Streams of Mercy

by Lauraine Snelling

  Ingeborg stared off into the distance. “That Thomas is a wonder worker with children. Manny told me he had intended to run away and join the circus, but Mr. Devlin changed his mind.”

  “I knew Manny loved working with the animals. He was going to do that?”

  Ingeborg nodded. “And he explained to me why he didn’t. Mr. Devlin showed him that if you have two choices that can’t be compromised, you go with the one that is best for you personally. Manny decided it would be best for him to finish school, and he didn’t want Joker to get scrawny like the circus horses were. That’s a brief summary. Manny’s explanation took ten minutes.” She turned and looked at her. “Two men, Thorliff and Thomas, are tugging at your heart. Which choice would work out best for Anji Baard?”

  When Thomas Devlin stepped off the train on Thursday morning, his gaze found hers as if by a magnet. She felt that smile clear to her toes. He greeted Reverend Solberg and the others but strode directly to Anji. Fedora pushed back on his head, he stopped in front of her, a sparkle dancing in his eyes when she held out her hand.

  “Welcome home,” she said properly. He did not let go of her hand but tucked it into the crook of his arm. “I be in bad need of one of Rebecca’s sodas. Will ye join me for one?”

  As they drank their sodas and caught each other up on the news, a drum beat behind her eyes. Remain in Blessing. Remain in Blessing.

  “So you really liked it there?” She fiddled with the straw in her empty soda glass.

  “I do. The people are good there. I like the hills and ah, the trees. Magnificent trees. But most of all, I do believe God is calling me there.” He covered her hand that lay on the table with his. “I want ye there with me, Anji.”

  The silence between them stretched tighter and tighter, so tight it began to hum.

  “Anji, do ye love me?”

  She looked across at him. “I think so, but Thomas, I . . . Yes. I do. But I also believe God is calling me to remain here. My children are so happy here. He brought me home again. Oh, how I wish—”

  “Wish?”

  “That you would stay here.”

  “I struggled with that too, ye know. But methinks I have learned a mite or two about the necessity of minding the business God has given me. I am certain again that me calling be the priesthood, and that has to be the most important part of me life. I want to serve Him with all my heart and soul. He brought me here for a time, but now He is saying St. Patrick on the Lake is where I need to be.” He took both of her hands in his and leaned his elbows on the table. “So marry me and come with me.”

  Anji closed her eyes, feeling a tear meander down her cheek. “I . . . I can’t.”

  Again, another stretch of silence, this one heavy with sorrow. Thomas squeezed her hands. “Aye, lass. I pray ye all happiness and peace. I am grateful for our time together and . . . give me best to yer children. I’ll be leaving then on tomorrow’s train.”

  “So soon?”

  “It be best.” He lifted her hands and kissed the back of each. “Go with God.” He pushed his chair back, rose, and headed out the door.

  Anji laid her face on the table and wept.

  CHAPTER 31

  We cannot let Devlin go without a proper blessing.” John Solberg nodded rather emphatically as he spoke.

  “You are right, but what do you want to do?” Ingeborg, Kaaren, and Mary Martha all looked to him from their chairs on Ingeborg’s porch. “If you want a meal after a church service, you take care of the service, and we will organize the food. The men will get the tables set up. But please, we need more than three days to do this.” Ingeborg gave him a pleading look.

  “He planned on just getting on the train and waving good-bye.” John shrugged and shook his head.

  “I am not surprised.” Ingeborg shrugged. “He has no idea how important he has become to all of us in Blessing.”

  “He has agreed to wait until Monday to leave.”

  “Three days is what we have then.” The women swapped headshakes and eye rolls. Kaaren sucked in a deep breath. “I am very grateful we have telephone service again. Ingeborg, you get the manpower going, and we’ll do the calling. We will put up some signs for those who have no phones.”

