by Naomi King
“‘Charity suffereth long, and is kind,’” Bishop Gingerich recited in his sonorous voice. “‘Charity envieth not…’”
Abby sighed contentedly. Had there ever been a brighter day, or a pair so perfect as Zanna and Jonny? Many a wedding she’d attended, but this one put a special glow in her heart. Sam’s house was filled with the people they loved, some who silently mouthed the familiar passage as they gazed at Zanna and Jonny.
“‘… rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’”
The bishop’s wedding sermon had never seemed more appropriate, and the couple in front of him bore out every detail of that favorite chapter of Corinthians—and would face its challenges in the years ahead. What a wonder it was that many of these folks had expressed their indignation when Zanna had confessed her pregnancy six months ago, but now believed things were working out for the very best, just the way they were meant to be.
Beside her, Adah nuzzled little Harley’s nose as Mamm smiled at him from her other side. Had two grandmothers ever been more delighted by a baby? Mamm had come out of her grief to greet this new life—this new spring—with energy she hadn’t shown in years, while Adah had become one of Cedar Creek’s most cheerful women. With her husband fully recovered and her two sons home again, Adah bloomed with a renewed love as sturdy and bright as the rugs Zanna had made her.
And Zanna, the headstrong blonde who’d run away from her first wedding, sat attentively up front, drinking in every word of Vernon’s sermon and wisdom. She’d chosen a deep shade of periwinkle for today’s dress, and Abby had been so happy to make it for her—along with several sets of clothes for Harley, and the vest and trousers that made Jonny look so handsome, yet so Plain.
Their newehockers, Martha Coblentz and Gideon, Mary Coblentz and Matt, looked on happily from the bench behind the preachers. Because of the circumstances and the season, the congregation was smaller. Several of their relatives out East were preparing their fields for planting and not able to join them. What mattered, however, was that this home was filled to its rafters with love and a peace that passed all understanding.
Again Abby sighed. Across the room, James Graber sat with his dat, appearing every bit as pleased about this marriage as the rest of them. What must be going through his mind as he watched the young woman of his previous dreams marry the man who’d snatched those dreams away?
After the service, as the guests congratulated the newlyweds, Abby saw a chance to speak with him. Merle had joined a conversation with some other fellows, so she approached James with a smile—and baby Harley resting on her shoulder. “How are you today, James?” she asked. “I was just thinking this might be a… tricky service for you to sit through.”
His deep brown eyes flickered, but the uncertainty passed. “I’m okay with it,” he assured her. He looked around to find Zanna surrounded by well-wishers. “It’s easy to see your sister’s happy, and Jonny’s made an astonishing turnaround. So all’s well that ends well, ain’t so?”
Abby smiled. “Jah, they’ve both done some growing up. Off to a gut start with Jonny’s new mechanical service, and Zanna making her custom rugs at home while she tends this baby.” She chuckled. “I never thought we’d be painting such a domestic picture of that girl!”
“Amazing, what the right man can do.”
So true, she thought wistfully as she looked into James’s deep brown eyes. “I didn’t mean to be nosy or make you feel bad, James. I just—”
He clasped her arm and leaned closer. “Abby Lambright, you wouldn’t know how to make anyone feel bad. You must be made of love and sunshine—just like this fine boy you’re holding.”
Love and sunshine. And wasn’t that just about the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her? “Denki, James,” she murmured. “You—you’re a mighty fine man, you know it?”
James clapped his hands over his face.
Abby blinked. Had her compliment embarrassed him so badly that he had to hide?
“Peekaboo! I see you!” he teased the baby in a singsong voice. When James uncovered his eyes, he wore one of the silliest grins Abby had ever seen. And he looked good in it.
Harley’s eyes widened. He burped so loudly that James’s laughter made other folks turn to see what was going on—so Abby’s wonderful moment with James became yet another conversation that centered around Cedar Creek’s newest resident and ray of sunshine. Mary and Martha Coblentz both reached eagerly for Harley, which allowed Abby to help Barbara and the girls serve the meal. The way her heart skipped in her chest, she had to hold the steaming chicken casseroles tightly so she wouldn’t drop them.
