Free October song by Unknown

struggle. ‘Course, Katie had no right to admonish her brother, older than herself by nearly two years. Yet, shedidhave something to offer, far more priceless than mere good advice.
    The road sloped gently down toward Hickory Hollow, toward the wooded area where she and her brothers Eli and Benjamin, and sometimes their eldest brother, Elam, had often played hidey-go-seek in summer, chased after chipmunks in autumn, and followed each other’s footprints
    in the snow during wintertime. Where the pond met both the woods and the wagon roads, out behind the two-story bank barn, there was a special place-“a world set apart.” It was the only spot to row a boat, “to drift away the cares of the day,” Mary Stoltzfus sometimes liked to say, a watering hole where all three brothers — sometimes Dat, too picked up their long willow sticks and went fishing of a morning.
    The whole of the village, it seemed, was beset with memories. Too many to count. She passed up making the turn toward the hollow, instead heading away from the Plain village, driving toward the cozy house she and Daniel called home. Another day she’d drop in on Mary with the frozen vegetable soup. Not this day. This gray and miserable day.
    Thinking again of Benjamin and the possibility of his visit, she prayed,Lord, may it be so. Tomorrow
    At supper Katie mentioned to Clan having run into Benjamin at the bank. “Sad to say, but he’s flirting with the world.” She described Ben’s ultracontemporary getup and hairstyle, his heavily made-up girlfriend, his own brash attitude.
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    Clan listened, not as quick to judge. “Sounds like the Lord is at work, you running into him like that.” He paused, smiling. “Don’t forget, we’ve been praying for our families. This may be the beginning of something.”
    Hearing her husband talk this way gave her even more hope. “If Ben drops by tomorrow, I’ll share the love of the Lord Jesus with him. For sure and for certain.”
    Clan was in agreement and promised to be in prayer for her. They continued to eat, but Katie felt tense. She wanted to bring up her and Mam’s phone conversation just now, but she let a few more moments pass.
    Then, breathing deeply, she forged ahead. “Mam tells me that Dat wouldn’t mind if I came by the house for a short visit sometime.” She chose her words carefully so as not to hurt him, though she doubted he could be further pained by Samuel Lapp excluding him from a casual visit. Not with Dan’s own parents having severely rejected him and still standing their ground. “I thought it best we talk it over,” she said.
    Dan’s eyes were suddenly bright. “If the door’s truly open, why not go?”
    Well, the door sure seemed to be open. “Can we pray about it?” she asked.
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    He reached for her hand and held it in both of his. “You seem a bit hesitant.” His eyes searched hers. “Are you all right, Katie?”
    “I just want to do the right thing.” Truth be known, she welcomed the chance to visit. More than anything, she wanted to be a witness of God’s saving grace to both her parents. All the family, really.
    “I don’t view the invitation as a negative thing. Not at all.” Clan was attentive, his face more serious now as they ate their dessert at the small square table next to the kitchen window. “You decide. It’s completely up to you.”
    He didn’t seem a bit put off, and she was relieved. “I only wish Mam had includedyou …that they respected our marriage that much,” she said.
    He smiled tenderly, stroking her hand. “If you choose to go, make whatever connection you can for the glory of God. Don’t worry about me.”
    She fought back tears. “Could be the first step to uniting our families.”
    “The matter is in God’s hands,” Clan said with confidence.
    Where it belongs,she thought.
    When noontime came the next day, and
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    no sign of Benjamin, she set the table for herself, ate a bowl of vegetable soup and a toasted cheese sandwich,