Page 111 of Wish You Faith

“I’m neutral, Evan. That means I can see both sides of the argument.”

Evan sat back in his chair. “Perhaps for such a time as this, God has sent you to be our peacemaker.”

“Your mom and I had a good chat on the flight here,” Rosie disclosed. “She loves you but doesn’t know how to show it.”

“Her standards are too high. I fail it every time.”’

“Is her method of love smothering you?” Rosie asked.

She seemed genuinely interested in his opinion about Mom.

“Sometimes I wonder if I was adopted.”

Rosie grinned. “You know how many times I wondered if my dad wasn’t really mine? Every single time he put me in time out and grounded me and prevented me from dating that soccer star in high school.”

“God was saving you for me.” Evan felt slightly alarmed that Rosie had mentioned a sportsman. He felt that he was competing with a ghost from the past. Then again, which soccer player in high school didn’t look athletic? When time fast-forwarded ten or twenty years, people would change as they aged.

“Oh, now you’re siding with my dad?” Rosie laughed.

The server came to refill their drinks, and they ordered desserts.

“I really shouldn’t, but the photographer did such a great job taking a photo of the strawberry shortcake that I have to try it.”

“Shift the blame, why don’t you?” Evan smiled.

“Glad we could share so I can spread the weight to you. Am I generous or what?” Rosie laughed just as her phone pinged. She checked her text message and then replied just as the server arrived with their one giant piece of strawberry shortcake covered with strawberries and cream, and two forks.

“Your mom texted me,” Rosie said. “She and my mom are going shopping for new clothes to wear to church on Sunday.”

“Wow. I think she’s getting serious about going to church.”

“She’s doing it for you, but I pray that as we keep pointing her to Jesus, He will draw your mom to Himself.”

Evan nodded. “Thank you.”

Rosie pointed a finger upward. “Thank God.”

“Yes, thank God.” Evan was glad that Rosie always reminded him about God. Sometimes he’d credit people for things, but it was good to be reminded that God was the one who caused all things to work out for their good, as it was written in Romans 8:28.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Then it would follow that God was also working in his family’s life, for the sake of the two saved people in it: Evan and Connor. Now God was sorting it out for Rosie also. Evan hadn’t known how to bring Rosie into his family without incurring Mom’s wrath, since he’d gotten engaged to her without Mom’s knowledge.

Somehow Mom had found out.

“I wanted to introduce you to Mom later when I thought she’d be ready,” Evan said. “She jumped the gun and went to see you without my knowledge.”

“She probably knows all that you’ve done for my mom and me.”

“For you primarily.”

Rosie looked visibly moved. “Thank you.”

“All is well. Don’t worry.”

“On the flight here, your mom told me that she doesn’t think our separate lives in two cities are good for our relationship.”

“She said that?” It meant that Mom cared about Evan’s well-being. In a way, she had always cared. She just never showed it the way Evan wanted her to.

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