© 2008 by
Chris Edson
Romans 8:28
Chapter Five
"And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are
the called according to his purpose."
Painting over
the old
letters on the water tower was not as difficult as Peter had expected.
Dorothy
had shown up, true to her word, and spent the entire morning craning
her neck
to watch him. As a reward for her diligence, he invited her to
accompany him to
Wilma’s for lunch.
Judy came over
to wait on
them and gave Peter a wink, “Found a lunch partner, did you?”
Peter smiled,
“She’s been
supervising my water tower project, so I thought she deserved lunch at
the
least.”
Dorothy gave
Judy a big
grin, “He says I’m a good supervisor!”
“I’ll just bet
you are,
Dorothy. Special today is fried chicken with mashed potatoes, corn, and
salad.”
“Sounds good to
me,” Peter
told her. “How about you, Dorothy?”
Her eyes were
big as she
looked over the menu, “I like chicken.”
“Shall we make
it two then?”
Peter asked.
She nodded and
let Judy take
the menu back, “Two specials then. Dorothy, what kind of dressing you
want on
your salad, Hon?”
“Uh….” She gave
Peter a
confused look.
“How about we
try Ranch and
you just put in the side for her?” He asked.
“Will do. I’ll
have them
right out.”
Once Judy had
left them,
Dorothy looked across the table at Peter, speaking in what was supposed
to be a
whisper, but did not quite achieve that tone, “I never ate a big fancy
meal at
a place like this before.”
Peter smiled,
“Well, you
deserve to do it more often. If you don’t like the dressing I ordered
for you,
then we can try something else, all right?”
She continued in
her attempt
to whisper, “I’m glad chicken was the special. I didn’t know what that
menu
said.”
Peter lowered
his voice, in
concern, “Dorothy, can you not read?”
She glanced back
and forth a
bit before answering, “Not big words.”
He nodded,
“Would you like
to learn?”
She looked down,
“I done
tried. I’m just not smart enough.”
“Oh, I think
you’re very
smart, Dorothy,” he encouraged. “Maybe when I get done with the water
tower, we
can set aside a little time each day for me to help you improve your
reading.”
“Are you a
teacher, Peter? I
thought you was just a painter.”
“I am a
painter,” he
chuckled. “But anyone who knows how to read can teach someone else how
to do
it.”
Judy returned
with their
salads and Dorothy looked up at her with a big grin, “Peter is going to
teach
me to read!”
“Is he now?”
Judy’s brow
went up. “Well, that’s something to be happy about, Dorothy.”
“He says I’m
smart and I can
do it.”
Judy glanced at
Peter skeptically,
“Well, you’ll have to tell me how that goes.”
Peter met her
look with
determination, “I am certain you will be able to see for yourself.”
~*~
The next day,
Peter began
work on the lion emblem. He knew it would be a rather slow and
methodical
process, but he also had no doubt he would be able to accomplish it. He
had
chosen to work during the mornings, before the heat of the day, leaving
him the
afternoon hours to help Lily at the shop.
He had bought
Dorothy lunch
again and seen her on her way home, when he started across the park
toward the
shop. There was a young blonde sitting on a park bench, and as he
approached,
he realized he knew her.
“Patty?” He
walked up.
She looked up
with a
tear-stained face. “Mr. Carson!” She hurriedly tried to wipe the
evidence of
her emotions from her face.
He immediately
sat next to
her, “Patty, what’s wrong?”
She shook her
head, “Oh,
nothing. I’m fine.”
“Then why are
you crying?”
“It’s just…um…”
she sighed
and looked toward the water tower. “So, you started the lion today,
huh? It
looks good so far.”
He softened his
voice as
much possible, “Patty, please tell me what’s troubling you. Perhaps I
can help.
Even if only by listening.”
She shook her
head and the
tears returned, “I don’t think anyone can help. It’s too big of a mess.
I can’t
even help.”
“God can help.
No mess is
too big for Him.”
“Oh, I don’t
know. I think
He’s pretty upset about this one.”
“Even when He’s
not
pleased,” Peter pointed out, “if we turn it over to Him, He will help
us.”
She looked up at
him,
swallowing hard, “If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone
else?”
Peter hated such
promises,
but he had long ago learned that God placed him in these situations for
a
purpose. He nodded. “Tell me.”
She looked down
at her hands
and began speaking, “I have this friend. My best friend. Since forever.
We’ve
gone to school together since Kindergarten. She told me something today
and I
don’t know what to do about it. I mean, I can’t really do anything, I
guess,
but…I don’t know.”
Peter was unable
to discern
if she were really speaking of a friend or of herself. He was simply
thankful
she was talking to him. “Go on.”
She took a deep
breath, “She
um…she found out that she’s pregnant.”
Lord, put
your words in
my mouth, he prayed
silently. He
kept his tone soft, “Then she definitely needs to put this in God’s
hands. And
as her friend, you can be there to give her wise counsel and to pray
for her
and with her.”
