Someday: 3 (Sunrise) (31 page)

At the far end of the circle, Ashley’s father slipped his arm around Elaine’s shoulders and began to sing. “‘O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder . . . consider all the worlds Thy hands have made . . .’”

It was a praise song like none other, and Ashley met the eyes of Katy standing next to her. Katy had told her the revelation God had given her, about how victory was found in singing.

The ornament was back in Ashley’s hands, and she looked down at it, at the sweet face of her little girl.

Around the room, a few others joined in the singing, with her father’s voice the loudest and steadiest of all. “‘I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder . . . Thy power throughout the universe displayed.’”

As they reached the chorus, everyone in the room sang, “‘Then sings my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee . . . how great Thou art! How great Thou art! . . . Then sings my soul . . .’”

Ashley closed her eyes and sang for all she was worth, praising her God and King for the miracle of Sarah’s life and for the goodness that He alone had provided. He had been exalted through the miracle of Sarah, after all. Not just for her and Landon but for all of them.

As the song ended, Ashley felt a release, and she knew deep within her soul what it was. The battle was over; Sarah belonged to God fully, completely. She reached out and joined hands with Katy. This was the beauty of the Baxter family, that they came together in times of great sorrow and times of great joy and that they were stronger because of each other.

Ashley didn’t want to think about next Christmas, when the Baxter house would likely belong to strangers. Her father was right. They didn’t need walls and windows to be part of the Baxter family. They needed God and each other.

The song ended, and in the other room came the faint refrains of the Whos in Whoville singing without any presents at all. Ashley smiled. Dr. Seuss had gotten the message right. Victory came in the song.

In the years ahead, when they got together they would laugh and look back at the years gone by. And always they would sing praises to their mighty Savior, and when they did, they would win—no matter what defeat they’d faced that year. They’d have victory because with God they could stand up to any battle that came their way. And someday in heaven they would experience the greatest victory of all.

A reunion like none of them had ever dared dream about.

Dear Friends,

What an emotional journey it’s been, trying to bring to a close my series on the Baxters. Especially this installment, which was written in the weeks after my dad’s death. My dad always told me that one day everyone would know what a wonderful writer I was. But having him in my life made me know for certain that life was about so much more than writing.

My dad was a firm believer in life. I told you that last time. But he was also a believer in miracles. That’s why none of us were overly shocked when he survived his heart attack in what could only be described as a miracle. You can read about it on my Web site at www.KarenKingsbury.com.

Clearly because of what we went through with my dad, the idea of miracles was on my heart like never before. I’ve heard from thousands of you who told me how glad you were that Ashley’s baby didn’t receive a miraculous healing at the end of the last book,
Summer
. It wasn’t that you wished bad things for poor Ashley. But you wanted a real story, a way of seeing God’s hand at work even when life doesn’t go the way we want.

I’m glad you were happy with that ending. It was the only one I could’ve written, knowing the powerful God we serve and the very real certainty of heartache all around us. And so in this book, I had the chance to bring to light the fact that even in death, God can work miracles. We’ve seen that a number of times in people close to us and in our community. With the passing of my dad, we saw it personally.

God is at work, even in our storms.

The story of Ashley and Dayne and Luke all finding their someday by the end of this book was also one in which I felt compelled to talk about the battles of life. The deaths and illnesses, the broken relationships and ruined finances. God tells us in 2 Chronicles that we don’t have to fight our battles alone. He’ll go before us.

Isn’t that the greatest news? For those who love Christ, wherever you go, you’re protected. The battle is won, no matter how grim the situation seems.

At our house, we love when Donald takes out his guitar and everyone gathers around to sing songs of praise to God. We’ll sit outside on the front porch or gather in one of the kids’ bedrooms. Between songs, Donald often has one of the kids pray, and as the hour progresses, the heart of each of the kids becomes more tender. Sometimes a few of them will have quiet tears as the time wraps up. Why? Because victory comes in praising God.

Now, about the Baxters. I know. . . . I know. I hear from you, my faithful friends, many, many times each week. “Please,” you write, “don’t let the Baxters end! You can’t stop writing about these people.”

Believe me, I’m as upset about writing the final chapter of
Sunset
as you are. And so I’ve decided to keep the characters alive in a different way. With the conclusion of the Sunrise series, after the final book,
Sunset
, releases, I will start a blog on my Web site and in my monthly newsletters. One day you might hear from Ashley and another day from Dayne. John will weigh in on his new marriage, and Katy will share the joys of being a first-time mother. There won’t be whole chapters or books, but you’ll be kept aware of how the Baxters are doing and what’s happening next.

And of course there will be more stories, more families and issues and emotionally driven characters and plots in the years to come, God willing. I have so many stories in my heart, so many times when we will meet again between the covers of a book. So stay posted.

