On Every Side (43 page)
Authors: Karen Kingsbury
“Finally, Father, we thank You because You work all things to the good for those who love You, for those who are called according to Your purpose. And together, as a family united in Your truth, we look forward to the wonder You have in store for us today…and all the days of our lives. In Christ's name we pray…”
With the smell of pumpkin pies baking in the oven and refrains of Joshua's favorite hymn ringing in their hearts, they fin-ished the prayer together with a single word:
“Amen!”
J
oe and Jenna Campbell led their three children into Jericho Park and set up their blanket not far from the famous statue, the one that had caused a national commotion almost a year earlier.
“Okay kids, there it is. The Jesus statue.”
Their ten-year-old son cocked his head and stared up at the eyes of the statue, taking in the way Jesus’ hands were out-stretched, welcoming, beckoning all who were weary to come. “That's exactly how I picture Jesus, Dad.”
Joe stared at the statue, liking the way its presence dominated the park. “Yes, son. Me too.”
The family moved closer, and Jenna put their picnic basket down as the five of them formed a circle on the ground.
“Why are we here again, Dad?” Their six-year-old daughter smiled through curious eyes. Joe knew she was unaware of all that had gone on since the trial, back when he'd been fired by the New York school district.
“Well, honey, about a year ago Daddy lost his job because he wanted to pray with one of the kids at school.” He looked at his wife and saw tears glistening in her eyes. “Mommy and I wanted to come here to celebrate how good God is for taking care of us and getting me a new job.”
Their eight-year-old daughter nodded as though she under-stood the situation completely. “That's why we moved here, right, Daddy?”
Joe grinned and tousled the child's hair.” Right, sweetheart. A few months ago a nice attorney here in Bethany, a Mr. Riley—”
he caught Jenna's gaze— “called me and told me about a teaching job at the high school here. He put in a good word for me, and I got hired.” He looked at the faces of his family and felt his heart swell with gratefulness. “We're here today to celebrate God and all He's done for us, for His provision and love and care.”
Jenna took his hand and finished the thought for him. “And for sending Mr. Riley at just the right time.”
Joe thought back to that awful day in court, when Jordan Riley had fought so hard against him and he'd lost his job. He could see it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. There they were, Jenna and him, immediately after the judge's decision, bowing their heads together in prayer, scarcely aware of the chaos that reigned in the courtroom. Joe drew a deep breath and searched the faces of his children, wondering how much they understood. “The day I lost my job, your mom and I prayed very, very hard.”
Their oldest daughter angled her head, curiously. “Did you pray for a new job, Daddy?”
“No, we didn't, honey.” He smiled at his wife and gently squeezed her fingers. “We weren't worried about that because God always takes care of us.” He paused. “We prayed that Mr. Riley might love Jesus one day”
“That was a good thing to pray, right, Daddy?” Their youngest nodded confidently “But does he?”
“Yeah, Daddy, does he love Jesus now?” The kids spoke at the same time, and Joe and Jenna laughed.
“Yes.” Joe's eyes were suddenly wet. He remembered Jordan's phone call a few months earlier, the tears in the man's voice as he apologized for costing Joe his job… and the joy as Jordan shared the fact that he had joined the ranks of believers. “Yes, kids, he loves Jesus very, very much.”
“That's kind of like a miracle, isn't it, Dad?” Their oldest waited for an answer.
“Yes.” Joe gathered his family close and gazed up at the Jesus statue. “It's the best miracle of all.”
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ESUS
(Marshfield, Wisconsin)—An atheist group's request to erect a ten-foot-high wall around a statue of Jesus was denied May 9, 2000, by U.S. District Court Judge John Shabaz. The decision came as a result of a lawsuit filed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, whose goal was to remove or hide the statue, which has stood in a Marshfield city park since 1959.
The case was dismissed by the U.S. District Court after the city sold the statue to a private landowner in December, 1998. On appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held on February 4, 2000, that the sale of the statue was valid and appropriate, but ordered the city to take steps to differenti-ate between the property owned by the city and the private property where the statue is located.
Judge Shabaz in his final decision said the Constitution did not require what he called “visual separation” of the statue from the rest of the park. He accepted the proposal from the city requiring the erection of a four-foot-high, wrought-iron fence that will not block the view of the statue. The city will display a sign signifying that the statue and the land it sits on is privately owned.
The city of Marshfield was represented by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), and by Harold Wolf gram, assistant city attorney for the city of Marshfield. The ACLJ spe-cializes in First Amendment law and focuses on pro-family, pro-life, and pro-liberty cases.
Although
On Every Side
was inspired by this true event, it is not intended to accurately depict any aspect of either the ACLJ, the
Freedom From Religion Foundation, or any other person or event involved or associated with the actual incident as it took place.
Dear family and friends:
It's good to meet with you again and as always to thank you for traveling with me through the pages of this, my latest book. I must tell you how much I enjoyed writing
On Every Side
—both the heart-stopping research and the way God worked in me, bringing down walls of my own as He brought Faith and Jordan and Joshua to life.
As with all my books, there is a nugget of truth nestled between the lines of this story. The truth is that walls have been around since the beginning of time, whether they belonged to Adam and Eve, who allowed a barrier between themselves and God, or the people of Jericho, who believed they could keep God out by building a wall around their city.
Before I wrote
On Every Side,
I thought walls were more of an Old Testament issue. Walled-in cities; walled-in, stubborn people; temple wall, that kind of thing. But as the story came to life, God began to make something very clear.