Love and sunshine. Love and sunshine! Even though James would never know how his remark had thrilled her, Abby’s heart sang those words throughout the afternoon.
As the wedding festivities stretched into the evening, it seemed clear that love might also be shining on other couples besides Zanna and Jonny. It was no surprise that Phoebe and Owen Coblentz were caught up in quiet conversation and flirtatious looks, but her nephew Matt wore an intense smile such as she’d never seen as he escorted a pretty young woman and her little girl toward the sheep pastures.
“And who might that be, walking alongside Matt?” Emma demanded as she and Abby sliced pies for the light supper soon to be served. “Must be a couple hundred folks here, and I’ve met most of them—even your kin from Ohio and Kentucky. I’d remember a face like hers.”
Abby fought a smile. Even though Matt was a few years younger than Emma, she had tried brownies and special smiles and every way she knew to win his attention lately, so her question deserved a… compassionate answer. It was ironic that her best friend was going through the same thing she was, with a fellow who lived across the road.
“That’s Rosemary Yutzy,” Abby replied as she cut a rhubarb pie. “She’s Lois and Ezra’s niece by marriage, come from over east of Bloomingdale with her father-in-law, Titus Yutzy. Titus raises sheep, too, I hear, and is looking to start some new bloodlines in his flock.”
“So if that’s Rosemary’s little girl clinging to her skirts…”
“Jah, Katie’s about three.”
“Where’s her husband?” Emma demanded sharply.
Abby winced. Even in this crowd, her best friend’s voice carried so shrilly that folks at the nearest tables turned to look at them. “Her husband, Joe, got killed in a hunting accident last fall,” Abby explained. “Not long before that, Titus’s wife lost her battle with cancer, the way Lois tells it. They’ve had their share of sadness lately.”
Emma’s eyebrows rose, but she kept the rest of her thoughts to herself. She was watching every step Matt and Rosemary took, however.
Abby quickly put more slices of pie on plates. “I guess we’d better get this pie put out on the tables, Emma. Here it is nearly six o’clock. Where has this day gone?”
As folks sat down to enjoy the simple meal of sandwiches, salads, and pie, Abby sighed with a deep sense of satisfaction. While today’s spring wedding went against tradition in many ways, it was nice that their family and friends could come for this celebration without having to decide which wedding invitations to accept, as they often did in the late fall season out East. Even better, the distant relations who’d been able to make the trip got to see Zanna redeem herself for running out on the wedding they’d come here for last October… and to share the joy of Jonny’s return to his Plain roots—and to meet little Harley, of course.
The baby’s escalating cry made Abby turn, ready to help. Zanna rose from her chair with her wailing son on her shoulder, cooing and singing to him as she headed away from the crowd.
“Come on along,” Zanna murmured. “Harley settles right down to eating when his Aunt Abby’s with us. Besides—there’s something I’ve got to say.”
What could that be? Abby walked alongside her younger sister, down the lane to the little white house. “You’ll be just fine, little man,�
�� Abby assured him in a low voice. “Your mamm’s going to feed you, and then you’ll be napping while the rest of us wish we could.”
The sunset glowed on the pale yellow walls as they stepped inside Abby’s house. Zanna looked so pretty in that shade of periwinkle, so grown-up and sure of herself as she settled into the spare room’s rocking chair to nurse her son. He quieted immediately. The sounds of his sucking made his mother smile as though she already loved him more than life itself. Zanna looked at Abby then, her blue eyes alight.
“I guess you know this wedding wouldn’t have happened, except that you stood by me, sister,” she said softly. “When everyone else wanted to send me away, you took me in. You found me the work that’s turned into a gut source of income. You put up with my pouting and fits even when Sam and Mamm were ready to toss me out.”
“They’d never have done that, you know,” Abby replied with a quiet laugh. It felt a little awkward to accept Zanna’s gratitude, yet what a wonderful thing, that this girl who’d once been so reckless and immature was expressing her appreciation so sincerely. “If you’d left us like you threatened to back then, Sam would have been out hunting you the next day.”
