Angela Comes Home (eBook)

Lori Ann Jones (Autor)

James Jones (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
276 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-6164-5 (ISBN)

Infos

This book was inspired by my love of little house on the prairie. The realities and struggles of loss leading to spiritual battles . This story illustrates what the Lord can do to help over come these battles with a minister s help how the believe of a little girl to make miracles happen

Big help spent many hours putting my notes into the computer

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This is a touching story of self sacrifice, of love and how anything is possible especially after tragedy, how life can begin again and it all started with a little girls dream and the realization it can come true after a visit from a minister. I hope this will help you realize hope always survives

Textauszug

The Invitation

Rachael rolled over on her back slowly stretching across her soft feather bed and snuggled back underneath Granny Laura’s thick warm quilt, her body melting into a weightless cloud of comfort. She never liked getting up in the morning. Rachael loved everything about the night, especially a clear night sky painted with stars and a lullaby of crickets wafting in the air. If she had her way, everyone would go to bed very late and not get up until noon the next day instead of first light. So, on that note, with the exception of an emergency fire, she has no plans to get up anytime soon. Smiling like a Cheshire cat, Rachael thought of all the chores that she could put off until later so that she could follow a bit longer in heavenly comfort. “Hey, wait a minute!” She sat up in bed like a rocket and pulled her knees up to her chest. She couldn’t stay in bed. Today was Sunday, how could she have forgotten? It was all she’d thought since last Friday when Rev. Samuel Wally came to visit and invited her to Sunday school. He’d be here soon in the church wagon with several other children her age to take them to the little white church in town with bells at the top of a high steeple. She could hardly wait to hear the church bells sing out in splendid glory as she walked under them.

From the moment she met him, Rachael was convinced that Rev. Samuel Wally was one of the most fascinating people she’d ever met. He sported a mass of silver curls underneath a black Stetson cowboy hat, and his bright red suspenders, matched his perfectly straight jasper color neck tie. His pointy alligator boots pecked cut from under dark denim pants. Rev. Wally was so tall that he had to duck every time he walked through our front door. It was easy to see from his huge smile that his greatest joy was being around other people. He was born with a special gift that made it easy for him to become friends with anyone he met. He never missed an opportunity to share God’s word or help with anything they may need no matter how big or small. He reminded Rachael of Grandpa Jess from a photograph her Momma once showed her. They both had the same silver curls, the same brown eyes and the same round belly that shook anytime either one laughed.

A few years ago, Momma told her a story about how Grandpa Jess claimed to have swallowed a watermelon seed and grew a ball-sized watermelon in his belly. Rachael couldn’t help giggling thinking about it. After hearing that story, she’d given up on the idea of ever eating watermelon, just in case. Rev. Wally has a different story altogether. He jokes about being part of the feeding of five thousand, a story he once told in a Sunday school. Though by far, the best thing about Rev. Wally was definitely his cowboy boots. She’d never seen boots that had actually once been an alligator. Just thinking about it makes her shiver. At first, she couldn’t take her eyes off them, but the more he talked about Sunday school, the more her attention was drawn to what he was saying.

“The children and I will come in a covered wagon on Sunday and our driver Johnathan will take us to Sunday school,” Rev. Wally explained. “The White painted church with the bells in the steeple?” Rachael asked, smiling. He nodded, “Yes, that’s the one.” “Rachael, I really think you’ll enjoy going to Sunday school. Johnathan is quite a character. He likes to tell silly stories, or sing on the way to church. Everyone laughs whenever I join in, I can’t carry a tune to save my life,” Rev. Wally chuckled. Rachael slammed her eyebrows together and her grin faded, “It sounds like fun Rev. Wally, but I won’t know any of the other children.” “You know what? I’ll bet you’ll know one or two of the children from School and if you don’t, it will be a perfect time to make some new friends. Wait a second, you know me, right?” Rachael nodded. “See there, you have a friend already,” Rev. Wally smiled. “There’s one more thing, I’d like to go, but I’m not sure Momma will let me. Nothing felt better to him than talking to someone that wanted to learn more about the Lord.” “I can talk to her if you’d like.” Rachael is hesitant, “It probably won’t be easy.” Rev. Wally smiled, “I can be very convincing.” Rachael knew that somehow, someway, she and Rev. Wally would find a way to convince Momma.

