Feathers of Hope: a Novel by Sharon Garlough Brown

Author:Sharon Garlough Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sensible shoes;two steps forward;barefoot;an extra mile;remember me;shades of light;mental health;grief;depression;spiritual direction;anxiety;Christian women;spiritual fiction;Christian fiction;spiritual retreat;Christian retreat center;Christian spiritual direction;wren Crawford;Katherine Rhodes;New Hope Retreat Center;Abiding Way Ministries;art therapy;Christian fiction for women;women's fiction;women's small group;women's retreat;Christian novel;Christianity and mental health
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Published: 2022-01-13T08:13:18+00:00

Kit was staring into her pantry cupboard, trying to figure out what they could eat for dinner, when Wren entered with a shopping bag. “I stopped at the store on my way home. Thought we could have fajitas.” She set the bag on the counter. “Or if you had something else in mind, we could save this for tomorrow.”

“No, that sounds good. Thank you.” Kit closed the cupboard and removed a skillet from the drawer beneath the oven.

Wren shooed her away. “You go rest. I’ll take care of everything.”

She wasn’t going to argue with that. By the time she filled the birdfeeder and replied to several emails, the chicken was sizzling on the stove. Wren set her phone aside. “Mom says hi.”

“Hi back. Is she doing okay?”

“Yeah. Just her usual worry about me. I told her I’m doing fine with everything. I really am. But I wouldn’t mind if you reassure her too.”

“If she asks me, I can do that.”

“Thanks.”

Kit slid a chair out from the table and sat down. “Good appointment with Dawn today?”

“Yeah. Really good timing.” Wren flipped over the chicken breasts. “I told her everything that happened with Logan, how he completely dismissed what we did for the Journey to the Cross and—”

“Wait, Wren. I’m not sure that’s an accurate picture of what he said.”

“Yes, it is. You didn’t hear him on the phone. I did.”

“But I’m not sure he was dismissing everything,” Kit said, “just that he didn’t hear enough emphasis on hope and resurrection in what I presented.”

Wren held up the tongs. “Why are you so quick to defend him, especially after what he did to Gayle?”

“That was a board decision. Not Logan.”

“I’m not so sure about that. Because Logan told me on Saturday that the reason he was spouting off to his wife was because the financial package wasn’t good enough for them. That’s probably why he was asking me questions about how many hours I worked and whether I had another job. He was doing his mental calculations. He had it all planned out.” She poked at the chicken again. “And he blamed you for New Hope not having enough money to hire him, because the programs you offered were too depressing.”

Kit rubbed her temple slowly. She didn’t need Wren to bring any kindling to the embers of resentment she had been trying all day to douse with prayer.

“Sorry,” Wren said, “but it’s true. Not what he said about you. But the fact that he said it. I know what I heard.”

“I know, Wren. But I also know how corrosive anger is. It does no good to keep rehearsing the grievances. It just keeps things stirred up.”

“But you also can’t cover it up and pretend he didn’t say it or think it.”

“It’s not about pretending. He already asked for my forgiveness. So we move forward.”

Wren set her free hand on her hip. “Do you really think he’s sincere in what he says?”

She wasn’t sure. But loving him as a brother meant giving him the benefit of the doubt.

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