  “Since we can’t get anything printed, what if we send some of the older children around with an invitation saying to bring whatever you want for the meal and a baseball game will start after that. Devlin can umpire one more game before he leaves.” John glanced to his wife and smiled when she nodded.

  “I’ll get the paper.” Ingeborg had learned that she could have the odd pieces left from the printing press, so she always had a stack of paper for letters and for the children when they were playing school on a rainy day. She set the stack on the table and passed out pencils. “If we all print the same, we can get enough done in half an hour. Emmy will help too. Her printing is very legible.”

  “So the runners can go out later this afternoon?”

  “Ja, we’ll get this done.”

  As John roughed out a flyer, Ingeborg called Emmy in from the garden to help. And they all started printing out the invitations, or whatever they should be called. “I’ll have Manny ride out to the farms when he comes in. Joker needs a good ride.”

  As soon as the papers were ready, the women divided up the telephone list, and Ingeborg called the construction office. “Good morning, Daniel. We need men on Sunday to put up the picnic tables, as we are having a good-bye blessing, dinner, and ball game for Thomas Devlin.”

  “I’ll take care of that, but I tell you, I hate to see him leave.”

  “As do we all. And in such a short order.”

  “But you ladies will manage as you always do, and the men are always up for a ball game. Anything else you need?”

  “Not at the moment. Takk.” Ingeborg hung up and smiled at Emmy, who had the papers in a basket. Mary Martha had a stack to give to Melissa Moen and Linnea.

  “Everyone will know by this evening. I’ll start calling as soon as I get home.” Mary Martha smiled at her husband. “Never underestimate the power of women in action.”

  “Especially the women of Blessing.” Kaaren took her list to call and waved as she went out the door.

  By the time the church bells tolled for the Sunday service, all the sawhorses had tops covered by tablecloths with rocks and bricks to hold them in place in case the light breeze picked up speed. The coffeepots were heating up on the stove in the church basement, and as people arrived for church, they set their covered dishes on the tables. Dish towels kept off the flies, and as the piano prelude flowed out the windows, people filed in to the church until it was full and then others sat on the benches outside the open windows.

  Wearing his Sunday vestments and still in his office, Reverend Solberg nodded to Thomas Devlin. “You are prepared to say a few words?”

  “Ye expect this Irishman to be sayin’ only a few words?”

  “I always have great expectations.”

  “That ye do.”

  “And you’ll sit in the front row?”

  Devlin shook his head. “If ye insist.”

  “Then let’s go in and celebrate the time you have been with us.” The two men walked out of the office to the left of the altar and took their places. Jonathan Gould was at the piano, Joshua Landsverk with his guitar, and two of the immigrants playing a fiddle and concertina. Gould paused, and at his nod, the congregation rose and joined in singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Everyone sang with gusto in their different languages. Grace Knutson Gould signed the words in the front, and those who could not hear sang along with others by using their hands.

  When the hymn ended, the amen was in perfect harmony, with all the parts.

  Reverend Solberg stood in front of the congregation. “Welcome to our Lord’s house on this Sunday He has given us as another gift. I believe heaven will sound like all of us together. Please be seated for the Scriptures. Garth Wiste will read the Old Testament lesson.”

  Garth strode to the front a
nd read the story of God calling Abraham to a far land. “And behold, I will always be with thee.”

  “The Psalm for today is the twenty-third, and we will say it together. Please speak in the language you learned it. For those who want to read it, you’ll find it in the back of the hymnal.” When the rustling stopped, Solberg began, “‘The Lord is my Shepherd . . .’” Many spoke in Norwegian, the Sidorovs in Russian, Devlin in Gaelic, and several other languages could be heard.

  Again, they sang the amen.

