may be fickle people who make wrong decisions and in all things we must be prayerful and trusting. But we can cling to the promise that in all things, God’s love never changes.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0362-4
EVER FAITHFUL
Copyright © 1998 by Carolyne Aarsen
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*Stealing Home
Ever Faithful Page 26