"Henry what are you thinking dear?".Pastor Henry turned to his wife
Patricia and smiled, “Oh, nothing dear.”
Her eyebrows rose leadingly and he
chuckled before adding, “It would seem
that the hunt is on.”
Patricia pursed her lips together and
then said, “I know, I’m not sure that I
like it. She’s well…… quite brazen.”
Pastor Henry nodded, “That she is. It
doesn’t hurt to be full of spirit though. I
just wish it was a little better directed,
which seems to be on the way.”
“What do you mean Henry?”
“Stephen will be good for her. She may
see what she thinks he is, but she has no idea.”“It’s a bit like offering up a
sacrificial lamb isn’t it?” Patricia
responded back immediately.
“Oh, Stephen can take care of himself,
of the two he is better equipped to
succeed.”
“How so?”
“Well, for one he has God on his
side. You should have seen him during
church, completely zoned out from start
to finish.”
“And that’s positive how?” Patricia
queried.
“Peace, the look of sheer peace he
had on his face at the end. No, she may
not know it yet, but I think God has a plan for those two that stretches beyond
whatever her goals of the moment may
be.”
Patricia looked away for a moment
before looking at Henry directly in the
eyes. They were the only ones left in the
church.
Quietly Patricia said, “She’s not the
type to stay on here for good. She will
leave.”
Henry nodded, “If we’re both honest
such is the case for Stephen too. He’s
hidden out here from the world for far
too long.”
Patricia’s eyes watered up and
Henry moved closer and put his arms
around her and she put her arms around him.
Softly he said, “Sometimes the better
act of love for those you care for the
most is to realize that it’s best to let them go.”
Patricia nodded and closed her eyes
as she cried softly against her husband’s chest***** Ever since Stephen had come to town penniless and broke ..some 10 years previous the two of them had taken Stephen in and treated him like the son they never had.
It was hard to let go of someone special, someone they treated as theirs, it was even harder still in the moment to trust that God was doing a good thing by bringing someone into their adopted son’s life that had the ability to crush his heart and not think twice about doing it.
life can be so unfair and unpredictable sometimes.