  Ingeborg felt goosebumps rise on her arms. She looked to Thorliff, who sat rigidly in front of her with Inga on one side and Astrid on his other side, holding Roald on her lap, with Daniel beside her. Since Thorliff’s wife had died, church was nearly impossible for him, she well knew. O Lord God, help him through this service. All I could do for months after Haakan died was cry through the hymns and often the sermon too. He fights so hard against the tears. Her beloved husband, Haakan, had gone home to heaven two summers before. Thorliff reminded her of his far, Roald, who brought her as his new bride from Norway in 1880. Roald would never have allowed himself to cry. Straight, nearly frozen, were her son’s shoulders. She wanted to reach over and rub his neck and upper back but knew better. He was barricading the door against his feelings for all he was worth. She was just grateful he was strong enough to be out of the hospital and sitting up in church.

  “Our New Testament lesson for today will be read by Daniel Jeffers from Matthew 28:18–20.”

  “‘And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,’” Daniel started. “‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’”

  Reverend Solberg moved to the pulpit and opened his Bible. “Our gospel today is Matthew 6:33. This is Jesus speaking to his disciples and not just the twelve. ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’”

  When he finished reading the verse, Reverend Solberg closed his Bible and looked down at Thomas Devlin from the raised pulpit. “Today we honor a man God sent to us for a time and a season, Thomas Devlin. I met him the day he led his limping horse into town, and we became the kind of friends that only our God can put together. This Lutheran pastor and this Anglican priest have more in common than we ever knew, and our many hours of prayer, discussion, laughter, and service have blessed all of us.

  “Thomas Devlin has ministered to many here because he can speak several languages and because he has the heart of a servant. He has prayed for people, helped me bury those who died, taught our children at the school, and taught woodworking skills to young men at the Deaf School. I was hoping God was going to leave him here with us, but he has now been called to a parish again and, sadly, not one near here. So today we will bless him and send him out as the apostles sent out Paul and Barnabas and Timothy.

  “God calls all of us out into places we might not have chosen on our own. He has brought many of you here to Blessing for a livelihood, to become members of this family here, for all of us to grow in grace and the love and knowledge of God. We have been through fires, blizzards, floods, sickness, the struggles of growth, and the blessings He pours out on all as we care for one another. We have all generations here now, the original pioneers, their grown children, and now their children are growing, some starting school already. And all of you who came because we had work to offer you.” He smiled around at all the families, so many sitting together in what had unofficially become their pews.

  “We have lost those we love, and sometimes God has led us to the brink and then given us the gift of more time together.” He cleared his throat as he looked out over the congegation, many of whom wiped their eyes or could not look at him. Solberg nodded. “And all of this has brought us closer together in this family of God. I thank Him daily for all of you, all of us, for the privilege of being your pastor for all of these years.

  “Our Lord God reminds us over and over of how much He loves us and desires us to trust Him to teach us and guide us. He promises that no matter what happens in our lives, He will never leave us nor forsake us. He asks us to praise Him and thank Him for everything He gives us, even the hard and difficult things. We say, ‘Lord, I trust you,’ and then we try to figure out and plan by ourselves. Then we get in trouble and like Peter sinking in the lake cry out, ‘Lord, help me.’

  “Lord, help me! Three small words.” He paused and gazed around, catching his parishioners’ eyes around the entire room. “Lord, help me!” He spoke each word distinctly. “Lord God, help us all, as we learn to trust you and believe your Word.” He paused.

  “Lord, help me as I have to bid farewell to a friend. Yes, I pray we will see each other again. After all, it isn’t the other side of the world, and we can write letters and perhaps even make telephone calls eventually. Ah, the blessings of so many modern conveniences. And above all, we can continue to pray for each other and our congregations. Help us, Lord.”

  He motioned to Devlin. “I have asked this Irish friend to speak a few words, and then I will say a blessing over him, and we will continue with the offering and a hymn, and together we will pronounce the benediction. Thomas, I give you our pulpit.”

  Devlin rose. “I be honored, John, but can I speak from the front here?”

  “Whatever you wish, but you are passing up an amazing opportunity. I don’t loan out my pulpit often.” A chuckle ran over the congregation as Solberg sat down.

