Read Online Prairie Storm by Catherine Palmer - Free Book Online Page A

his eye fell on—and realized to his chagrin that he’d landed in Hosea.
    â€œâ€˜Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel,’” he read. “‘For the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.’”
    Oh, great . He’d preached plenty of sermons admonishing the wicked—in fact, the topic moved him deeply. But he didn’t think a guilt-and-repentance message was a great way to introduce a preacher to his new congregation.
    Eli looked out at the sea of expectant faces, tried to figure out what to say next, and went back to reading. “‘Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.’”
    He could feel the heat prickling up his back and onto his neck. This wasn’t getting any better. Did he really want to do just what Lily had said and preach a sermon on the wrath of God? Eli fished in his pocket for his handkerchief to mop his brow, realized he’d tied it onto Samuel for a diaper in the middle of the night, and shut his Bible. Oh, Lord, speak through me , he prayed. Say what you want to say, Father, because I’m up the creek without a paddle .
    He summoned his wits the best he could and began. “Do you want your land to mourn? Do you intend to languish here on the prairie? No? Then turn from your sin. Repent! Walk away from your evil—your lies, your swearing, your thieving, and your murder. Beg forgiveness of the Father!” He hammered his fist on the wooden podium. “Fall down on your knees and pray to be spared from the wrath of almighty God!”
    At that, one of the little redheaded O’Toole children burst into tears. Dismayed, Eli watched the child’s mother trying to comfort her daughter, and he prayed again for divine assistance. Not hearing any heavenly messages, he said the first thing that came to mind.
    â€œWeep! Weep and wail for the sin that besets you. You enjoy your evil deeds. You argue, fight, and squabble among yourselves. You gossip and slander and lie. Repent now, I say! The hour of the Lord is at hand. He sees your wickedness. He knows even the smallest sin in your heart. You cannot escape!”
    As Eli continued to expound on the wages of sin, a huge dog wandered into the church building. Tail thumping one bench after another, the mutt carried a meaty bone in his big chops as he meandered over to the Hunter family.
    â€œStubby!” the Hunter boy cried out. “What’re you doin’ in church?”
    The crowd broke into muffled laughter as the dog flopped onto the floor and began gnawing his bone. But not even the loud crunching and slurping were enough to cheer the O’Toole girl, who continued to sob as though the world were coming to an end. At a loss for what to say next, Eli opened his Bible again. He glanced at the page and realized he was holding the book upside down.
    When he lifted his focus to yet another disturbance at the back of the room, he recognized Lily Nolan silhouetted in the open doorway. Hands on her hips, she scanned the crowd in search of Samuel. Eli’s spirits soared.
    She didn’t leave! She’s here!
    He swallowed a victory whoop. Preach, Eli , he heard the voice inside his heart. Preach the Word of the Lord .
    But what had he been saying?
    â€œYou cannot escape,” he repeated his last words. “You cannot escape God’s wrath—”
    He met Lily’s bright blue eyes.
    â€œAnd you cannot escape his love,” he went on. “God hates sin—that much is true. But he loves you. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. All through the Bible, time after time, God showed his