As Joan glanced into the kitchen, she smiled. “I really like how this room looks over the dining area and living room. Our old kitchen felt a little isolated.”
“I think you’ll really enjoy that, Mom. It’s pretty popular these days.”
“And you’re sure we measured for my dining room table?”
“I’m sure. It will fit fine here as long as you don’t have the leaves in it.”
Joan nodded. “Okay. I won’t be needing those anyway.”
When they walked into the bedroom, Sheila noticed the closet door wasn’t hanging right. “I’ll be right back, Mom.” She left to go get Travis, and Joan stood in the doorway trying to imagine her bedroom furniture in this room.
When Sheila pointed out the closet door to their escort, he pulled his radio off his belt loop and called the maintenance crew. “I need someone over in unit 17 to take a look at a door.” Then he turned to both ladies. “They’ll get that fixed today. I’ll make sure of it.”
The bathroom looked smaller than Sheila’s guest bath. “Do you think I’ll have room for Josie’s litter box and bed in here?” Joan asked.
“Hmmm. Maybe not.”
Travis cleared his throat. “Not to interfere, but several of our tenants have cats, and I’ve noticed they often set up those items in the utility room by the back door.”
“Utility room?” Joan asked.
“The laundry room, Mom. Let’s go take a look.”
Travis pointed to one corner of the small space. “If you put a stacking washer dryer unit here, you have some floor space left next to it.”
Joan looked at Sheila. “I was planning to use my old washer and dryer.”
“I know. But he’s got a point. Maybe we should sell those and get you a stacking set. Then Josie could have her room in here, too. Besides, I like that idea for nighttime. Then she isn’t underfoot when you wake up and need to use the bathroom.”
Joan nodded. “Okay. Let’s see what those stacking units run.”
Sheila smiled at her. “We can go after we leave here.”
As they walked back through the apartment on their way to the front door, Joan prayed silently for God’s plan as she prepared to begin this new chapter of her life.
“I think you’ll enjoy living here,” Sheila said reassuringly. “ It’ll be a fresh start for you, and it will be great to have you finally settled here in Sandy Cove.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
After their visit to Shoreline Manor, Sheila and Joan purchased a stacking washer and dryer for her new apartment and they were able to notify the movers in time to have the old units left behind at the house. Sheila and Rick would be managing the listing and rental of Joan’s home, and they suggested offering the washer and dryer to any potential tenants.
Joan tried to keep herself busy during the rest of her stay at Sheila’s house. She got out her knitting and spent more time in the guest room knitting, watching television, and reading her Bible. Although she did join Sheila and Rick for meals, she tried to keep herself out of their way the rest of the time.
“You’re not bothering us, Mom. We love having you around,” Sheila said, and Rick agreed. But Joan wanted to get used to being alone. Besides, she had Josie to keep her company in the bedroom.
Finally the day of her move arrived. Rick left right after breakfast to pick up Steve and head over to meet the moving van. Sheila helped Joan pack her remaining clothes and toiletries into suitcases. “We’ll just leave Josie’s things here for now, Mom,” Sheila said. “She’s better off not being underfoot today. We can bring her and her gear over later.”
“Good idea, honey,” Joan replied.
When they arrived at the apartment, the furniture was being placed in each room. Sheila quickly took charge, instructing the men about the placement of each item and consulting with Joan whenever there was a question. Next the kitchen boxes were brought in and stacked on counters and the dining room table. Then boxes of linens and other miscellaneous items like lamps and books were unloaded.
Joan was amazed at her daughter’s efficiency as she instructed Steve and Rick in the unloading process. Soon the apartment began to take on the look of a home, with a cozy seating arrangement in the living room, a sleep-ready bedroom, and a well-stocked bathroom.
Michelle and Madison arrived around noon, bringing deli sandwiches for all as well as a flat of water bottles and some cookies. With Caleb occupied at his friend’s house and all the heavy lifting and moving completed, the men settled down with their lunches and flipped on Joan’s television to watch a basketball game, while the ladies ate and strategized the unpacking of the boxes and stocking the kitchen.
