Faithful (37 page)

Thank You, God
.

Mackenzie gave a tiny wave from up front and Cyd tiny-waved her back, then aimed one at Mark for good measure. Like Stephanie, Cyd had thought them indispensable to her wedding—and the kids loved that it was a family affair this time, since their parents were also taking part. Their aunt Trish had gotten them ready and brought them to church, where they'd hung out “backstage,” as they'd called it, with the wedding party.

Cyd took her last steps to the front, where Cedric drew her by hand and leaned to her ear. “I'm never going this long again without talking to you,” he whispered. “We should've had a morning wedding.”

Cyd smiled, her heart on overload, filling with his presence. She tucked her arm inside his. “I missed you too.”

Cedric sneaked his head close to hers once more, though Pastor Lyles had begun his opening remarks. “You're the most beautiful woman on the planet,” he whispered. “There's no way I deserve you.”

Cyd closed her eyes against his arm. Not a good way to start; emotion was already building. She kept her composure, though, through most of the ceremony . . . till they got to the last song.

Cedric's sister, Kelli, sang and the whole church seemed riveted. Cyd couldn't believe Kelli had penned the lyrics herself. They spoke of love and sacrifice, and Kelli sang from the depths of her soul.

Pastor Lyles led them through the traditional portion of the vows, then cued Cedric with a nod.

Cedric eased the wedding ring onto Cyd's finger. “In the presence of everyone gathered here and in the presence of God, I pledge to be true to Him first and foremost. And I pledge to be true to you, Cyd, to cherish and love you, and to grow in Christ with you through the years.”

Cyd could barely see through her tears as she placed the band on Cedric's finger and repeated the same.

Pastor Lyles glanced at the guests. “Trust me, they've been waiting for this moment.” He smiled at the couple. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Cedric, you may kiss your bride.”

Cedric looked into Cyd's eyes and twined his arms around her waist. Their lips touched lightly, then he kissed her again, holding her long seconds afterward. “I love you,” he whispered.

She lingered in his embrace. “I love you too.”

“I present to you,” Pastor Lyles said, “Mr. and Mrs. Cedric London.”

The guests really did erupt in applause now as Cyd and Cedric made their way down the aisle arm in arm. They strolled through the double doors of the sanctuary and continued to the outer doors of the church where a limousine awaited them. They would ride to the Botanical Garden, where the rest of the wedding party would meet them for pictures, and then on to the reception.

The driver opened the door, and Cedric helped Cyd inside. They settled in and snuggled close as the driver whisked them away. Cedric laid his head next to hers, their hands locked as one. “Did I tell you I love you?”

His whisper sent a sweet shiver through Cyd. She knew every day wouldn't be a fairy tale, but today was—and she would treasure every single second. “Um . . . I don't remember. Maybe you should tell me again.”

He shifted so he could look into her eyes. “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.” Their lips came together. “I can't say it in Greek, but want me to say it in French and Spanish?”

“I kind of like it when you say it this way.” She brought her lips to his once more, then nestled back beside him.

Cedric brought an arm around her and exhaled. “This is nice—a few private minutes with my wife.”

Cyd drank in his words.
“My wife.”
She guessed she had a lot to get used to. She lifted her head again suddenly and stared at her husband, then kissed him slowly. “Can I do that whenever I want?”

He frowned an
Of course
.

“Just testing,” she said. She could definitely get used to that. “Oh, hey—” She lifted her bouquet. “You haven't told me what these mean.”

She'd thought she'd be carrying white roses, until the florist told her before the ceremony that Cedric wanted to surprise her.

“You don't know what orange roses mean?”

She wrinkled her face as if thinking about it. “Nope. Afraid I don't.”

He chuckled. “I didn't either at first. I wanted something unique, and when I saw orange I just liked it; it was so vibrant. Then the florist told me what it symbolized.” He gazed into her eyes. “She said it stood for passion and excitement and romance, and I knew it was perfect. That's what I want for the rest of our lives together.” He leaned in for a kiss.

“Mmmm, sounds wonderful.”

“Mm-hmm,” Cedric said, their lips locked still. “Starting tonight.”

“Sounds even better.”

“Actually,” he said, “let's just tell the driver to take us to our hotel suite right now.”

Cyd laughed, her head falling on his shoulder. “Now, now, Mr. London. We can wait.” She got a twinkle in her eye. “And it'll be worth it, because I have a surprise for you.”

Cedric sat up a bit. “What?”

She stifled a smile. “All I can say is I got the idea from your brother.”

“Lindell?”

Cyd nodded. “He's the man, you know.”

Cedric sat up now, half frowning. “
Lindell
?”

“Yeah.” It was all she could do not to laugh. “Wait till you see how he inspired me.”

She leaned back in his arms and let him hold her. Something else she could definitely get used to.

Acknowledgments

I
AM SO
in awe of You, Lord. You are ever jumping from the pages of Scripture straight into my world, making Your ways known, showing Yourself strong. You are God, the Rock, the Holy One, the Most High . . . and You are
faithful
. Thank You for loving me, leading me, and teaching me. You are the vine, and I am the branch—apart from You, I can do nothing (John 15:5). I'm so clinging to You, Lord!

God has been
faithful
in providing an awesome support team that starts with my husband and children. Thank you, Bill, Quentin, and Cameron, for cheerleading me through, for believing in me, and for understanding when dinner's late (or,
ahem
. . . crisp) because the story was calling. To my mother, Edna J. Cash—thank you for being my personal prayer warrior, counselor, and editor. How many times did you read through the manuscript? I've thanked God a million times for you, so might as well make it a million and one. To my father and stepmom, Earl and Joyce Cash—thank you for loving and supporting me always, and for making me laugh. My life is richer because of you.

