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" 'You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?' " Pastor Walling read aloud from John 3. " 'I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven - The son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert so the Son of Man must be lifted up.’ “
Pastor Walling slowly closed his Bible and seemed to stare Chris directly in the eye before continuing.
“We say we trust in the Lord and we say that we see his miracles. We beg for His help when we’re down but do we ever thank Him for our trials? For the path that He’s led us on? Do we ever thank the Lord for our pain? It’s not a natural instinct for us to do so, but we need to remember that with pain comes knowledge and with trials comes growth. If our good Lord provided a comfortable life, here on Earth, what would we have to look forward to? Why would Heaven be a glorious place if we were able to have it here?”
The pastor paused, then cleared his throat. “We must thank the Lord with every path that He leads us on even if we do not believe it’s the right one. If God is leading you, it is the right one and you shall travel it with an obedient and happy heart.”
Chris sat up a little straighter and looked around the congregation. He felt that the pastor was speaking directly to him as he had done before. There was something that Pastor Franklin Walling did know and was not telling Chris.
If he was directing the sermon to Chris, what was the message? He was happy of the path God had led him on. He wasn’t at first, that was not a secret to anyone, but he could not have been happier. He had a sturdy home, he would have a new barn soon, horses, a wonderful family, a beautiful wife and a town that respected and loved him. He had his crops, his health and he was sure to thank God for that often.
‘Maybe it wasn’t often enough.’ Chris thought. God knew what was in his heart, wasn’t that enough? Did he have to thank Him out loud everyday? He sent him here to find something. He found more than he could have fathomed, family, love, worth, himself. What more was there?
The pastor said a prayer and the congregation stood to sing the closing hymn. Hand in hand, Chris and Hanna made their way down the three front steps of the church.
"Chris, Hanna.." Came a voice from behind them. It was Mr. Moyor walking along side of Mr. Kinsley. "I told Louis, here, about both positions possibly being filled. Have you two made up your minds of what you'd like to do?"
"We have." Hanna replied before Chris even had a chance to open his mouth.
"I will take the job with Mr. Kinsley and Hanna would like to work with you in the mercantile." Chris added.
"I need to make sure that my duties are fulfilled before mid August, however." Hanna clarified. "I need some time to prepare for the upcoming school year."
"That is not a problem. I figure we can get everything squared away in only a couple of months. We will only be requiring your services Monday through Friday. That will give you Saturday for your work at home and, of course, Sunday is for worship and rest." Mr. Moyor said.
"I'd be right happy to have you come work with me." Mr. Kinsley said to Chris. "I'd been wantin' someone to come help me fer awhile, now.. just didn't rightly know who could. Oh, I can manage it just fine on me own but it makes fer a long day."
Chris nodded and smiled at Mr. Kinsley who smiled back showing his deteriorating teeth. "It's my pleasure. I've always wondered about blacksmithing and have always wanted to try it."
"It's settled then. We will see you both in the morning. Hanna, our doors open at 8 am, so I'll need you here at 7:30." Mr. Moyor said, then turning to Mr. Kinsley. "What time do you need Chris, Louis?"
"I say 7:30 am is jus fine." He replied.
"See you two in the morning." Mr. Moyor said with a grin. He nodded to both Chris and Hanna and joined his wife.
"Do you think we waited long enough to hear God's answer to whether or not we should take these jobs?" Hanna asked on the way home.
"Do you feel that we should not?" Chris asked with concern.
"It's not that. I was just thinking about what pastor Walling was talking about today. About allowing God to lead your path and doing it with an obedient and happy heart. I will do the work with a happy heart, but I just want to make sure I'm being obedient to His plan for me. I know we prayed about it but I am still unsure."
"I think we're doing the right thing. We need a home for our animals and this seems to be the only way to accomplish that before the fall. If it's not what God wants for us, I'm sure He will let us know. He has plenty of ways to strike us down if we're disobedient."
"What a thing to say, Christopher. God's intention is not to strike us down. He wants to build us up." Hanna said with a scoff.
"I feel like with the tornado, blizzard, the fire and the penn..." Chris stopped himself. ".. that God needs extreme measures to get my attention. I just don't know why. I do understand in the beginning when I was closed off but I feel my heart is open now."
"I suppose what we feel and what God sees are two different things. Not everything we experience is from the Lord, it could be an attack from the other side, too. When that happens, it's God that lends us His hand."
"That's how I felt with the blizzard, actually." Chris recalled, shivering even though the late morning was warm and stifling.
Hanna’s thoughts of the pastor’s sermon were not hers alone. The words echoed through Chris’ brain. He just couldn’t help but to feel that he was missing something from it. That it was a giant jigsaw puzzle that he had to fit together.
Did the pennies have something to do with God’s plan for him?