Forsaking All Others by G. E. Hamlin

Author:G. E. Hamlin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-08-18T15:41:45+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Kate silently read the words on Cody’s computer screen. The gentleman who wrote the blog post understood the need for God in his life and in his marriage. Several times, she had to swallow hard to clear a lump in her throat. Even now, her vision blurred with tears. This man expressed beliefs she’d prayed Cody would one day grab hold of, yet she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

She cleared her throat with a sip of sparkling water. She needed to eat the crackers, but talking with Cody about their marital problems had distracted her. As she read, her mind swirled with questions she wanted to ask Cody for the first time in their marriage; she sensed he was truly ready to answer.

Kate sat back in her seat. “The man you bought the guns from wrote this? How old did you say he was?”

“I believe he said eighty-seven.” Cody pointed to the screen. “What do you think about what he said here?”

Kate reread the sentence in her head. “Insightful.”

“I agree. Would you mind if I read it out loud?” Cody’s passion was contradictory to his usual laidback demeanor, so she agreed.

He looked over at her, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She held his gaze for a moment, but the intensity of his stare seemed to burrow into her thoughts, and she wasn’t ready to be that vulnerable. “Please, read it.”

Turning his attention back to the screen, he began. “Scripture teaches fear is mitigated by love. First John 4:18 tells us, ‘There is no fear in love.’”

Cody shut down his laptop, returned it to the case then stowed it under his seat. “My counselor is debunking the lies that have created fear in my life. Fear my parents not only didn’t love one another, but they didn’t love Blake and me. As a teen, I’d lie in bed many a night and ask God why my folks ever got married. They argued with one another all the time. God didn’t give me the answer.”

“You sound resentful, but you’ve always praised your mother for raising you and Blake on her own.”

He firmed the visible quiver of his bottom lip. “I’m not taking anything away from her, but I’m sure you’d agree my mom isn’t the most affectionate person in the world. She’s come a long way in that area, and I give her credit for the change.”

His voice cracked. “Please don’t hear this as me blaming my mom or even my dad for my choices as an adult, but like my counselor says, I do need to acknowledge what has shaped my perspective and contributed to landing me where I’m at in life. Am I making sense?”

“Yes.” Cody’s sullen expression didn’t trouble her as it had in the past. He appeared to be taking a hard look at areas of his life he’d ignored or made excuses for, and she empathized. Over the past few days, she had also taken a hard look at the list of excuses made for not taking better care of her body.

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