Read Online No Distance Too Far by Lauraine Snelling - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauraine Snelling
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be a good thing to make for the wagon.”
“Do Indian children play with dolls?”
“Isn’t that the way every culture passes on how to care for their children?”
“I don’t know. Just asking.”
“Well, if anyone feels like making rag dolls, go right ahead. You know, I was thinking. What if we asked the schoolchildren if they would like to be involved in this project?”
Silence fell while they considered the new idea.
“Okay, let’s take our places, and we can talk about such things among ourselves,” Ingeborg said. “Kaaren, are you planning on reading to us today?”
“If you want.”
“Ja, we want,” Mrs. Geddick said.
Ingeborg felt like someone was staring daggers into her back. She didn’t bother to turn around. This time Hildegunn could not blame her. Other than for the fact her daughter was the one who sent the request.
As the work got underway, she chose the first shift on the sewing machine. This way she would not get badgered into an argument. Uff da, she scolded herself. You are not feeling very Christian, and here there wasn’t even an argument. What had happened to change the hard feelings from last month?
She turned around when a chair scraped back. Hildegunn stood and fetched a box from the side of the room. “I have to say that I don’t approve our being coerced into helping those Indians so far away when there are those closer to home that need help too, but here are two quilts that I finished at home so we can start filling the barrels.” She laid them across two chairs. “My Benny helped me choose the colors.”
Coerced. The word made her want to jump up and scream in Hildegunn’s face. But she brought two quilts. This makes no sense whatsoever.
Kaaren leaned over her shoulder. “Prayer in action, dear sister. We just saw a miracle happen.”
“But isn’t there something about giving with a joyful spirit?” she whispered back.
“True, but praise in everything tops that, I think, at least in this case.”
And to think I wasted good sleeping hours stewing about this meeting. Father in heaven, I stand, or rather sit, in awe. My Benny , she’ d said. Was that part of the transformation? Whatever it was, God had done it. A miracle indeed. Now if He would work another and bring Astrid home.
6
Dear Mr. Landsverk,
I owe you the most abject of apologies. Today in the mail I received a large envelope from the hospital in Chicago. It contained two letters you had written to me that somehow had gone astray in the mailing process. I felt hurt that you had not lived up to your word to write to me, and therefore I did not write to you either. It wasn’t your fault, and I should not have jumped to conclusions.
Joshua felt like jumping himself. He had finally heard from Astrid. He continued reading.
So please accept my plea for forgiveness and forgive me.
Another act of forgiveness. Was this a lesson he had to keep learning over and over? His first rush of feeling was to continue being angry. But now that he was reading the letter for the second time, all he could find was gratitude—and indeed forgiveness. He reinforced the knowledge by repeating one of the verses he’d learned. “ ‘Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.’ ” He said it once more for good measure. Maybe this was something he would have to repeat for the rest of his life. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. He stared at the letter, the ink blurring on the page. So much had happened. How would he get it all sorted out?
I am at a college in Athens, Georgia, enrolled in their four-month missionary school. I have applied for a two-year term of service, and we shall see if that is approved.
Was it being Christian to pray that she not be approved? He grimaced. Good thing God could see the whole picture and would do the best for everyone. Where had he heard that? Most likely from Pastor Solberg. And to think he almost didn’t get off in Blessing when he returned from Iowa but had planned to continue on west
“Do Indian children play with dolls?”
“Isn’t that the way every culture passes on how to care for their children?”
“I don’t know. Just asking.”
“Well, if anyone feels like making rag dolls, go right ahead. You know, I was thinking. What if we asked the schoolchildren if they would like to be involved in this project?”
Silence fell while they considered the new idea.
“Okay, let’s take our places, and we can talk about such things among ourselves,” Ingeborg said. “Kaaren, are you planning on reading to us today?”
“If you want.”
“Ja, we want,” Mrs. Geddick said.
Ingeborg felt like someone was staring daggers into her back. She didn’t bother to turn around. This time Hildegunn could not blame her. Other than for the fact her daughter was the one who sent the request.
As the work got underway, she chose the first shift on the sewing machine. This way she would not get badgered into an argument. Uff da, she scolded herself. You are not feeling very Christian, and here there wasn’t even an argument. What had happened to change the hard feelings from last month?
She turned around when a chair scraped back. Hildegunn stood and fetched a box from the side of the room. “I have to say that I don’t approve our being coerced into helping those Indians so far away when there are those closer to home that need help too, but here are two quilts that I finished at home so we can start filling the barrels.” She laid them across two chairs. “My Benny helped me choose the colors.”
Coerced. The word made her want to jump up and scream in Hildegunn’s face. But she brought two quilts. This makes no sense whatsoever.
Kaaren leaned over her shoulder. “Prayer in action, dear sister. We just saw a miracle happen.”
“But isn’t there something about giving with a joyful spirit?” she whispered back.
“True, but praise in everything tops that, I think, at least in this case.”
And to think I wasted good sleeping hours stewing about this meeting. Father in heaven, I stand, or rather sit, in awe. My Benny , she’ d said. Was that part of the transformation? Whatever it was, God had done it. A miracle indeed. Now if He would work another and bring Astrid home.
6
Dear Mr. Landsverk,
I owe you the most abject of apologies. Today in the mail I received a large envelope from the hospital in Chicago. It contained two letters you had written to me that somehow had gone astray in the mailing process. I felt hurt that you had not lived up to your word to write to me, and therefore I did not write to you either. It wasn’t your fault, and I should not have jumped to conclusions.
Joshua felt like jumping himself. He had finally heard from Astrid. He continued reading.
So please accept my plea for forgiveness and forgive me.
Another act of forgiveness. Was this a lesson he had to keep learning over and over? His first rush of feeling was to continue being angry. But now that he was reading the letter for the second time, all he could find was gratitude—and indeed forgiveness. He reinforced the knowledge by repeating one of the verses he’d learned. “ ‘Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.’ ” He said it once more for good measure. Maybe this was something he would have to repeat for the rest of his life. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. He stared at the letter, the ink blurring on the page. So much had happened. How would he get it all sorted out?
I am at a college in Athens, Georgia, enrolled in their four-month missionary school. I have applied for a two-year term of service, and we shall see if that is approved.
Was it being Christian to pray that she not be approved? He grimaced. Good thing God could see the whole picture and would do the best for everyone. Where had he heard that? Most likely from Pastor Solberg. And to think he almost didn’t get off in Blessing when he returned from Iowa but had planned to continue on west
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