Read Online A Younger Man (Mount Faith Series: Book 7) by Brenda Barrett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Brenda Barrett
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his mind: It's not everything that we ask God for that He wants for us. Sometimes we ignore when God says no because we are determined to have what we want. Sometimes when we get what we want it plagues our lives with trouble.
Vanley spent the rest of the drive wondering why on earth God would say no to him regarding Anita; shutting doors to them having a relationship when all he wanted to do was kick them open.
*****
The hotel was a luxurious boutique hotel owned by a church brother who usually gave them rock bottom rates for church functions. It had a one hundred and eighty degree view of the sea and was encompassed on the other side by rolling hills.
It was much warmer than Mount Faith. It is nice to have a change of temperature sometimes, Vanley thought, feeling lighter as soon as he entered the hotel's lobby. He had succeeded in burying the contrary thoughts, for now.
The checking in went smoothly and they got their schedule of the weekend's events. Vanley went to his assigned room. His roommate was a fellow pastor and a guest presenter for one of the sessions, Dexter Bigby. Dexter was a short chubby guy with a beautiful bass singing voice. They had been batch mates in university.
Dexter walked in right after Vanley entered the room and laughed heartily. "You are my room mate, Bancroft?"
Vanley grinned. "Yeah man."
"The handsome and charming Pastor Bancroft. What are you doing at singles retreat? Can't believe you are still single!"
Vanley had laughed, "I can't believe you are still single either. What happened to Laura Humphrey, that girl you were dating in college?"
"She said the life of a pastor’s wife was not for her," Dexter said as they each claimed one of the double beds.
Vanley nodded. "What is it about being a pastor’s wife that would have been so hard for her?"
Dexter guffawed. "Laura said that everybody would want to emulate her and think that she was perfect and that would be scary. Her exact words were that she 'couldn't live her life in a fish bowl.'"
Dexter shrugged. "As I see it, we were not meant to be together; so that's that."
Vanley sat on the bed. "But you guys looked so chummy together. You were the envy of all of us single men. You used to finish each other’s sentences."
Dexter pulled the drape in the room and opened the patio doors. "What a lovely view!" He inhaled and looked over at the blue Caribbean Sea and the white froth of the waves as they lapped the coastline.
He turned to Vanley. "Sometimes what we most want and what God has planned for us are very dissimilar."
Vanley nodded. "Indeed. I was thinking along the same lines, while driving over."
"Actually, that's what I am speaking about this weekend," Dexter said. "My topic is ‘The Blueprint of Courtship’."
Vanley sighed. "Would you say someone is not God's will for you if that person has been resisting you every step of the way for five long years?"
Dexter chuckled. "It’s alright to fight for some things if you get the go ahead from God. Other things you just leave alone. Some doors are closed for a reason. You, my brother, can't see the future; only God can. Sometimes if only we would stop fighting to be with a particular person, we could spare ourselves serious heartache in the future."
Vanley shuddered inwardly. He had come to the same conclusion earlier, but fighting for Anita had become second nature. He heard his friend but the fight was still in him. He couldn't see why they couldn't be together. Call him shortsighted. Call him obsessed. He heard what his friend said. He heard what his uncle said, but his feelings for Anita were hard to let go. He had nurtured them for so long that they were now a part of him.
*****
He found her sitting on a rock by the waterfall, a little before sunset. She was in a long white maxi dress; only her toes could be seen at the bottom of the dress. They were painted a light coral pink. She loved pastel nail colors. He almost smiled at how much he admired
Vanley spent the rest of the drive wondering why on earth God would say no to him regarding Anita; shutting doors to them having a relationship when all he wanted to do was kick them open.
*****
The hotel was a luxurious boutique hotel owned by a church brother who usually gave them rock bottom rates for church functions. It had a one hundred and eighty degree view of the sea and was encompassed on the other side by rolling hills.
It was much warmer than Mount Faith. It is nice to have a change of temperature sometimes, Vanley thought, feeling lighter as soon as he entered the hotel's lobby. He had succeeded in burying the contrary thoughts, for now.
The checking in went smoothly and they got their schedule of the weekend's events. Vanley went to his assigned room. His roommate was a fellow pastor and a guest presenter for one of the sessions, Dexter Bigby. Dexter was a short chubby guy with a beautiful bass singing voice. They had been batch mates in university.
Dexter walked in right after Vanley entered the room and laughed heartily. "You are my room mate, Bancroft?"
Vanley grinned. "Yeah man."
"The handsome and charming Pastor Bancroft. What are you doing at singles retreat? Can't believe you are still single!"
Vanley had laughed, "I can't believe you are still single either. What happened to Laura Humphrey, that girl you were dating in college?"
"She said the life of a pastor’s wife was not for her," Dexter said as they each claimed one of the double beds.
Vanley nodded. "What is it about being a pastor’s wife that would have been so hard for her?"
Dexter guffawed. "Laura said that everybody would want to emulate her and think that she was perfect and that would be scary. Her exact words were that she 'couldn't live her life in a fish bowl.'"
Dexter shrugged. "As I see it, we were not meant to be together; so that's that."
Vanley sat on the bed. "But you guys looked so chummy together. You were the envy of all of us single men. You used to finish each other’s sentences."
Dexter pulled the drape in the room and opened the patio doors. "What a lovely view!" He inhaled and looked over at the blue Caribbean Sea and the white froth of the waves as they lapped the coastline.
He turned to Vanley. "Sometimes what we most want and what God has planned for us are very dissimilar."
Vanley nodded. "Indeed. I was thinking along the same lines, while driving over."
"Actually, that's what I am speaking about this weekend," Dexter said. "My topic is ‘The Blueprint of Courtship’."
Vanley sighed. "Would you say someone is not God's will for you if that person has been resisting you every step of the way for five long years?"
Dexter chuckled. "It’s alright to fight for some things if you get the go ahead from God. Other things you just leave alone. Some doors are closed for a reason. You, my brother, can't see the future; only God can. Sometimes if only we would stop fighting to be with a particular person, we could spare ourselves serious heartache in the future."
Vanley shuddered inwardly. He had come to the same conclusion earlier, but fighting for Anita had become second nature. He heard his friend but the fight was still in him. He couldn't see why they couldn't be together. Call him shortsighted. Call him obsessed. He heard what his friend said. He heard what his uncle said, but his feelings for Anita were hard to let go. He had nurtured them for so long that they were now a part of him.
*****
He found her sitting on a rock by the waterfall, a little before sunset. She was in a long white maxi dress; only her toes could be seen at the bottom of the dress. They were painted a light coral pink. She loved pastel nail colors. He almost smiled at how much he admired
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