The Measure of a Heart

Free The Measure of a Heart by Janette Oke Page A

Book: The Measure of a Heart by Janette Oke Read Free Book Online
Authors: Janette Oke
Tags: Ebook
individually at the door.
    A glimpse toward her husband filled her heart with pride. He was such a fine-looking man, such a good man. Anna could hardly believe even yet that she was actually his wife.
    And then her thoughts traveled on, making her squirm slightly in the pew. They will all be wondering what he ever saw in me. And I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to explain it. It’s a mystery to me, as well.

    They settled into their new life, their new roles as husband and wife. Anna found little ways to make the most of her small home and Austin felt more comfortable as pastor. When it came time to go calling, they hitched their mare to the new one-horse buggy and set out together. As far as Anna could remember, Mrs. Angus had always called along with her husband.
    Friday came—the day that Austin set aside each week as the final day of sermon preparation. He had to spread his Bible and books all over the kitchen table, and Anna didn’t know how she would manage to bake her batch of bread.
    I must change my baking day, she said to herself. Instead of Tuesdays and Fridays, it must be Mondays and Thursdays. But how can I ever bake bread and do the laundry all on the same day? Anna and her mother had always washed clothes on Mondays. She gave the matter some thought.
    I guess there is nothing sacred about washing on Monday, she decided at last. From now on I will wash on Tuesday.
    But it did seem odd to Anna. If her washing did not appear on the clothesline bright and clean early on Monday mornings, would the town folks think she was negligent in her household tasks?
    When Anna had wrestled a bit further with the problem, she finally concluded that Austin’s sermon was more important than her washday. She switched the laundry to Tuesday.
    Wednesdays would be set aside for visiting their parishioners. Saturdays for cleaning and making preparations for Sunday. Thus their week was generally established. They soon discovered that there were constant adjustments to the schedule as various needs arose from families in the community.
    But it was the evenings that were the bright spot of Anna’s day. After the daily tasks were completed, the lamps lit, Austin spent time studying from his shelf of books. Anna, of course, was free to help herself to any of them—and she often did. On those occasions when her hands were busy with mending or sewing, Austin read to her. Lively discussion followed as they exchanged ideas with enthusiasm. They often found that those conversations ended with one or the other—sometimes both—taking a little different point of view than they had when they had begun.
    “You’re good for me, Anna,” Austin often told her. “You force me to think.”
    Anna could only shake her head. Austin was the thinker of the family.
    But Austin continued to encourage Anna to study and to set aside a good portion of her time “mining for gold” among his many books. In fact, more than encouraging, he depended upon her. Every new concept that he discovered, he shared with Anna. Back and forth, pro and con, each candidly and openly expressed their views until they felt they had reached a reasonable and biblical conclusion.
    And Austin always wanted Anna’s response to his Sunday sermons, both before and after they were delivered. She read them carefully, critically, not with an intent of tearing them apart, but to judge if they progressed easily, were insightful, yet able to be clearly understood by the least educated member of the congregation.
    “You know my thoughts and intent,” Austin said to her. “You know as well as I do what I am trying to say. Tell me. Am I saying it?”
    Anna felt strangely honored to be assigned such a task. She also felt dreadfully unworthy.

    The new congregation continued to meet together in the schoolhouse, but Anna knew Austin longed for the day when they would have their own little church building.
    “It will be difficult for us to really feel we are a real

Similar Books

By Divine Right

Patrick W. Carr

Falcon in the Glass

Susan Fletcher

Gauge

Chris D'Lacey

OrbSoul (Book 6)

Martin Ash