"I have to admit, putting a generator in was a really wise decision. That's pretty expensive for a normal family to be able to afford. I know I don't have one."
"I've never priced them, but I do know I've never lived in a house that had one."
"I priced them out several years ago when we lost electricity. And yeah, it was way too much. But... it feels a little bit like charity coming here too. You know?"
She didn't want to admit that much. She definitely didn't want to put a damper on what he was doing. She wanted to encourage him. She just didn't want to be the kind of person who needed handouts from anyone, including the church in a snowstorm. Although... she knew that it was a perfectly normal thing.
"There's no shame in needing help once in a while," Mark said, as though he could read her mind.
She nodded, and then pointed at the sleeping bags. "Are those the ones they bought for camp a couple of years ago?" She wanted to change the subject, because she didn't want to think about all the things that she owed everyone who had ever helped her. She wanted to be able to stand on her own two feet. To provide for her family herself, without depending on anyone else.
But was that really the way God intended it?
"They sure are. And while I'm thinking about it, Tom said he'd be right over. He's gearing up, figuring that he'll bebusy during the storm, and he wanted to get that tire changed before the snow started coming down."
"Thank you. I appreciate you making the call."
"I had ulterior motives. I told you. I reminded him that the church is open on Sunday, whether there's electricity or not. I happen to know someone who is rather good at making candles, and I think I might be able to pull a few strings in case we need extra."
"Are you serious?" she asked, laughing.
"I sure am. I don't see any reason why we can't use the candles that we ordered for the Christmas Eve service, if you have any of those ready."
"I actually have a few that were left over from last year. I was going to include those in the order this year. I always make a few extra, just in case some don't turn out." She lifted a shoulder. "I also have some candles set back in my storage room. The ones where the label was crooked, or the wick wasn't centered properly, or I even have a few that didn't smell quite the way I was expecting, and I haven't quite decided how to label them. I mean, 'chicken poop' is not exactly a selling point."
"No. How bad do they smell? Maybe we don't want to use those in an enclosed area where people can't escape for possibly days."
"True. They smell pretty awful. Not everything I try is a success." Boy, wasn't that the truth. She figured she'd probably failed more than she'd succeeded. But wasn't that true for everyone?
"I have a bunch of candles that I've been experimenting with, some more successful than others, but you're welcome to as many of those as you'd like."
"What do you usually do with them?"
"Sometimes I give them away as gifts. Sometimes I end up selling them if I deem them successful, and I'll include them in a variety pack, or as a special at the counter, but they always go for less than I normally charge, just because I never have a whole bunch of them."
"I see. Well, I'm pretty sure I can get the church to pay for it. Afterall, if we're going to be a shelter for people, we should be able to provide light at the very least."
"You don't have to do that. I’ll donate them. I should've offered to begin with. I was thinking about all the things that you have ready, and how organized and thoughtful you are, and I never even thought about candles for light."
"We can argue about what I owe you later, but I'll take whatever you're willing to give."
"All right. Once Tom has my tire fixed, I'll grab a couple of boxes and drive them back over."
Just then lights flashed in the window, and she turned toward them.
"I think Tom's here."
"That was quick. I'm impressed."
She shifted uneasily, feeling a little bit like she was imposing.
"If you were doing something and you need to keep working, don't let me get in your way."
"Not at all. I wasn't doing anything important. I just finished washing the last of the sleeping bags. But don't forget, part of my job is talking to the people in town and getting to know them. So technically, I'm on the clock right now."
He made it seem like it was no problem at all for him to be standing there talking to her. But if she were in charge of the church, and she was expecting a whole pile of people to be coming to shelter there, she would be running around like a chicken with her head cut off.
"Are you sure there isn't anything you need to do yet?"