  Thomas Devlin stood looking over the congregation smiling and nodding. “I am honored to have been with you these nearly two years. I had no idea when me and me horse limped into town what our God had in mind. All I had was some woodworking tools and a couple of dollars left in me pocket. Within a few hours, me horse was freed of the bolt that had caught in his shoe—this Irishman had no knowledge of horses—and the poor beast was put out to pasture and recovered well. I was put to work, given a place to live, and welcomed to dwell among you. Like me horse, meself found healing here in Blessing. This town be named so perfect. Blessing. I had no idea where me Father was going to put me to work, nor who He had in mind for me to help in some way. Blessing, a town that welcomes the stranger, puts him back together and, in this case, sends him on his way. Ye all have a place in me heart, and me thanks ye from the bottoms of me shoes that someone here added new soles to.”

  He smiled. “Thank ye every one and may our Lord continue to bless ye and prosper ye. And may we all, all be remembering that prayer of St. Peter. Lord, help me. May we remember to say it before we sink too far. We dwell under the shadow of His mighty wing and cling to His mighty hand. Amen.”

  He choked on the amen.

  Solberg rose and stepped down to the floor, hymn book in one hand, and laid the other on Devlin’s shoulder. “Thomas Devlin, fellow servant of our Lord God, may you go forth to serve your new parish with all wisdom and love, depending solely on His mighty Word and seeking His will moment by moment. May you be a blessing there and far more than you have been here with us. I thank our God for the privilege of friendship and teaching, as He said, iron sharpening iron. Let us pray.” When the rustling stopped, he continued. “Thank you, Most High God, our heavenly Father, for the blessings you pour out upon us, and your promises to continue to protect us all, near and far, this congregation and the one that will be blessed by this man you have commissioned and sent forth. Lord God, we praise you and thank you. Amen.”

  The two men clasped each other in a mighty hug. Devlin sat down and Reverend Solberg nodded to the musicians. Four men walked forward to receive the carved wooden offering plates that Thomas Devlin and his woodworking students at the Deaf School had turned from a local seasoned oak tree and presented to the congregation months earlier. As they moved down the aisles, the musicians played “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesu
s.” Everyone rose to sing the offering hymn when the men came forward. “Let us pray together the prayer Jesus taught us to pray. ‘Our Father . . .’” The congregation joined in and at the amen, the musicians moved into the doxology. Thomas joined John again, and together they raised their hands and prayed. “The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee His peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” They both made the sign of the cross as they did so.

  The musicians began the hymn “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” as the two friends sang and strode down the aisle. At the amen, Reverend Solberg said, “Go in peace and serve the Lord.” Everyone said amen. Jonathan Gould signaled his fellow musicians, and they played a medley of Irish tunes as the congregation rose, greeted each other, and filed out.

  Thomas Devlin took a handkerchief out of his pocket and mopped his eyes. “Blessed for sure. Thank ye, my friend.”

  As the congregation reached them, both men greeted and shook hands.

  “Do you have to leave?” Inga asked when she and Emmy took their turn, Ingeborg right behind them.

  “I do, but I will never forget either one of ye.”

  “I don’t like people to leave.” Inga buried her face in her grandma’s skirt, then sighed and turned to reach for her pa’s right hand. Together they walked out the door, Thorliff using Haakan’s cane, with Inga and Emmy on either side of him and Ingeborg carrying his son.

  As folks gathered outside in their normal groups, the women getting the tables ready, someone whistled when all was prepared, and together they sang the table prayer.

  Solberg nodded and announced, “Since today we honor Thomas Devlin, he will be at the front of the line and then will be the umpire behind the plate for our ball game. Thorliff will umpire first base and Lars will be behind the pitcher. Our teams will be announced after dinner. The diamond is all set at the school, and we have made sure to bat out away from the windows of both school and church. Let’s eat.”