by Janette Oke
Before Anna could say more, Mrs. Paxton had turned and was going down the walk. As she went, Anna’s eyes filled with tears.
When she finally shut the door and turned to face her husband, she could read protest in his stance and expression.
“Anna,” he said, “that building is totally worthless.”
“It must not be totally worthless,” said Anna, lifting up the piece of paper. “No one ever put ‘nothing’ on paper.”
“But it’s falling down. It will take far more work than—”
“It’s right in the heart of town,” Anna said softly.
“I know it’s a great lot, but the building itself is nothing but—”
“Maybe God wants us to fix it.”
“We don’t have the money to fix it. Don’t you see . . . it would cost as much to fix that old pile of rotting boards as it would to build a new building.”
“What I see,” said Anna, fingering the piece of paper, “is that God has performed a miracle. To date, the whole town has been trying to get Mrs. Paxton to sell that building . . . or at least to rent or fix it up. She has constantly refused. Now here we are with the deed to a choice piece of property right in the middle of town. Right where you dreamed of the church standing. Wouldn’t you call that a miracle?”
Tears spilled over and ran down Anna’s cheeks. She did not lift her hand to brush them away.
“It . . . seems like rather a miracle,” Austin said quietly, “when you put it that way.”
“And if God can perform one miracle,” went on Anna, “what’s stopping Him from bringing us another?”
Austin swallowed. Anna could sense his inner struggle. She knew the condition of the old building. It certainly didn’t match the church of Austin’s dreams. His plans. She knew that the building fund held only sixteen dollars. And she also knew that they were going to need a great deal of money—of faith—of acceptance—if that building was ever to make a church. She knew the miracle Austin had been praying for was a little “larger”—a cleaner, better, more acceptable miracle than the one that had just presented itself. She held her breath and offered up a quick prayer. She really couldn’t blame Austin if he refused to recognize . . .
But he held out his arms to her and Anna quickly moved toward him.
“Oh, Anna,” he said into her hair. She could hear tears in his voice.
They wept as they clung together. They would accept what God had offered, knowing that it could and would work for good. It was so exciting to be a part of God’s plan. They wondered where the next miracle would come from.
Chapter Twelve
Building
On the following Sunday, Pastor Barker announced to his little flock that they had been presented with a deed for the property on Main Street.
The response varied from smiles to groans.
“I know it will take a lot of work,” he said brightly, trying to project as much enthusiasm as he could.
“The work we might handle,” spoke up Mr. Page. “But what about the material?”
For a brief moment Austin looked to Anna. She gave him a wee smile and a slight nod in encouragement.
“I don’t have the answers,” the pastor admitted. “All I know is that God miraculously has brought us a building. He knows what is needed better than we do. So, I expect that He’ll provide.”
“Amen,” said someone from the back of the schoolroom, and there were answering “Amens.”
“Have you looked it over?” asked Mr. Brady.
“No,” admitted Austin. “I thought that the board should make an inspection together.”
Anna wondered if Austin needed moral support when he assessed the property. One man alone might stagger with the enormity of the task.
“Well, I guess we best get to it,” said Mr. Brady. “You fellows free tomorrow afternoon?”
There were nods from the other two members of the board.
“That all right with you, Pastor?” asked Mr. Brady, and Austin nodded in agreement.
“About three o’clock then,” said Mr. Brady, the board chairman, and the unofficial meeting was considered dismissed.
It was even worse than they had guessed. Anna could read it in Austin’s face when he returned from the tour of assessment.
“It’s pretty bad, eh?” she offered.
Austin nodded without speaking.
Anna poured him a cup of weak coffee.
“Is there a starting place?” she prompted.
“Fellows don’t even know where to start. The logical place, of course, is the roof. No use doing anything else until the roof is fixed. But the roof is going to be one of the most costly projects. I don’t know where we’ll ever find the money.”
Anna waited until he had taken a couple sips of the coffee.
“You don’t suppose the community would help?” she asked quietly.
Austin shook his head. “We haven’t managed to stir up much interest in the community,” he reminded her.
“Well, maybe this is a good way to do it. When they see that we are serious—just as you said—then maybe they will . . . well . . . back us.”
Austin took another sip of coffee. “I don’t know, Anna,” he said. “Sometimes it is terribly discouraging.”
Anna reached out to pat his hand.
“It is discouraging,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”
“We’ve been here over a year. We have gained two families . . . and no converts,” Austin commented, sounding very soul-weary.
She sat down beside him at the table and pulled a small delicate plant toward them.
“Look at this,” she said, her voice compelling. “Mrs. Paxton brought me one of her violets. Little Pink Bonnet.” Anna smiled. “She named this one herself.”
Anna reached out a finger to trace around a delicate flower.
“Now, you might just see a violet here,” Anna went on. “A beautiful little violet. But I see a miracle. Another miracle. Mrs. Paxton is gradually opening up, Austin. Gradually letting herself ‘feel’ again after all those years of bitterness and pain.