“Mostly because Barbara and Mamm would have made him.”
Abby chuckled. “Jah, there’s that. But he learned a few things about love and forgiveness, like the rest of us. Men might rule the roost and have the final say,” she offered softly, “but if there’s no love in their hearts, they make life awfully miserable for everyone else. And for themselves, if they’d only see it.”
Zanna’s smile warmed her. “Jonny won’t be that way, I’m thinking. Oh, he’s got a stubborn streak every bit as strong as mine, but… but he’s a changed fella. And I’ve got to thank you, Abby, for allowing him to be his own man and choose the way he wanted to take.”
“It wasn’t easy for him to give up his English ways, I don’t imagine. Or his cars.”
“But he did it—for me. And for his boy here.” Zanna smiled at her again, through tears this time. “Life’s going to be so wonderful-gut for us, Abby! And I didn’t want to let our big day go by without telling you how much I love you for it.”
“Oh, Zanna.” Abby rose to wrap her arms around mother and child as they sat in her rocking chair. “Sister, sister… how could I have done any different? I love you, too, and I always will. No matter what, you can come to me and I’ll be here for you.” Abby looked into Zanna’s face, fuller now and even lovelier because of it. “Nobody’s happier than I am to see you standing before the world with the man you truly love. Things would’ve soured in a hurry if you’d gone through with marrying James, and we can all see that now.”
Zanna swiped at her eyes and then blotted Harley’s rosebud mouth. He was nearly asleep. “It’s a gut thing God knew what was going on, and how it was all supposed to turn out.”
“And a gut thing you listened to Him, and to your heart. Think what we’d all be missing if we didn’t have our boy here.”
Zanna sighed happily. “You say the nicest things, Abby.” She looked up with shining blue eyes, as though she might laugh and cry at the same time. “You see the world as a wonderful place—and where it’s not, you help make it that way. I—I hope I can be like you someday.”
Abby paused over her notebook that night, thinking out her next report for the Budget as she sat against her headboard, ready for bed. Her little house felt very quiet without Zanna and Harley in the spare room. What a blessing, that she’d been able to offer Zanna a sanctuary where she could find her place, her purpose in the world. Abby had found her own calling along the way: restoring peace and mending torn relationships just as she repaired people’s clothes in her Stitch in Time shop. Who could have believed, back in October, that a runaway bride would bring so many positive changes into all their lives?
How is it we meet our mates? Abby pondered the first line she’d written and decided to let God guide her pencil.
Why do some folks feel an instant attraction to each other—or love at first sight—while others search all their lives, yet remain alone? The wedding of Jonny Ropp to Zanna Lambright in Cedar Creek today pointed up a possible answer to that, while it also joined a young couple in a marriage we once denied would ever happen.
Three weeks ago Zanna gave birth to a fine baby boy, Harley Leroy, and in the meantime Jonny rose to her level of faith, believing that everything would work out if they trusted in God’s plan for their lives. What a wonderful thing it is when two people tame each other’s wilder ways and train themselves like morning glory vines that wind higher around a trellis to catch the sun!
Just as marvelous is Rudy Ropp’s return to full strength, and his wife Adah’s happiness in the home rebuilt for them after a fire destroyed the previous one. Now that Jonny and his brother, Gideon, have rejoined their family, they’ve launched their new machinery repair and cage-free poultry businesses, which are off to promising starts. All of us have learned a lot about loving folks whose opinions and needs don’t always go along with our own—and don’t always follow the Old Ways.
Forgiveness is such a gift. Forgiveness—for Zanna’s going astray, and for the strained relationships within the Ropp family, and for strong words that caused a rift in Cedar Creek six months ago—has made her marriage to Jonny Ropp possible. Had so many folks not rethought their beliefs and allowed Zanna to follow hers, we wouldn’t have witnessed this wedding today. We might have lost a young woman whose faith has inspired us all, and we wouldn’t have rejoiced in the reunion of Jonny and Gideon Ropp with their parents. Better yet, we celebrated Jonny’s joining the church last week as he dedicated himself to Christ and Plain living. And best of all, we have little Harley Leroy now! He’s surely made of love and sunshine, and he spreads delight wherever he goes.
