The Perfect Life (28 page)
I scooted up against the head of the bed, shoving my hair away from my face with one hand.“How long have you been up?”
“A couple hours. I decided to clean the grill before it got too hot out.”
I should have been up early too. I had lots of cooking to do before people started arriving this afternoon. In addition to the girls and their husbands, Mike and Annabeth Sorenson, Stan and Judy Ludwig, and Susan and her date were joining us for an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration, complete with hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, several kinds of salad, and much, much more.
But I didn't rush to rise. I was learningâstep by step,moment by momentâthat the world would not fall off its axis if I didn't make everything perfect, if I didn't have it all under control. My counseling sessions with Donna O'Keefe had helped a lot with those less-than-wonderful personality traits of mine.
“Want your coffee in bed?” Brad asked.
“Sure.” I grinned. “But only because I know how important it is that you exercise that leg.”
“Yeah, right.” He smiled too. “Be back in a jiff.”
I closed my eyes again, a sigh escaping my lips.
Good morning,
God. Thank You for this new day.
I had many reasons to be thankfulâfor the couple who had hired me last week to redesign their home's interior, for the positive conclusion of the attorney general's investigation into In Step's financial practices, and for the phone call Brad received from the president of the foundation's board of directors, reinstating him at full salary as soon as he was ready to return. But mostly I was thankful for what the Lord was doing in me, in Brad, in our marriage, and in our children.
I pictured each member of my family, one by one, and said a prayer for them.
I prayed for Hayley who'd begun tentative steps toward reconciliation with her father and with me, and peace over the loss of her child. I rejoiced that God was healing hurts I never knew she had. I prayed that she and Steve might not make the mistakes in their marriage that I'd made in mine. I prayed that they would come to put God first in their hearts.
I prayed for Emma and Jason, that God would give her a safe delivery and that their child would be healthy. I asked God to stretch their finances and to bless them for their giving hearts.
I prayed for Brad's parents and my mom. I asked God to keep them strong in their later years and to watch over them since they lived so far from us. I prayed for relationships to be mended and for generational curses to be broken.
And I prayed for Bradâbecause he wasn't perfect either and I'd never had the right to expect him to be.
The telephone rang. Why did people think it was okay to call before ten o'clock in the morning? Especially on a holiday.
“Can you get that, Kat? I'm on the stairs with our coffee.”
I reached for the phone on the nightstand. “Hello.”
“Mom!” Hayley said, excitement in her voice. “Emma's at the hospital. Jason said he thinks the baby's coming fast.”
“Calm down, honey. First babies almost always take a while.”
“All I know is Jason said we better hurry if we want to get there before the baby does.”
“Who is it?” Brad asked from the doorway.
I held up an index finger to silence him. “I'll get dressed and we're on our way,” I told Hayley. “See you there.”
Brad brought the mug of coffee toward me.“See who where?”
“Emma's at the hospital. It appears our first grandchild wants to be an Independence Day baby.”
I must confess, there was a moment, not many hours later,when I looked at Daniel Bradford Myersâa healthy, hearty eight pounds, with a good set of lungsâand thought,
he's perfect.
Perhaps, in this case, I wasn't wrong to think so. For surely, every good and perfect gift came to us from God above, as had this new life, wriggling and wailing in his grandfather's arms.
Dear Friend:
I hope you enjoyed your time spent with Katherine and the family and friends who peopled her world. I love to tell stories of imperfect people in need of a perfect Godâperhaps because that is an accurate description of me. No matter how many years I've walked with the Lord, there is always something new He reveals to me, something new He wants to change in me.
I'm very pleased that
The Perfect Life
is a Women of Faith novel, and I hope it will touch many hearts. Life can be hard, but for those who trust in a merciful, loving God, it is never hopeless.
On a personal note, God used a Women of Faith Conference to end a season of grieving in my life and to begin making my heart whole again. He spoke to me through the examples of the women on the stage who shared stories of life's hurts and God's faithfulness. He spoke to me through the worship times when I was surrounded by fifteen thousand other women, voices and hands lifted in praise. He spoke to me in the laughter and in the tears.
