Chapter 25
The flames in the firepit snapped and popped, releasing long tongues of fire up to heaven.
Kyle glanced across at the woman who sat opposite, her expression holding a sweet contentment he had never seen before. Maybe it was just his hopes, but he’d really thought that she had made a commitment to God earlier.
And the fact that both Bella and Gen might’ve prayed that prayer made his heart almost sore from pure delight.
He’d texted the Northwest Ice chat with news of Bella’s salvation.
Been met with a dozen excited messages, filled with multiple comments involving hallelujah and praise the Lord.
Ryan had texted separately.
How are things going with Gen?
He’d messaged back.
A million times better. Keep praying for her.
Will do.
But he didn’t want to assume she’d made that commitment, even though he’d peeked up before to see she’d been just as intent as Bella, eyes closed, head bowed, as he’d fumbled his way through praying what he thought was the sinner’s prayer.
He hadn’t had time to ask Gen either, as his mom and dad had surprised them with a visit, and Bella had been so busy telling them about what she’d just done that he needed to hold his questions for Gen until now.
Of course, it didn’t hurt to have a young child tell his parents about how to get saved.
They had listened politely even while glancing at Kyle occasionally as if wondering if this was true.
He’d nodded, and prayed silently for them, as he had a thousand times before.
That they would know the healing power of Jesus, and find hope in God, rather than chase success that ultimately would fail.
They were inside, having read Bella a bedtime story, before announcing they were ready for sleep.
“It’s been a big day, huh?”
Gen nodded, her gaze on the fire. Shadows flickered across her face.
Lord, if she is a Christian, does that mean we can be together?
Wait.
Wait? He felt like he’d been waiting forever for this second shot at love. But okay, God. Your will, not mine. Have Your way.
He exhaled, and maybe it was a little loud because she glanced across at him. “Are you okay?”
“Really okay. I’m still trying to come to terms with what happened earlier.”
“You mean with Bella?”
And you? he longed to ask, but didn’t say. He didn’t want her to feel any sense of pressure. He didn’t want her to make a commitment to God because she thought that’s what Kyle needed to hear.
Ah, so maybe that was why God wanted him to wait.
Okay, that makes sense, God. Help me to be patient.
The evening held a deep, still kind of warmth. Like the earth had finally relaxed. Stars twinkled above. The soft low splash of water against the sand held a kind of lullaby.
He closed his eyes, his heart marveling still, at all that had occurred.
God was good. So very, very good. And Kyle knew he did not deserve it, but this was what grace felt like. Favor from heaven, merciful blessing. Like God Himself was smiling on them.
His eyes burned with dumb tears. Oh, seeing his family saved made him such a wuss.
But he was so glad, so glad, glad, glad to know that Bella had prayed that prayer, and that Gen might’ve prayed it too, and that even his mom and dad had finally deigned to hear the truth about Jesus.
Out of the mouths of babes—well, Bella—but still.
He was sitting in a miracle. He blinked hard.
Had to rub his eyes to deal with more stupid tears.
“Kyle.”
He glanced across.
“Thank you for inviting us here.”
“My pleasure.”
Gen smiled. “It’s mine. Ours. I… I don’t know what to say, except thank you.”
“You know I love—”
Not yet.
He swallowed. “Bella, and care so much for you. So I’m really glad if this place has given you a sense of peace.”
She nodded. “It has. And you have too. Thank you for what you said earlier. Thank you for all of this.”
“It’s easy, isn’t it, to get so caught up with being busy that we forget to stop. I know my life has been pretty frantic at times, and I need to do more of this. Just being still. Looking at the heavens.”
She looked up, and so did he. He still wasn’t one hundred percent sure if she’d made that commitment, so it wouldn’t hurt to share another verse that reiterated what he’d tried to say before.
“There’s this verse in the Bible that talks about how God has forgiven us and cast our sins away as far as the east is from the west. That’s so encouraging, isn’t it? ”
“Yes.”
Hmm. He’d take that as a maybe. Regardless, she was on the journey. God certainly was working in her heart, that couldn’t be denied.
She chuckled.
“What?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about before when Bella was demanding your parents pray that prayer too. I think she wants everyone to get saved.”
Was this his chance to find out if she’d prayed that prayer? “And you?” He held his breath.
