hesitantly. “I’m not family, and I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Books are made to be read,” he told her. “Caleb won’t mind if you help yourself, but I’ll mention it to him so you’ll be assured. And I’ll check out a few books until you can get to the library yourself.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you doing that for me?”
“I appreciate you taking care of Ellie. And the way you do it is more than just a job,” he said. “You do things from your heart. With kindness.”
He had a moment’s regret for saying something so personal. But the way she looked at him then, with surprise and pleasure, made him feel as though he’d said something important.
“The Bible does say that whatever I do I should do it as unto the Lord,” she replied.
He took a drink of milk. “What does that mean?”
“I believe it means that each task, no matter how mundane, is a service unto God as long as we’re doing it with pure motives and a right heart. No job is small or unimportant in God’s eyes.” She sliced the carrot lengthwise on the cutting board and placed it in a tin pan.
“Take scraping this carrot,” she went on, holding up another. “It seems like an ordinary task, boring even, and perhaps it is. Some jobs are thankless but necessary. However, these carrots will nourish the Chaney family. The doctor is strengthened to go to work and save lives. Your sister is nourishing the child she carries and gaining strength to bring a new life into this world.
“The children are growing bodies and minds that will accomplish great things one day. Who knows?” Her vibrant expression lit her features. She’d been caught up in her passionate explanation, but she suddenly looked at Ben. “One of them could start a school or a hospital or give birth to a scientist that cures a disease or to a missionary who travels the world. We’re just minuscule parts of an infinite picture.”
Ben recognized all the joy and hope his own life was lacking. He envied her vitality and her optimism. She represented all the things he was starved for, and resentment and longing scared the spit out of him. He would never be that innocent again, never share her idealism. The fact that the inability was through no fault of his own dredged up reservoirs of anger.
Their eyes met for a heart-stopping moment.
No one had ever challenged his self-control as strongly as this woman did simply by being open and expressive. She stood for everything he strove for. And everything he wasn’t.
Chapter Five
H e leaned across the table and plucked a carrot stick from the pan. “I think I’m needin’ one of these. Who knows what’s in store for me this afternoon?”
He bit it with a resounding crunch.
Lorabeth raised one eyebrow as though concerned that he was mocking her.
“You’ve convinced me,” he assured her. “Each task is important.”
He chewed and thought of the various wild animals he’d treated and set free, wondering how his part in their lives affected nature. He didn’t understand people who didn’t feel compassion for animals or their fellow man, but he could understand Lorabeth’s passion for the small tasks she performed every day. Everyone needed to believe they were making a difference in the world, that there was a purpose and a function for their lives beyond just getting through this hour and this day.
“Ellie asked me to come by again later,” he said. His sister never asked much of him, but she wanted him to check on Lorabeth and the children.
“Why is it you don’t come for supper during the week?” Lorabeth asked out of the blue.
He shook his head as he considered her question.
“Ellie asks me. Sometimes I accept. I guess I figure the weeknights are their family time.”
“You are family.”
He shrugged.
“I’ll put a few more carrots in the pot.”
Ben wasn’t comfortable spending more time than necessary around Lorabeth, but if Ellie and Caleb needed him, he’d be
“Books are made to be read,” he told her. “Caleb won’t mind if you help yourself, but I’ll mention it to him so you’ll be assured. And I’ll check out a few books until you can get to the library yourself.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you doing that for me?”
“I appreciate you taking care of Ellie. And the way you do it is more than just a job,” he said. “You do things from your heart. With kindness.”
He had a moment’s regret for saying something so personal. But the way she looked at him then, with surprise and pleasure, made him feel as though he’d said something important.
“The Bible does say that whatever I do I should do it as unto the Lord,” she replied.
He took a drink of milk. “What does that mean?”
“I believe it means that each task, no matter how mundane, is a service unto God as long as we’re doing it with pure motives and a right heart. No job is small or unimportant in God’s eyes.” She sliced the carrot lengthwise on the cutting board and placed it in a tin pan.
“Take scraping this carrot,” she went on, holding up another. “It seems like an ordinary task, boring even, and perhaps it is. Some jobs are thankless but necessary. However, these carrots will nourish the Chaney family. The doctor is strengthened to go to work and save lives. Your sister is nourishing the child she carries and gaining strength to bring a new life into this world.
“The children are growing bodies and minds that will accomplish great things one day. Who knows?” Her vibrant expression lit her features. She’d been caught up in her passionate explanation, but she suddenly looked at Ben. “One of them could start a school or a hospital or give birth to a scientist that cures a disease or to a missionary who travels the world. We’re just minuscule parts of an infinite picture.”
Ben recognized all the joy and hope his own life was lacking. He envied her vitality and her optimism. She represented all the things he was starved for, and resentment and longing scared the spit out of him. He would never be that innocent again, never share her idealism. The fact that the inability was through no fault of his own dredged up reservoirs of anger.
Their eyes met for a heart-stopping moment.
No one had ever challenged his self-control as strongly as this woman did simply by being open and expressive. She stood for everything he strove for. And everything he wasn’t.
Chapter Five
H e leaned across the table and plucked a carrot stick from the pan. “I think I’m needin’ one of these. Who knows what’s in store for me this afternoon?”
He bit it with a resounding crunch.
Lorabeth raised one eyebrow as though concerned that he was mocking her.
“You’ve convinced me,” he assured her. “Each task is important.”
He chewed and thought of the various wild animals he’d treated and set free, wondering how his part in their lives affected nature. He didn’t understand people who didn’t feel compassion for animals or their fellow man, but he could understand Lorabeth’s passion for the small tasks she performed every day. Everyone needed to believe they were making a difference in the world, that there was a purpose and a function for their lives beyond just getting through this hour and this day.
“Ellie asked me to come by again later,” he said. His sister never asked much of him, but she wanted him to check on Lorabeth and the children.
“Why is it you don’t come for supper during the week?” Lorabeth asked out of the blue.
He shook his head as he considered her question.
“Ellie asks me. Sometimes I accept. I guess I figure the weeknights are their family time.”
“You are family.”
He shrugged.
“I’ll put a few more carrots in the pot.”
Ben wasn’t comfortable spending more time than necessary around Lorabeth, but if Ellie and Caleb needed him, he’d be
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