Walls are a part of our lives to this very day Oh, we may not think we've put walls between God and us. I certainly didn't think so. But I discovered that without meaning to, I had allowed schedules and responsibilities and the busyness of life to put distance between the Lord and me. In a sense, I allowed walls to form. I'm guessing that this is true for you as well. Though your intentions may have been good, though they may still be good, somewhere along the way you've allowed space to come between you and the Father.
It is my prayer that in reading this book you've had a chance to take stock of your faith life. That where you've recognized walls, you've found time perhaps even now to draw nearer to God, to tear down the walls and enjoy once again that intimate walk with Him.
Of course, for some of you the walls have been in place as far
back as you can remember. People might have told you about God, and in the back of your mind you knew you'd have to deal with Him someday But not yet, not while you were busy with life and planning your agenda without Him. For you, I pray this will be a life-changing moment, here, now That you will recognize as long as walls exist between you and God your situation is desperate. And that you will beg His forgiveness. Ask Him to knock down the barriers, brick by brick. Believe that He will take you into His loving arms and grant you mercy and grace so long as you take the first step.
If this is you, and if here and now you've made a decision to accept Christ for life and allow the walls to fall, please do this: Get connected with a Bible-believing church and plant yourself in the fertile soil of God's Word. That way you will be sure to grow deep roots, roots that will prevent anything from ever coming between you and the Lord again.
On that note, I'd like to ask for your prayers for our family. We have adopted three precious little six-year-old boys from Haiti. Many of you have journeyed with me through all my books and know a little more about how we came to this decision. For those who don't, let me say it was a two-year process. We began by believing God wanted us to take into our hearts and homes one or two children who were orphans. And so we searched social services’ photolisting files online from across the United States.
What we found was sad indeed.
Generally, if a child was up for adoption, and if there weren't already ten or twenty families waiting in line for a child, then our social worker would simply say “That child can't go to a family with young children in the home.” Or, “There are severe anger issues with that child, making him unsafe around other children.” Or, “That child has a considerable number of special needs.”
In the end, we nearly gave up.
Then God led us to a wonderful Christian orphanage in Haiti called Heart of God Ministries. We found our little boys on a photolisting on their Web site
www.hgm.org
and prayed for God to open the door for us to adopt them if it was His will. Let's just say God has blessed us indeed, opening the door so wide it came off the hinges!Our three birth children are thrilled about the arrival of their new brothers and have talked about them for nine months as though they're already here.
A few days ago, three-year-old Austin said, “Mommy will you pick up E. J. and Sean and Joshua from their house?”
I said, “No, honey They don't have a house.”
He blinked. “Do they have a castle?”
I smiled at him and smoothed a finger over his cheek. “No, buddy. They don't have anything. Not even a mommy and daddy”
With that, baby tears filled his eyes, and this normally rough-and-tumble child said, “Can we be their mommy and daddy?”
Yes, I believe God has all our hearts ready We anticipate a God-directed transition, safe travel, and a closer walk with Him because of the privilege of caring for these three in addition to our three birth children. Still, there are bound to be speed bumps along the way (for instance, they speak Creole and we don't). Because of that, please pray for us. I'll give you another update at the end of my next book. Until then, blessings to you and yours, humbly in Christ.
Karen Kingsbury PS. As always, I'd love to hear from you. Write me at my e-mail address: [email protected]
OOK
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LUB OR
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UIDE
Have you ever prayed for something or someone and felt as though God didn't hear your prayers? How did it make you feel? How do you feel now?
Did it surprise you to learn that there really was a Jesus statue case? Why or why not? Where do you think our country stands today in terms of religious freedom issues?
How are you or your family and friends affected by restrictions on religious freedom in the United States?
To which character in the book can you most relate? Why?
Consider the main characters. How did they change over the course of the story? In what way is God trying to change or grow you at this stage in your life?
Read Joshua 5:13-6:20. What are the parallels between that story and the story in this book?
Jordan lost much as a young teen. What losses have you dealt with and how have you responded to them?
Have you ever been angry at God because of those losses? Have you ever walked away from God? If so, how are things now between you and God? Why are they that way?
Read Romans 8:28. God always has our situation under control. His control, not ours. Has there been a time in your life when all seemed lost, but God—in His timing— worked things out for your good? What was that like? How did you feel about God during that time?
Why did the letter from Jordan's mother change his life? Has anyone ever written you a letter that changed your life? Describe that situation.
HE
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OREVER
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AITHFUL
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ERIES
Waiting for Morning-
Book One
A drunk driver…a deadly accident…a dream destroyed. When Hannah Ryan loses her hus-band and oldest daughter to a drunk driver, she is consumed with hate and revenge. Ultimately, it is a kind prosecutor, a wise widow, and her hus-bands dying words that bring her the peace that will set her free and let her live again.
A Moment of Weakness—
Book Two
When childhood friends Jade and Tanner reunite as adults, they share their hearts, souls, and dreams of forever—until a fateful decision tears them apart. Now, nearly a decade later, Jade's unfaithful husband wants to destroy her in a cus-tody battle that is about to send shock waves across the United States. Only one man can help Jade in her darkest hour. And only one old woman knows the truth that can set them all free.
Halfway to Forever—
Book Three
Matt and Hannah…Jade and Tanner—after already surviving much, these couples now face the greatest struggles of their lives: Parental losses and life-threatening illness threaten to derail their faith and sideline their futures. Can Hannah sur-vive the loss of an adopted daughter? Will Tanner come through decades of loneliness only to face losing Jade one final time?
A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR
…
Karen Kingsbury is an award-winning author and former reporter for the
Los Angeles Times
and
Los Angeles Daily News.
She is also a recognized author with the Women of Faith Fiction Club. Kingsbuiy lives with her husband and six children in Washington.