Surrendered Hearts Read Free Page A

pray hard for something for a long time, and then God answers, and you’re just so . . . surprised.”
    The delight on his friend’s face cut a guilty swath through Bill.
    Wes looked up, his expression growing serious. “But this is your house, so it’s up to you.”
    Bill focused on stirring the eggs. How could he say no? Wes paid his share of the rent and utilities, and he split the grocery bill even though he often ate at Lauren’s.
    “I guess I could send her over to Lauren’s if you don’t want her to stay here.”
    Bill shook his head. “No. It’s okay. She can stay. Sounds like she needs a break.”
    “She needs more than that. This is our chance to show her how much God loves her and how faith makes a difference in our everyday lives. We can be the Bible she hasn’t read, the Jesus she’s never considered.”
    Bill turned off the burner and looked at Wes. “Isn’t that the way we’re supposed to be living anyway?”
    Wes grinned, his eyes bright. “Of course, but sharing with Jenn might be it a little more challenging than that.”
    “Go on. I’m listening.” Bill scooped the eggs onto his plate and dropped two slices of bread in the toaster.
    “She knows where I stand with the Lord, and what I did as a missionary, but she’s pretty closed to discussions about God or faith.”
    “How come?”
    “I’m not sure. I thought she made a commitment to the Lord when she was young at church camp, but after we lost our parents she had to live with our aunt and uncle, and she stopped going to church. Life’s been hard for her, and now she has to work through all these new losses.”
    “Sounds like it won’t be easy to reach her after all that’s happened.”
    Wes leaned back and smiled. “You’re probably right, but don’t forget, ‘What’s impossible for man is possible for God.’”
    Bill nodded. “Like I always say, you’re a man of great faith.” He kept his tone light, but uncomfortable questions rose in his mind. What part did Wes expect him to play in all this? His faith ran deep, but he wasn’t a missionary like his friend. He was a man of action rather than words. And how could he help Jennifer see her need for God when he wasn’t exactly thrilled that she’d invaded his home?
    He bowed his head and thanked the Lord for his food, but he couldn’t ignore the Spirit’s tug on his conscience. Lord, help me change my attitude. I know you ask me to love others as Christ loves me, and that even includes dangerously attractive females who belong back in the city on center stage.
     
     

Chapter Three
    Jennifer rolled over and squinted at the soft light filtering through the window. A chorus of birds sang somewhere nearby. She rubbed her hand across her eyes, trying to focus and make sense of the scene.
    What time was it? She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Ten after eight. Was it morning or evening? The fuzzy sensation in her head and the strangeness of waking up in someone else’s room sent an uneasy shiver through her.
    Lying back, she lifted her left hand and traced the twisted patterns of skin on her neck, shoulder and arm.
    It wasn’t a dream. The scars were real. The fire had swept through her apartment and burned everything. Her beloved dog, Beau, was gone, and her fiancé, Phillip, had disappeared after one look at her hideous burns.
    She squeezed her eyes shut against the painful memories and let her hand fall to her side, but she couldn’t banish the angry, hopeless feeling rising in her heart.
    Hadn’t she already been through enough—losing her parents and then living with relatives who barely put up with her until she turned eighteen and their legal responsibility ended?
    Downstairs, a door closed. Footsteps crunched across the stone path. Two doors slammed, and a motor rumbled to life.
    Jennifer eased herself into a sitting position, careful not to use her right arm. She crossed to the bedroom window and peeked out in time to see the black truck backing out