She sniffed and
gave a
little sarcastic laugh, “Wise counsel? How can I do that? I don’t know
what to
tell her. I just know that she’s messed up her whole life no matter
what she
does now.”
“She made a
mistake,” he
agreed, “but each time we make mistakes, we can either let them destroy
us or
draw us closer to God. Patty, has she told her parents?”
“Are you
kidding? Her dad
will go ballistic!”
“She must
tell them.”
“I don’t know. I
don’t think
I can convince her to do that.”
“They will
find out,
and it’s best she tell them now.”
“Well, they
might not find
out. Not if she…” her voice trailed off.
A chill went
down his spine,
but he didn’t let his voice grow harsh, “Patty, you must counsel her
not to
turn one mistake into an even greater one.”
“I don’t have
the right to
tell her that would be a mistake.”
“Yes, you do.
You’re her
friend. And it’s more than a right, it’s your responsibility. No matter
what
her decision, she cannot keep it a secret forever.”
She gave him a
puzzled look.
“Patty,” he
explained, “God
knows. And one day we will all have to stand before Him and answer for
everything we have done. She will have to answer for her choices, her
parents
will have to answer for theirs, and you will have to answer for yours.”
“You mean if I
tell her the
wrong thing now, I’ll have to answer for that later, too?” She asked
softly.
“Yes, you will.
If you give
her wise counsel and she still chooses the wrong path, you have done
your best.
But if you tell her nothing…then part of the responsibility lies with
you.”
“She’s afraid of
what her
dad will do.”
“Tell me
honestly, Patty—is
there a chance that he will do something harmful to her?”
She thought for
a minute, “I
don’t really think so. But I’m not sure that he won’t kill her
boyfriend.”
“Has she told
her
boyfriend?”
She shook her
head, “Just
me.”
“He needs to
know. And so do
her parents. No matter what their reaction, she is still their
responsibility.
If they react in a way that is wrong before God, then they will have to
answer
to Him for that.”
“How can you be
so sure
about all this?” She looked up at him.
He let out a
slow breath
before answering, “Because a little over 35 years ago, there was
another 16
year old girl facing a similar situation. Had she made the wrong
choice, I
wouldn’t be here today.”
Her eyes
widened, “Oh. Wow.
So your mom…?”
He nodded.
“She told her
folks?”
He
nodded.
“What did her
dad do?”
He gave her a
lopsided
smile, “He went ballistic.”
“Did he kill her
boyfriend?”
He shook his
head.
“So it all
worked out, huh?
I mean, you’re here today and you’re all right.”
“Put this in
God’s hands,”
he advised. “Tell her what you know in your heart that God would want
her to
do. And pray. Let Him take care of the rest, all right?”
She nodded,
“Thank you, Mr.
Carson.”
“You’re welcome,
Patty.” He
stood up and put his hand on her shoulder, “If you need to talk again,
you know
where to find me. I will remember you and your friend in my prayers.”
~*~
It was late the
next
evening, while Peter was reading, that he heard loud voices below his
window.
He looked out to see a group of teenage boys on skateboards, apparently
taunting Dorothy.
He put his head
out and
called down, “Dorothy?”
They all looked
up and she
smiled, waving, “Hi, Peter!”
“What are you
doing out so
late, Dorothy?”
“I was just
walking home,”
she smiled up, oblivious to the fact that the boys might have presented
a
danger to her.
“Stay there and
I’ll come
down to walk you home,” he called. As he did so, the boys began
scattering.
When he reached the sidewalk below, there was no trace of them, but
Dorothy was
waiting with a smile. He told her, “You shouldn’t be out walking
alone after
dark, Dorothy.”
“My friend Mike
invited me
to his house for a barbecue,” she explained as they walked. “I was just
coming
home.”
“Well, your
friend Mike
should have seen you safely home,” he remarked.
“I walk
everywhere, Peter.”
“I know you do.
But it’s not
safe even in Willowbrook for a young lady to walk around alone after
dark.”
“No one called
me that
before.”
“What?”
“A young lady.”
He chuckled,
“Well, I don’t
know why not. You are young and you are a lady, aren’t you?”
She giggled and
nodded.
By this time,
they had come
to the front of her house. Peter smiled, “I’ll wait here and be sure
you get
inside OK.”
“Thank you for
walking me
home, Peter.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll see you
tomorrow at
the water tower.”
“I’ll see you
tomorrow,
Dorothy.”
He watched her
disappear
into the large old house and waited to be sure lights came on inside.
As he was
turning to go home, he heard raised voices and a door slamming across
the
street. In the glow of the porch light, he could make out the figure of
Jimmy
Johnson, picking up a flowerpot and tossing it with all his might
against the
steps, dashing it to pieces.
Peter took a
deep breath,
looked heavenward, nodded, then silently made his way across the
street. His
calm voice no doubt startled the Chief of Police, “Good evening.”
“What…?” Jimmy
looked up,
then let out a disgusted sigh, reaching to pick up the pieces of the
shattered
pot. “Evenin’. Not much good about it.”