It took Michelle and Madison a couple of hours to line all the kitchen shelves and drawers. Sheila and Joan used that time to work in the bedroom and bathroom, emptying boxes and suitcases while they chatted about how well everything seemed to fit.
By the middle of the afternoon, the four females were unloading all the kitchen gear. Plates, glasses, pots, pans, utensils, cutlery, and silverware all found new homes.
“There’s more storage here than I thought,” Joan said with a smile.
“Need any help in here?” Steve asked, as he came to grab the cookie tin.
“Perfect timing, honey,” Michelle replied. “We just finished.”
“Let’s send them to the market,” Sheila said. She retrieved a small notepad from her purse and made a list of the essentials Joan would need for the night and morning. “Are you sure you don’t want to come back to my place just for tonight?” she asked her mother.
“No. I want to stay here. But I do want to get Josie first.”
“Right. We’ll have the men stop at the house and pick her up on their way back here,” Sheila replied, taking her list to Rick. “Honey, would you and Steve please go and pick up these items at the grocery store and then pick up the kitten and her gear on your way back?”
Rick looked at Steve, who nodded. “Okay.” He took the list, and they left.
“Our turn to sit down,” Michelle said. “Why don’t I make us some tea and we can enjoy a few of those cookies ourselves.”
As they sat around Joan’s dining room table, Sheila asked how things were going at school.
“I’ve got a great group of kids this year,” Michelle replied. “But I guess Caleb’s teacher is having some struggles. She’s got mostly boys. Nineteen out of the twenty-eight in the class. She sent out an email to all the parents yesterday asking for volunteers to come help out, especially during the reading instruction. I wish I could help her.”
“Maybe I could do it,” Sheila offered. “I’m no teacher, but I’d be happy to do whatever I can.”
“She’s mostly looking for other adults to sit one-on-one with kids who are struggling and listen to them read aloud, helping them out when they get stuck.”
“Sounds easy,” her mother said.
Joan listened, wondering if she should offer, too. Phil’s words about finding her purpose came back to her. “Do you think she’d take an old lady like me?” she asked Michelle.
“I think she’d be thrilled to have you, Grandma,” Michelle replied, “and Caleb would be so excited to have you two helping in his class.”
“Why don’t you send his teacher an email and find out if she’d like us to come together,” Sheila suggested, sounding excited about the idea of volunteering with Joan.
“I’ll do that and let you know,” she promised.
“Did you tell Michelle about the boxes of Dad’s sermons?” Sheila asked.
“Is that what all those file boxes are in your garage, Mom?” Michelle asked.
“Yep. Your grandmother was wondering if Ben might be interested in having them.”
Suddenly it seemed like a silly idea to Joan. Almost as if she thought their pastor was a novice. “I’ve also thought about going through them and compiling some kind of devotional book for all of you,” she said.
“I love that idea, Grandma. Maybe we could work on it together du
ring the summer,” Michelle replied enthusiastically.
“Really?” Joan asked.
“Sure! I would love to do that.”
And again, a surge of joy found its way into Joan’s heart.
That evening, after they’d all shared a pizza and salad dinner, Joan found herself alone in her new home, with Josie curled up on her lap. She was just about to watch a little television, when her doorbell rang.
“I wonder who that could be?” she said to her little friend.
As she opened the door, she was greeted by another woman, who looked to be about her age. “Hi there. My name’s Margie,” she said with a warm smile. “I live next door, and I just wanted to welcome you to Shoreline and give you these.” She held out a basket, pulling back a cloth napkin to reveal some blueberry muffins. “I made them myself. From scratch,” she added proudly.
Joan welcomed her into her apartment, introduced herself, and offered Margie a cup of tea.
“That sounds delightful,” the woman replied with a slight brogue. “And let’s have a muffin while they are warm.”
