bumps,” Natalie said, rubbing her arms. “To know that your books are based on Bible verses you heard directly from God is awesome.”
“Don’t get too carried away. My novels aren’t written in red letters.”
“I know, but it’s the closest to that sort of thing I’ve ever known. It makes sense now why what you’ve written could touch me so deeply. It came from a secret place in your heart and can go to the same place inside a reader.”
“That’s exactly my prayer.” Amy smiled. “And you’ve given me more encouragement sitting at this table than I’ve received in my whole life.”
“It’s about time!” Natalie exclaimed. She paused and took a sip of tea. “How often do you go to the living room now?”
“I had a God dream the night before we met at the coffee shop and another last night.”
Amy suddenly stopped and stared at a vase of flowers in the center of the table. It was a colorful arrangement of irises and dahlias surrounded by greenery.
“What?” Natalie asked.
Amy spoke slowly. “Last night I saw a vase of flowers that looked exactly like those and heard the words from 1 Peter 1:24–25: ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’”
Natalie rubbed her arms again. “Quit giving me goose bumps.”
“Were those flowers here when I came by last weekend to drop off the hand-me-down clothes from Ian for Ben?” Amy asked. “Maybe what I saw in the dream was a snapshot memory.”
“That’s impossible. I bought them yesterday. Why do you think you would hear that verse and see a vase of flowers from my house?”
Amy shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been asking the Lord to give me the idea for a new novel. A story with flowers in it would be—”
“One with a wedding,” Natalie interjected immediately.
“I like that.” Amy nodded, then paused as her face became serious.“Or a funeral. The verse mentions how the grass withers and the flowers fall. That speaks more about death than life.”
Natalie wiggled in her chair. “That sent the wrong kind of chills down my arms.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I understand a story has to be sad before it can be happy. That’s why people keep reading—to find out how problems are solved, people changed, and dangers overcome. What would the title be?”
Amy thought for a moment. “ Fading Flowers might work. Or The Flowers of the Field . That sounds less ominous.”
“I like the second one better.”
“Whether it’s a wedding, a funeral, or both, there has to be more to it,” Amy said. “If these verses have anything to do with my next book, I’m going to need a lot of insight before I start writing.”
“What if the verse and vase don’t have anything to do with a new novel?” Natalie asked.
“Of course, that’s possible,” Amy replied. “Most of the dreams aren’t related to my writing.”
“Exactly.” Natalie leaned forward. “You dreamed about the vase of flowers and then saw it the next day. What if the Lord starts showing you what is about to happen even more clearly than the warning about Noah’s field trip? It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it?”
Amy felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.
“Natalie, I wouldn’t want the responsibility that would come with that kind of information.”
“Which is why God could trust you with it. A person who’s curious might misuse—”
“Stop!” Amy said with more force than she intended. “Don’t say another word!”
Natalie shut her mouth and gave Amy a wounded look.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have cut you off,” Amy said.
“It was just a thought that popped into my head,” Natalie said quietly. “Don’t take me too seriously.”
“And I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Amy said, “but even the possibility of some kind of window into the future terrifies me.”
A somber mood descended on
“Don’t get too carried away. My novels aren’t written in red letters.”
“I know, but it’s the closest to that sort of thing I’ve ever known. It makes sense now why what you’ve written could touch me so deeply. It came from a secret place in your heart and can go to the same place inside a reader.”
“That’s exactly my prayer.” Amy smiled. “And you’ve given me more encouragement sitting at this table than I’ve received in my whole life.”
“It’s about time!” Natalie exclaimed. She paused and took a sip of tea. “How often do you go to the living room now?”
“I had a God dream the night before we met at the coffee shop and another last night.”
Amy suddenly stopped and stared at a vase of flowers in the center of the table. It was a colorful arrangement of irises and dahlias surrounded by greenery.
“What?” Natalie asked.
Amy spoke slowly. “Last night I saw a vase of flowers that looked exactly like those and heard the words from 1 Peter 1:24–25: ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.’”
Natalie rubbed her arms again. “Quit giving me goose bumps.”
“Were those flowers here when I came by last weekend to drop off the hand-me-down clothes from Ian for Ben?” Amy asked. “Maybe what I saw in the dream was a snapshot memory.”
“That’s impossible. I bought them yesterday. Why do you think you would hear that verse and see a vase of flowers from my house?”
Amy shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been asking the Lord to give me the idea for a new novel. A story with flowers in it would be—”
“One with a wedding,” Natalie interjected immediately.
“I like that.” Amy nodded, then paused as her face became serious.“Or a funeral. The verse mentions how the grass withers and the flowers fall. That speaks more about death than life.”
Natalie wiggled in her chair. “That sent the wrong kind of chills down my arms.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. I understand a story has to be sad before it can be happy. That’s why people keep reading—to find out how problems are solved, people changed, and dangers overcome. What would the title be?”
Amy thought for a moment. “ Fading Flowers might work. Or The Flowers of the Field . That sounds less ominous.”
“I like the second one better.”
“Whether it’s a wedding, a funeral, or both, there has to be more to it,” Amy said. “If these verses have anything to do with my next book, I’m going to need a lot of insight before I start writing.”
“What if the verse and vase don’t have anything to do with a new novel?” Natalie asked.
“Of course, that’s possible,” Amy replied. “Most of the dreams aren’t related to my writing.”
“Exactly.” Natalie leaned forward. “You dreamed about the vase of flowers and then saw it the next day. What if the Lord starts showing you what is about to happen even more clearly than the warning about Noah’s field trip? It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it?”
Amy felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.
“Natalie, I wouldn’t want the responsibility that would come with that kind of information.”
“Which is why God could trust you with it. A person who’s curious might misuse—”
“Stop!” Amy said with more force than she intended. “Don’t say another word!”
Natalie shut her mouth and gave Amy a wounded look.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have cut you off,” Amy said.
“It was just a thought that popped into my head,” Natalie said quietly. “Don’t take me too seriously.”
“And I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” Amy said, “but even the possibility of some kind of window into the future terrifies me.”
A somber mood descended on
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