“I don’t know if I will ever be able to win her to faith in Jesus, but I do know that God has put her in my life for a reason. And that in itself is a miracle. The fact that one person, any person, is here on this earth at just the right time to reach out to another. To be that link—that special someone to somehow give one more opportunity to make things right with the Savior—that is a miracle. Only God could arrange that.
“And if God cares that much for old Mrs. Paxton with all her quirks and doubts and angry feelings, then how do we know how many other hearts He is working in—right now—through little things. Words. Actions. Even a rickety old building. Maybe it is just what we need to challenge our little congregation. To bring us together. To make this town and community realize that we are for real. That we are serious about our faith.”
Anna didn’t know if she had said too much. If she had said enough. But Austin reached out to put an arm around her shoulder.
“So where does your next miracle come from, my Little Encourager?” he asked her.
“I have no idea,” replied Anna. “But it will be exciting to see it come.”
“Hear you got that old building of Mrs. Paxton’s,” Mr. Parks said to Anna the next time she was in the store.
She nodded, remembering his words about the condition of the building and the eyesore it was to the town.
“Mighty glad to hear that,” he continued. “It will help the whole town to have that mess cleaned up.”
Anna nodded, but her face became serious.
“I wish I could say that we’ll soon have it cared for,” she said evenly, “but I’m afraid it won’t look much different for some while yet.”
Mr. Park’s expression grew serious.
“We’d like to fix it, of course,” Anna quickly went on, “but as yet we don’t have the money. My husband says there isn’t much use starting until the roof is fixed, a
nd that will be a costly item for such a small congregation.”
“You don’t have the workers?”
“Oh, our men are quite willing to give of their time. It’s the money for the materials that we can’t yet afford.”
“So what do you plan to do?” asked the grocer.
Anna smiled. “Wait,” she said with confidence. “Wait for another miracle.”
“A miracle might take years,” responded the storekeeper dourly.
“Perhaps,” said Anna.
“But the town needs the building fixed now.”
“Yes,” Anna replied sweetly. “Now is when we’d like to have our church, too. But God will care for it—in His own time—in His own way.”
Three days later there was a knock on the parsonage door. Austin was busy preparing his Sunday sermon, so Anna answered. To her surprise Mr. Parks and the town banker stood on her step.
“May we come in?” the storekeeper asked, a little smile playing about his lips.
“Of course,” invited Anna. “Please sit down. May I get you a cup of coffee?”
“No, no, we won’t be staying long.”
Austin came from his books at the sound of the voices. He greeted the men and repeated Anna’s invitation, but Mr. Parks waved aside his offer.
“We had a special meeting of the town council last night,” he explained. “That old store has been a concern of all the businessmen for years. We are anxious to have it fixed up. We decided that if it was the roof that was holding things up, we’d best do something about it.”
He stopped to clear his throat and smiled more broadly.
“We aren’t too good on waiting on God’s miracles,” he said with a nod toward Anna. “So we decided that we’d better take some action on our own.”
He looked directly at Austin. “Your wife said that you have men who’ll do the work—if the materials are provided. That right?”
Austin nodded.
“Well, we town businessmen have each put some money in the pot to cover the cost of materials. Once it’s fixed up on the outside, we don’t much care what you do on the inside.”
Anna heard Austin take a deep breath.
“When can you start?” the banker was asking.
“I’ll call a meeting just as soon as I can get out the word,” responded Austin.
The banker nodded. “Come see me as soon as you make your arrangements. The money is on deposit at my bank.”
Austin nodded again. Anna fought against the impulse to run to his side.
Mr. Parks stepped back. His face held a wide grin now. He made as though to replace his hat, and Anna knew he was preparing for departure.
“So you see, Mrs. Barker,” he said, his eyes full on Anna’s flushed face, “I guess we won’t be needin’ to stand around and wait on your God for that miracle, after all.”
“No. No,” said Anna, her hand going up to her warm cheek. “We won’t have to wait. He’s already performed it!”
For one moment Mr. Parks looked taken aback—and then his surprise turned to a chuckle. It seemed that the joke was on him.
Anna’s garden had been hard work, but it was worth it. The vegetables were doing nicely. Already they had enjoyed radishes, lettuce, beet greens, early onions, and a first picking of peas. Anna could hardly wait until the beans were ready—and then the turnips, carrots, and new potatoes. Each time she hoed she could taste the goodness still ahead.
As the summer wore on the work became more difficult and tiring.
“You shouldn’t be in the sun,” Mrs. Paxton scolded, but Anna smiled and assured her that she was fine.
“Your man should be doing the hoeing,” insisted Mrs. Paxton.
Anna thought of Austin. Every minute he could spare was spent in working on the church building.
“The pastor is anxious to get the building rain-proofed,” Anna reminded her neighbor.
Mrs. Paxton only nodded. She had been keeping a close eye on the progress down the street.
“Looks like they almost got it done,” she said to Anna.
