Changed Lives. Part Three. Free Christian story
Changed Lives
Part Three
It was Monday, and all the bed and breakfast's guests had left that morning. Gretchen felt free to sing "Blessed Assurance" as loudly as she wanted to whilst she changed the sheets. Her bed and breakfast, Gretchen's Getaway, boasted three double rooms and two singles. All of the bedrooms had at least a partial mountain view, as Kelby was encircled by them. Shade and fruit trees also graced the view, along with flowering shrubs and an ample lawn. Gretchen's guests could enjoy the country sunsets from the gazebo or enjoy the splash pool on hot days. The house, a gracious old lady, had been in her family for years. Gretchen, who'd never married, lived in the granny flat, but she loved pottering about in the house, cooking in the spacious kitchen, and making her guests feel at home. Her next guests would only be arriving on Wednesday, so she had plenty of time to give all of the bedrooms and bathrooms a good clean. If she worked quickly, she might be able to fit a visit to the library and to her favourite coffee shop in.
Her phone rang as she began on her second bedroom. "Hi Gretchen, Wren here. I can't talk for long, it's only our short break. I just wanted to invite you over for dinner on Saturday night. I've invited Harvey's best friend Eli over too. "
"Sounds good. "Gretchen laughed. "As long as it's not a very obvious match making attempt."
"Not at all." Wren chuckled. The thought of getting Eli and Gretchen hadn't even crossed her mind. "It's just that we have some news that warrants a nice meal."
"Well, that sounds intriguing. I'll be there Wren. But only if you let me bring dessert. I'm itching for an excuse to make lemon meringue."
"I didn't think you needed one." Wren quipped. "I'd best ring off and finish my tea before the kids come back in. See you Saturday."
Gretchen pocketed her phone thoughtfully. She looked forward to spending a relaxing evening with Wren and Jasper. As for Eli, she didn't know him too well, but he had been Harvey's best friend, so he couldn't be too bad. Hmm, I wonder what Wren wants to tell me.
***
When Gretchen parked outside Jasper and Wren's house, she saw that smoke was curling invitingly from the chimney. It was a chilly July evening, and she was eager to enjoy a cozy meal with friends. Still, she took the time to admire Wren's garden and the vintage decor of the verandah. Jasper welcomed her at the door, and the two of them entered the kitchen where Wren was putting a green salad together. She quickly stopped what she was doing to hug her friend. "You look lovely tonight, Gretchen. And so does your pie. It will be a nice ending to my roast chicken."
"Not to mention the roast potatoes, creamed spinach, and garlic bread. " Jasper added. "My girl's been buzzing around the kitchen all afternoon." Jasper caught Wren's eye and winked. He thought how extra pretty she looked. The nausea seemed to be receding, and Wren was feeling much more energetic. Wren smiled happily. "And salad. Got to be healthy."
Gretchen felt a twinge of jealousy. Wren and Jasper were so in love. So happy. Athough she'd gotten used to her solitary life, sometimes loneliness would wash over her like a wave. Cats and books couldn't always satisfy her need for company. Gretchen had been proposed to twice. Unfortunately, both proposals had been from men who would have been wrong for her. Gavin had swept her off her feet when she'd been in her twenties. She would have said yes, if he hadn't wanted to whisk her off to a city on the other side of the country. Gretchen was a country girl whose feet were firmly planted in Kelby. And then she'd made the mistake of going out with Colin more recently. He'd been sweet and romantic, a book lover like herself. But he wasn't a Christian. It could never have worked. They were still friends fortunately, and Gretchen bumped into him from time to time in the library or the bookshop. Gtetchen's heart still ached a little whenever she saw him. Although she knew well what the Bible said about being unequally yoked, she couldn't help wondering whether she could eventually have led him to the Lord. Gavin, too, had been an unbeliever like herself at that time. Gretchen had loved him, but not enough to leave her home. She thanked God now that she'd avoided making two costly mistakes. With His help, she would guard her heart in future.
***
The doorbell's ring brought Gretchen out of her reverie. "That will be Eli." Jasper hurried off to open the door, and soon ushered him into the spacious kitchen. "Eli's here," he announced with a grin. "Can we eat now?"
Wren ignored him, and turned to Eli. "Welcome, Eli. Please, ignore Jasper. He's been sniffing aound the kitchen all afternoon and claims to be starving." They all laughed.
"Thanks for inviting me. Everything smells delicious." Eli smiled. "Hello, Gretchen. It's good to see you again."
"And you, Eli." Gretchen shook hands with Eli. He was not a handsome man, but his eyes and handshake were warm.
"Let's go through to the dining room. I'll pour us all drinks." Jasper led the way, and Wren followed behind with the salad. After only taking a couple of sips of grape juice, Wren rose to serve dinner, and Gretchen followed her to the kitchen. "So, when are we going to know the news?"