Soon they were chatting about Shoreline Manor and finding out about each other’s lives. “So I take it you are a widow, too,” Margie said.
Joan nodded. “My Phil went home to be with the Lord not too long ago.”
“It’s been five years for me. Bobby was a minister for nearly fifty years. We always planned to travel after we retired, but…well…how do you get a man to retire from something that’s so deeply engrained in his heart?”
“I know exactly what you mean. Phil was a pastor, too. He did retire from full-time work at the church, but he had a little congregation he ministered to at the local Alzheimer’s home.”
As they sat together swapping tales about their lives as pastors’ wives, Joan was pleased with how much they had in common.
“I think you’ll like it here,” Margie said. “There are many good churches in the area, and Shoreline provides van transportation to all of them.”
Joan told her about Ben’s church and her family who lived in the area.
“How wonderful for you to be so close to your daughter and granddaughter! I do miss my son and his family. But they had to move to the east coast for business. So I count on my church ladies and friends here at Shoreline to be my second family,” Margie said. Then she glanced at the kitchen clock. “Just look at the time, will you? And here I am chatting on while you are probably exhausted from your move.”
“Actually, you’ve been welcome company, hasn’t she, Josie?” Joan replied, scooping up the kitten from the floor.
“What an adorable little kitty.” Margie reached over and stroked the kitten’s soft fur. “Well, I’d better be going. But let’s have lunch together one day soon. I make a pretty mean chicken salad sandwich,” she added with a wink. “And you keep these.” She gestured toward the muffins. “You can return the basket later.”
After she’d left, Joan went into her bedroom to get ready for bed. Although she’d dreaded this first night on her own, she didn’t feel alone anymore. “I made a new friend today, Phil,” she said to his picture on her nightstand before she knelt down to pray.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Joan’s pulse quickened as she and Sheila walked into Caleb’s classroom for their first day as volunteers. The teacher, Mrs. Harding, was just giving the children instructions about their independent seatwork to be done while the reading groups met in the back.
“I see that our volunteers have arrived,” she said as all eyes in the room locked on Joan and her daughter. “Caleb, would you please come to the front and introduce your grandmother and great grandmother to all of us?”
Caleb glanced around at his classmates and smiled. He seemed at ease with the attention and was quick to take center stage up by the whiteboard. Taking Sheila by the hand, he led her to the middle of the room. “This is my Grandma Sheila.” Then he tugged on her arm and whispered something to her. Listening to her response and nodding, he added, “You can call her ‘Mrs. Chambers’.”
Joan was so used to her daughter being Sheila Ackerman that it took a moment for her to process her new married name. Upon the teacher’s instruction, the children all greeted Sheila with “Good morning, Mrs. Chambers.”
And then Caleb was at Joan’s side, pulling her to the front and center to stand next to Sheila. “This is my Great Grandma Joan,” he said proudly. “And you can call her…” He looked up at Joan’s face, suddenly looking at a loss for words.
“Mrs. Walker,” Joan whispered into his ear.
“Mrs. Walker,” he repeated aloud.
“Good morning, Mrs. Walker,” the class said. Joan smiled, and an unexpected joy bubbled up from deep within. As a young girl, she’d always admired her teachers and hoped one day to become one herself. But life as a pastor’s wife had been full and fulfilling.
Now she was on the brink of an opportunity to share a small role in helping educate this enthusiastic group of second graders. You are certainly full of surprises, she whispered in her spirit to God, and a scripture popped into her mind. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Within a few minutes, she found herself sitting with a little girl who barely spoke English. Her parents were migrant workers, and shy little Amelia was struggling to read a language she couldn’t even speak fluently. Her large brown eyes locked on Joan’s, pleading for help.
With a small stack of sight words and pictures on index cards, Joan set to work helping Amelia on her journey to literacy. Their twenty minutes together passed quickly, but by the end of it she was able to identify more than half of the words without looking at the pictures on the back. “Good job, Amelia,” Joan said, giving her a warm smile. “We’ll learn the rest next time.”
