It was his own hang up that had him sequestering himself from others who could walk with him. He had turned his back on God, too upset over Charlene’s death. Not once had he stopped to look at the good. How he’d been blessed with two beautiful girls. That his wife didn’t die in pain.
Her death gave life. Times two.
Guy blinked rapidly, but it was no use. A tear fell and then another. He felt a squeeze on his arm and looked up. Evan stared at him. It wasn’t a look of pity that met him but one of understanding.
He had no idea how his friend dealt with the loss of a leg, but Guy knew Evan was okay. There was an undeniable peace exuding from his friend. The peace of God.
He looked at Jo after discreetly wiping away the tears. “Thank you for sharing, Jo.”
“Any time.”
MICHELLE TOOK A SIP of her coffee as the sun went down. She loved the solitude and peace her backyard brought her. And right now, she desperately needed it. Seeing Guy cry last night had shaken her to the core. The moment he had spoken, she’d watched him to see how he’d handle the conversation. Her own feelings had been pushed to the background as his face went from anger, bitterness, and finally acceptance as tears slipped down his face.
It was funny after all these years; his emotions were so familiar. Seeing him accept what Jo had shared shook her belief system. She had maintained the belief that God couldn’t work all for good. She hadn’t seen any good come out of her parents’ death. She thought for sure, Guy would agree.
However, hearing how God could use it to comfort others, brought her up short. When she prevented herself from the automatic disagreement, Michelle had sat and pondered her best friend’s words. Over the years, she had made it her mission to put every drunk driver behind bars. She would have never gone down that path if her parents hadn’t died. Her dream had always been corporate law.
Had God needed her elsewhere? Did that fall into ‘working it all for good’?
She was so confused.
At the sound of the sliding door, she turned.
Jo smiled and gestured toward the matching Adirondack chair. “May I join you?”
“Sure, girl.”
Silence fell upon them like a warm blanket. She was intent to soak up the night air and the beauty of the backyard, with its blooming trees.
“So, you’ve been awfully quiet since last night’s Bible study.”
“I have.”
“Care to share your thoughts?”
“I don’t even know where to begin, JoJo.”
“What’s the first thing that comes to mind?”
“Why does God have to work anything for good? Why can’t He just let good happen?”
“Free will.”
She frowned. Such a pat answer! A trite one and not one she thought Jo would give her. Sometimes, it seemed like her friend had lost the ability to give it to her straight since Jo had devoted her life to God.
“I saw that frown.”
Michelle looked at Jo, then shared her thoughts. She watched Jo’s face, wondering if she would explode in anger.
Instead, Jo responded with a grin. “I haven’t lost the ability to give it to you straight. I know sometimes you don’t like my answers, but that doesn’t make them less true. The reason you see a difference is because God has made a difference. We all have free will. We all have the ability to choose Him or not.”
Jo crossed her legs. She looked authoritative even though she had a pair of overalls on. “Don’t you hate it when you tell a guy what you want in a relationship and then he does it?”
She snorted. “Of course, he only did it because I told him to.”
“Exactly. I feel God is the same way. He wants our love and obedience because we know He is truth and not because He told us to be that way.”
The girl has a point.
Michelle leaned her back against the chair. Part of her still wanted to argue and point out the unfairness of it all, but deep down, she knew man was responsible for the worlds’ problems. Just like a drunk driver’s decision to get behind the wheel. Yet for the first time in her career, she had compassion for the “bad guy.”
“I took Tanya’s case.”
The words seemed to hang in the air. Michelle couldn’t tell if Jo was shocked or not as she stared straight ahead.
“Good.”
Her head whipped around. “Come again?”
Jo chuckled. “You were making it a crusade. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong in having a cause and supporting it. But did you base each case on its merits or judge them all as if it had been your parents’ drunk driver.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I...but...there are laws.”
Jo nodded. “Indeed. But the laws are based on severity and the number of offenses. Even I know that. It seems like you went for the maximum no matter if that was their first offense or not.”
Her shoulders dropped. Why did she feel like she was being attacked? Why was everyone against her?
Because you might be wrong.
“No.” She shook her head vigorously. “No one should be allowed to drink and drive.”
“Then why did you take Tanya’s case.”
Michelle hunched over. “I get her,” she answered softly.
“Because for the first time, you’re looking at her as an individual and not based on her prior or lack of offenses. You and she both agree she was drunk, but that didn’t negate the other person’s portion of responsibility.”
“It’s just all so confusing, Jo. I’m so tired of it all.” She sniffed.
“Then rest in God, Chelle. Let Him do what He’s supposed to do to direct and guide you for the rest. The moment I stopped fighting Him, was the moment peace came. You need it or you’re going to run yourself into the ground.”
Jo stood up.
