Authors: Leona Norwell
“I think we all are. Okay, call us if you hear anything.”
“We will.” Nathan said hanging up. He had barely handed the phone back to Leah when it rang again.
“Hello” she rushed to answer
“It’s Faith.”
“Where are you? What are you doing? Martha told me what you are doing, you can’t do this.”
“I just wanted to tell you not to wonder where I am. As soon as I find a permanent place to live, I’ll get the rest of my stuff.”
“No, why are you doing this? I don’t need my freedom. I need my sister.”
“No, if you don’t have me to take care of you can get more done and I won’t be a burden to you. I love you too much to do that to you anymore. I’m sorry I did it this long.”
“You take care of me just as much as I take care of you. Please Faith, come home. I don’t want you to move out.”
“I love you Leah. I’ll call every once in a while and then I’ll probably see you at Mom and Dad’s sometimes. Here’s the number of where I am, but I’m doing what’s best for you.” Faith gave her the phone number then added “Until I can talk to Nathan next week, please tell him. “The door closed.” He’ll know what that means. Bye Leah.”
“No, wait. He’s right here.”
“Bye Leah” she said hanging up
“Faith” Leah screamed into the phone as the dial tone started. She slowly turned the phone off and looked at Nathan.
“Where is she?” he said fiercely
“I’m not supposed to wonder about that. I’m supposed to just wait until I see her sometimes at Mom and Dad’s.”
“She actually said that? You’re not supposed to wonder about her. Has she lost her mind? Did something happen that we don’t know about?” he snatched up the piece of paper where Leah had written a number and pulled out his cell phone. The phone rang and rang until he slammed his phone shut.
Leah started to speak as he put his phone away. “She has a message for you. She said she would call you next week but in the meantime I’m supposed to tell you “the door closed” and you would know what that means.”
Nathan let the message from Faith sink in and then his face fell and he nodded. “I do know what she thinks that means. She’s telling me that the Lord has closed the door on our friendship or anything more. But she is wrong.”
“Are you as confused as I am? What happened between last Saturday and yesterday?”
“Yes, I am as confused as you are, maybe even more so. Call your parents back.”
Leah called her parents and told them about Faith and gave them the number Faith had left with her. Nathan sat silently at the table with Leah for a time until he decided he was not going to get any answers sitting there. “I’m going to head home but call me if you need anything. And if she calls back, have her call me immediately.”
“I pass the message along, but somehow I think I’m done hearing from her.”
“I know but I’ll be praying otherwise.” He said letting himself out the front door. As soon as he arrived home, he went to his home office and began to pray.
Lord, have you closed this door? Are we not supposed to be friends or more? I need a clear message from you and I need to hear from her. Please Lord, help me to put you in priority. Amen.
Chapter 6
Sunday was a repeat of Saturday night, Nathan called and called the number Faith had left. He even called the Help the Flock number but only left a message. When he saw her parents at church, he graciously accepted Pearl’s hug and encouragement. Monday morning he went to work at the church and hoped for some communication from Faith. He checked his email every few minutes and called the phone numbers just as often.
Lord, I need your help with this situation. I don’t believe you have closed this door with Faith, if so then I’ll trust in you. I’ll trust in your perfect will and perfect timing. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Monday evening just as he was arriving home, his cell phone rang. The number displayed was not familiar to him but he answered anyway.
“Nathan Lindstrom”
“It’s Faith”
“What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Where are you?”
Faith didn’t answer and he was afraid she had hung up on him. “Faith, please answer me.” Nathan pleaded
“Nathan, I feel bad about doing this over the phone but ..”
“Then tell me where you are and I’ll come to you.”
“And let me leave when I choose?”
“No, I’m taking you to Leah. She is hurt, Faith.”
“I can’t change that right now. In time, both of you will understand I that had to do this.”
“You did not have to do this. Just explain why you are doing this?”
“I told you the church wouldn’t like the idea of you and me and I was right. This is best for everyone, I’m sorry. Goodbye Nathan.” She said hanging up. Nathan dialed the number right back and there was no answer. Nathan knelt down on his knees in front of his couch,
Lord, help me to understand and trust in you. I believe she is just what I need and I believe she can be a help to me and this church. Help me to show her that. Amen.