I’ve taken that as my purpose, too: to spread love and sunshine—or, as Isaiah said it, to preach good tidings to the meek and bind up the brokenhearted—and to give my best to the work God brings me every day. May April bring you many blessings, dear friends—along with opportunities to share yourselves and your love. ~Abigail Lambright
Abby extinguished her bedside lamp, smiling in the darkness. Love and sunshine! The words still rang in her heart. She looked out the window, past the mercantile and across the road toward the Graber house. The lamp still flickered in James’s upstairs window. She settled into bed. Abby didn’t know what tomorrow might bring, but she believed it would be wonderful.
If you enjoyed Abby Finds Her Calling,
don’t miss Naomi King’s
Rosemary Opens Her Heart
HOME AT CEDAR CREEK
| BOOK TWO |
Available in trade paperback and e-book
in October 2012.
An excerpt follows…
Matt Lambright slipped out of the stream of nearly two hundred wedding guests who were filing out of the house and into the front yard after his aunt Zanna’s marriage to Jonny Ropp. When he reached the pasture fence, he loosened his stiff white shirt collar. After more than three hours of sitting in front of the crowd as a newehocker, he was ready for some fresh air.
The April sun warmed his face and the breeze tousled his hair. Matt breathed deeply. He smelled the “roast” made with chicken and stuffing, and the creamed celery that were about to be served for the noon feast… heard the bleating of his sheep grazing in the pasture… saw his grandmother Treva Lambright walking toward her glass greenhouse, where long tables had been set up for the traditional Old Amish wedding meal… and smiled. He saw many smiles on the faces of family and friends from here in Cedar Creek, Missouri, who had come from such far-flung places as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
His parents, Sam and Barbara Lambright, mingled among their many guests, looking happier than he’d seen them in a long while. Aunt Zanna was his dat’s youngest sister, and she had given them all quite a shock last fall when she walked away from marrying James Graber, their lifelong friend from across the road, because she was carrying Jonny Rop
p’s baby. Now that little Harley had arrived and Jonny had joined the church and reconciled with his parents, all was well. Family ties among the Ropps had been restored, and that was what mattered most.
Matt chuckled as he noticed James breaking away from the crowd, loosening the collar of his white shirt as though he, too, couldn’t wait to get back into everyday clothing. Aunt Abby had made their new black trousers, vests, and white shirts, but—as perfectly as they fit—most fellows weren’t keen on wearing their collars fastened any longer than they had to. It was good to see James smiling and seeming to enjoy the wedding festivities, considering how Aunt Zanna had forsaken him.
“Well, Matt, you look all dressed and ready for a wedding yourself,” James teased. He nodded toward the identical twins, Martha and Mary Coblentz, in their blue newehocker dresses. “From what I could tell during the service,” he said in a low voice, “Martha was sitting mighty close to you, Matt, like she was figuring you’d ask her to sit with you at supper tonight or to take her home from a singing sometime soon.”
Matt let out a short laugh as he leaned against the pasture fence. “Any fellow who wants to get serious about Mary or Martha had better have a partner picked out for her twin, because one girl is never without the other. And see there how they’re talking a mile a minute at the same time?” he remarked, pointing in the Coblentz girls’ direction. “They’re never quiet except during church! All that chitchat could wear on a man’s ears—you know it?”
Still smiling, James gazed around the crowd again. “Well, Jonny Ropp’s sister, Becky, doesn’t have a fellow that I know of. There seem to be plenty of unattached girls here from out of town, too, if none of the local ones suit you.”
Truth be told, during the wedding service Matt had been studying the single girls from his bench up front, because lately he’d been thinking he was ready to live somewhere other than his lifelong home, with someone other than his parents, his grandmother, and his three sisters. At twenty-two, with an established flock of sheep and some money in the bank, he was ready to move beyond rumspringa—his “running around” years—into a more satisfying life with a special someone… if only he could find her.