Finding the Way (The Amish Millers Get Married Book 5)
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Authors: Ruth Hartzler
Tags: #christian romance, #amish romance, #amish christian romance, #amish denomination, #amish romance fiction
Finding the Way
(The Amish Millers Get Married Book 5)
Ruth Hartzler
Copyright © 2015 Ruth Hartzler
All Rights Reserved.
Smashwords Edition.
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* * *
Scripture quotations are
from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
®
(ESV
®
), copyright © 2001 by
Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
* * *
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to
any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The personal
names have been invented by the author, and any likeness to the
name of any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
* * *
Romans 8:14-19.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are
sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall
back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as
sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears
witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified
with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time
are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to
us.
* * *
Ephesians 1:1-23.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will
of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in
Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless
before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through
Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.
* * *
Romans 8:1-39
.
There is therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life
has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For
God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he
condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement
of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the
flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to
the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who
live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the
Spirit.
Table of Contents.
Galatians 4:4-5.
But when the fullness of time had come, God
sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem
those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as
sons.
Chapter
1
Sarah Beachy bent through the reeds, staring
at her reflection in the pond near the Millers’
haus
. Not
that the pond showed an accurate depiction of her face, for the
wafting breeze caused gentle ripples to form on the water’s
surface. Three happy ducklings splashed around, sending a water
strider spider scuttling and distorting her reflection even
further. The breeze grew in momentum, whipping her long, blonde
hair out from under her prayer
kapp
and swirling it around
her face.
Sarah sat back and smiled. She had found
peace in Lancaster, with its rolling hills and green pastures, far
away from her recent times of turmoil and strife. There were
serious questions as yet unanswered, but for today, she was happy
to spend time alone and enjoy the beauty of
Gott’s
creation.
Sarah watched some bluebirds on a far branch,
idly thinking she was glad that her somewhat overweight, ginger
cat, Tom, was not interested in catching birds.
He’s too lazy to
catch anything
, she thought with a smile. The bluebirds were
the same colors as the Spinning Star quilt Sarah was currently
working on for Mrs. Hostetler’s store. The quilt, like the
bluebirds, featured vivid blue contrasting with the rich, earthy
tones of brown.
There are no better colors than the ones that
Gott has designed
, she thought.
The small flock of bluebirds suddenly took to
the skies, startling her. Sarah looked up to see what had put them
to flight, wondering if it could be a fox, or even a horse grazing.
She saw a figure advancing in the distance. It was not a fox, or a
horse, but a
mann
, but not just any
mann
; even from a
distance, Sarah could see that this
mann
was Benjamin
Shetler.
Sarah hurried to repin her hair under the
kapp
. The wind was blowing wildly now, in keeping with her
emotions. She stood and faced Benjamin’s approach.
As he came toward her, Sarah tried to tear
her eyes away from him. Benjamin always made her heart thump
wildly. Her gaze traveled over his arms bronzed from a lifetime of
farm work, his broad shoulders, and mess of sandy colored hair
poking out in all directions from under his straw hat. Benjamin had
a commanding presence, even out here in the fields.
Benjamin was beautiful, perhaps not so much
on the outside, for, despite his youth, he had a rugged look
imparted by years of working in the sun, but there was an inner
beauty that radiated from him. He was kind, gentle, and caring, and
was truly a man of
Gott
.
Yet Sarah had to steel herself to deny the
heart-wrenching attraction she felt for Benjamin, for she could not
trust him; he had proven that, even though Sarah knew that he
thought he was doing the right thing. Even more so, she had known
him since they were children, but he had never asked her on a buggy
ride. As Benjamin clearly did not want to court her, why hadn’t
Gott
taken away her feelings for him? Goodness knows she had
asked Him to many a time. It hurt too much.
Sarah’s mouth ran dry and she licked her lips
nervously. She knew why Benjamin was seeking her out, and she was
far from pleased. She had known this day would come.
Ephesians 1:5-6.
He predestined us for adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the
praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the
Beloved.
Chapter
2
“I know why you’re here.” Sarah was dismayed
that her voice sounded so harsh and accusatory, but she had no idea
how to handle this situation.