Nathan was slow to rise from his prayers. He was sad and needed to talk to his Lord.
One Sunday morning about six weeks later Nathan and Leah were talking in the church foyer when one of the women in the church came up to them “You two make such a cute couple. I told Mrs. Harper that weeks ago, right outside the church here. We are so happy for you.”
Nathan glanced at Leah and cleared his throat. “Mrs. Dillon, we are not a couple and never have been. We are friends.”
“But that’s why Faith hasn’t been around anymore isn’t it? Leah got tired of doing everything for her since you two were dating.”
Leah looked ready to give Mrs. Dillon a piece of her mind so Nathan directed both ladies to his office. “Please sit down Mrs. Dillon.” He said pointing at a chair in his office. “In a minute, I’m going to let Leah explain a few things to you and I want you to listen very closely. But first, can you recall when you may have talked to Mrs. Harper outside the church?”
“It was a long time ago. Why?”
“Can you be more specific on the day?”
Mrs. Dillon thought for a moment. “It was after a committee meeting that we had here at church.”
“Would it have been the day before our movie and pie social? Was Faith on the committee?”
“Yes, she was at the meeting.”
“Were you and Mrs. Harper talking before or after the meeting?”
“It was as we were walking to our cars after the meeting.”
“Mrs. Dillon, can you tell me what else you may have talked about that night?”
“Well, I don’t remember exactly. I know I mentioned that I thought you two made a cute couple. And one of us mentioned that poor Leah has such a great burden doing everything for Faith and that we felt sorry for Leah.”
“Anything else?” Nathan asked as she paused
“Well, Mrs. Harper mentioned that someone had seen what they thought was you and Faith around together that week. And we commented that we didn’t think Faith was a good choice for a pastor’s wife.”
“Mrs. Dillon” Nathan began “I believe that you and Mrs. Harper hurt a very special young woman with your comments. Faith was within hearing distance and took everything you said to heart. She left her family, she left her home and no one has seen her in six weeks. She missed Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family and we really have no idea where she is. Faith and I had been around together that week and I hope we can be again. I’m going to let Leah talk to you now and explain to you about her wonderful sister.”
“Mrs. Dillon, Faith has never been a burden to me. In fact, it may actually be the other way around. I can’t organize or plan at all. Faith on the other hand can organize anything and everything. She helps me with my business and I have missed her terribly. She would make an excellent pastor’s wife and I hope to see her and Nathan together as the pastor and wife of this church.”
“She can really do all that?” asked a stunned Mrs. Dillon
“Yes, she can and does. She has her own business and is very successful. This church needs her and I need my sister back.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll tell Mrs. Harper that we were wrong.”
“I would appreciate that Mrs. Dillon” Nathan began “And if you hear anything discussed anywhere else about Faith Newham, I would really like it if you told me and or stopped the gossip.”
“I will. I’m so sorry I hurt her, she is a sweet girl.”
“Thank you and if we can find her, I would like for you and Mrs. Harper to apologize. The Bible teaches that we should go to the ones we have wronged and make it right.”
“We will. I’m very ashamed of my behavior.” She said as she stood to leave
“Let me walk you out.” Nathan offered
“No, I’m fine. Will you let me know when you find Faith?”
Nathan and Leah agreed as Mrs. Dillon left the office. Nathan rubbed his hands over his face as he thought about the last few minutes. “Why did she believe them?” he asked finally
“Because she was unsure of herself and of you two together.”
“Why? We had talked about trusting in the Lord and letting him close the door or keep it open.”
“If I know Faith, she was sure that was her sign from the Lord. As you know I’m sure, I was playing matchmaker between you two but it scared her to death. After that first dinner at our parents, we were talking about you and her second comment was about how she couldn’t be a good candidate for a pastor’s wife. And her first was about her facial scars. So she was running scared for a long time. But I don’t get why she thought you and I would make a good couple. Or why all of a sudden she felt like a burden to me? I think Mrs. Dillon and Mrs. Harper must have mentioned that too.”