Also, if you chose to start a relationship with Christ for the first time while reading this book, please get ahold of a Bible and read the book of John. Mark it and highlight it, underline it and memorize it. Scripture is the strongest weapon we have as we march into battle with God at our side. Then find a Bible-believing church where you can grow in the love and knowledge of our mighty King.

If you’re unable to find a Bible or you can’t afford one and if you’ve chosen now to start that life-saving relationship with Christ, then send me an e-mail. In the subject line simply write, “New Life.” Include your address, and I will send you a Bible.

As always, you can find out more information and sign up for my newsletter on my Web site. I have contests in the works and journal entries about my life as a Christian wife and mother as well as my ministry of fiction. In addition, you can find photos of soldiers who need your prayers as they serve our country. My contact information is there as well. Don’t forget: I love hearing from you!

On that note, find a song and sing it as often as you can. Oh, and if your parents are still alive, call them and tell them you love them. Today, while there’s still time.

Until we meet again, in His light and love,

Karen Kingsbury

1. Were you surprised that Katy and Dayne agreed to film movies in separate countries so early in their marriage? What did you expect would happen?

2. What did you think about Ashley’s determination to find meaning in her baby daughter’s short life? Have you ever looked for a miracle in a situation that didn’t go the way you’d hoped? Explain.

3. Talk about Brooke’s change of heart toward life. What events spurred her interest in reopening a crisis pregnancy center? Does your town have a crisis pregnancy center? If so, what do you know about it?

4. Read 2 Chronicles 20. If you don’t have a Bible, you can find a copy of this chapter online at www.Bible.com. What do you think this Scripture says about the battles of life? According to these verses, what role does God play in the battle?

5. Again according to this section of Scripture, when does the victory happen for God’s people? Have you ever experienced a time when you overcame a problem by praising God? Explain.

6. Were you surprised by Ashley’s healed relationship with Brooke? Why did that happen?

7. Have you ever struggled with a sibling? Talk about that struggle and explain how you were able to find common ground again or how you might reconcile.

8. The photograph of what seemed to be Dayne and Randi was almost enough to convince Katy her marriage was a sham. Why was she so easily convinced? Do you think you would’ve held up better in that situation? Why or why not?

9. Why was it so important to Ashley that the changes in her family she saw in the hospital room the day she delivered Sarah be carried through to completion in the months after her daughter’s death?

10. Has there been a time when you prayed for something, and after God chose to say no, something miraculous and unexpected happened? Tell about that experience. What did you learn from it?

11. Against the backdrop of the media’s rush to accuse Dayne of being unfaithful, Katy and Dayne’s marriage is again strained. What could they have done differently, and how would you handle a situation like theirs?

12. Though your issues will be different, have you and your spouse ever struggled because of a misunderstanding? Talk about that and explain how you worked through the situation.

13. How important is forgiveness to a marriage? to a friendship or sibling relationship? Give examples.

14. Ashley was looking for a miracle when she lost her daughter. By the end of
Someday
, what miracles had occurred because of little Sarah’s life? What other miracles might still happen in the months to come?

15. Describe the moment when John asked Elaine to marry him. How was this time different from a first-time marriage proposal?

16. Talk about someone you know who has lost a spouse and then remarried. What were some of the struggles of that situation? What were some of the joys? How do you think these might relate to John and Elaine in the future?

17. Explain the labor of love John gave his children by putting together the scrapbooks with letters from Elizabeth. How have Elizabeth’s letters helped each of the Baxter siblings over the course of the series?

18. Dayne is very touched by his scrapbook, and he becomes aware of the power of a gift. Tell about a gift you gave that had a particularly great of meaning. What was the result of that gift, if any?

19. Talk about a meaningful gift that you received at some point along life’s journey. Who gave you the gift, what was it, and why was it meaningful? How did the gift impact you?

20. Only Bailey Flanigan didn’t see her dreams for what might happen someday fulfilled. Even so, when she prayed for her future husband, half a world away Cody Coleman was spared certain death. Have you ever prayed for someone and then later found out that they were in dire need of prayer at that very moment? Explain.

John had dreaded this day with everything in him, but with the knock at the door, the time had come. He steeled himself. He’d made the decision long ago, and now he needed to carry through with it.

“Coming . . .” He walked from the kitchen to the front door and opened it.

“John.” Verne Pick nodded. He was a friend from church whose kids were involved with CKT, and he had a reputation for being one of the best, most thorough Realtors in Bloomington. His expression told John that he knew this was going to be a rough day. “You ready for this?”

John hesitated. “I am.” He opened the door wide and welcomed the man inside. “Let’s move to the kitchen table.” John had brewed a pot of coffee, and now he poured cups for both of them.

They made small talk, but after a few minutes, Verne pulled a folder from his briefcase. “We have a standard questionnaire we need to deal with first.”

