crashing to the floor.
The eggs exploded into goo.
Aaron exploded into a rage. “This is
stupid
!”
“It is not!” Shannon’s tears erupted again.
Before Dan could say a word, Aaron spat out his fury. “Give it up! Who do you think you are? Mom?”
Oh, yeah. That was a lovely way to start the weekend. By afternoon they had the kitchen cleaned up, and Aaron and Shannon reached a kind of uneasy peace. As for Dan, he went through the rest of the day forcing his lips to smile and his words to be encouraging.
Not an easy task when all he wanted to do was hit something.
Now he sat in his recliner, got the pillow arranged just right, and pushed back. He closed his eyes, slowing his breathing, trying to convince himself he was sleepy. This wasn’t so bad, really. Probably better for his back in the long ru—
“Dad?”
He cracked one eye open. Two forms stood beside him.
“We want to sleep in here. With you.”
“What …” He pushed up on one elbow. “What’s wrong with your beds?” It only took a look from one child to the other to know. His kids had been acting, too. They weren’t dealing with the nights any better than he was.
He opened his arms, and both kids climbed up onto his lap, each snuggling down in the crook of an arm. Good thing he had an oversized recliner.
He’d just about drifted back to sleep.
“Daddy?”
He forced his eyes open. Shannon lay with one hand clutching his shirt, the other wrapped around the lion’s head pendant. “What is it, Shannon?”
“Can we sing the song?”
He stared at the ceiling, felt Aaron shift and lift his head to look at him.
“Yeah, sing the song, Dad.”
A flash of anger left his voice stuck someplace in his throat. He and Sarah used to sing the song to the kids together. From the time they were infants. Just as Dan’s mother sang it to him.
Singing it now … without her …
He glared at the darkness. He couldn’t
do
this! How was he supposed to raise these two without Sarah? How was he supposed to face one more day knowing she wasn’t here? Wouldn’t ever be here again?
Suddenly a small, sweet voice filled the quiet room.
“Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you
.
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you
.
God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”
Shannon’s voice was so like her mother’s. Dan’s eyes closed, his arms tightening around his children. Aaron laid his head on Dan’s shoulder and lifted his voice to join his sister’s.
“Through days of toil when heart doth fail
,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you
.
God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”
As he listened, it was as though he could hear other voices joining in. His mother’s. Sarah’s. Each letting him know they weren’t gone. Not really. They were there, in his children. In his heart.
Finally, with a shuddering breath, Dan opened his mouth and sang.
“All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.
No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.”
As the sound of their voices drifted into silence, Dan placed a kiss on Aaron’s, then Shannon’s foreheads. Yes, Sarah was gone. But part of her lived on in the two he held in his arms.
For that, he would always be grateful.
The next day, when the kids were off to school, Dan called his sisters, asking them to pray for him. “We need a change. I’m just not sure what kind.
Kyla and Annie each agreed to spend time every day for the next week reading the Bible and praying, asking God to give them a special verse for guidance. At the end of the week, Kyla and Annie would drive to his house to talk.
Dan sat
The eggs exploded into goo.
Aaron exploded into a rage. “This is
stupid
!”
“It is not!” Shannon’s tears erupted again.
Before Dan could say a word, Aaron spat out his fury. “Give it up! Who do you think you are? Mom?”
Oh, yeah. That was a lovely way to start the weekend. By afternoon they had the kitchen cleaned up, and Aaron and Shannon reached a kind of uneasy peace. As for Dan, he went through the rest of the day forcing his lips to smile and his words to be encouraging.
Not an easy task when all he wanted to do was hit something.
Now he sat in his recliner, got the pillow arranged just right, and pushed back. He closed his eyes, slowing his breathing, trying to convince himself he was sleepy. This wasn’t so bad, really. Probably better for his back in the long ru—
“Dad?”
He cracked one eye open. Two forms stood beside him.
“We want to sleep in here. With you.”
“What …” He pushed up on one elbow. “What’s wrong with your beds?” It only took a look from one child to the other to know. His kids had been acting, too. They weren’t dealing with the nights any better than he was.
He opened his arms, and both kids climbed up onto his lap, each snuggling down in the crook of an arm. Good thing he had an oversized recliner.
He’d just about drifted back to sleep.
“Daddy?”
He forced his eyes open. Shannon lay with one hand clutching his shirt, the other wrapped around the lion’s head pendant. “What is it, Shannon?”
“Can we sing the song?”
He stared at the ceiling, felt Aaron shift and lift his head to look at him.
“Yeah, sing the song, Dad.”
A flash of anger left his voice stuck someplace in his throat. He and Sarah used to sing the song to the kids together. From the time they were infants. Just as Dan’s mother sang it to him.
Singing it now … without her …
He glared at the darkness. He couldn’t
do
this! How was he supposed to raise these two without Sarah? How was he supposed to face one more day knowing she wasn’t here? Wouldn’t ever be here again?
Suddenly a small, sweet voice filled the quiet room.
“Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you
.
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you
.
God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”
Shannon’s voice was so like her mother’s. Dan’s eyes closed, his arms tightening around his children. Aaron laid his head on Dan’s shoulder and lifted his voice to join his sister’s.
“Through days of toil when heart doth fail
,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you
.
God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”
As he listened, it was as though he could hear other voices joining in. His mother’s. Sarah’s. Each letting him know they weren’t gone. Not really. They were there, in his children. In his heart.
Finally, with a shuddering breath, Dan opened his mouth and sang.
“All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.
No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.”
As the sound of their voices drifted into silence, Dan placed a kiss on Aaron’s, then Shannon’s foreheads. Yes, Sarah was gone. But part of her lived on in the two he held in his arms.
For that, he would always be grateful.
The next day, when the kids were off to school, Dan called his sisters, asking them to pray for him. “We need a change. I’m just not sure what kind.
Kyla and Annie each agreed to spend time every day for the next week reading the Bible and praying, asking God to give them a special verse for guidance. At the end of the week, Kyla and Annie would drive to his house to talk.
Dan sat
Similar Books