Benjamin appeared to be taken aback. “I’m not
sure you do,” he said slowly.
Sarah looked away from his big, brown eyes
and stared at the trees on the other side of the pond. “You’re here
to try to take me back home.” Her slow, measured tone gave no hint
of the strong emotions that were coursing through her.
Benjamin hesitated, and Sarah hoped he would
deny it. She held her breath, but his answer crashed her hopes.
“That’s part of it,” he said, avoiding her eyes.
“I know he’s sent you to bring me back,” she
snapped. “I won’t go back.”
“Your father,” Benjamin began, but Sarah cut
him short.
“He’s
not
my father,” she spat.
For the second time in as many minutes,
Benjamin’s mouth opened in surprise. “Sarah, isn’t that a bit
harsh?” he began. “I do realize he is a stern
mann
, but he
is your
vadder
after all.”
So he doesn’t know
, Sarah thought.
A gust of wind chose that moment to blow off
Sarah’s prayer
kapp
. She clutched at it wildly, and nearly
overbalanced into the pond. Benjamin seized her and pulled her back
to safety, but that caused her to be pulled hard against his
muscular chest. Benjamin’s strong arms around her waist sent
butterflies through Sarah’s stomach and caused her heart to beat so
loudly, that she was afraid Benjamin would hear it. Yet she made no
attempt to leave the safety of his arms, and he held her to him far
longer than was necessary.
Maybe there is hope after all
,
she thought.
After what seemed an age, Sarah detached
herself. She turned her back to Benjamin while she pinned her
prayer
kapp
, more firmly this time.
The long silence hung heavy and uneasy
between them. The tension grew thick. Finally, Sarah could stand it
no longer. “He’s not my
vadder
,” she repeated, and before
Benjamin could protest again, she added, “He is not my biological
father.”
Benjamin did not speak, so Sarah turned
around to look at him.
He looks truly surprised
, she
thought,
so he must not have known
.
“Shall we walk, and you can tell me all about
it?”
Sarah nodded, thankful for Benjamin’s kind
and understanding manner, and walked quietly beside him along the
dirt road which ran by the pond in the general direction of the
B&B. The clip clop of a horse’s hooves bore down behind them
fast, so they both waited to greet the driver.
The big, black horse was pulled to an abrupt
stop beside them, and Jessie Yoder looked down at them. “You two
look cozy,” she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The horse
arched his neck and pawed the ground, eager to be on his way.
“
Hiya
Jessie,” Sarah said in her most
polite voice.
“Sorry, no time for idle chit-chat! I’m late
for work.” Jessie slapped the horse hard with the reins and he took
off fast toward the B&B.
“Not the most polite girl I’ve ever met,”
Benjamin said, although Sarah detected amusement in his voice.
“Although Mrs. Flickinger says she works just as hard at the
B&B as Rebecca did, before Rebecca left when she married
Elijah. Still, Jessie doesn’t appear to be your typical Amish
maidel
.”
Sarah shook her head. “
Nee
. She gave
Esther a hard time. In fact, she kept Esther and Jacob apart for a
while.”
“Oh well, they’re together now; that’s all
that counts.”
“
Jah
.” Sarah was embarrassed for
gossiping, and was worried that Benjamin would think less of her.
Yet what did Benjamin actually think of her at all? She had no
idea.
Benjamin stopped to pick a blue violet
growing alongside other wildflowers by the dirt road, and handed it
to Sarah.
She took it, looking up at Benjamin,
wondering what this gesture meant, and indeed, if it meant anything
at all.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want
to,” Benjamin said, breaking the moment.
“
Nee
, it’s okay. As you know,
Mamm
died.” Benjamin nodded and Sarah continued. “And after
the funeral, my
daed
”—she hesitated using the word—”told me
that
Mamm
had been married before.”
Benjamin gasped and came to a stop, but Sarah
kept walking. “He told me that my real father had died when I was
three months old, and
Mamm
had remarried that same year.
Well, she married him, of course, my
daed
, I mean.” Sarah
now came to a stop, and waved her hands in agitation. “This is
confusing to try to explain.”