Mike by Ford Linda

Author:Ford, Linda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crocus Mountain Publishing
Published: 2021-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

10

Mike went as far as the blacksmith shop. He fed the horses and talked to the blacksmith for a few minutes then sat on the top rail of the fence. Anyone seeing him would think he watched the horses but in reality, he was lost in his thoughts as he fought an inner battle. Beth thought he needed to forgive Ilsa. Maude would say the same thing. And so did God. But how could he forgive?

He was ten when she left him to choose an easier life while he suffered mistreatment at the orphanage. And like Dakota, he’d been told he was worthless. Those words had done more damage than the whippings.

But he’d been plucked from that place. He now belonged at the Circle A Ranch. He had a home there. Had a purpose. A future.

Was it the future he wanted?

Where had that question come from?

Of course, it was.

Except it wasn’t completely and solely what he wanted.

He wanted a home and family such as he’d had as a child.

But how could he want that when he didn’t even know what it was? He had no memory of his childhood home.

There was one way to find out, but it meant swallowing his stubborn pride—

Wait a minute. When did it become pride?

He sighed. That’s exactly what it was. It was the reason he didn’t want to forgive Ilsa. Didn’t want to hear about his parents. Stubborn pride had enabled him to survive life in the orphanage, but did he really need it any longer?

Maude would tell him to pray about the problem. He’d known that from the start and the reason he hadn’t prayed was because he knew what God wanted.

Seems it was time to stop fighting what he knew was right.

He lifted his eyes to the sky. Thin gray clouds filtered the sunlight. Sort of like the way his stubbornness made God’s love seem faded. But God hadn’t grown faint and distant. Mike’s own choices were at fault.

God, I know what I have to do but it’s hard. For eleven years I’ve blamed Ilsa. How could she have left me there? Alone.

Apart from God.

Why didn’t God end the abuse?

But He did. He sent Maude to get you.

Sure wish she’d come sooner. But how many other boys from the orphanage had ended up in such a pleasant situation besides himself, and Adam and Pete, the two boys who had gone to the ranch at the same time? According to the Mountie who’d taken him back to the orphanage one time when he ran away, lots of the boys ended up as bums or criminals. “You get to choose,” the Mountie had said.

I choose forgiveness.

A knot he hadn’t been aware existed let go of his insides.

He sat on the fence for a spell. Part of the time he enjoyed the peace of choosing forgiveness. Part of the time he tried to think about what he was going to do now. How did he approach this subject? Seems it would take words he didn’t have.

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