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Authors: Tracie Peterson
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was quite devastated.”
Emma nodded. “And seeing him now is very hard.”
“Harder than I thought it would be.” Leah met the woman’s compassionate gaze. “I thought I’d put this in the past—dealt with the pain. But seeing him again has brought it all back. I just don’t understand why.”
“Because you are still in love with him,” Emma said matter-of-factly.
The words struck Leah in the gut, but she chose to ignore them. “Why would God do this to me? Why would He allow this man to come back into my life to hurt me?”
“Who can know the mind of God?” Emma declared. “You know that God has plans we cannot understand.”
“I feel so distant from God. I feel so lost. Does that shock you?”
Emma laughed, surprising Leah. “We have all felt that way from time to time. The very nature of God often makes us believe Him to be unreachable. He is, after all, God of the universe—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. How could He possibly care about the day-to-day issues of our lives?”
Leah nodded. “Yes, I suppose that’s how I feel right now. He mustn’t care about those details because this has happened. Yet I know that He cares.” She bowed her head. “I feel guilty for even questioning Him, but I cannot understand why Jayce is here.”
“Perhaps he’s here because the time is right to make things new,” Emma said softly. She squeezed Leah’s hand. “God wants your heart to be whole, Leah. He wants your trust. You mustn’t fear. You are poor in spirit right now. You feel depleted of hope and understanding, but God richly offers both. You’ll see. Your love for this man has lasted for ten years. Surely God has a plan for that love.”
“Maybe that’s what scares me the most,” Leah replied, looking up hesitantly. “Maybe His plan won’t be what I want it to be.”
“Who can know? But I know whom I have believed in.” Emma got to her feet and smiled, adding, “And so do you.”
Chapter Six
J ayce washed up for the birthday party. He felt they’d accomplished a great deal, and for that he was satisfied. Jacob had helped him to pick out about twenty good dogs, and given the fact that the exploration team would soon be joining them, Jayce knew he needed to work hard to learn their handling. He also needed to help Jacob finish building two sleds.
Maybe that was why he didn’t feel right about quitting early to attend a birthday party. Even if that party was for Leah Barringer—although he seriously doubted that she wanted him at her party. Leah’s attitude was a complete mystery to him. At times she seemed congenial, civilized . . . but most of the time she was almost hostile. But why?
Jayce wished he could understand the woman. She was more beautiful than ever—her dark brown hair beckoned his touch and her blue eyes were the color of a summer sky. But it was more than her appearance that seemed to draw him. There was something about Leah that he had never been able to forget.
He had to admit that he’d decided to find Jacob and his dogs mostly because he knew Leah would be here. He’d long ago heard of another man near Nome whose dogs were excellent and very reasonably priced, but Jayce had put that notion aside. He had convinced the expedition leaders that his old friend Jacob Barringer would give them a much better deal and perhaps even consider coming along to handle the animals. Given the fact that the expedition was already facing financial problems, it didn’t take much persuasion. And while Jayce knew Jacob would supply only the best animals, his decision was driven by a need to see Leah again.
She’d been on his mind so much over the years. When he’d left Ketchikan ten years ago, Jayce immediately found that he missed Leah. Missed her so much in fact, that he’d temporarily left Alaska in order to forget her. But it hadn’t worked, and Jayce had come back to the land he loved . . . but not to the woman who captured his thoughts. In fact, he’d done his
Emma nodded. “And seeing him now is very hard.”
“Harder than I thought it would be.” Leah met the woman’s compassionate gaze. “I thought I’d put this in the past—dealt with the pain. But seeing him again has brought it all back. I just don’t understand why.”
“Because you are still in love with him,” Emma said matter-of-factly.
The words struck Leah in the gut, but she chose to ignore them. “Why would God do this to me? Why would He allow this man to come back into my life to hurt me?”
“Who can know the mind of God?” Emma declared. “You know that God has plans we cannot understand.”
“I feel so distant from God. I feel so lost. Does that shock you?”
Emma laughed, surprising Leah. “We have all felt that way from time to time. The very nature of God often makes us believe Him to be unreachable. He is, after all, God of the universe—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. How could He possibly care about the day-to-day issues of our lives?”
Leah nodded. “Yes, I suppose that’s how I feel right now. He mustn’t care about those details because this has happened. Yet I know that He cares.” She bowed her head. “I feel guilty for even questioning Him, but I cannot understand why Jayce is here.”
“Perhaps he’s here because the time is right to make things new,” Emma said softly. She squeezed Leah’s hand. “God wants your heart to be whole, Leah. He wants your trust. You mustn’t fear. You are poor in spirit right now. You feel depleted of hope and understanding, but God richly offers both. You’ll see. Your love for this man has lasted for ten years. Surely God has a plan for that love.”
“Maybe that’s what scares me the most,” Leah replied, looking up hesitantly. “Maybe His plan won’t be what I want it to be.”
“Who can know? But I know whom I have believed in.” Emma got to her feet and smiled, adding, “And so do you.”
Chapter Six
J ayce washed up for the birthday party. He felt they’d accomplished a great deal, and for that he was satisfied. Jacob had helped him to pick out about twenty good dogs, and given the fact that the exploration team would soon be joining them, Jayce knew he needed to work hard to learn their handling. He also needed to help Jacob finish building two sleds.
Maybe that was why he didn’t feel right about quitting early to attend a birthday party. Even if that party was for Leah Barringer—although he seriously doubted that she wanted him at her party. Leah’s attitude was a complete mystery to him. At times she seemed congenial, civilized . . . but most of the time she was almost hostile. But why?
Jayce wished he could understand the woman. She was more beautiful than ever—her dark brown hair beckoned his touch and her blue eyes were the color of a summer sky. But it was more than her appearance that seemed to draw him. There was something about Leah that he had never been able to forget.
He had to admit that he’d decided to find Jacob and his dogs mostly because he knew Leah would be here. He’d long ago heard of another man near Nome whose dogs were excellent and very reasonably priced, but Jayce had put that notion aside. He had convinced the expedition leaders that his old friend Jacob Barringer would give them a much better deal and perhaps even consider coming along to handle the animals. Given the fact that the expedition was already facing financial problems, it didn’t take much persuasion. And while Jayce knew Jacob would supply only the best animals, his decision was driven by a need to see Leah again.
She’d been on his mind so much over the years. When he’d left Ketchikan ten years ago, Jayce immediately found that he missed Leah. Missed her so much in fact, that he’d temporarily left Alaska in order to forget her. But it hadn’t worked, and Jayce had come back to the land he loved . . . but not to the woman who captured his thoughts. In fact, he’d done his
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