“Yes,” Anna agreed, “but it is slow work. My husband has to work alone now. All the others had to get to their haying.”
“You’re working too hard—both of you,” the woman surprised Anna by declaring.
“Well,” said Anna, “it shouldn’t be for much longer now.”
It seemed to Anna that it had been years and years since she had seen her family. She knew Austin would love to take her home, but there was no reasonable conveyance and no money for train fare.
Anna did not even mention the fact that she felt so homesick that at times she feared she might be ill. Instead, she prayed daily that God would help her through another day. But, oh, how she missed them. Especially her mother. If only she could see her. Could have a chat. Could see for herself that her mother was managing without her help. Anna dared not let herself dream of the possibility.
But Austin must have known the beat of Anna’s heart. He must have sensed her loneliness, her desire for a visit with the woman who knew her better than anyone else in the world.
“What would you think of taking a little trip?” he asked her one morning at breakfast.
Anna raised her head from her bowl of oatmeal.
“I thought you might like to go home for a few days,” Austin continued.
Anna tried to keep the excitement from her eyes. It sounded too good to be true.
“How?” she asked simply.
“By train.”
“Oh, Austin. We couldn’t afford the tickets. Could we?”
Anna felt both tremendous excitement and nagging doubt.
“No. Not we. But I think we could manage one.”
Anna was quick to cut in. “One? But I couldn’t—couldn’t just—just go alone. I mean—I couldn’t leave you here to—”
Austin reached for her hand, a smile erasing the tension that Anna often saw in his face.
“You think I’ve forgotten how to batch?” he teased.
“Oh, but I—”
“Why not? You need the trip. Your folks must miss you dreadfully. And I’m sure you miss them. I was hoping to work it out so that we both could go, but that doesn’t seem . . .” Austin let the words trail away as he reached his free hand to pass his fingers through his hair and then massage the back of his neck.
“I have managed to squirrel away a bit,” he confessed. “I’m sure that it will cover your ticket with no problem.”
“But you—”
“I’ll be fine,” assured Austin, leaning forward to cup her chin in his hand and look directly into her eyes. “I will miss you terribly but I’ll manage . . . for a few days.”
Then he added in a lighter note, “I’ll grant you five days, no more.”
Anna wanted so much to see her family. But at the expense of being away from Austin? She wondered if the price was too high.
But the plans were laid, the ticket purchased, and Anna was soon on her way.
She enjoyed the trip in spite of herself. It was so good to see her mama again. So wonderful to have a warm hug from her father. So exciting to see how all of her brothers had grown. But especially good to sit at the kitchen table, sipping from one of her mother’s cherished teacups just as though she were company, and have a heart-to-heart chat, a reminder that she was a beloved daughter.
When the time was up, Anna returned to the small town and the little parsonage, ready to go on with her chosen life.
Chapter Thirteen
Trouble
The din from the nearby playground was almost deafening at times. Anna sometimes wondered why they had to make so much noise just playing a game of ball. But she always reminded herself that she was glad they had a place to play.
So far none of the boys had joined them at the Sunday service, as she and Austin had hoped. It was true that they were no longer in as much trouble, though they still played occasional pranks on unsuspecting townspeople. And Anna even caught them mistreating a poor animal
from time to time. But for the most part, the majority of their activities took place on the playing field. They had already worn out a number of balls and bats.
They weren’t exactly pals with Austin or Anna, but they were no longer hostile either. So perhaps a little headway had been made. But it seemed that it was such a small amount of progress.
Anna often contemplated further ways that they could be reached. Especially the two from the family on the edge of town. She feared that unless a change was made in their lives, they would end up in serious trouble of some nature.
One day as Anna turned to lift pans of fresh-baked bread from her oven, there was a terrible crash from the back of the house. “Oh no!” she exclaimed, stopping mid-stride at the unmistakable sound of splintering window glass.
She placed the bread on the waiting board and went to the bedroom to view the damage. Glass was all over the bed and the floor. Very little was left in the window.
Anna felt like crying. There was no money to repair a broken window. There was barely enough to buy the necessary groceries each week. If it weren’t for her garden, she didn’t know if she could have made the pennies stretch.
There was no use fussing. Tears wouldn’t repair the shattered glass. Anna looked out at the playground. Not a soul was in sight.
I guess they’ve all run and hidden, thought Anna. I suppose they fear our wrath.
Anna picked the ball off the bedroom floor and went in search of the boys.
By the time she reached the vacant lot, heads were appearing from behind small bushes. When they saw her coming, they quickly disappeared again.
“Boys,” she called. “Tommy? I found your ball. I thought you might need it to finish your game.”
Anna stood with the ball in hand, peering at the hiding places.
At length a head peeked out from a shrub, then another, and soon sheepish faces were appearing.
“Your ball,” said Anna, holding out the small white sphere. “I figured you wouldn’t be able to finish your game without it.”
Tommy Fallis was the first to make full appearance. He moved slowly toward her.