companies champing at the bit to level this place and put up any number of warehouses.”
“True, true. Should Sam sell this land, it would fetch more than a tidy profit. I should blame a businessman for doing good business? No. But I
do
fault the good Mr. Ballat for the underhanded way he made sure he got what he wanted.”
Willard didn’t reply. There was no use. They couldn’t prove Sam was doing anything wrong. He was too clever for that. But they all knew who was behind the problems. The threatening phone calls that motivated the first contractor to quit. It took awhile, but Fredrik and the elders finally found another contractor. That one lasted six months, but he didn’t get anything done. When Fredrik and the elders finally challenged him, he gave a host of excuses. None made any sense. They were left with one conclusion: someone had paid the man to waste time. It had seemed a miracle when they found James Lawton. Finally, they could see progress being made. They were all so excited. And now, just two months shy of their deadline for completing the project, to have the
third
contractor walk away …
It was a deathblow.
Or it would have been, if not for God.
“If not for God …” Fredrik repeated the thought out loud.
Willard turned to him. “What?”
“Mr. Lawton, the contractor, asked me an interesting question before he left. He said someone’s working to stop us. Asked if I thought the cost was worth finishing the project. I admit to you, old friend, I wasn’t sure it was.” He let his gaze wander to the cross. “Not until this very moment.”
“And so?”
“If not for God.” He patted Willard’s stooped shoulder. “We’d be defeated, if not for God. But
with
Him”—Fredrik’s heart lifted, and he grinned—“we have more than we need to accomplish the task
He’s
called us to.”
Now Willard was smiling. “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
“Exactly. So come.” Fredrik started down the aisle toward the front door. “We have much to do.”
“And time is running out.”
Indeed, it was. But time wasn’t the determining factor in their success.
God was.
That fact should be enough to calm all their fears. At least, that’s what Fredrik told himself as he held the door open for his friend to pass through. But as he closed and locked the door behind them, he couldn’t help wondering.
How much time did they really have left before they had to close this door for good?
FIVE
“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”
A NONYMOUS
“Leave your foolish ways behind , and begin to live; learn how to be wise.”
P ROVERBS 9:6
G
od is in control … God is in control … God is …
Kyla leaned back against the car seat, eyes closed. It wasn’t helping. No matter how much she repeated it to herself, she still felt as though everything was spinning out of control. Especially her.
“Get some rest. You don’t sound right.”
Annot’s words kept ringing in her mind. She’d assured her sister she’d do that, then rung off. But as she dropped the cell phone into her purse, she knew it was more than fatigue. More than not sounding right.
She didn’t
feel
right. She hadn’t for a very long time.
Kyla glanced out the windshield, staring but not seeing anything. Finally she turned to her day planner and started to flip the cover shut, then noticed the photo she kept tucked at the front. She tugged it free … and smiled.
It was a picture taken a few years ago of Kyla and her two siblings—Kyla in the middle, Avidan and Annot on either side. Her brother and sister wore teasing smiles as they mugged for the camera, pretending to throttle Kyla. Kyla studied her own expression.
Tolerant. Enduring. Long-suffering.
She turned the photo over and read what Annot had written there: “To our beloved Sister-Mommy. From the brats, Annie and Dan.”
Emotions swarmed through her, and Kyla bit her lip
“True, true. Should Sam sell this land, it would fetch more than a tidy profit. I should blame a businessman for doing good business? No. But I
do
fault the good Mr. Ballat for the underhanded way he made sure he got what he wanted.”
Willard didn’t reply. There was no use. They couldn’t prove Sam was doing anything wrong. He was too clever for that. But they all knew who was behind the problems. The threatening phone calls that motivated the first contractor to quit. It took awhile, but Fredrik and the elders finally found another contractor. That one lasted six months, but he didn’t get anything done. When Fredrik and the elders finally challenged him, he gave a host of excuses. None made any sense. They were left with one conclusion: someone had paid the man to waste time. It had seemed a miracle when they found James Lawton. Finally, they could see progress being made. They were all so excited. And now, just two months shy of their deadline for completing the project, to have the
third
contractor walk away …
It was a deathblow.
Or it would have been, if not for God.
“If not for God …” Fredrik repeated the thought out loud.
Willard turned to him. “What?”
“Mr. Lawton, the contractor, asked me an interesting question before he left. He said someone’s working to stop us. Asked if I thought the cost was worth finishing the project. I admit to you, old friend, I wasn’t sure it was.” He let his gaze wander to the cross. “Not until this very moment.”
“And so?”
“If not for God.” He patted Willard’s stooped shoulder. “We’d be defeated, if not for God. But
with
Him”—Fredrik’s heart lifted, and he grinned—“we have more than we need to accomplish the task
He’s
called us to.”
Now Willard was smiling. “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
“Exactly. So come.” Fredrik started down the aisle toward the front door. “We have much to do.”
“And time is running out.”
Indeed, it was. But time wasn’t the determining factor in their success.
God was.
That fact should be enough to calm all their fears. At least, that’s what Fredrik told himself as he held the door open for his friend to pass through. But as he closed and locked the door behind them, he couldn’t help wondering.
How much time did they really have left before they had to close this door for good?
FIVE
“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.”
A NONYMOUS
“Leave your foolish ways behind , and begin to live; learn how to be wise.”
P ROVERBS 9:6
G
od is in control … God is in control … God is …
Kyla leaned back against the car seat, eyes closed. It wasn’t helping. No matter how much she repeated it to herself, she still felt as though everything was spinning out of control. Especially her.
“Get some rest. You don’t sound right.”
Annot’s words kept ringing in her mind. She’d assured her sister she’d do that, then rung off. But as she dropped the cell phone into her purse, she knew it was more than fatigue. More than not sounding right.
She didn’t
feel
right. She hadn’t for a very long time.
Kyla glanced out the windshield, staring but not seeing anything. Finally she turned to her day planner and started to flip the cover shut, then noticed the photo she kept tucked at the front. She tugged it free … and smiled.
It was a picture taken a few years ago of Kyla and her two siblings—Kyla in the middle, Avidan and Annot on either side. Her brother and sister wore teasing smiles as they mugged for the camera, pretending to throttle Kyla. Kyla studied her own expression.
Tolerant. Enduring. Long-suffering.
She turned the photo over and read what Annot had written there: “To our beloved Sister-Mommy. From the brats, Annie and Dan.”
Emotions swarmed through her, and Kyla bit her lip
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