Page 31 of Rekindled

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Spencer couldn’t believethe text from Molly. As he stared at the screen, he wondered what he did wrong. He had thought they were making progress, and that she was finally starting to trust him again. Her dismissive words though, proved otherwise.

The Mariner’s Club was bustling with commotion. The volunteers were adding the final touches for the fundraiser, but Spencer would have given anything to be alone at the moment.

He sat down in one of the chairs, wilting into it like a deflating balloon. Impulsively, he sent up a silent prayer, asking God to help him figure out what to do.

“A last-minute auction item came in. We wanted to know where you would like us to put it…” Greg stopped talking as he got closer to Spencer. A concerned look crossed his face as he asked, “Are you all right? You look like you just got some bad news.”

“I did. Molly just texted me and told me she couldn’t make it tonight.”

“Did she say why?”

Spencer nodded. “Molly said she needed distance, that it was too hard being around me.”

Greg sat down in the chair across from Spencer. “You want to pray about it?”

“Thanks, I already did, but it can’t hurt to do it again.”

Both men closed their eyes and Greg started to pray. “Dear Lord, please help my friend, Spencer. Show him what he should do. He cares about Molly, but He wants to be within Your will. Guide him towards it as Your way is always best. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”

Greg stood up and said, “Don’t worry about the auction item. I’ll take care of it.” Gesturing towards the door, he added, “You have more important things to do.”

“Like what?” Spencer asked with confusion.

“Like going after your girl. Don’t let Molly’s fear keep you apart. It was awful what happened to her in high school—and yes, you were the cause of it—but you are a changed man. Everyone sees this, even Molly, but she’s just too afraid to admit it.”

Spencer jumped to his feet, saying, “You’re right. I’m going to go to her parents’ house and convince her it’s time she takes a chance on me.”

“There you go, friend,” Greg said, patting Spencer on the back. “Go get her.”

Spencer rushed out of the inn, into his waiting car, and drove the short distance over to Molly’s parents’ place. The whole time he prayed for God to give him the right words to say when he got there.

He parked in front of the house and looked at the door anxiously. “You got this, Spencer. You and Molly are meant to be. You just have to help her open her heart and take a chance again.”

He made his way up the path and rang the doorbell. A few seconds passed before the door opened to reveal Mrs. Price. She looked shocked to see him, but gave him a tentative smile anyway.

“What are you doing here, Spencer?” she asked with confusion. “Molly told us she wasn’t going tonight.”

“I know. She sent me a text. I was hoping I might be able to talk with her and convince her to change her decision.”

The older woman shrugged. “Good luck. Molly is pretty stubborn once she’s made up her mind.” She stepped aside and let him inside, as she added, “I’ll go get her.”

Spencer glanced around the entry hall of the Price home. There were collages of family portraits from when the kids were young, along with nature photos with Bible scriptures on them. “I have plans to prosper you and not to harm you,” one of them read. It warmed Spencer’s heart as the words drifted through his mind and settled in his spirit.

“What are you doing here?” Molly asked in an accusing tone. “I told you I wasn’t going tonight.”

“I know you did, but I let you walk out of my life once without fighting for you; I’m not doing that again.” He moved towards her and took her hands in his own. “I’m here to show you this is serious for me. I’m not giving up on the possibility of us. I won’t quit like I did last time. Just give me a second chance.”

Her face scrunched up as she stepped back a bit from him. “I don’t know how to do this, Spencer. I’m so scared. When things ended badly between us, I never fully recovered. I never let anyone get close again because I was too afraid.”

“Molly, you can’t live your life always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Sometimes, you have to trust that good things can happen too.”

“I want to believe that, Spencer, honestly I do. I’m just not sure how to make myself.”

“You ask God to help you. Believe me, if He could help me, He can help anyone. Everyone keeps saying I’ve changed, but it’s not because of anything I did. It’s because of what I let God do in me.”

Molly bit her lip as she stared at Spencer for several moments. “I know you’re right. I’ve felt God calling me back to Him for some time now. I’ve just been too stubborn to admit I was wrong to walk away from my relationship with Him.”

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