If you have the opportunity to attend a Women of Faith Conference, don't pass it by. You'll be blessed by the experience.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin Lee Hatcher
From her heart . . . to yours!
www.robinleehatcher.com
MANY THANKS FOR THE PATIENCE, GUIDANCE, AND HARD
work of my wonderful editors at Thomas Nelson,Ami and Leslie. I'm delighted you not only saw the story I hoped to create at the start, but helped me to make it a reality.
1.
The Perfect Life.
Would you be able to use this title for your own life? Why or why not?
2. With trouble brewing in the early pages of the book, Brad immediately prayed for wisdom. Things only got worse. Does that mean you might as well save your breath and wait for the outcome? Or were his prayers eventually answered?
3. In chapter 4 we discover that Katherine and Brad were married in an unequally yoked situation. Brad did become a Christian later on. How do we reconcile this with the admonition to not be unequally yoked? Have you ever been in a similar situation?
4. Hayley had a rather cynical outlook on Christian marriage, spousal faithfulness, and life in general. What might you imagine brought her to this state? Discuss ways to develop a more Christ-like attitude.
5. Katherine's friend Susan recommended cheesecake and lots of chocolate as an antidote to the growing troubles in her life. What other indulgences do we reach for to relieve life's stresses? What might be some better antidotes?
6. As their situation worsened, Kat asked, “God, why are You letting this happen?” while Brad prayed for wisdom. When Brad resigned from the Foundation to help it stay afloat, Kat said, “But it's your ministry.” Brad answered, “It's God's ministry, Kat, not mine.” Who is the more mature Christian? Why? How would you react in a similar situation?
7. Kat noted the differences between Emma's exuberant prayer life and her own more reserved one: “There wasn't anything formal or poetic about the words she used when talking to God.”Do you think one way of praying is right, the other wrong? Or is there a time for both? What sort of prayer life do you yourself have?
8. Katherine worked hard to make her home perfectâa reflection of their marriage, family, and successful life. Why do you think this outward show was so important to her? Is that a good thing? Bad? How do you balance this in your own life?
9. Brad felt he had to confess to Kat that Nicole had unexpectedly kissed him once. This shook Katherine's trust in her husband. Should he have told her? Did she miss something in the tellingâthe fact that he wanted to be honest with her and counted on her trust in himâor was she right in her reaction?
10. Haley noted the public image of a saint with feet of clay was not only a popular one with the media, but also possibly a true one of her dad. Are she and today's media too quick to judge our religious leaders? What about you?
11.
“Where are You, God?
No sound. No touch. No sense of peace. Only turmoil. Only aloneness.”Have you been there? What did you do?
12. Emma understands that parents may not always be perfect but they're worthy of trust and love. Hayley obviously struggled with this. What is your own relationship with your parents like? Was there ever a time when you doubted them? If so, how did that make you feel?
13. “Be careful what river you go down because I'm in the boat with you.” This quote hit home with Katherine as she felt her marital lifeboat swamp. Do you think this common way of seeing a couple as one is fair? Should youâwill youâbe more careful about judging other couples as a unit?
14. “I did my best to walk in obedience according to the Scripture . . . That should be enough. Shouldn't it? I thought of the way Brad looked sometimes after a period of worship or following his prayer time. A look of joy that spoke of something beyond my reach.” What do you think was missing for Katherine? Do you relate to this?
15. After Hayley's miscarriage, with the integrity of the Foundation questioned and the matter of fidelity raised, Katherine thought of the story of Job. How does one find a way to praise God in bad times as well as in good times? Have you had such an experience? Explain.
16. Although not tempted himself, Brad thought he could now understand why some people resort to suicide. How can we prepare ourselves ahead of time so that suicide is never a temptation when life seems broken beyond repair and our strength is used up?
17. Katherine said divorce isn't supposed to happen to people like her. She had been as good a wife as anyone could be and she was not going to have people thinking she was a failure. Nor was she going to have God thinking that of her. How is this way of thinking flawed? Do you think this is a good reason for not getting a divorce? Is there ever a good reason?
18. Katherine thought perhaps God had spared her any testing before because He knew how utterly she would fail. And wasn't her failing marriage enough without a failing faith as well? What would be a more optimistic, hopeful, godly way for Katherine to look at things? Have you felt like this?
