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Authors: Elaine Littau
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He will help you live the life you were meant to live. He wants you to hold your head up and trust that , ‘If you confess your sin, He is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.’ You are a very intelligent girl. I know that if you spend some time in prayer, you will know that I am right.”
Betty looked down as she stood. “I need to get busy. It is almost time for the lunch crowd.”
“No, I want you to go to your place and write that letter. You can’t work until you do. I will mail it for you to be sure that you wrote it. First, you need to have a conversation with God and tell Him you are sorry that you haven’t been trusting Him enough to know that He loves you.”
“Miss Sweetie...”
“Don’t ‘Miss Sweetie’ me. I will check on you in ten minutes. I expect to see the letter then. Yes, I will be reading it so that I can be sure you are being forthright with Johnny. Now, scoot!”
Betty walked through the quiet cafe and up to her apartment. She fell on the floor next to her bed and sobbed out a prayer to God. It hadn’t occurred to her that not trusting in His love for her might have hurt Him. “Oh God! Oh God! I don’t know what to say. I am so lost right now. How can I be so lost? I have never left Your house. I have prayed.”
She sobbed and blew her nose. “Okay, God, I am going to try to talk to you regular-like. I want to do right, but I mess it all up. I guess it is because I am trying so hard to fix myself... by myself. Help me! Forgive me for not trusting You to take care of me.”
She glanced around the small room and continued, “You have been taking care of me, haven’t You! How is it that you care about me? I’m not worth it.”
She crept to the floor and pounded her fists on the hardwood surface. “I do love You and thank You for showing me how to help my baby...my...son.” Groaning, she turned her cheek to the side and sucked in a gulp of air. “Please be with him and let the people who took him in love him like they should. Show me what to do. And...about Johnny...I don’t know if I should bother him. I am such a mess. Help me write what You think I should write to him. You know Miss Sweetie is expecting me to write, so I have to. Help Miss Sweetie and Bill to heal from their sorrow.”
She paused for a long minute, “In Jesus ’ Name I pray, Amen.”
Her hands trembled as she took a sheet of notebook paper from the cabinet drawer. I know this is a big mistake. After many attempts, the letter was written.
Betty entered the cafe and found Miss Sweetie in her office. Wordlessly, she placed the letter in front of her.
Dear Johnny,
Just today I got word from my mother that you stopped by to see me. I hope she wasn’t rude to you. I never told her about you because I thought you were too good to be true. You were like a beautiful dream that was over way too soon. Mother has a way of messing with my dreams. I wanted to remember you as you were.
I have left the Bible College at present. Life wasn’t the same without you or Trudy there. Right now I have a good job in a cafe on the outskirts of Nashville. Someday, I may make the six mile trip there and see if I can get a job as a backup singer or songwriter.
I am happy here and you really don’t need to worry about me. It would be great to see you again, but I know you must have moved on. I still have the promise ring and the memory of your love.
Love
Betty Jo Barnes
Miss Sweetie looked up from the letter with tears dancing in her eyes. “You wrote a fine letter.”
“I don’t want to send it,” Betty said as she wrung her small hands.
“He loved you enough to give you a promise ring. That means he deserves to know where you are. After this is sent, it is up to him to come to you. I am going to see to it that you have a proper return address on the letter so that he can find you.”
Betty nodded and walked out of the room, leaving the letter
Betty looked down as she stood. “I need to get busy. It is almost time for the lunch crowd.”
“No, I want you to go to your place and write that letter. You can’t work until you do. I will mail it for you to be sure that you wrote it. First, you need to have a conversation with God and tell Him you are sorry that you haven’t been trusting Him enough to know that He loves you.”
“Miss Sweetie...”
“Don’t ‘Miss Sweetie’ me. I will check on you in ten minutes. I expect to see the letter then. Yes, I will be reading it so that I can be sure you are being forthright with Johnny. Now, scoot!”
Betty walked through the quiet cafe and up to her apartment. She fell on the floor next to her bed and sobbed out a prayer to God. It hadn’t occurred to her that not trusting in His love for her might have hurt Him. “Oh God! Oh God! I don’t know what to say. I am so lost right now. How can I be so lost? I have never left Your house. I have prayed.”
She sobbed and blew her nose. “Okay, God, I am going to try to talk to you regular-like. I want to do right, but I mess it all up. I guess it is because I am trying so hard to fix myself... by myself. Help me! Forgive me for not trusting You to take care of me.”
She glanced around the small room and continued, “You have been taking care of me, haven’t You! How is it that you care about me? I’m not worth it.”
She crept to the floor and pounded her fists on the hardwood surface. “I do love You and thank You for showing me how to help my baby...my...son.” Groaning, she turned her cheek to the side and sucked in a gulp of air. “Please be with him and let the people who took him in love him like they should. Show me what to do. And...about Johnny...I don’t know if I should bother him. I am such a mess. Help me write what You think I should write to him. You know Miss Sweetie is expecting me to write, so I have to. Help Miss Sweetie and Bill to heal from their sorrow.”
She paused for a long minute, “In Jesus ’ Name I pray, Amen.”
Her hands trembled as she took a sheet of notebook paper from the cabinet drawer. I know this is a big mistake. After many attempts, the letter was written.
Betty entered the cafe and found Miss Sweetie in her office. Wordlessly, she placed the letter in front of her.
Dear Johnny,
Just today I got word from my mother that you stopped by to see me. I hope she wasn’t rude to you. I never told her about you because I thought you were too good to be true. You were like a beautiful dream that was over way too soon. Mother has a way of messing with my dreams. I wanted to remember you as you were.
I have left the Bible College at present. Life wasn’t the same without you or Trudy there. Right now I have a good job in a cafe on the outskirts of Nashville. Someday, I may make the six mile trip there and see if I can get a job as a backup singer or songwriter.
I am happy here and you really don’t need to worry about me. It would be great to see you again, but I know you must have moved on. I still have the promise ring and the memory of your love.
Love
Betty Jo Barnes
Miss Sweetie looked up from the letter with tears dancing in her eyes. “You wrote a fine letter.”
“I don’t want to send it,” Betty said as she wrung her small hands.
“He loved you enough to give you a promise ring. That means he deserves to know where you are. After this is sent, it is up to him to come to you. I am going to see to it that you have a proper return address on the letter so that he can find you.”
Betty nodded and walked out of the room, leaving the letter
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