Make Haste Slowly
Page 25
I fidgeted in the chair, wishing I had brought my knitting bag with me. I wanted to talk to Todd, but I knew he was in meetings all day. Some kind of annual training for the sheriff’s department. It had only been since last summer, when we had muddled through the thing with Houston, that Todd had decided he was ready to re-join the law enforcement community. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
I rose and stepped to Aunt Dot’s closed door again, listening.
“What do you think you’re doing, young lady?”
Author Note
I hope you enjoyed Callie’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. This story has been a long time in the making. I first came up with the idea many years ago, but soon afterward, my life became, well, messy. Like Callie, things in my life didn’t turn out like I’d thought they would.
As my family and I walked through a series of valleys that seemed to have no end, I arrived at the point where I no longer had the emotional or creative energy to write fiction.
But, God.
Do you remember Callie saying that in the book? That was my cry, too. That’s what it came down to. My heart was broken…but God. My dreams were shattered…but God. I had nearly lost hope…but God.
He forced me, sometimes moment by moment, to find hope in Him alone.
My questions were—are—many. Sometimes inarticulate groans, sometimes laser-sharp accusations…but, God.
He’s my only hope.
He’s your only hope.
He’s the only hope for a girl trapped in sex slavery.
He’s the only hope for a forty-something woman watching her husband die of cancer.
He’s the only hope for a young man in prison.
He’s the only hope for an average, middle-class woman trying her best to be a godly woman. To raise her children well. To walk worthy of His calling.
He’s the only hope for single moms. He’s the only hope for a pastor staggering under the weight of his burden. He’s the only hope for widows. For addicts. For sinners. For orphans. For me.
Hope.
That’s the message of the gospel, isn’t it?
Romans 8:23b-25 says, “…[we] groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
If you’re in a battle that seems unending, waiting patiently for what you do not have, encourage yourself in the Lord. Remind yourself of His past faithfulness. Ask Him to renew your hope. Rehearse this little list of reasons for hope, then dig in your Bible for more:
1. You can have hope because God promises that He will take even our brokenness and use it to create good.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)
2. You can have hope because God is good.
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” (Psalm 86:5)
“You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.” (Psalm 119:68)
3. You can hope because God is not finished with you yet! It’s not over!
“For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)
“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
And, my favorite:
4. You can hope because Heaven, not this sinful world, is your true home.
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18)
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.” (I Peter 1:3-4)
So, if you’re not familiar with the old hymn that Callie, Aunt Dot and Harry sang that day in Aunt Dot’s room at Willowbough, here’s the rest of the words, written over 100 years ago. Sing them out loud when the going gets rough, okay? And take heart. You are not alone.
When We All Get to Heaven
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place.
Refrain:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav’ling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.
Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.
Eliza E. Hewitt, pub.1898
Book Discussion Questions
1. Callie moves to Texas for a new start, but soon realizes that she is still dealing with the same issues as she was before, just in a different location. What is your experience with new starts?
2. When describing her relationship with her parents, Callie says, "It wasn't that there was a problem, exactly, between my parents and me. More like...a wall. One that I didn't know how to break down or didn't care to. Some days I wasn't sure which." What do you think she meant by this? What reasons might she give for not trying to rebuild the relationship? Have you experienced a similar wall or situation? Were you able to overcome it?
3. At one point, Callie realizes that she's been very self-absorbed and wants to change. How does she go about changing? What is God showing you needs to be changed in your life? How will you go about accomplishing that change?
4. In the beginning, Callie is hesitant to begin a new romantic relationship. Why do you think she changes her mind about this as she begins to spend time with Todd?
5. How would you describe Callie's relationship with Aunt Dot? Do you have anyone in your life like Aunt Dot? Is there someone in your life who needs you to be an “Aunt Dot” to them?
6. At the end of the book, Callie and her friends choose to take on a huge task because they believe God is calling them to do so. Is there something in your life that God has been speaking to you about? What, if anything, is keeping you from being obedient to His call?