Read Online Until Forever (Women of Prayer) by Darlene Shortridge - Free Book Online

invitation from Jessi, but I don’t think one is in the making. I doubt if she’s thought of it, to be honest. Between her duties as a teacher, being a single parent, and her mind still dwelling on the past, I’m surprised she remembers to breathe. Until the day she accepts Christ, I doubt that girl will ever get a moment’s rest. She puts on a pretty good act; I’ll give her that. But I can see through that act in a heartbeat. She can’t fool me. It’s been five years since the boy’s death, and she is nowhere near done grieving. It’s just not right.” The doorbell kept Merry from continuing.
    Caroline was at the door, with Mabel and Judy just behind her. Merry, somewhat settled from her conversation with Betsy, let them in. She greeted each one with a peck on the cheek. “Good afternoon, tea and pie are ready in the kitchen. Betsy, would you pour the tea, dear? I see Georgina just pulling up. I’ll wait here for her.”
    Merry and an out-of-breath Georgina entered the kitchen. Everyone looked at Georgina with apt attention, knowing full well that she had news. She only came to meeting in this fashion when she had something good to report on one of their prayer subjects. Didn’t matter much who it was; if the group was praying for the person and they found their Savior, Georgina was bound to find out. Everyone stopped chewing their pie, stopped drinking their tea, and stopped their individual conversations almost immediately. Georgina had the floor.
    “You might want to sit down for this one, Merry.” She waited until Merry found her stool before continuing on. “Mark, you know, Jessi’s Mark, has been released from prison. He found Jesus in prison. It’s real. He came to church this past Sunday with Bill, the chaplain from the prison, and I saw him myself. Talked with him too. He’s a changed man. There’s nothing about him that’s the same except his looks. God is answering our prayers regarding your family, Merry. It’s just taking a while for us to see it is all. Little Olivia will find Jesus while she’s here, you watch. And I believe Jessi is going to find him in a most powerful way. That girl has a world of hurts that need to be healed. The only one that I know that can heal those kinds of hurts is Jesus. She’s gonna find him. I just know it.”
    Merry wiped her eyes with a tissue. She knew she should be joyful over Mark’s finding Christ, but she couldn’t help but feel let down. It was Jessi that her heart yearned for, cried out for, and whom she paced the floor in prayer over. Lord, why couldn’t it have been Jessi? She stood and went into the living room. Everyone abandoned their pie and tea and followed. What followed was a powerful prayer meeting on behalf of the “daughter” who occupied a large part of Merry’s heart.

 
    Chapter 8
     
    Jessi crossed the Missouri border into Oklahoma just before lunch the next day. She and Olivia took their time heading out on the road. They started their day with breakfast at the hotel, and then they went for another swim before getting ready to continue on their trip. If Jessi knew her daughter as well as she thought she did, Olivia would be sleeping right after lunch, especially with all the swim time this morning.
    Upon seeing the first Sonic, Jessi exited the highway and stopped for a late lunch. This too was their special treat. There were very few Sonics in Wisconsin. Therefore, there were no cherry limeades. This could be a mortal sin on the part of Wisconsin, according to Olivia. Sure enough, after eating the last bite of her cheeseburger, Olivia couldn’t help but yawn. This triggered a yawn in Jessi. “Hey, quit that, young lady. I can’t go to sleep like some people I know. I have to drive the rest of the way to Aunt Merry’s house.”
    Olivia giggled at the prospect of her mommy curled up in the backseat of the car, sleeping. “Oh, Mommy, you’re being silly. Only little girls can sleep in backseats. Mommies have to sleep in