John blinked, and a memory came over him. When Elizabeth died, he had walked in a fog through the planning of her service and the meeting with the local funeral director. But he remembered this one detail: the young woman who helped him work through the process had presented every question tentatively, as if she wanted to apologize for each step of the process. That’s exactly how Verne was now. He was waiting for a response from John about the questionnaire.

John nodded. “Let’s get the questions out of the way.”

“Okay.” Verne opened the folder and took out the document on top. “I’ve got the address and plot number from the county office.” He looked at John. “Number of bedrooms?”

John pictured them the way they’d looked twenty years ago. He and Elizabeth in the large room at one side of the house upstairs. Brooke and Kari across from each other at the south end of the hall, Luke in the next bedroom on the left, and Ashley and Erin sharing a room at the north end. He pushed away the memory. “Five.” He took a quick sip of coffee. “Five bedrooms.”

The process wore on, each question stirring another set of memories and reasons why he couldn’t believe he was selling the place.

When they were done with the questions, Verne sucked in a sharp breath and bit his lower lip. “The tour comes next. I need to measure each room, get an official square footage.”

“The tour?” John looked toward the stove, where he could almost see Elizabeth standing near the kettle.
“John’ll give you the tour,”
she would say when company came over.
“He’s so proud of the place—I like to let him do it.”

“Sure.” John gave his friend a quick smile. “Let’s start in the living room.”

They worked their way from one room to the next, and in each one, Verne pulled out his measuring tape and checked one wall or another, then wrote the numbers on his clipboard.

John remained quiet. He wasn’t seeing his friend taking matter-of-fact measurements of the house he so loved. He was seeing Elizabeth rocking their babies, Kari learning to walk, Brooke bringing in a bird with a broken wing, and Ashley screaming because she thought it might attack her. He could hear the piano, filling the house with hour after hour of not-quite-perfect songs during the years when the kids took lessons, and he could see the grandkids gathered around their tree each Christmas.

Whatever the square footage of the house, it couldn’t possibly measure the importance of the Baxter house or the way John felt when he was here.

They finished the final room, and Verne closed the folder. “Well, that’s about it. Just one more thing and I can get back to the office and list it.” He walked to the front door. “I’ll get what I need from the car.”

When John was alone, he braced himself against the nearest wall. For a heartbeat, he felt like he was no longer attached to his body. What was he doing, selling the house to strangers? Certainly one of his kids would want the house, right? He had six of them in the area, after all. One of them should’ve jumped at the chance to raise their family here.

But John had already asked each of them. Brooke and Peter liked the house they lived in because it was easy for Hayley and comfortable. “We have our own memories here, Dad,” Brooke had told him. “The Baxter place would be much too big for us.”

Kari had felt the same way about having her own memories. Ryan had designed the log house they lived in, and it had a sort of rugged lodge feel both Kari and Ryan loved.

Ashley had been a possibility at first. She had told him a number of times that she would love to raise the boys here, where she’d grown up. But she wasn’t painting enough to bring in any regular money, and the mortgage on the house would be beyond what Landon could afford, especially with their growing boys.

Once John had even considered calling Dayne, because it would’ve been nothing for him to loan Ashley and Landon the money—maybe at a lower rate or for a longer period of time.

But Ashley had begged him not to. “I don’t want Dayne to think of us like that, using him for his money.”

John could’ve argued with her, but there was no point, really. Ashley was right; the situation would have been awkward.

As for his other kids, Luke and Reagan were anchored to their neighborhood. They’d found a nearby church, and they were getting counseling from one of the pastors there. Their house was close to Luke’s work and not far from a park where a few of the mothers would meet on warm afternoons. So they were out.

Last there were Erin and Sam. At first, when Erin called to announce that they were moving back to Indiana, John thought he had his answer, a way to keep the house in the family. But Sam worked long days, and Erin was busy with the kids. Upkeep on a house with acreage was more than they were willing to take on even for the sake of nostalgia.

John peered out the window, and the sadness and frustration surrounding him doubled. Way down at the end of his driveway, Verne had taken a large, wooden For Sale sign from the back of his car and was positioning it not far from the road. John wanted to turn away, wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening. Certainly he wasn’t about to sell the house he’d wanted to spend the rest of his life living in.

But then, Elizabeth wasn’t here to share it with, and John was making plans to marry Elaine Denning. He had no choice but to let the house go, no matter how hard it was and regardless of the ways he still sought to find an answer that made—

The sound of a mallet against a stake resonated deep within him. It was barely loud enough to hear, but John knew what it was. He watched as Verne worked the mallet, hammering the sign into the ground.

Why, God? Isn’t there some way to save the place?

In response there was only the sound of another blow, another strike of the mallet. Again and again the mallet struck, and each time the hurt radiated through John’s body. His years in the Baxter house were over. The time had come to move on, and with God’s help that’s what John would do. He gripped the wall he was leaning on and breathed in deeply of the familiar smell of his home. Yes, he would survive letting go of this place, because he had no other choice.

Even if it all but killed him to say good-bye.