The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Author:Suzanne Woods Fisher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC053000, FIC042040, FIC027020, Amish—Fiction, Mennonites—Fiction, Bed and breakfast accommodations—Fiction
ISBN: 9781441245410
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2013-12-20T05:00:00+00:00

After a simple lunch of ham-and-cheese sandwiches had been served by the sisters of the Sisters’ House, most of the Amish families went home. The bulk of the work had been done. All who remained were those who wanted to grow and manage a garden plot. Geena had heard about the community of the Amish, but seeing it up close and personal—it was something to behold. They arrived early and slipped seamlessly into a role, as if they all knew where they fit best.

To Geena, it felt like watching Paul’s words in action from his letter to the Romans: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” Watching Bethany, Jimmy Fisher, Galen King, Amos Lapp, Hank Lapp, Rose Schrock, and Naomi King spread out among the newly built plots and teach people how to care for the gardens . . . Geena went suddenly all soft inside with choking that was so close to tears. Every church in the world, she supposed, had a little knot at its solid center. The goodness, the simple honest goodness in some people!

Geena knelt by the Grange Hall garden plot, gloves on her hands, looking at the soft open space with fierce intent. She picked up a handful of dirt, smelling the heady dampness of it. With her spade, she made a row and tucked some pea starts into the dirt every few inches, then patted the earth around each little start. Sammy and his dog Chase appeared at her side.

She held up a handful for him to examine. “This is good earth,” she told Sammy. “See how dark it is?”

He nodded seriously, and smelled it when she did, his big eyes always taking everything in. The sun sparkled over the top of his head. “I still don’t like peas, though.”

“Maybe you’ll like them better when they’re fresh and you pick them yourself.”

Sammy looked unconvinced, then heard Luke call to him, and he ran off, his dog loping at his heels.

“How are you doing?”

Geena had to squint to look up at Allen, and he noticed and moved around to the other side. “Sorry about that.”

“Doing fine, thank you. Getting the peas in on this end. That end will be tomatoes. Maybe pumpkins in the middle, where their vines can sprawl over the edges.” She picked up a packet of pumpkin seeds and shook it. The big seeds rattled inside. “Might be a little late to plant these, but we’ll give them a try.”

“You’ve done this before, I think.” His blue eyes had the gleam of a blue pearly marble she’d had as a child. Such clear eyes seemed as if they could see too much.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.