Beloved Castaway (40 page)

Emilie’s smile was slow to appear. “Of course,” she finally said as she headed for the door. “Isabelle, you’ve kept your guests waiting long enough. Do come, and let’s rejoin the celebration.”

“And of some,” Isabelle whispered to Viola, “have compassion, making a difference.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR BELOVED CASTAWAY

1.
 
The prologue opens with a man who feels compelled to stay in a questionable situation even though he had no doubt he would some day pay the consequences. Have you ever felt there was no way out of a spot where you should not be? Under pressure, have you done as this man did and made a decision that would affect the lives of others as much or more than your own?

2. Both Josiah and Isabelle are seeking to escape. Isabelle’s prison is slavery, while Josiah seeks to put as much distance as he can between himself and his father. Each goes to extreme measures to make good their escapes. What is holding you captive? How can you find freedom today?

3. When Josiah climbs the rigging to save the boy, he finds himself stranded without a way down. When the worst happens and he falls into the river, all seems lost. Looking back over your life, have you witnessed God work through a tragedy? What happened and how did that incident show you more about who the Lord is?

4. In the ship’s hold, Isabelle tends to a crewman injured by the fire. She becomes emboldened to read her Bible to the rough crowd. What was the result? What can you learn from her actions?

5. Josiah is a difficult man to love, and yet Isabelle manages to see past his rough exterior to find the man she believes God will redeem. Have you ever dealt with a difficult person, perhaps at work or maybe in your own family? Can you relate to Isabelle’s struggle to accept Josiah and ignore his less-than-desirable traits?

6. Emilie chose to ignore the fact her half-sister was born a slave and defied the laws and conventions of the time to teach her to read and to love the Lord. In the course of their friendship, both lives are changed. Is there a someone with whom you have shared this kind of bond? If not, is there someone you would like to reach but have not made the attempt?

7. Josiah sails his vessel into dangerous seas in order to help a loyal crewman. Have you taken a risk for someone else? If so, how did it turn out? What gave you the courage to act?

8. Josiah awakens in jail with all he had gone and seemingly no hope for the future. Have you ever faced a situation where you were falsely accused and could offer nothing in your defense? How was the situation resolved? What kept you going during that time?

9. Micah calls for Josiah’s arrest and then visits his jail cell to offer an apology. Have you been faced with a situation where you had to go to someone and ask for forgiveness? What propelled you to make the apology? How do you think Micah felt when Josiah came to him aboard the
Caroline
and offered an apology of his own?

10. In Fairweather Key, Josiah finds his calling as a wrecker while Emilie becomes a teacher and Viola a nurse. In addition, Isabelle finds peace in who she is and not who she might pretend to be. At the outset of the journey, each thought they were escaping something only to find they were really being led toward their purposes. Have you experienced this, perhaps an unwanted move or loss? How did God take what you felt was a bad situation and use it to teach you something important about yourself?
 

11. This book begins and ends with an individual making a choice. In the prologue, the choice was a selfish one that altered the course of many lives. In the last chapter, Isabelle makes a choice as well. If confronted with the opportunity to redeem yourself at the expense of another’s heartache, what would you do? Do you have the strength to do as Isabelle did?

12. Beloved Castaway is a book about ordinary people called upon to act in extraordinary ways under circumstances they never envisioned. Neither Isabelle nor Josiah expects to have their lives entwined in a love story that could only be orchestrated by God. Do you have a love story to tell? Did the Lord orchestrate a meeting with your spouse that came by surprise? Perhaps you have a story to tell about your encounter with the greatest of all love stories, a relationship with Jesus. Did he set you on a path that led you directly into His arms? If not, would you like to know how to have that? That’s the Greatest Story of all!

Author’s Note:
 

THE GREATEST STORY

The greatest story I have ever read is the good news about Jesus Christ. Some people avoid it thinking they won’t relate to the characters or the plot is too complicated. Actually, God’s plan of salvation is simple and applies to everyone. Here are the ABCs of His story:

A
—All persons need salvation. Each of us has a problem the Bible calls sin. Everyone who does not live a life of perfect obedience to the Lord is guilty of sin. Since none of us is perfect, we are all sinners (Romans 3:10-18). The result of sin is spiritual death (Ezekiel 18:4b). Spiritual death means eternal separation from God. (Isaiah 59:2)

B
— Because God loves us, He offers us salvation. Although we have done nothing to deserve His life, God wants to save us. Jesus Christ is the only answer to the sin problem that separates us from God. Jesus’ death on the cross bridges the gap between God and people (1 Peter 3:18a)

C
— Come to Jesus for eternal salvation. The desire in your heart to be saved is the Holy Spirit offering you forgiveness of your sin and the gift of eternal life.

You can receive a right relationship with God right now if you will:

Admit your need for a Savior.

Be willing to turn from your sins.

Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.

Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come into your life through the Holy Spirit.

Don’t know what to pray? Use the words on your heart or pray something like this:
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe You died to forgive me of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I invite You to come into my life. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Thank You for giving me new life. From this day forward, I will choose to follow You.

About the Author

Kathleen Y’Barbo

Kathleen first discovered her love of books when, at the age of four, she stumbled upon her grandmother’s encyclopedias. Letters became words, and words became stories of faraway places and interesting people. By the time she entered kindergarten, Kathleen had learned to read and found that her love of stories could carry her off to places far beyond her small East Texas town. Eventually she hit the road for real, earning a degree in Marketing from Texas A&M before setting off on a path that would take her to such far-flung locales as Jakarta, Tokyo, Bali, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Finally, though, the road led back to Texas and to writing books.

Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA Award nominee and the bestselling author of fifty novels with over one million books copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texas and certified family law paralegal, she has been nominated for a
Romantic Times
Career Achievement award as well as a Reader’s Choice award and several Top Picks by
Romantic Times Magazine
. A member of Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and a former member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, she is currently a proud military wife and expatriate Texan cheering on her beloved Texas A&M Aggies from north of the Red River. Find out more about Kathleen at www.kathleenybarbo.com.