Free Her Christmas Prince (Love in the Keys) by Caroline A. Godin

we could all deal with problems at
Christmas. Callie made notes in a notebook that fit into her Bible
cover.

    “ Christmas
can also be a time of hurt. There are a lot of people hurting in the
world, physically and emotionally. Because of illness or death or
broken families. And you might wonder how God can allow it,
especially at Christmas? But remember, we only need ask God to
comfort us in our hurt and to heal our pain. Psalm
34:18-19 says,
'The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as
have a contrite spirit.' He's waiting with open arms, we just need
to go to him.” There were several “amens” from
the pews.

    Callie
admired Pastor Ed. He had a tremendous education and was a Bible
scholar, but he had a way of making things relatable to everyday
life, and
she usually found a nugget to reflect on in every message he gave.
He also was very dedicated to the people of Sunnyside Key, helping
those in and out of the congregation. He was a single man and spent
much of his free time volunteering. And he operated the small food
bank in Sunnyside Key out of the church basement.

    Pastor
Ed asked the congregation to rise for a final blessing. “Today,
as we prepare for Christmas, I'm going to leave you with a blessing
from Romans 15:1 :
'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in
Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy.'
Have a great couple of days, and I look forward to seeing you all
back on Christmas morning to celebrate as a community. God Bless
You.”

    Callie
finished making notes and put her Bible away in her bag. She looked
at Henry, who was watching her, thoughtfully. “So, what did
you think? I know we're a little church and we're pretty casual, but
I really find strength and wisdom in these walls.”

    “ I
think you're very lucky. I can't remember enjoying a church service
so much in a long time. We tend to favour a more traditional
approach where I go with my parents, so this was quite refreshing.
Thank you for bringing me. Pastor Ed has some great points. I just
wish I had made some notes. I lost my Bible in Afghanistan, and I
haven't gotten around to replacing it. I use an online site
sometimes, but it isn't the same as having one.” Callie nodded
in agreement. And an idea came to her. She knew what to give Henry
for Christmas.

    The
made their way outside into the cool air and joined the rest of the
congregation for iced coffee and lemonade. Pastor Ed came over to
meet the newcomer.

    “ Hi,
Callie. My mom tells me you've been knitting sweaters.” He
smiled at her. Pastor Ed's mom ran the knitting and crochet store in
Sunnyside, and taught lessons part time. She'd been a real help to
Callie in her Christmas project for Rayna. Callie nodded yes. “I
wanted to meet your friend. I'm Edward Anderson, but folks here just
call me Pastor Ed. Welcome.” Pastor Ed extended his hand to
Henry and shook hands enthusiastically.

    “ Henry.
Pleased to meet you. That was a fine message, I appreciate it.”

    “ Kind
of you to say, thanks. But I give the credit to the man upstairs. I
just deliver the words, He gives them to me.” Pastor Ed
grinned at them. “So, are you new to Sunnyside Key, or just
visiting?”

    “ Just
here on vacation, sir. I'm actually a friend of Tom's,” he
said, pointing to Tom Davis, who was sitting with his parents at a
picnic table under some trees in the shade. “And Tom kindly
introduced me to Callie.” Henry winked at Callie and she
blushed.

    “ Well,
you're well looked after, then. Is this your first time in the Keys?
How are you liking it?”

    “ Really
enjoying it. Tom and I have been doing a lot of fishing. We got
lucky with snapper yesterday. And Callie's been showing me the
sites.”

    “ Good
to hear! I came here on vacation eight years ago and I never left.
It gets into your fibre, you'd best watch out.” Pastor Ed gave
Henry a pat on the shoulder. “Great to meet you, Henry. I
hope