Read Online A Dream to Follow by Lauraine Snelling - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauraine Snelling
Ads: Link
ours, the first graduates of Blessing School.” Pastor Solberg beamed at the four in the front row. While some folks had left for home after the dinner, most had stayed for the ceremony.
After they sang a hymn, he led them in prayer, then beckoned to Anji.
“Miss Anji Baard will be our first speaker.”
At the applause of the congregation, Anji took her place in front of the altar. Her smile quivered at the corners, but she only had to clear her throat once.
Thorliff felt his chest expand with pride. She was so beautiful, he felt his breath catch around his heart. I love her, not only as a friend, but as a man loves a woman . She shimmered in the golden light slanting through the window. He ducked his head to wipe the moisture from his eyes. Anji, I love you. Do you know that? Keeping his dancing body in the seat took a miracle of control.
“I want to thank all of you who have been my church family through these years. Pastor Solberg, you have taught all of us with such devotion. What would we have done without you? Mrs. Knutson, you gave me a love of reading. No one can make the Scriptures sing as you do when you read them aloud.” She looked around the room, smiling at each person. “Ma and Pa, I am so blessed to be your daughter. Penny, you were my older sister, far closer than a cousin.” She continued around the room, reminding everyone of things they had done to help her become the young woman standing before them. By the time she finished, folks were blowing noses and wiping eyes.
Thorliff felt as if he might burst apart with pride. She was theirs, but even more so, she was his. Surely she felt the same as he did.
When his turn came, the last, he swallowed hard and took his place. Like his beautiful Anji, he had no notes.
“God says in His Word that He has plans for each one of us, plans for good and not for evil. I believe our Father brought us to this country for good, for us to build new lives. I had a hard time believing that my far’s dying in a blizzard was God’s will, but looking back, I can see how He brought good out of that.” He glanced at his mother and Haakan and felt a bittersweet smile flicker at the tears running down his mother’s cheeks. “I think it is hard to know God’s will every moment, and sometimes it is easier to see when looking back. Like Anji, I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to so many of you. I hope to repay that debt by living the kind of life that will make all of you proud. But mostly the kind of life that will make our Father’s heart glad. I want Him to rejoice over each of us. I want to run my life’s race in a way that is pleasing to Him.
“He says to love one another.” Thorliff tried hard not to look at Anji when he said those words. “That is the second of the great commandments. To love Him is the first. I have learned that it is not always easy to love those around us, especially when we disagree. But when we love, we make our world a better place, and I know we please our heavenly Father.” He looked to each of the graduates. “So let us run our races with love and perseverance so that we might all hear ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’ Thank you and amen.”
Thorliff took his seat to a totally hushed congregation.
Pastor Solberg stood and had to clear his throat twice before he could continue. “We will now present these fine young people with their diplomas. Hjelmer Bjorklund, as president of our congregation, will assist me.” He nodded, and Hjelmer rose and approached the front. He set four wrapped packages and four leather folders on the podium before turning to give Pastor a slight nod. The two men looked to the four young people, who rose as one to form a line in alphabetical order, as they had practiced, to the left side of the two men.
Thorliff could barely swallow past an Adam’s apple that seemed to have swelled to boulder proportions. He heard Anji sniff in front of him. A wave of throat clearing, sniffing, and
After they sang a hymn, he led them in prayer, then beckoned to Anji.
“Miss Anji Baard will be our first speaker.”
At the applause of the congregation, Anji took her place in front of the altar. Her smile quivered at the corners, but she only had to clear her throat once.
Thorliff felt his chest expand with pride. She was so beautiful, he felt his breath catch around his heart. I love her, not only as a friend, but as a man loves a woman . She shimmered in the golden light slanting through the window. He ducked his head to wipe the moisture from his eyes. Anji, I love you. Do you know that? Keeping his dancing body in the seat took a miracle of control.
“I want to thank all of you who have been my church family through these years. Pastor Solberg, you have taught all of us with such devotion. What would we have done without you? Mrs. Knutson, you gave me a love of reading. No one can make the Scriptures sing as you do when you read them aloud.” She looked around the room, smiling at each person. “Ma and Pa, I am so blessed to be your daughter. Penny, you were my older sister, far closer than a cousin.” She continued around the room, reminding everyone of things they had done to help her become the young woman standing before them. By the time she finished, folks were blowing noses and wiping eyes.
Thorliff felt as if he might burst apart with pride. She was theirs, but even more so, she was his. Surely she felt the same as he did.
When his turn came, the last, he swallowed hard and took his place. Like his beautiful Anji, he had no notes.
“God says in His Word that He has plans for each one of us, plans for good and not for evil. I believe our Father brought us to this country for good, for us to build new lives. I had a hard time believing that my far’s dying in a blizzard was God’s will, but looking back, I can see how He brought good out of that.” He glanced at his mother and Haakan and felt a bittersweet smile flicker at the tears running down his mother’s cheeks. “I think it is hard to know God’s will every moment, and sometimes it is easier to see when looking back. Like Anji, I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to so many of you. I hope to repay that debt by living the kind of life that will make all of you proud. But mostly the kind of life that will make our Father’s heart glad. I want Him to rejoice over each of us. I want to run my life’s race in a way that is pleasing to Him.
“He says to love one another.” Thorliff tried hard not to look at Anji when he said those words. “That is the second of the great commandments. To love Him is the first. I have learned that it is not always easy to love those around us, especially when we disagree. But when we love, we make our world a better place, and I know we please our heavenly Father.” He looked to each of the graduates. “So let us run our races with love and perseverance so that we might all hear ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’ Thank you and amen.”
Thorliff took his seat to a totally hushed congregation.
Pastor Solberg stood and had to clear his throat twice before he could continue. “We will now present these fine young people with their diplomas. Hjelmer Bjorklund, as president of our congregation, will assist me.” He nodded, and Hjelmer rose and approached the front. He set four wrapped packages and four leather folders on the podium before turning to give Pastor a slight nod. The two men looked to the four young people, who rose as one to form a line in alphabetical order, as they had practiced, to the left side of the two men.
Thorliff could barely swallow past an Adam’s apple that seemed to have swelled to boulder proportions. He heard Anji sniff in front of him. A wave of throat clearing, sniffing, and
Similar Books