Her head tilted. “Do you mean do I want everyone to get saved?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Did I pray that prayer too?”
He nodded, feeling the weightiness of this moment, where all his hopes rested in what she said next. Breath suspended for one beat. Two—
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Yes?”
“Yes.”
Heart thumping with joy, he leaped from his chair and drew her up from hers and hugged her. “I’m so glad. So glad,” he murmured fervently.
Then she stole her arms around him, and he realized that he’d just made things awkward. Now was supposed to be about her salvation, not anything else.
He gently released her, holding her hands in both of his. “Gen, I’ve been praying for this, for… I don’t know how long. God is so good.” So, so good.
“It feels strange,” she admitted. “I’ve lived with this sense of stress and pressure for so long, and now it’s like my heart is lighter. I almost feel like I could fly away, like a runaway balloon.”
He chuckled, and gripped her hands tighter, even though he longed to hold her near. “I won’t let you. I need you here. So does Bella.”
“Bella.” Her eyes sparkled as she studied him. “The reason we finally connected.”
“Hmm, I think that was actually something to do with my kidney, but we can blame her if you like.”
Her head tilted, her gaze flickered to his mouth, and she leaned in.
“Go on, Dad. Kiss her,” Bella shouted from the screened door.
He blinked and dropped Gen’s hands. And he leaned back. “Um, I thought you were in bed.”
“I was, but it was boring. And so I wanted to come out here. Then I saw you two kissing. Well, almost, anyway.”
“Um, Bella—”
“Does this mean you two love each other again?” she asked.
“Bella—”
“Because it’s okay if you do. Like, I think you should get married. Because then we could all be a family and all live together. Wouldn’t that be good?”
Oh dear. Maybe this was another reason why God had wanted Kyle to go slow. How was he supposed to explain that hug before?
“I think it’s way past time for a certain girl to go to bed,” he said, with as much sternness as he could muster.
“Aww.” Her voice slipped up into that little kid whine he’d never loved.
“Bella, bed. Now.” Gen’s tone of voice brooked no opposition.
He smiled and watched Bella go. “I’ll come and kiss you good night in a few minutes.”
“Really?”
He nodded. Glanced at Gen. “That okay?”
She dipped her chin. “She’s never had a man do that before.”
Well, good. The only man who really should be doing that was Bella’s father. That was his right and privilege.
He glanced at Gen, but her gaze didn’t hold the same starriness as before. Had his pulling away made her wary of him? Lord, help her trust me, please. This has taken so long that I really don’t want it spoiled because I did something dumb.
“Hey, what do you think about going for a drive tomorrow to find some Bibles?”
She nodded. “That’d be good.”
“Great. And, um, what do you think about us praying together for Bella?”
“For Bella? But she’s already a Christian now, isn’t she?”
“Well, yeah, but we could pray that she grows in her faith, that God would protect her and help her make godly decisions, so her paths are straight.” He smiled wryly. “Straighter than ours were, anyway.”
She nodded. “I want her to make better decisions than I did. So yes. And we should pray for your parents. And my mom. That would take more miracles than I think I have the faith to believe for.”
“But God can do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine.”
“Is that in the Bible too?”
“Yeah. Somewhere in the New Testament. I forget where right now. But I’ll find it and tell you.”
“I like it. It’s like looking at the heavens above. We can sometimes just see the darkness but God is still there, His light shining through, like the stars above. We just need to stop and pay attention.”
He nodded. “And when you think about how vast space is, well, it is pretty amazing to think that God’s love is that big. And that God cares about little tiny us, so that He’s willing to do amazing things.”
She smiled. “Like give us new life and salvation.”
“Yes.”
She studied him, and he studied her, and this time it was simple awe and wonder. That the God who had created the universe cared enough for broken people that He sent His son to help guide people back to Him.
How amazing.
* * *
Two weeks later, she was back home in her bedroom when her phone beeped with a message from Kyle.
Finally remembered to send this. Ephesians 3:20-21 Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
She smiled, and opened her new Bible to the table of contents, then eventually found the book of Ephesians, near the end. She turned to the correct page and read the verse.
The power of God that worked in her. How funny that so many aspects of her life had pointed to God all this time but she’d been too busy to notice it, yet still that persistent tug remained.