herself.
“Some days, it feels as though this is nothing more than a bad dream,” she whispered to Sissy. “But even in this, God has not left you nor forsaken you.”
The woman nodded her head ever so slightly. “I never hoped to live this long – long ’nuf to bury my son – my man.”
Euphanel nodded. “I know. I never thought to bury Rutger, either.”
“I’s sure sorry to be such a burden. Wish I were in the ground with ’em.”
“Please don’t say such things.” Euphanel clutched Sissy’s hand tight. “I can’t bear the thought. I know this is painful, but our family loves you dearly. We want you to consider this your home now. We plan to make it larger so that everyone can live here comfortably for as long as they like.”
Sissy finally turned to look at Euphanel. “Don’t be doin’ such things on my account. Ain’t fittin’.”
“What’s not fitting is leaving you to fend for yourself when we have plenty and can aid you in your time of need. I don’t want to make you feel that you have no choice, but I do want you to know how much we want you to be with us now.”
Tears began to flow from Sissy’s eyes. They slid back to her ears and wooly hair before Euphanel reached up to blot them with her handkerchief. “I ain’t deservin’ of such mercies,” Sissy said, closing her eyes. “I’s been layin’ here, questionin’ the Almighty. I don’t deserve nuthin’.”
“Oh, my dearest friend, you are deserving of this and more. The wrong done to you and your family should never have happened. It’s only natural that you would have questions for God. I’ve been asking Him plenty myself – not because I don’t trust Him, but rather because I just don’t understand.”
“Don’t reckon we ever will.”
Euphanel wiped again at Sissy’s tears. “What’s important now is that we figure out ways to keep it from happening again.”
Sissy’s head moved from side to side. “Ain’t never gonna stop. Never so long as hateful folk live.”
Euphanel knew Sissy was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit such things. If she had anything to do with it – anything to say about such things – there would be a change. She would fight to keep anyone else from experiencing what her friend had been forced to endure.
The congregation took their seats after singing the last of their Sunday hymns and waited as Pastor Shattuck took the pulpit. He looked rather grim this morning. There was no casual greeting or comment about the weather; instead, he set his Bible in place and lifted his hands in prayer.
“Oh, Father, we ask for your wisdom. Teach us to be merciful and forgiving, and help us to understand your precious Scriptures. Amen.”
“Amen,” the congregation murmured in unison.
Deborah wasn’t sure what to expect from the minister, but she felt confident he would address the concerns of the community. When he opened the Bible and began to speak instead of Joseph and his brothers, she felt rather disappointed.
“The thirty-seventh chapter of Genesis introduces us to Joseph,” began the sermon. “I will read to you now. ‘Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.’ ”
He continued, but Deborah gave it less than her full attention. She had so hoped that Pastor Shattuck would make the people listen to reason – help them see that something had to be done about the recent murders.
“ ‘Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.’ ”
The
“Some days, it feels as though this is nothing more than a bad dream,” she whispered to Sissy. “But even in this, God has not left you nor forsaken you.”
The woman nodded her head ever so slightly. “I never hoped to live this long – long ’nuf to bury my son – my man.”
Euphanel nodded. “I know. I never thought to bury Rutger, either.”
“I’s sure sorry to be such a burden. Wish I were in the ground with ’em.”
“Please don’t say such things.” Euphanel clutched Sissy’s hand tight. “I can’t bear the thought. I know this is painful, but our family loves you dearly. We want you to consider this your home now. We plan to make it larger so that everyone can live here comfortably for as long as they like.”
Sissy finally turned to look at Euphanel. “Don’t be doin’ such things on my account. Ain’t fittin’.”
“What’s not fitting is leaving you to fend for yourself when we have plenty and can aid you in your time of need. I don’t want to make you feel that you have no choice, but I do want you to know how much we want you to be with us now.”
Tears began to flow from Sissy’s eyes. They slid back to her ears and wooly hair before Euphanel reached up to blot them with her handkerchief. “I ain’t deservin’ of such mercies,” Sissy said, closing her eyes. “I’s been layin’ here, questionin’ the Almighty. I don’t deserve nuthin’.”
“Oh, my dearest friend, you are deserving of this and more. The wrong done to you and your family should never have happened. It’s only natural that you would have questions for God. I’ve been asking Him plenty myself – not because I don’t trust Him, but rather because I just don’t understand.”
“Don’t reckon we ever will.”
Euphanel wiped again at Sissy’s tears. “What’s important now is that we figure out ways to keep it from happening again.”
Sissy’s head moved from side to side. “Ain’t never gonna stop. Never so long as hateful folk live.”
Euphanel knew Sissy was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit such things. If she had anything to do with it – anything to say about such things – there would be a change. She would fight to keep anyone else from experiencing what her friend had been forced to endure.
The congregation took their seats after singing the last of their Sunday hymns and waited as Pastor Shattuck took the pulpit. He looked rather grim this morning. There was no casual greeting or comment about the weather; instead, he set his Bible in place and lifted his hands in prayer.
“Oh, Father, we ask for your wisdom. Teach us to be merciful and forgiving, and help us to understand your precious Scriptures. Amen.”
“Amen,” the congregation murmured in unison.
Deborah wasn’t sure what to expect from the minister, but she felt confident he would address the concerns of the community. When he opened the Bible and began to speak instead of Joseph and his brothers, she felt rather disappointed.
“The thirty-seventh chapter of Genesis introduces us to Joseph,” began the sermon. “I will read to you now. ‘Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.’ ”
He continued, but Deborah gave it less than her full attention. She had so hoped that Pastor Shattuck would make the people listen to reason – help them see that something had to be done about the recent murders.
“ ‘Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.’ ”
The
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