Peter stepped up
next to the
porch and bent to pick up the begonia plant that had been displaced, “I
think
if you have another pot we could save this little lady.”
“Saving flowers
isn’t high
on my list right now,” he muttered.
“Sometimes it
helps to deal
with the simple tasks first,” Peter remarked.
After looking
him over for a
moment, Jimmy pointed toward an unattached garage, “Just inside the
door there,
you’ll find a stack of pots.”
Peter went to
retrieve one
and brought a broom with him, as well, “Thought this might be helpful.”
Jimmy took it
and began
sweeping off the steps, as Peter began repotting the flower. After a
few
minutes of silence, he looked at Peter, “What are you doing here,
anyway?”
“I walked
Dorothy home.”
“From where?”
“She appeared
beneath my
window amongst a group of rather rowdy teenage boys. I thought it best
to see
to it she made it home safely.”
He shook his
head, “I’ve
told her she shouldn’t go wandering around alone at night.”
“She has no
perception of
danger,” Peter observed. “It’s good she lives in a place where there is
little
of it.”
“Oh, it’s
there,” he
muttered. “Whether we like it or not.”
“Indeed, it is.
Which is why
we must rely on God to protect us.”
“Yeah, well He
hasn’t been
doing a very good job of it lately,” Jimmy complained.
Peter placed the
pot back
where its predecessor had met its fate, “Rest assured He is in charge.
Even
when it seems not so, He is still in control.”
“Easy for you to
say.”
“Yes, it is easy
for me to
say. Because I know it beyond a doubt,” Peter replied. “Whatever is
troubling
you, if you put in His hands, you will find a great burden lifted from
your
shoulders.”
He shook his
head, “Afraid
this is something I’m going to have to fix. I don’t have a clue how,
though.”
“All the more
reason to hand
it over to God. He does know how. Trust me on that one.”
“My daughter
just dropped a
bomb on me. Not something that can be easily fixed, either.”
Peter felt that
familiar
wave of realization move through him. Silently, he prayed Lord, use
me as
you see fit. “Well, if she told you something, then at least she is
communicating with you. That is a step in the right direction.”
“It’s a little
late now.”
“It’s never too
late. Not
while there is breath left.”
“What do you
know about it?”
Jimmy challenged. “You’re not a father…or are you?”
Peter shook his
head, “No,
I’m not. But I do know that your anger will not help anyone. Not your
daughter
and not you. Whatever she told you, it is your choice how you react to
it.”
Jimmy ran his
hand through
his hair and let out a sigh, “She told me she’s pregnant.”
“Then what she
needs is your
love.”
“You don’t seem
surprised,”
Jimmy looked at him oddly.
“I am rarely
surprised,”
Peter confessed. “That’s beside the point. Be glad that she told you
before she
did something irrational. Don’t punish her for telling you the truth.
Instead,
help her to face this trial with courage. Help her to see that God can
turn our
worst mistakes into triumphs when we put them in His hands.”
“How?”
“By your
actions. By your
love. Every trial in our life can do one of two things—it can destroy
us, or it
can bring us closer to God. The choice is yours. You can trust Him to
turn this
to good, or you can harbor it and try to handle it on your own and take
yourself and your family down with you.”
Jimmy turned and
sat on the
steps, head in his hands, “I don’t think it makes much difference what
I do
now.”
“It makes a big
difference,”
Peter sat next to him. “The fact that she came to you shows that she is
not
lost. But your reaction could push her down the road to destruction.”
Jimmy looked up,
“Why do you
say that?”
“Because I know.”
“How do you
know?”
“Because I had a
grandfather
who made that mistake.”
Jimmy looked at
him intently.
Peter continued,
“His
teenage daughter came to him when she found herself in this situation
and he
didn’t offer her his love and support. Instead he wished to send her
away, to
have the child put up for adoption, and to keep it a secret from
everyone they
knew. He thought hiding the truth would somehow erase it. But truth
cannot be
hidden.”
“What did she
do?”
“She tried to
run away from
home, but Grandmother stopped her. Finally pled with my grandfather and
convinced
him to let her stay and have the baby. Of course, by the time I
arrived, his
heart had softened and he dropped the idea of adoption. But she never
forgave
him. And she never stopped rebelling against him. She died a young and
tragic
death because of it.”
Jimmy let out a
slow breath
and shook his head, “Well, he must’ve done something right. Because
here you
are giving me advice after I threatened to run you out of town.”
Peter chuckled,
“You were
looking out for Lily. Now, go back inside and embrace your daughter and
tell
her you love her. Then lead your family to their knees in prayer and
leave this
in God’s hands.”
“You should’ve
been a
pastor,” Jimmy stood up and put his hand out to Peter.
Peter took it as
he stood
up, “If I were, then I wouldn’t be here right now for you, would I?”
“Guess not,” he
sighed. “All
right, I’ll give it my best shot.”
“That’s all any
of us can
do, Jim. You will all be in my prayers.”
As he turned to
walk home,
Jim called him, “Peter…thank you.”
Peter pointed
up, “Thank
Him. He’s the one who put me here.”