However, we also said good-bye to Casper as he headed to Roatán, Honduras, to seek treasure in an archaeological dig, and to Owen, who is finding new footing.
And then we lost our beloved Butterscotch. It felt like too many good-byes.
But that’s the magic of a good-bye—it makes way for something new. An unexpected hello.
We love living in the north because the seasons are ever changing. But there also remains a constant. It’s a miracle how, when an evergreen burns, the pinecones burst open, dropping seeds into the fertile soil of the charred land. Saplings now edge our property, sprouts of green against the white landscape.
In the wake of good-byes, life endures. Even flourishes.
New life came first in the form of our nephew Romeo, who stayed with us this fall and during the Christmas season. And then in the news that John and I will be welcoming another grandbaby—Darek and Ivy are expecting in the spring.
But more than that, all this sudden room in our lives allowed John and me to take a full breath. To find ourselves in the midst of the winter landscape surrounded by beautiful, tender evergreens, look at each other, and say, “Hello. You’re still here?”
Indeed, we are. Flourishing in the fertile soil of our years together.
We’re headed to Europe this Valentine’s Day to renew our vows, leaving the newly reopened resort in our eldest son’s capable hands. And then back to the resort for a new season.
Come and visit us! We’re waiting with a warm hello.
With love from Evergreen Resort,
Ingrid and John Christiansen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SUSAN MAY WARREN is the bestselling, Christy and RITA Award–winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a resort on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set.
Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers’ prestigious Carol Award. Her novel You Don’t Know Me won the 2013 Christy Award, and six of her other books have also been finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives.
For exciting updates on her new releases, information about her previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
At the beginning of Evergreen, John is working on a plan to surprise Ingrid with a trip to Europe. What did you think of his idea . . . and Ingrid’s reaction to his proposal? Have you ever planned a big surprise for someone you love—or been on the receiving end of one? How did it turn out?
John and Ingrid have very different feelings about the approaching empty nest season in their lives. While John is excited about new opportunities, Ingrid struggles to let go of her children and wrestles with doubts about how her family has turned out. How have you approached new phases in your own life? With excitement? Anticipation? Regret? Fear?
When the Christiansens’ dog, Butterscotch, gets sick, John and Ingrid initially disagree over whether to spend their savings on her surgery. Whose perspective did you agree with? Why?
Romeo has grown up believing the Nativity story is a fairy tale. To help him understand the real-life story, John encourages Romeo to imagine himself in Joseph’s position, dealing with the news of Mary’s pregnancy. Have you ever pictured the Christmas story through the eyes of the participants? Whom do you most relate to? How does John himself end up connecting to Joseph’s role?
Although John and Ingrid have what most would consider a happy marriage, their past together contains some deep wounds. Ingrid is surprised to find her anger at John resurfacing when she thought she’d gotten over it years ago. Is there a difference between moving on from something in the past and truly resolving it? How does Ingrid ultimately put the past to rest?
John offers to sign Romeo’s emancipation papers, allowing him to enter the military, but is surprised by Romeo’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction. Why does Romeo respond the way he did?
Both Butterscotch and Romeo fill a place in Ingrid’s heart left empty by the loss of her last child. Was this a healthy way to deal with her grief? Has there been a time when you tried to replace a loss in a similar way—or had someone try to replace it for you, as John did in giving Butter to Ingrid?
Facing a Christmas without most of her family around, Ingrid is reluctant to celebrate or even to decorate her house. Can you think of a celebration that didn’t live up to what you hoped, or of a tradition—like the live Nativity—that seemed to be dying out over time? What traditions have you let go of as life changed? Which have you held on to? Why?
John has always believed that protecting Ingrid is part of his job—in everything from making decisions about having more children to keeping her from getting her heart broken when Romeo leaves. But Ingrid tells him, “We can’t live our lives trying to protect ourselves from getting hurt. And you can’t live your life trying to protect me.” When have you struggled with a desire to protect someone you love or to protect yourself from getting hurt?
As he walks through the Christmas story with those gathered for the live Nativity, Pastor Dan suggests, “Maybe . . . you’re Mary, and God is simply asking you to be willing to say yes to whatever He asks.” How does this hit home for Ingrid? What would it mean for you to say yes to whatever God asked?
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