To Bridget Thomas, Anne Amado, and Tanya Harper—thank you for reading this story early on and sharing your thoughts and insights. And thank you for supplying the most needful thing—prayer. And speaking of prayer, I've got to thank Cheryl Bohlen for setting up a prayer team for me two years ago. Cheryl, I was surprised when you first told me you felt moved to do so, but who knew what God had in store? We've seen amazing answers to prayer. And, Anne, you know I've got to mention your Ephesians 3:20 signature e-mails. Only God knew what He would bring to pass . . .

To my “writing sisters in Christ”—Jenny B. Jones, Nicole O'Dell, Cara Putman, Cindy Thomson, Marybeth Whalen, and Kit Wilkinson—so thankful for the way God has knit this group together through blizzards of e-mails and the pouring out of hearts. Thank you for listening, advising, praying, and giving a needed kick in the pants.

God has been
faithful
in providing an awesome publishing team. To my publisher, Allen Arnold, my editor, Amanda Bostic, and my former editor, Jocelyn Bailey—you are gifts from God. Thank you for believing in me, and more than that, thank you for making me feel part of the Thomas Nelson Fiction family. Amanda and L.B. Norton, your editorial comments made this story immensely better—even that change in the ending I wondered about at first.
It's been so enjoyable working with both of you. To Jennifer Deshler and Katie Bond (my Twitter friends), Becky Monds, Ami McConnell, Kristen Vasgaard, Andrea Lucado, Ashley Schneider, and Micah Walker—thank you for showing so much love on my first visit to Nashville. I had such a great time hanging out with y'all!

To Mary Graham and Lori Robertson—where do I even begin? Thank you for this incredibly amazing opportunity to be part of the Women of Faith family. My life has been enriched in so many ways because of you. Who knew therapy would be included? And to all of the Women of Faith speakers, musicians, and talented staff—thank you for lovingly welcoming me aboard. Your hugs were so appreciated!

To my agent, Tina Jacobson, and The B&B Media Group, Inc.— so thankful for all you've done. Talk about God being
faithful
. Tina, I'll never forget our first conversation—such a God-thing!—nor your belief in me. You bring such encouragement to my heart.

To my sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha at the University of Maryland, College Park—our reunions inspired that aspect of the story. Thank you for special memories and laughter that reach back more than twenty years [gasp!].

And to the readers—this book is for you. I can't express how thankful I am that you would give of your time to read
Faithful
. You're the reason I do what I do. I'd love to hear from you. Contact me through my Web site—
kimcashtate.com
—or if you're on Facebook or Twitter, I'd love to connect there too (
facebook.com/kimcashtate
and
twitter .com/kimcashtate
). Praying God's blessings upon you!

Reading Group Guide

1. Cyd questioned God's promises because she had delighted in Him and abided in Him but had not received the desires of her heart—to marry and have children. Have you ever questioned God's promises? Did you look to God and the Bible for reassurance?

2. Phyllis told God, “Lord, I'm tired of trying to keep the faith.” Have you ever prayed, believing for a circumstance to change, only to be disappointed time and time again? Did you admit to God that you were weary? Did you ask Him for strength to endure? Why or why not?

3. In her greatest time of need, Dana didn't think to pray right away. She turned inward instead of upward. Do you have a regular prayer life? Or do you find that your prayers can slacken, even in times of need? What tangible things can you do to increase fellowship time with God?

4. At the wedding reception, Cyd battled with the desires she felt for Cedric. At what point should she have drawn the line? Before the first dance? Before the second? Should she have agreed to go to dinner? Has the temptation of the moment ever caused you to move your boundary lines? What was the result?

5. Phyllis and Rod debated whether they could be friends. What do you think? Can a male and female believer maintain a Christlike friendship when one or both are married? If so, what safeguards should be erected in such a friendship?

6. When Scott addressed the congregation, he said they might be thinking,
I would never.
If you're married, do you feel you would never be unfaithful to your spouse? Discuss these verses in relation to the question: “Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). How can you keep from falling?

7. The congregation's applause for Dana and Scott confirmed that it was okay for her to want her marriage. Why would she think it might not be okay to want her marriage? Does society give us that impression? Did Dana extend forgiveness too soon? Think about times you've been wronged in a relationship. Have you had difficulty forgiving?

8. Cyd told Cedric she couldn't follow feelings, that she had to let her mind lead, and her knowledge of what's right. Do you tend to follow your feelings or does your knowledge of what's right lead you?

9. The Intimacy Group tackled some tough questions. How would you respond to these: What is the path to adultery? How can it be avoided?

10. Cyd said she had to “pledge to be true” even if she never got married. How difficult is it for singles to honor God by remaining celibate? Discuss ways in which this goal can be achieved.

11. Curled up on a hotel bed, Phyllis wondered how she had gotten there. How
did
she get there, spiritually speaking? What had happened in her relationship with God? What lessons can you take away regarding your own relationship with God?

12. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. How was God faithful in Phyllis's circumstance? What way of escape was given to her in the hotel? Can you remember times in your own life when God provided a way of escape?

13. On Cyd's wedding day, Dana told her that every day wouldn't be a fairy tale, but every day, God is faithful. Can you see God's faithfulness in your life? Do you remind yourself of that faithfulness in the hard times? Discuss the ways in which God has been faithful to you.