The Sheriff’s Runaway Bride
Page 20
Kylie straightened, and tears filled her eyes. “You’d do that for us?”
“For you,” he said softly. “I’d do it for you.”
She gasped and lifted trembling fingers to cover her trembling lips. “You really are the finest man!” she squeaked.
“No,” he said. “I just love you.”
She slid her arms around him, squeezing. Hard. He laughed, joy welling inside him.
“So,” he teased, “while you’re planning all these weddings, will you plan one for us?”
He felt her smile. “Honestly, I’ve been doing that for a while now. In my dreams.”
His own smile stretched so wide that he thought his face might split. Holding her close, he felt the pieces of his life settle into place.
It seemed wise, given that she’d run away from a wedding slightly less than a month earlier, that they bide their time, but neither wanted to wait too long.
“Maybe we should talk it over with your parents,” Zach suggested. “See what they think. Will they be shocked?”
She thought about it and shook her head. “No. I think they’ll be pleased but not really surprised. Vincent, though…”
“Leave him to God,” Zach said. “Just leave him to God.”
He had learned to leave much to God because God never failed. He always had a reason and a plan. Others could try to muck up God’s plans or shape them to fit their own, but God always made a way to bring His children home. Even when they didn’t know where to find home. Even when home was the last place they ever expected it to be.
Turning her face up with a finger beneath her chin, Zach kissed his future wife, thankful that God hadn’t left him alone in Miami. He belonged in Clayton. They both belonged in Clayton. Together.
Dear Reader,
Have you ever convinced yourself that you have correctly discerned God’s will, only to realize that you’ve let your emotions lead you to an erroneous conclusion? Too often our emotions get in the way of our faith. We hurt, so we think that God is punishing us. We fear, so we assume that God has abandoned us. We tire, so we worry that God has forgotten us. We covet, so we feel that God doesn’t care about us.
Sometimes, hanging in and keeping on are more difficult for Christians than anything else, because we don’t trust God to have our best interests at heart. As our heroine, Kylie, finds out, however, God will often rescue us even from ourselves—if we let Him.
Do you need to be rescued from yourself? Remember that sometimes all God requires of us is that we hang in and keep on.
God bless.
Questions for Discussion
Kylie Jones had convinced herself that she had correctly interpreted God’s will, only to find that she had been led astray by her own emotions. Has this ever happened to you? Why do you think we are sometimes led astray by our emotions?
Sometimes Christians who suffer trauma blame God. Zach Clayton suffered the trauma of witnessing the death of his partner and blamed himself. Is it better to blame one’s self rather than God? Why or why not?
Kylie convinced herself that marriage to Vincent Clayton was God’s solution to her problems. Can you point to any examples in the Bible where God allowed His children to provide their own solutions? What happened? (See Genesis 16–17, 29–30 and Matthew 26:14; 27:1–6.)
A favorite old saying is: “I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” How does this apply to Macy, who never knew her father, and to Zach?
Zach resented his late grandfather’s influence over his father, only to realize much later that he had allowed his resentment to stunt his relationship with his dad. Can you identify such pointless resentments in your own life?
Can you identify such pointless resentments in the Bible? (See Genesis 37; Matthew 26:6–12.)
Zach never expected to return to his hometown, but when circumstances conspired against him, he found himself right back where he’d started. Can you remember a time in your life when circumstances conspired against you? Did you identify this as God’s hand at work in your life?
Can you think of a Bible story when God used circumstances to force someone’s hand? (See the Book of Jonah.) What might Zach have done to spare himself the circumstances that brought him back to Clayton? What might any of us do to spare ourselves the discomfort of unwelcome circumstances in our lives?
Psalm 12, verse 5 reads: “Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” Peace officers are expected to protect the weak and oppressed, but they are constrained by a complicated set of rules and rulings. This frustrated both Zach and Kylie. Did God, nevertheless, protect Kylie and her family from those who would malign them? How? Did God protect Zach, too?
Zach’s first encounter with Rob Crenshaw came at the community-wide Independence Day picnic. Zach’s solution at that time was to approach an angry, inebriated, verbally abusive Rob with a handshake and a soft word. Why did this work? Does God ever approach us in the same way? If so, how might that happen? (See Matthew 15:15–18.)
Zach’s second encounter with Rob Crenshaw came at the Cowboy Café. At that time, Zach swiftly used force to subdue Crenshaw. Why? Was this a correct approach? Why or why not?
Vincent sought to undermine Zach by having a cohort steal Zach’s gun and badge. Why do you think Vincent chose this particular action?
Evil seeks to use our vulnerabilities against us. What is Christ’s approach to our individual vulnerabilities? (See Luke 19:1–10.)
Kylie set aside her dream of becoming a wedding planner when she became engaged to Vincent. After refusing to marry Vincent, she reclaimed her dream, only to relinquish it again when she fell in love with Zach. What does this say about Kylie’s dream?
As Christians, should we allow ourselves to have dreams or ambitions? Why or why not? Is it possible that God gives us dreams but we are mistaken about how they are meant to play out? (See Genesis 29:16–28.)
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Arlene James for her participation in the Rocky Mountain Heirs miniseries
ISBN: 978-1-4592-0982-4
THE SHERIFF’S RUNAWAY BRIDE
Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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