the stress of knowing I’ve lost Kristi for good,
he told himself as he lay down on his bed. Joel had spent most of the day in bed, hoping some rest would help the headache go away, and he’d only gotten up once to get a bite to eat.
A clap of thunder brought his head off the pillow. “Dunner this time of the year?” Joel didn’t know why, but the German-Dutch word rolled off his tongue. He got up and looked out the window. It was snowing hard, and the wind blew furiously. Another boom sounded, and a vision of his dad came to mind.
What must it have been like for him, up in the tree house when the lightning struck?
He shuddered at the thought.
For the first time since his father’s death, Joel teared up. A knot formed in his stomach, and a gut-wrenching sob tore from his throat. “Oh, Dad, I have so many regrets.” It grieved him to know he hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye or make amends with Dad before he died. But it was too late to do anything about it now.
Blurry-eyed, Joel’s gaze came to rest on the black book with golden embossed letters along the spine lying on his dresser. It was the NIV Bible Kristi had given him last year at Christmas. He’d taken it to church with him a few times, hoping to impress her, but had never opened it when he was at home. But now Joel felt a strong need to open it.
He picked up the Bible and sat on the end of his bed. A green ribbon stuck out, so he opened it to that section. After reading several verses, Joel paused at 1 John 3:17: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
He continued to read verses 18, 19, and 20: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
Tears stinging his eyes, Joel read on, until he came to verse 23: “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
As the words from the passage pierced his heart, Joel fell to his knees beside his bed. The truth of his transgressions hit him with the force of a strong wind. His self-centeredness and deceitfulness had caused him to lose Kristi, and they had put a wedge between him and his family for years. He hadn’t been a good son and had brought shame to his father.
No wonder Dad was so hard on me. He wanted me to see the error of my ways and become the man I should be.
“Father in heaven,” Joel prayed tearfully, “I’ve been so selfish, always thinking of myself instead of others. I believe in the name of Jesus and ask Your forgiveness. Let Your love flow into my heart, and help me to be a better person. I commit my life to You.”
When his prayer was finished, Joel stood, holding the Bible against his chest. The seed that had been planted when he’d attended the Amish church with his parents and siblings as a child had finally taken root.
A deep ache pressed against Joel’s heart. He felt the pain of what his sisters had recently gone through as though it were his own. Joel sank to his bed as a realization hit him. He knew what he had to do. The only problem was, it might take some time to make it happen.
C HAPTER 7
Berlin
I t was the third Saturday of March, and Doris had been back to work for over a month. While she found her job enjoyable, it didn’t fulfill her deepest desire to raise a family. The extra money she made helped pay some of their bills, but many expenses from her hospital stay hadn’t yet been covered.
Doris had been enjoying a day off and was about to begin washing the breakfast dishes when she glanced out the kitchen window. She was surprised to see her brother’s truck pull in. She hadn’t heard from Joel in several weeks, and he’d even quit doing things to
he told himself as he lay down on his bed. Joel had spent most of the day in bed, hoping some rest would help the headache go away, and he’d only gotten up once to get a bite to eat.
A clap of thunder brought his head off the pillow. “Dunner this time of the year?” Joel didn’t know why, but the German-Dutch word rolled off his tongue. He got up and looked out the window. It was snowing hard, and the wind blew furiously. Another boom sounded, and a vision of his dad came to mind.
What must it have been like for him, up in the tree house when the lightning struck?
He shuddered at the thought.
For the first time since his father’s death, Joel teared up. A knot formed in his stomach, and a gut-wrenching sob tore from his throat. “Oh, Dad, I have so many regrets.” It grieved him to know he hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye or make amends with Dad before he died. But it was too late to do anything about it now.
Blurry-eyed, Joel’s gaze came to rest on the black book with golden embossed letters along the spine lying on his dresser. It was the NIV Bible Kristi had given him last year at Christmas. He’d taken it to church with him a few times, hoping to impress her, but had never opened it when he was at home. But now Joel felt a strong need to open it.
He picked up the Bible and sat on the end of his bed. A green ribbon stuck out, so he opened it to that section. After reading several verses, Joel paused at 1 John 3:17: “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
He continued to read verses 18, 19, and 20: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
Tears stinging his eyes, Joel read on, until he came to verse 23: “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”
As the words from the passage pierced his heart, Joel fell to his knees beside his bed. The truth of his transgressions hit him with the force of a strong wind. His self-centeredness and deceitfulness had caused him to lose Kristi, and they had put a wedge between him and his family for years. He hadn’t been a good son and had brought shame to his father.
No wonder Dad was so hard on me. He wanted me to see the error of my ways and become the man I should be.
“Father in heaven,” Joel prayed tearfully, “I’ve been so selfish, always thinking of myself instead of others. I believe in the name of Jesus and ask Your forgiveness. Let Your love flow into my heart, and help me to be a better person. I commit my life to You.”
When his prayer was finished, Joel stood, holding the Bible against his chest. The seed that had been planted when he’d attended the Amish church with his parents and siblings as a child had finally taken root.
A deep ache pressed against Joel’s heart. He felt the pain of what his sisters had recently gone through as though it were his own. Joel sank to his bed as a realization hit him. He knew what he had to do. The only problem was, it might take some time to make it happen.
C HAPTER 7
Berlin
I t was the third Saturday of March, and Doris had been back to work for over a month. While she found her job enjoyable, it didn’t fulfill her deepest desire to raise a family. The extra money she made helped pay some of their bills, but many expenses from her hospital stay hadn’t yet been covered.
Doris had been enjoying a day off and was about to begin washing the breakfast dishes when she glanced out the kitchen window. She was surprised to see her brother’s truck pull in. She hadn’t heard from Joel in several weeks, and he’d even quit doing things to
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