Read Online A Younger Man (Mount Faith Series: Book 7) by Brenda Barrett - Free Book Online
Authors: Brenda Barrett
Ads: Link
brothers, and the girl looked like she was in her teens. The girl could be her daughter. They were closer to Vanley's age. The thought almost paralyzed her as she stood beside the car, clutching her bag.
"Ready?" Vanley advanced to her with his loping stride and charming smile.
Anita almost shook her head and said no. What was she doing? Then the thought came to her that she could go back home but Carol was at her house. She swallowed.
She didn't want to have to explain to her uninvited houseguest why she was no longer going to the retreat. She didn't want Carol to know too much about her life, especially anything to do with Vanley and his age. Carol would have a field day with that piece of information.
Vanley was looking at her, a small crease between his eyebrows.
"Oh no, Anita," he whispered, "don't tell me that you are changing your mind."
"Well... er... who are they?" Anita whispered fiercely. "You didn't tell me we were going to have company."
"They are last minute company," Vanley whispered back. "They are harmless, they won't bite."
"Maybe I shouldn't bother..."
Vanley closed one hand over her suitcase handle and tugged it gently. He held onto her hand, clasping it tightly and giving her a gentle tug. "You can do it."
"This thing is for young people," Anita said, walking behind him reluctantly. "Why on earth am I going?"
"Because you promised me," Vanley said, stowing her bag in the trunk of the car, "and you keep your promises."
Obviously, that was said in an effort to shame her into doing good. Anita walked to the front and smiled at the youngsters. "Hello," she said, getting into the car.
"Hello," they said with varying levels of cheerfulness.
"I am Anita." She felt obliged to introduce herself before Vanley came and said something linking her to the university and allowing them to speculate about her age.
"I am Joshua, and this is my brother, Joseph," one of the guys said. They both had similar grins and Anita nodded. Up close, it was hard to distinguish who was who.
The girl said, "And I am Rose. Are you Pastor Vanley's girlfriend?"
Anita almost sighed in relief at the question. At least she hadn't asked if she was his mother.
"No, I am not his girlfriend," she said quickly.
Vanley came into the vehicle. "To the beautiful parish we go. Want to pray for journeying mercies, Joseph?"
Joseph nodded and prayed.
The trip was lively. Anita had to give the passengers in the back credit. They looked young, but they didn't act it. They acted more mature than Carol! She was extremely grateful for that.
As they started to enter the parish of St. Ann, as usual, she felt a little lighter. She glanced over at Vanley. He was animatedly discussing the meaning of prayer with Joseph.
"Prayer is asking," Vanley was saying to Joseph. "The word for prayer means, to ask. Prayer is not a casual conversation, or just talking to God. It is not praise, or thanksgiving, it is asking God for something. I think we use the word prayer too loosely."
"So you would interpret ‘The Lords Prayer’ as ‘The Lords Asking’?" Joseph snorted.
"Yup," Vanley said. "Look at it closely and see. After acknowledging Our Father, everything else is asking for something: our daily bread, keeping us from trespasses, etcetera. Every single prayer is an act of asking. In James 4:2,3 it says, ' Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.'"
He looked at Anita when he said that, and it hit him that he had been asking the Lord for her for five years and he had gotten nowhere. Maybe that was because they weren't meant to be together and he was asking amiss.
He barely heard Joseph’s rebuttal. His brother Joshua, and Rose, and even Anita had chimed into the conversation, but he went silent.
Really, maybe he was asking amiss. Maybe she was not the right woman for him. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Surely, God would not do that to him, would he? Just then, the thought crept into
"Ready?" Vanley advanced to her with his loping stride and charming smile.
Anita almost shook her head and said no. What was she doing? Then the thought came to her that she could go back home but Carol was at her house. She swallowed.
She didn't want to have to explain to her uninvited houseguest why she was no longer going to the retreat. She didn't want Carol to know too much about her life, especially anything to do with Vanley and his age. Carol would have a field day with that piece of information.
Vanley was looking at her, a small crease between his eyebrows.
"Oh no, Anita," he whispered, "don't tell me that you are changing your mind."
"Well... er... who are they?" Anita whispered fiercely. "You didn't tell me we were going to have company."
"They are last minute company," Vanley whispered back. "They are harmless, they won't bite."
"Maybe I shouldn't bother..."
Vanley closed one hand over her suitcase handle and tugged it gently. He held onto her hand, clasping it tightly and giving her a gentle tug. "You can do it."
"This thing is for young people," Anita said, walking behind him reluctantly. "Why on earth am I going?"
"Because you promised me," Vanley said, stowing her bag in the trunk of the car, "and you keep your promises."
Obviously, that was said in an effort to shame her into doing good. Anita walked to the front and smiled at the youngsters. "Hello," she said, getting into the car.
"Hello," they said with varying levels of cheerfulness.
"I am Anita." She felt obliged to introduce herself before Vanley came and said something linking her to the university and allowing them to speculate about her age.
"I am Joshua, and this is my brother, Joseph," one of the guys said. They both had similar grins and Anita nodded. Up close, it was hard to distinguish who was who.
The girl said, "And I am Rose. Are you Pastor Vanley's girlfriend?"
Anita almost sighed in relief at the question. At least she hadn't asked if she was his mother.
"No, I am not his girlfriend," she said quickly.
Vanley came into the vehicle. "To the beautiful parish we go. Want to pray for journeying mercies, Joseph?"
Joseph nodded and prayed.
The trip was lively. Anita had to give the passengers in the back credit. They looked young, but they didn't act it. They acted more mature than Carol! She was extremely grateful for that.
As they started to enter the parish of St. Ann, as usual, she felt a little lighter. She glanced over at Vanley. He was animatedly discussing the meaning of prayer with Joseph.
"Prayer is asking," Vanley was saying to Joseph. "The word for prayer means, to ask. Prayer is not a casual conversation, or just talking to God. It is not praise, or thanksgiving, it is asking God for something. I think we use the word prayer too loosely."
"So you would interpret ‘The Lords Prayer’ as ‘The Lords Asking’?" Joseph snorted.
"Yup," Vanley said. "Look at it closely and see. After acknowledging Our Father, everything else is asking for something: our daily bread, keeping us from trespasses, etcetera. Every single prayer is an act of asking. In James 4:2,3 it says, ' Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.'"
He looked at Anita when he said that, and it hit him that he had been asking the Lord for her for five years and he had gotten nowhere. Maybe that was because they weren't meant to be together and he was asking amiss.
He barely heard Joseph’s rebuttal. His brother Joshua, and Rose, and even Anita had chimed into the conversation, but he went silent.
Really, maybe he was asking amiss. Maybe she was not the right woman for him. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. Surely, God would not do that to him, would he? Just then, the thought crept into
Similar Books
