Authors: Leona Norwell
“No. My wife called me. Told me to hustle over here.”
“Well, I think it is just the battery but I hadn’t gotten around to making sure.”
“I’ll look it over.” Mason said as he followed Nathan to his garage. Mason determined that it was the battery and took Nathan to purchase a new one. After installing the new one and making sure the car would start, he told Nathan goodbye and went on his way. Nathan changed his clothes and went to the church.
“Amanda, who did you tell that my car wasn’t working?” he asked when he arrived
“No one. I don’t tell your personal business.”
“I appreciate that. Mason showed up and fixed my car for me.”
“That’s nice. You had a couple of messages while you were gone.” She said handing him the papers. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She said leaving for the day.
“Bye.” He said reviewing the messages. He went into his office and sat down behind his desk.
Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for sending Mason to help me with my car. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Saturday morning, Nathan’s phone rang at his house. “Hello”
“Hi Nathan. It’s Jeremy Newham.”
“Hi. How are you?”
“I’m good. Leah said you wanted shelves put up at your house, can we come over and get the measurements so she can make them for you?”
“How does she know that? I didn’t mention it to her.”
“I don’t know; you’ll have to talk to her. I’m just asking if you want us to come take the measurements.”
“Let me call her and then she can let you know.”
“Sure. See you later.”
Nathan stared puzzled at his phone and then went to find Leah and Faith’s phone number. He dialed them up.
“Hello”
“Hi. It’s Nathan Lindstrom”
“Hi, it’s Leah. Is Jeremy meeting me at your house?”
“How did you know I wanted shelves?”
“I got a call earlier in the week that you wanted shelves. The payment was sent over the same day. I’m sorry I had to wait until today to have Jeremy call you. I’ve been swamped this week.”
“Who called you?”
“Tamara Banes”
“I didn’t tell her I wanted shelves.”
“I don’t know. Is now good for you if we come get the measurements?”
“Sure. I told Jeremy you’d call him once I talked to you.”
“Okay, we should be there shortly.”
Nathan hung up from talking to Leah and called Tamara Banes. She wasn’t any help either. She was on a long string of emails that mentioned it in passing. He thanked her for the information and hung up.
Dear Heavenly Father. It’s confused Nathan again. I don’t know how these people know to come help me but I’m thankful. In Jesus Name Amen.
On the next Saturday, Nathan was getting out of his car at the church when lots of cars started to arrive. “Did I forget some activity?” he asked Pearl Newham as she got out of her car. “No, we got a phone call that the church was getting together today to do some extra cleaning for Sam. So here we are.”
“Okay.” Nathan said confused as he turned toward the building. Sam, the church’s custodian, was just exiting as Nathan approached the front door.
“Hi Nathan. Why are all these people here?”
“I have no idea. Pearl said she received a phone call to come help you with extra cleaning today.”
“I didn’t ask for that. I told my wife that you and I had talked about it in passing. But she wouldn’t have organized this.”
“Well, put them to work.” Nathan laughed “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
“Sure” Sam said confused
Nathan walked into his office and sat down at his desk.
Dear Heavenly Father. I thank you for your answers to prayer. How does all of this keep happening? Please help me if I am to solve this puzzle. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Monday afternoon, Nathan was in his office when he noticed an email from Faith. He saw the sent time was three am.
“Why was she awake and emailing me at three am?”
He opened it up and found a question from her about James and of course another apology for bothering him. As he was formulating his answer to the question, it came to him that she might be the one organizing all the help. He decided to go visit her and see.
As Nathan approached Leah and Faith’s house, he heard noise from the workshop so he decided to see Leah before tackling Faith. He knocked on the workshop door and waited for Leah.
“Hi Nathan” she said as she invited him in. “Checking up on me to see if I’m done with your shelves?”
“No.” he laughed “I actually just wanted to say Hi to you before talking to your sister. I need to ask her a question but somehow I thought I would get a better answer in person than over the phone.”
Leah burst out laughing. “I’m sorry; I’m not laughing at you. How did you figure her out so fast?”
“I don’t know. Am I right?”
“Yes. She doesn’t lie to you on the phone but she can make it seem like she is answering your question and you like her answer until you have time to digest what she said after you have hung up from talking to her.”
“That’s sneaky. Is she here?”
“No. She went with my parents on vacation for two weeks. You’ll have to try her later. She might return your phone call though if you left her a message.”
“Might? I doubt it. I seem to have gotten on her bad side when it comes to conversing with me.”
“No, you didn’t. She isn’t comfortable with people.”
“I’d love to ask why but I won’t. It isn’t fair to her.”
“True. It would be better if she told you but just know this, it isn’t just you.”
