Free Scraps of Love by Rhonda Gibson

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She bit
down hard on her lip and blinked, determined to maintain the mood she’d left
the bakery with.
         While the teakettle heated,
she sat down at the table and looked at the scrapbook. Each page captured her
family’s history. Colleen made special notes throughout the pages. She wanted
to remember the love and laughter of her ancestors. A smile touched her lips.
         For now, the scrapbook and
journaling were finished. She’d used the pictures, scraps of notes and letters,
and even a few lacy handkerchiefs to fill the pages. She felt each item
represented her relatives’ lives.
         Upon reflection, Colleen
realized that Jenny’s school project had brought back the Holidays and Reillys
from days gone by. She felt a smile tug at her lips. Warmth enveloped her as
she thought about her family. She turned to the last page and looked at the
picture of her parents. They smiled up at her. Love filled their eyes.
         “Lord, please let Adam forgive
me. I love him so much, but I’m afraid he won’t forgive me and I will never
find true love again.” Colleen whispered the prayer and closed her scrapbook.
         Her hands moved over the front
cover. What if Adam doesn’t forgive me? She would be a lone forever.
         Colleen walked to the stove
where the water in the teakettle boiled. She poured the steaming liquid into a
cup.
         Her thoughts returned to her
morning devotions. She’d skimmed the scripture and the notes in the devotional.
As clear as a summer’s day, Psalm 136:26 echoed through her mind: “ Give
thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” Colleen decided she
should reread the devotional.
         Colleen collected her Bible
and devotional book. She spread them out on the table and began to read aloud.
“God’s love endures forever. People come and people go, but the Lord God
Almighty will always be here for you and will always love you.”
         My love endures forever. The
words echoed through her mind. Colleen bowed her head and prayed. For the first
time since Adam left, Colleen felt at peace. Adam might not forgive her, but
she knew with confidence that the Lord would be there for her.
     
    Sunday
morning arrived with fresh snow. Colleen hurried home from the morning
services. She looked forward to having a light lunch and then getting to work.
Last night she’d decided that the photo album needed a cover.
         She pushed the door open with
the help of the winter wind.  Snow blew in with her and she laughed as she
shoved the door closed. Now that she knew the Lord would never desert her, she
looked forward to Adam’s return. It would hurt if he didn’t forgive her, but
thanks to her newfound knowledge, she knew that, in time, she’d be fine.
         Colleen put a pot of water on
the stove and pulled down the chocolate mix. While the water heated, she made a
grilled cheese sandwich and warmed up some tomato soup.
         After hurriedly eating lunch,
Colleen opened the trunk. She searched the many articles of clothing for the
child’s coat. It would be small enough that she wouldn’t have to waste much of
the material.
         What better way to preserve
her family’s memories than to use its lining as the cover for her scrapbook?
         “Here you are.” Colleen pulled
the item of clothing out. The black coat’s lining held as many faded colored
patches. Light green dominated the garment, but faded blues and yellows could
still be distinguished.
         She looked back into the
chest. The coat had been covering a small sewing basket. Colleen pulled it out.
“I wonder if there’s anything in here that I can use.”
         Colleen lifted the wicker lid.
Inside were antique spools of thread and a few rusted needles. The lining of
the little basket was torn in several places. She ran her hand over it and to
her surprise, felt something inside.
         Her