Page 172 of Share with Me

Grandma went silent.

Ivan opened his eyes. She was wiping tears off her face. Her eyes were still closed and she continued praying. Ivan bowed his head again.

“And for this food, Lord, thank You. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

Ivan dug in. It was just dinner. What had overcome Grandma?

“We’re going to be all right, Grandma,” Ivan said between spoonfuls of rice. “My wrists are insured and I’ll try to see if we can get some sort of benefits in addition to the SISO insurance to hold us over until I can work again.”

“The studio?”

“When I get better I’ll reopen it.”

“You sound positive.” Grandma managed a smile. “That’s good.”

They said nothing for a while.

“I’m sorry you had to hear the argument between Brinley and me the other day. I forgot voices carry from the studio.”

“She didn’t ruin your career or your life.”

“Well, if she hadn’t given me the Strad—”

“If you hadn’t accepted it…”

“You have a point there. It’s too late now. We’ve moved on.”

“We can’t move on past the point of our last error, Ivan.” Grandma speared a shrimp with her fork. “And if we don’t learn from our mistakes, we will be stuck in the roundabout for a while.”

A roundabout.“I should write a book with all your sayings in it, Grandma.”

“I have them all written down in the margin of my Bible next to the verses that inspired me, if you want to get started.”

Ivan laughed. “You know, that’s what I like about you, Grandma. Always looking forward. Never looking back.”

“Oh, I do look back. All the milestones we have, dear, are our Ebenezers, memorials to the faithfulness of God. Never forget that God is always faithful no matter what happens to us.”

“Since He is sovereign, He knew this was going to happen to us. Yet He let it.”

“You know this is a fallen world, Ivan. Since Adam’s sin, the whole world is cursed and tainted by sin. Pain and suffering and death are a part of our life on earth. But someday when we get to heaven, it’ll be perfect. Just you wait. And I’ll see my Otto again.”

“I miss him too, Grandma.”

“He was a dear man, my Otto, although he had no head for figures. I’m afraid you might have inherited some of that.”

“I’m trying to get us out of debt and then we’ll be fine.”

“God can get us out of debt. Trust Him, Ivan.”

Proverbs 3:5-6.

That verse that Brinley had been memorizing.

Ivan ate quietly. When he finished his plate, he placed a hand on his stomach. “That hits the spot. Thank you, Grandma.”

He cleared the table. “Why don’t you go rest while I clean up the kitchen?”

“I think I’m going to go lie down.” Grandma Yun seemed to have difficulty getting out of the chair.

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