She chatted about them for just a little bit, and then, promising to tell her parents everything, and saying that she wanted to know all the things that were going on with them, they hung up.
It was amazing how much lighter she felt. How much better.
Would she still feel that way if it hadn't gone as well?
She had a feeling she would. If she would've called, apologized, admitted what she had done wrong, and asked for forgiveness, even if her parents had been mad and refused to talk to her, she would've felt so much better. Just getting it off her chest. She hadn't realized how that was bogging her down.
Feeling content and happy, she turned all the lights out, except for a dim one above the stove in the kitchen and the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, and then sat down on Mark's couch, smelling his familiar scent, and thanking God for his influence in her life. If it hadn't been for him, she probably wouldn't have called herparents this Christmas. And it would've been one more Christmas that she would've lost to anger and bitterness.
Her parents already had missed the first four years of her children's lives, and it was all her fault. But she could try as hard as she could to be more like Jesus—forgiving, no matter what. Because wasn't that what He did? People who were terribly unkind to him, who were putting him to death, were the very people He was dying to save. If that had been her, it would've been a no-go. She would've told them they could go find a different savior, and she would've turned her back and walked away from them. From her. But Jesus didn't. And it wasn't really that she was supposed to be a better version of herself. She was supposed to be more like Jesus. That was the goal.
Chapter 26
Several hours later, Olivia still had her Bible open on her lap and had been reading it and talking to God. She hadn't completely alleviated all of her doubts and fears, but the idea that she would be with Mark was absolutely clear in her mind.
She smiled as she stood up and walked to the window as she heard his vehicle pulling into the church parking lot.
There probably would be many nights like this, where he needed to go help someone in the church, and she was home by herself. Was she okay with that?
But the answer was clear. It didn't matter whether she was okay with it or not. If this was the calling that God placed on her life, if it was true that she was supposed to marry him, and she thought it was, then it didn't matter. She would have to make it work, she would have to be okay with it. God would help her do whatever needed to be done.
It seemed like an insurmountable task. The amount of help that people needed, and she was just one person. But together with Mark, they would be more than the two of them individually, and althoughGod didn't necessarily need them, He wanted them to work for Him. She looked forward to it.
She hurried to the door and stood there as Mark walked in, his cheeks rosy, his hat pulled down close over his forehead, his shoulders hunched from the cold.
"Man, it's cold out there!" he said as he walked in, seeing her. His eyes twinkled, and his face broke into a smile.
"Welcome back. I have some water heating. Hot chocolate?"
"Yes please."
But she didn't make any move to go get it. She didn't have many doubts—but she still had a curl of nervousness, a little fear. This was a huge step, and she and Mark did not know each other very well. But God knew them both, and if God ordained this, then she was a fool to not walk forward in His timing.
"I'll take your coat," she said as he unzipped it.
He nodded, grabbing his hat from his head and shrugging out of his coat.
But instead of handing it to her, he threw it over the back of the chair and stepped forward.
She paused for just a moment, and then stepped into his embrace, his arms coming around her, and it felt like coming home. Right and perfect and like it was meant to be.
He looked at her face, and he smiled down at her.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too. But I did something while you were gone."
"Yes?" he asked, their faces just inches apart.
"I called my parents. I apologized to them for being such a brat, and they're coming on Monday."
"Then we're gonna get your furnace fixed by then. I wouldn't want them to think that we're living together."
"No one's gonna think that. The whole town knows my furnace isn't working, I'm sure by now. We will get it figured out."
"Yeah. We."
"Yeah.It's us now."