It would not be easy at all, since her father’s death during the influenza outbreak last year Sara had put all her energy into running the farm. Anytime, Rachael would ask about going to church, Sara would answer “Momma’s too busy right now, maybe when things slow down a bit, sweetie.” Even though she did have a lot on her plate, when it came right down to going to church, it was just an excuse. Sara was just too angry at God to think about going. Not only did she lose her husband Nathan, her best friend Nellie, she lost her own Momma only months before their death. Her anger had blossomed over time and became all consuming, so much so that it made the whole idea of going to church unappealing. Staying home became easier and easier with each passing week until she didn’t even think about it anymore. It became a habit not to go to church, much like the forgotten first cup of coffee in the morning. Besides, if she wanted to talk to God, she could anywhere, right? So, the idea of going to the church was silly, wasn’t it? At least that’s what she told herself whenever she’s feeling guilty about not going.

“The Sunday school teachers’ name is Miss Amy, and let me tell you Rachael, not only is she our best teacher, but one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.”

“Does Miss Amy ever give homework?” Rev. Wally grinned. “No, Sunday school isn’t like regular school that way it’s a lot more fun. First, you’ll listen to Miss Amy while she shares a Bible story about God and his Son Jesus. Then, at craft time, you’ll get to make something that tied into the Bible story. Finally, the morning will end with snack time, and you’ll get to taste something similar to what people ate during Bible times” Patting his stomach, he continues, “As you can see Rachael, snack time is my favorite part of the morning.” Rachael giggled. “It does sound like a lot of fun, but I really don’t think Momma’s gonna let me go; she never has before when I’ve asked.” “I wouldn’t be so sure that she’ll say no. You never know what God can do.” Rachael had no idea what he meant. That was something she’d need to find out later.

As Rev. Wally got up to leave; Sara came out of the kitchen and met him at the front door; “Thank you Rev. Wally for coming all this way to invite Rachael to Sunday school.” Rev. Wally frowned. “What’s wrong Sara?” “I’m not sure how I feel about her going, would you mind if I thought it over a bit? I could let you know tomorrow afternoon when I go into town to sell eggs.” He grinned, “Why sure, that’d be fine. I look forward to seeing you again. Well, I suppose I best be on my way, afternoon ladies.” Rev. Wally tipped his hat with a nod and headed off to the next patron on his list to visit. It was easy for him to tell that Sara was angry with God. Maybe with all she’d had been through she felt she had a right. She was so angry it seemed she didn’t want anything to do with God. That didn’t matter to him, Rev. Wally bet a million gold pieces that God would be talking to her soon. As Rachael washed up to help Sara with dinner, she realized that she had less than two days to convince Momma to let her go to church, and boy, it wasn’t going to be easy. Since Nathan’s death, it seemed like Sara constantly worried that when Rachael goes out somewhere, something bad would happen to her.

It wasn’t fair Sara never let her do anything without putting up a fuss. Honestly, aren’t there angels at church? She thought. What could happen with so many angels there to protect her? Right then, she decided she was going to do whatever she had to do in order to convince Momma to let her go. However, little did Rachael know that God was already talking to Sara’s heart.

Later during supper, Sara sat with her head perched on a very calloused and red palm staring at her plate, her face was swollen and her eyes sunken and dark. Her only movement was making circles with a fork in now cold and mushy carrots that she’d only taken a couple of bites of; whenever Sara was like this, Rachael knew she could ask her just about anything and she’d agree. “Think about it like this Momma, I’ll be at church, surrounded by angels to protect me so nothing bad will happen. I’ll be perfectly safe. Come on, Momma, please. Hey, how about if you say yes, I’ll feed Sammie and George from now on without complaining. Honest, Momma, not a word I don’t mean, what do you say?”

Sara peeked up from her plate. Rachael’s eyes were huge and sad, looking like a beautiful doe, her eyelashes fluttered. Sara’s creased forehead disappeared; the corners of her mouth turned up. How in the world could she resist those...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 21.6.2024
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Christentum
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-6164-5 / 9798350961645