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Pasting on a smile that didn’t drive out his worry, he joined them in the kitchen, hoping Thea was more excited about the surprise church service than she was letting on.

Chapter19

Thea

Thea scanned the small cabin from her seat at the kitchen table, counting the friends who had taken the time out of their Sunday morning to give her the church community experience she otherwise couldn’t have right now.

Everything was perfect. Breakfast was delivered hot, everyone had smiles on their faces, and Thea didn’t even have to leave the house.

So, why was she so torn? She was getting everything she’d wanted–the community of Christ she’d been missing.

But that was the thing–she would always be missing it. If she wanted to go back to the four-walled building for a traditional gathering, she’d have to do it somewhere else. Her ankle was almost healed. She could walk, but she still couldn’t go where she pleased without attracting the attention of her family or the Pattons.

The truth of the situation stung. She could mend things with Brett, but it would mean taking him away from this place if they wanted any semblance of a normal life.

Stella picked up a boat of white gravy. “Your biscuit is looking dry.”

That Thea could smile at. She held up a hand. “Thanks, but I’m not a fan of sausage.”

Stella’s eyes widened into a comical, dramatic expression. “Oh no. Don’t tell Vera you don’t like her sausage gravy.”

Thea made a motion of zipping her lips. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Brett stepped up beside Thea’s chair and bent down. “Everything good?”

“Perfect. Thank you so much for this.”

His mouth lifted on one side, showcasing that boyish grin that stole her breath every time. “You’re welcome. Let me know when you’re ready to start.”

Stella picked up her plate. “I’m ready.”

Thea did the same. “Me too. We’ll be there in a jiffy.”

The living room was packed. Hadley sat on a pillow by the fireplace. Stella, Vera, and Jameson pulled in chairs from the table. Thea, Ava, and Brett took the couch, and Mr. Chambers settled into the recliner with the worn leather Bible in his lap.

“When two or more of us gather together in His name, the Lord assures us He will be among us,” Mr. Chambers said. “Let’s pray.”

Thea bowed her head, and it was easy to welcome the serenity of the moment. The cabin was quiet, the morning sun streaked through the windows, and her new friends were beside her–through her healing, through the chaos in her family past, and through her coming back to worship.

Mr. Chambers’s message had to do with the force of love. Love for God, love for our friends, and love for those who wrong us. It was timely for her. Thea’s life had been shadowed in hate, but she didn’t have that inclination inside her. She wanted love more than anything. Love could solve all of her problems.

“How often do we consider right and wrong before we speak or act?” Mr. Chambers asked.

Not enough, that was for sure. Thea had made many mistakes in her life, but leaving Brett was one she couldn’t shake. There had been a clear right and wrong, and she’d chosen wrong.

“It might not solve all of our problems, but each decision we make has a ripple effect. The Lord calls us to do everything with love in our hearts.”

Thea glanced around the room. Everyone here had opened their homes and lives to her. They’d clearly welcomed her with love in their hearts.

But she hadn’t received the same welcome at her old home. How could strangers show her love when her own kin hadn’t?

“Are we treating our neighbors with kindness? Not because they did something for us, but out of the goodness of our hearts?”

The room was quiet. Apparently, Thea wasn’t the only one getting her toes stepped on this morning.

She hadn’t treated everyone with kindness. She still looked at her family and Brett’s as the enemy. She was no better than them because that hatred they loved so much had set up a home in her own heart.

“Would our world be different if we always chose love and kindness?” Mr. Chambers asked. “I know we’re human and bound to falter, but what if we dedicated our hearts and minds to righteousness? Would we trust each other more? Would we call more people our friends? Would we have fewer enemies?”