“Probably so. They hit on every one of her fears and it added up to leaving her home and me as soon as she possibly could. Are you having any luck talking to her if she answers the phone?”
“No, I get a quick message every week or two that says she is fine. The only good thing is that she must not have found a permanent place to live yet because her office is still in the basement of the house.”
“Well, I’ve resorted to calling her work and only on rare occasions does she answer and not her staff. She finishes our conversations extremely fast.”
“How do we get her to listen to us?” Nathan asked a few minutes later.
“I’m going to call her this afternoon. I’ll call you afterwards.” She said moving to leave his office.
“Thanks Leah.”
A few days later as Nathan was unlocking the door to his house after another frustrating day of trying to talk to Faith. He felt uneasy about something and had continually prayed for Faith throughout the day. He felt like needed to continue that praying and that was his plan for the evening.
“Nathan Lindstrom” he said as he answered his phone.
A very watery voice stated “It is Leah.”
“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“Can you come to University Hospital?”
“What happened to Faith?”
“She was hit by a car while crossing the street. She is unconscious. She has a broken leg and cuts and bruises.”
“I’m on my way.” He stated and Leah told him where to come once he arrived. Nathan arrived a short time later and ran to find Faith’s family. They were sitting in the surgery waiting room while she was in surgery. Pearl jumped up to give him a hug and he shook her brothers’ and father’s hands before sitting down. “How is she?”
“She will be okay. She is in surgery right now.” Jacob Newham answered
Nathan suggested that they pray together while they waited.
Lord, please watch over Faith and her doctors as they perform the surgery. We ask for quick healing for Faith. In Jesus Name. Amen.
The doctor came to tell them that the surgery had been successful and that she had regained consciousness in the recovery room. He told them she had been moved to a room and that they could go see her. Nathan followed the Newham family to the room but did not enter with them until Leah told him she was still sleeping. He entered the room and saw her bruises and her cast and was just so thankful that he knew where she was again.
Thank you Lord.
Much later that night after her family had left, Nathan remained at her bedside. Since he was a clergy, he was allowed to remain after visiting hours. He talked with God and prayed his thankfulness on her being alive and found.
Help me to make things right again.
“I don’t know why you are here, Nathan. But since you are, you might as well talk to me.” Faith said wearily from the bed.
“How did you know it was me?”
Faith was too tired to stop her next words “My heart knew it was you.”
“You are going to hate yourself later when you remember that you admitted that to me. But I won’t. I’m very glad to hear it.” he said going to her bedside and picking up her hand in his. “Go back to sleep.” He whispered to her.
“Nathan, I’m sorry.” She murmured
“Everything is going to be okay.” He repeated stroking her hair away from her lovely but bruised face. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Faith woke early the next morning and Leah immediately went to her bedside. “It’s me.”
“Hi” Faith said quietly. “What happened to me?”
“The police said you were hit by a car crossing the street. If you had been where you were supposed to be at our house, this wouldn’t have happened.” Leah said fiercely.
“Please don’t yell at me. I am doing what I think is best for all of us.”
“Well, I’m not yelling yet, but when you get home we will have a very long discussion and I will yell then.”
“Leah, if I go home with you, I’ll just be a burden on you again.”
“Listen to me my dear sister, you have
never
been a burden on me. We will talk about this later, tell me where you have been living so we can go get your belongings and bring them home.”
“But what about you and Nathan? I can’t be there if you two are dating.”
“We are not dating. You and he are dating.”
“You and Nathan should be the couple, not he and I.”
“I’m not arguing with you about this. I am just going to tell you this one time and one time only. I am not interested in Nathan that way. He is my friend only.”
Faith started to speak in rebuttal of Leah’s statement when the doctor opened the door. “Good Morning, Miss Newham.” She stated “I’m Dr. Peters. How are you feeling?”
“Sore” Faith answered “This is my sister, Leah.”
Leah and the doctor exchanged greetings. “You will be able to go home tomorrow as long as you will have someone to help you around the house. You will need to be off your feet for two weeks at least and then possibly a walking cast after that.”
“She won’t be alone. We live in the same house and we can get some additional help anytime we need it.”
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Dr. Peters announced as she left the room.