MENDING FENCES (12 page)

            “Yes,” Maria cried.  “Yes, Eldon, I love you.  I’ll marry you.  I’ll build a whole new world with you from scratch.  Where you go, I will go.”

            Eldon jumped up and pulled Maria against him, wrapping his arms tightly behind her back.

            The day Maria got baptized was the best day of her life. 

            “Maria Miller,” the preacher said, reaching toward her with the holy water from the basin, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

            Maria closed her eyes and smiled.  She felt the spirit descend upon her and bless her in a whole new way.  She’d had a relationship with Christ and God since she was a little girl, but she was making it official by standing up in front of the church and proclaiming that she was a believer and that she wanted to be known as nothing else other than a Christian woman. 

            Maria opened her eyes and turned to the side where Eldon was waiting.  She held out her hand and he joined her at the front of the chapel.

            “And now,” the preacher continued, “for the second part of our service today.”

            Maria looked into Eldon’s eyes and allowed them to draw her in as they always had.  She was getting everything she ever wanted all in one day.  She got baptized into the church and she promised that she would live a plain and simple life for all of her days.  She wasn’t going to join the community and she was going to leave her family, but she was going to live the Amish life as best she could with Eldon by her side. 

            “Do you Eldon Schrock, take Maria Miller…”

            The idea took some getting used to.  Not everyone in the community accepted what Maria was doing.  Normally, when teens came back from Rumspringa and asked to be baptized, they joined the community and started their service in whatever way possible.  But after several meetings with church elders, most of the community came around.  What Maria was doing would be good for the community as a whole.  She would be like a missionary for them, going out into the world to teach those who wished to learn about the Amish lifestyle.  She would also act as a go between for those who needed Amish shelter on Rumspringa or because they left a community somewhere in the country.

            “I do,” Eldon spoke clearly, with a giant smile on his face.

            “And do you Maria, take Eldon…”

            Maria and Eldon had everything worked out.  They would live in town briefly while building a small house on the land that Eldon had secured a few years back.  Then, he would continue to make his furniture as they added elements to the land until they had everything they needed to invite the public to the new community.  They hoped that by that time, they would have enough help from former Amish that everything would be in working order.

            “I do,” Maria proclaimed with certainty.

            There were three things that Maria was sure of…one, that she loved God and wanted to follow the path He set before her and two, that she loved Eldon Schrock.  The third item Maria no longer had any questions about.  She was indeed on the right path…the path that allowed Eldon to walk by her side.

            “Standing here before God and your family, it is not time to declare you husband and wife.”

            Maria beamed at Eldon as their lips met briefly for the very first time.  She knew there would be hard times ahead, but with God and Eldon in her life, she would want for nothing.