After Amelia, a little boy named Cameron walked up to her with his reader in hand. A note from the teacher, who was leading a reading group at the back of the room, explained the process of partner reading. Joan was to read one page aloud to the boy and then he would read the other page to her. “Give him time to sound out words he doesn’t know before you help him,” the note said.
So Joan and Cameron sat side-by-side and read a tale about a boy and his dog. “Have you ever had a dog?” she asked the little guy.
He shook his head forlornly.
“Well maybe some day you will,” she replied, thinking about Thumper and all the joy that pup had brought her husband and was now bringing her great grandson.
Before she knew it, the hour was up and it was time to leave. Caleb raced over and gave her and Sheila big hugs before he left for recess.
“Thank you so much for your help this morning,” Julie Harding said. “The kids love one-on-one attention like that.”
Joan nodded. “I think I had as much fun as they did.”
Sheila agreed.
As they walked out of the school building, Sheila suggested they go out for lunch.
“I wish I could, dear. But I’ve got plans,” Joan replied.
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m having lunch with Margie, my new neighbor. We’re thinking about starting a Bible study at Shoreline, so we’re going to discuss it today.”
“You amaze me, Mom,” Sheila said.
“I do?”
“Yes. You remind me of Dad,” Sheila replied, her voice filled with emotion as she added, “Always ready to serve.”
Joan turned and hugged her, tears filling her eyes. “Now that’s just about the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she replied. And in that instant, she realized Phil’s words were true. God had a purpose for her life. Even now.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
As the Sandy Cove series continues to unfold, God has been teaching me about the many layers of His endless grace. Beginning with Michelle’s original quest for truth in Out of a Dream, a thread of His divine grace has been woven into the tapestry of the lives of the characters in Through the Tears, Into Magnolia, and Around the Bend. The sa
me holds true in From the Heart.
Starting over is never easy. Whether it is a new home in an unfamiliar area, a change of jobs, or the loss of a loved one, we all experience seasons of disequilibrium, when the world seems tilted and the future uncertain.
As Joan’s journey through loss and grief unfolded, I yearned for her to find a new sense of purpose. Something that would fill her heart with hope and give her life new meaning.
Just as He has faithfully done for me in many different seasons of struggle, God came through for Joan. He used her beloved Phil to deliver a message of faith and encouragement at a time when she was about to succumb to despair.
Your situation may be similar or very different from hers. But if you are in your own struggle to find meaning and purpose, or are facing decisions that confuse and overwhelm you or sorrows too hard to bear, I pray that God will speak grace into your life. Just as Joan candidly shared her fears and sorrow with Him, I urge you to do the same.
The sweetest times I’ve experienced with God flowed out of the most gut-wrenching prayers. When I’ve let go of all my pretenses of self-control and perceived spirituality and cried out in utter desperation, God has made His presence intimately known; listened patiently to my fears, frustrations, and heartaches; and the lifted me into His ever-loving arms. These are the moments He’s spoken Truth into my life, built my faith, and taught me about His boundless grace.
I’ve learned that nothing is wasted in His economy. For every season of brokenness, there is a hidden treasure of promise— a way He intends to redeem your pain and turn it into a blessing, not only for you, but for others as well.
This is the secret Jesus spoke of when He spoke of giving away your life to find it. (Matthew 10:39) When Joan tried to hold onto her old life, she was empty. At her age, it’s understandable that she felt her purpose was over. She’d ministered alongside her pastor husband for many years. But now he was gone, and she was an old woman.
It took Phil’s words of love and encouragement to reach down from heaven and remind her of the blessing of service. When she stepped out in faith once again and began to give her life away to the students in Caleb’s class, she discovered a new chapter of fulfillment, meaning, and purpose.
From the Heart (Sandy Cove Series Book 5) Page 13
