Where Grace Abides by BJ Hoff

Malachi, Mamma. Others among the People have been studying the Bible as well. Eli and I weren’t the only ones with questions.”
    Uneasiness stirred in Susan. She wasn’t comfortable with this talk about questions. She knew about Phoebe and Malachi’s Bible studies in their home, knew that there were those in the community who questioned some of the old ways and teachings.
    True, she’d had her own questions at times, though she tried not to dwell on them. And when David asked her about some of the things he was learning in his instructions for turning Amish, even as she gave him the traditional answers—the approved answers—once in a while, she was hard-pressed not to ask herself how a thing could be so. If it was so.
    â€œIt’s best not to ask too many questions,” she said now. “With some things, faith is the only answer.”
    Rachel studied her. “But that’s the point, Mamma. The Bible seems to teach that there are some things that can be known only by faith. Yet it seems that in some matters, Bishop Graber teaches us that faith isn’t enough.”
    Susan found it difficult to meet her daughter’s gaze. “That’s not so, Rachel. Faith is always the most important part of our beliefs—”
    â€œNo, Mamma. Not always. What about the assurance of our salvation? The bishop says we can’t be sure, that we can have only the hope of salvation, depending on how we live. That doesn’t sound to me like faith.”
    Susan got up and began collecting the cookies to put in a tin. “We’ve talked about this before, Rachel, and I’m not going to go into it again. It’s unsinnich, senseless, this questioning of what we already know to be true.”
    Rachel, too, stood and began to help put the cookies away. “All right, Mamma. I didn’t mean to upset you. But do you really think it’s so wrong to have questions about God’s will for us? Don’t you think He would want us to understand His teachings?”
    â€œNot if we’re so foolish as to doubt what we already know is true,” Susan said, her tone sharper than she’d intended. Even so, though Rachel was a woman grown, she was still her daughter, and if Susan could help it, she’d not have her led away from their beliefs. “It’s not wise to get involved in these Bible studies at home, Rachel, when there’s no preacher or deacon to guide what’s taught. Malachi is a good man, but he’s not equipped to teach. You need to listen to the bishop and our deacon.”
    â€œYou mean Samuel?”
    Rachel’s tone was laced with contempt, and Susan knew why. Over these past months, Samuel Beiler had made no secret of the fact that he meant to wed Rachel, and he had pressed his suit long and hard. Too hard, to Susan’s way of thinking. He had actually managed to turn Rachel away rather than attract her. Of course now, with her heart still soft for Jeremiah Gant, neither Samuel nor any other man had a chance to win her daughter’s affection.
    There were things about Samuel Beiler that Susan didn’t appreciate any more than Rachel did. He was known to be stubborn—unyielding and even headstrong. He was several years older than Rachel, but for that matter, so was Gant. In his favor Samuel was a deacon, a hard worker—steady and well-intentioned. He would no doubt make a good husband, but Rachel had never given him a chance.
    Perhaps in time Samuel could help her forget Jeremiah Gant. If that were possible, Susan could easily overlook the few things about the man that bothered her and simply wish him well in winning her daughter.
    â€œYou could do worse than Samuel, daughter,” was all she said.
    Rachel turned from the counter to look at her. “Please, Mamma—don’t start about Samuel again.”
    Susan sighed but said nothing else. She knew from experience that trying to persuade Rachel to listen