“Thanks for telling me that. I’ll see you Sunday.” He said leaving the shop more confused than when he arrived. He went back to his office and wrote the reply to her question and then sent the email. His questions to her would have to wait.
Friday morning, Nathan was in his office at church when Amanda showed Jeremy and Leah in. “Hi. What’s up?”
“You tell us.” Jeremy answered “We were asked to come here and measure your office for more shelves. Why didn’t you mention it when we were at your house?”
Nathan thumped his head down on his desk “I haven’t told anyone I wanted more shelves in here.” He mumbled
“What?” Leah asked
Nathan lifted his head from the desk. “I have not mentioned to anyone that I wanted more shelves in here. It isn’t something I need right away and didn’t want the church to pay for. How did you know? Who called you?”
Leah took the envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Nathan. “That was in my mail for my business earlier this week.”
Nathan opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. As he did, a cashier’s check fell out also. He looked from the check to Leah who shrugged then turned his attention to the note. It read
Please see the pastor about more shelves in his office.
Nathan rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. He folded up the note and the check and handed it back to Leah.
“If you didn’t mention this to anyone, who sent me this?” Leah asked holding up the note and the check.
Nathan shrugged and held out his hands in helpless surrender. “Honestly, I thought Faith was behind these “things” that keep happening. I didn’t know how she was doing it but now, I don’t guess I was right.”
“What things?” asked Jeremy
“People showing up to paint my house, you two calling to put shelves in my house, Mason showing up to fix my car, a crowd of people showing up to clean the church and now you two showing up to put shelves in my office.”
“Our sister wouldn’t know anything about doing those things. She can’t see remember.”
“I know that. And now she isn’t even in town, she couldn’t have sent you here today.”
“Oh yes she could. My sister can organize the whole city if she wanted too. I didn’t know about any of those things except the shelves or I might have put it together faster than this.”
“You mean I’m right?” Nathan exclaimed
“It’s possible.” answered Leah “I can’t prove it and I won’t try. But it isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.”
“How would she do it?” asked Nathan
“Nathan, I won’t answer that for you. I can’t really. You’ll have to ask her yourself.”
“I will. When is she coming home?”
Jeremy started to answer but Leah stopped him. “Nathan, after the next time you see her at church, then come to our house. If you show up on our doorstep the day after she gets home, she will know I told you. Please don’t put me in the middle.”
“I apologize. It can wait until I see her again, but I will be stopping by for a visit at the first opportunity.”
“Anytime. Now where do you want the shelves and then can it wait until after Christmas?”
“It can wait as long as it needs too.” He said showing them where he thought he’d like the shelves. After they left he sat down and prayed again.
Dear Lord God. Did I figure out the mystery? If I need to ask questions, please help me to ask sensitive questions and not make Faith more uncomfortable around me. She is a kind, caring sister in Christ and I suspect a wonderful friend. In Jesus Name. Amen.”
The next Sunday morning, Nathan noticed Faith sitting on the back row next to her brother Jeremy. She was laughing at something he said and she glowed. Wherever she had been on her vacation, she must have spent lots of time in the sun. Nathan had a hard time turning away to focus on the other church members. His Monday schedule was just changed though, he had some questions for Miss Faith Newham.
Nathan caught Leah’s eye as he faced her from the front pew. He turned and looked at her sister and then back at her. She had a hard time not laughing but gave him a slight nod. Nathan had to look down at his Bible before he started to laugh also. After a short prayer, he lifted his head again but didn’t look at either Leah or Faith.
Monday morning, Leah helped Faith get her clothes matched up as she usually did. Faith could do it by herself but always wanted Leah’s confirmation that she looked okay. Today she knew Faith was going to want to look her best. She didn’t feel it was necessary to warn her sister that Nathan would be stopping by. She just wanted her to look good in case he did. Leah didn’t know if Nathan’s schedule today would allow him to stop by but she anticipated him showing up.
Faith was working at reading dozens of emails when the doorbell rang. She ignored it thinking that Leah would get it. After a minute, it rang again.
“Hello. Who’s there?”
“Nathan Lindstrom”
“Leah is back in her workshop. She won’t mind if you go back there.”
“Okay thanks.” He agreed. He needed to talk to Leah anyway. Nathan walked around and knocked on the door of the workshop. Leah was laughing as she opened the door. “Hi Nathan, amazing coincidence that you showed up today.”
“Stop laughing at me.” he grumbled and laughed at the same time. “She’s beginning to give me an inferiority complex. As soon as I announced my name, she told me you were back here. Not “Hi. How are you?” Just “go see Leah in her workshop”. So here I am. Do I go ask her now?”