"What news?" Wren teased. "Oh, that news. Maybe during dessert."
Gretchen placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I refuse to wait that long, it will be bad for my digestion."
Wren chuckled. "We'll see. Right now, I need to get our food to the table."
Gretchen threw up her hands and rolled her eyes. "Ok. I'll take the garlic bread through so long."
She returned straightaway and helped carry the the side dishes through.
"Please help yourselves." Wren sat down and smiled at her guests. Once everyone had food, Jasper topped up their drinks. "How's the farm doing, Eli? I heard that you're raising a new barn. By the way, Wren insists on only eating your chicken. That's one of them, by the way." Jasper chuckled.
"Glad to hear it." Eli smiled. "I don't eat the supermarket's ones myself. The farm's doing well. Well enough to be needing more shelter and storage space. God is good."
Wren smiled. "He is, indeed." She smiled across the table at Jasper.
Gretchen saw the smile and put her fork down. "So, how much longer are you two going to keep us waiting? Just please don't tell me you're moving. I couldn't stand that."
Eli stopped eating too. "News?"
Jasper raised an eyebrow and Wren nodded. He stood up and tapped his glass with his fork ceremoniosly. "Yes. News indeed. Very important news..." He hemmed and ha'ed. Gretchen glared at him in mock seriousness. Jasper walked over to the opposite end of the table, and put his arm around Wren. "We won't keep you in suspense any longer. Wren and I are having a baby. You're the first people we've told, and tommorow we'll tell the rest of the world." He grinned.
Gretchen whooped and burst into happy tears, then she and Eli both rose to congratulate the beaming couple. "Oh, Wren. A baby. Your prayers have been answered. A baby." Gretchen immediately placed herself in the role of doting auntie. "I will start shopping and knitting tommorow." Everyone, including Eli, burst out laughing.
The men indulgently let the ladies dominate the conversation with baby talk for the rest of the meal. Afterwards, they drank coffee, decaf for Wren, beside the fireplace. The conversation turned to church and matters of faith. It was Eli who brought up the subject. "Wren, Gretchen," he looked down at his coffee and reddened slightly. "I've been having some doubts about the church. Some things Harvey said have been plaguing me too. I'd like to hear directly from you your reasons for leaving."
"No problem." Said Gretchen, and Wren nodded in agreement. "Please understand, I don't hold bitterness towards Pastor Stefan or towards the congregation. They were following the rule book, so to speak. The thing is, I couldn't stay on any longer. Not knowing what I did about God's true plan of salvation."
"I see. Can you explain that?" Eli sat foward.
"Yes," Gretchen smiled. "The Bible teaches that we have all sinned: there is no one good. You see, good works cannot save us. We are saved by grace, not works. I repented of my sins and trusted in Jesus; His death on the cross to save me. I was born again, as Jesus tells us we need to be in the Book of John."
Gretchen looked at Wren, who continued. "I discovered the same truths when I began to attend the Chapel and read my Bible. I realized that what I was taught at Mount Sinai was false. No amount of good works can save you. We had to follow so many rules: rules for dress, hairstyles, daily life, as you well know, Eli. Now I see that it is legalism. Of course, I still take care to dress carefully, but we believe that one lives by the Holy Spirit's leading and not by rule keeping."
Eli listened intently. What the women were saying made sense. "Jasper, what are your thoughts?"
Jasper took a sip of coffee. "Well, as you know, I never attended Mount Sinai, but I knew Wren when she was a member there. I was seriously concerned by the way they exerted control over Wren. How they even prevented her from driving. I wasn't walking with the Lord back then, but even I could see that there was a problem. We both needed some sound preaching to help bring us to where we needed to be."
Wren spoke up. "Eli, you mentioned that Harvey said something that was bothering you. May I ask what it was?"
"Of course, Wren. You should know. It wasn't long before he died." Eli repeated the words Harvey had spoken that day in the forge. "He said he was going to start setting things right; that he'd been leading folks, and also you astray, Wren. As far as I can remember, he said that being a Christian was about relationship, not religion."
Wren sighed softly, as tears formed in her eyes. She smiled at Jasper as though to reassure him. "Thanks for sharing that Eli. I remember, just before his heart attack, Harvey spoke to me about some of these things. At the time, I didn't understand what he meant. He was really sweet about it, though. He apologized for failing me, and said that he would do his best to explain everything to me from the Bible. He died before he could do that. I guess it was the conversation that we did have that planted seeds of doubt about Mount Sinai."
Jasper took her hand in his. "Harvey must be rejoicing in Heaven now Wren. His heart's desire came true."
"Yes." She whispered. "I understand now."
Eli had been listening thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to visit the Chapel soon. I believe that would make Harvey happy too."
Shining Light: A Novella
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