Free Forever Blessed (Women of Prayer) by Darlene Shortridge

out.
    Laney followed Mr. Jacobs through the front door into a small living room with hardwood floors. Behind the living room was a kitchen with a built-in table and bench seats. It was small, but bright and clean. White cabinets with yellow-painted walls softened the dark wood of the floor. On the other side of the living room were three bedrooms and a bathroom. There were stairs leading to a basement that housed space for a washer and dryer and a storage room. There was also a bigger open area that might work for a playroom. The house wasn’t big. But, it would work.
    Mr. Jacobs was watching the girl with interest. Was she interested? She was hard to read. “Well, what do you think?”
    “How much is the rent? Is there any…?” Laney looked up to see Mrs. Jacobs, the woman who had hired her, walk through the door of the house and paused mid-sentence.
    Vanessa looked from her husband to her next-door neighbor, Ella, then toward heaven. “Ella, I just hired Laney yesterday for a position with our accounting firm. I had no idea she was the friend of yours that was interested in the rental. Yes indeed, God does work in mysterious ways.”
    It took Laney a moment to catch her breath and find her voice. “I had no idea. Truly, I didn’t. I’m so sorry. I feel so embarrassed.”
    Vanessa stepped forward and took Laney’s hands in her own. “Honey, you have nothing to apologize for. Nor should you feel embarrassed. We made a decision to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, to trust the voice of God, because he knows what is best for us. Many of us at our church have made a commitment to help the center in whatever way we are able. We chose to make a difference right here in our own community, which is why we chose to help the center. Which is exactly why we are going to help you, isn’t that right, Marcus?”
    Marcus loved his wife. He loved her boldness, her sassiness and the direct line that she had to the Father’s ear. Her heart, full of compassion, soothed the times when she ruffled his feathers. It was hard to stay mad at someone whose intentions were always good, even if she sometimes went about things the wrong way. “Yes, dear, that is exactly why we are going to help Laney.”
    Vanessa started toward the house. “Let’s sit down and have some tea, shall we?”
    Neither Laney nor Ella spoke but both followed Vanessa toward the main house and into the kitchen through the back door. Marcus watched his wife take charge. He picked up the rake and started raking, leaving the women to settle the details. He trusted his wife to heed the voice of the Holy Spirit. No sense in him wasting time. He might as well get something accomplished. He chuckled. With a new girl starting at the firm on Monday, he might be spending some longer days at work. This might be his last chance before the snow flew to get the leaves raked.
    The ladies sat around the table, discussing the house. Vanessa pulled up her chair to the round oak table and poured tea into fine china teacups. “This tea set was my grandmother’s. It is the one material thing I treasure the most. So delicate. So fragile. They remind me of life. God breathed life into us and in an instant it can be gone. Like the cups, one must handle their life with care, taking time to gently wash away the grime from the past to be filled anew with the love of God. If we look hard enough, we can find the answers to so many of life’s problems all around us.” Vanessa added honey to her tea. “So, tell me Laney, what can my husband and I expect if you live here behind our home?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, you live at the shelter, so I assume you have left an abusive situation. Do you think he’ll hunt you down? Will he chase you this far? Will he show up unexpectedly here at your home? I’m asking so we know what could happen. If we are knowledgeable about the situation, we’ll be able to better handle it if it should come to pass.”
    Uncomfortable with such