Epilogue

© Copyright 2008 by Elizabeth Delayne

Joanna,

I just wanted to write and see how ya’ll were doing. How’s the pregnancy coming? I am so excited for you! Chad and I are trying. He’s finally ready to try for a child of his own again. You would be surprised to know how much time he spends in the toy store! Oh! and God has opened the doors for us to buy our own house.

Kelly will be home in a few days. She’s excited about your baby. Thanks again for taking care of her while she’s in school. She loves Dallas, and she’s having a good time in school. Knowing you’re there watching over her is helping out a great deal. Chad and I are so proud of the woman she’s becoming.

Britt’s still adjusting, and her teachers are reporting good behavior for the third week in a row. The past year has been hard without mom. We still head out to the cemetery once a month. Chad’s mother and sister-in-law have been such blessings for Britt. She goes out and spends the weekends at the ranch. Next week she’ll be in her first rodeo show. We bought her a horse of her own, and she named it Gretchen.

Oh, and some of my paintings will be exhibited in Dallas at Galvin & Tanner’s Gallery beginning in January. Stop by if you have a chance.

Wish Rod good-luck on his finals for us. I miss you. Hope to see you on our next trip to Dallas.

Love Always, Meredith

Joanna settled back against the pillows on the bed. She was tired, thankful that Christmas holidays were approaching at school, and knowing she had two more months until the baby will be born. As if knowing her thoughts, he kicked a strong and sturdy soccer kick, she decided, and laughed, “I’m not complaining, Sport,” she promised, pressing her hand to her swollen abdomen. “I’m just ready for you to get here.”

Paul, Christian, or Thomas Berkley Kirkland--whatever the name of the little boy that was inside of her—was loved. Joanna had never felt as good as when she lay in her husband’s arms at night, talking about what God was doing in their lives, with their little superstar kicking inside of her. Rod never tired of feeling his son moving and she never tired of her husband’s touch or his constant attention and love.

Two and a half years had passed since she met Rod up at his office. They had been married for just over a year and were expecting a son. The ten months they had been engaged had been long for them, but needed, as they adapted to each other, to their families, to their ministry. They had seen each other every other weekend and on holidays. Joanna finished her last year at Glendale High and Rod . . . well, God worked out Rod’s life for him.

His company had begun downsizing and employing new leadership rolls in their company from the bottom up. Rod’s boss arranged for him to take a part time position in helping to manage the turn over while he attended seminary.

Now, he was graduating.

The years had been spent well. Rod’s new, if smaller paycheck, was still twice the size of Joanna’s teaching one. As he had been doing for years, they worked together through investments and put away the money they could. Rod had a dream to use the money to help people and, if invested well, the money would last a long time.

Joanna looked around their bedroom in the large apartment Rod had owned for nearly six years. They would be giving it up soon to move into a house in a town where God would lead them. She quivered in delight knowing that somewhere a church was praying for them to come and minister with them.

Curling up with a pillow, she lay in the bed smiling, thinking of the way things had turned out in her life. Days before that first Thanksgiving after she became engaged, Tom Berkley stopped by to see her. He had accepted Christ right on their front porch and was putting his life in order. He wanted to be a part of the lives of his children and grandchildren.

Matt was gradually accepting his father and was softening to the faith his family had. There was a crack in his firm stance against God, and his new wife, Becky Ann, had begun taking his children to church when they were staying with them.

Joanna’s thoughts made her smile. She snuggled up against the pillows, pulling one against her chest—a familiar comfort.

Rod came in, but stopped as he spotted his wife. She was beautiful, laying in the big bed, seeming so small, so soft and quiet. With his eyes, he traced the outline of her body underneath the covers, thinking that she was even more beautiful as she carried their son. Never in his life had he imagined feeling so blessed. Thank you, Father.

Not sure if she was asleep, Rod stepped over to the bed and gently moved her. Still, after a year and a half of marriage, she took up the entire bed when she slept. He was constantly moving her over to her side. They had bought extra pillows so she would stop taking his during her sleep.

Joanna opened her eyes as he lifted the covers and crawled in beside her. “How’s the studying going?”

Rod groaned, but relaxed as she rested her head on his chest and found his hand with her own. Slipping his other arm around her, he held her close and smiled to himself. “I know what I’m going to know.”

“I’ll review with you in the morning.”

Rod snorted, “Yeah sure.”

His reaction was too familiar and loving for her to feel offended. She snuggled closer to him and let out a soft sigh.

They lay in the silence of their bedroom for a few minutes. Joanna’s mind was still roaming, but she was relaxed. Rod’s heartbeat was just under her ear.

“Rod?”

“Hmmm?”

She pushed back a little bit so she could see her husband’s eyes, needing to share the thoughts Meredith’s letter had spurred. He was relaxed, but wide awake. “You’re not asleep.”

“No, I’m not,” he responded to her statement. “How could you expect me to far asleep when I could be looking at you?”

“You do it every night,” she reminded him, “and sometimes in the afternoon.”

“Oh, yeah.”

Leaning back against him, she waited until his arms surrounded her once more. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“God’s got a good life for us together. For however long . . . he’s brought us together to serve him.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Joanna sighed softly. “Years ago, I did not understand what your grandfather wanted to tell me, but I do now. He knew I was broken inside, and he knew that the brokenness was all I understood. What he wanted me to realize, above all else, was that I had a place in God’s plan. God’s going to use us Rod.”

The awe in her voice nearly brought tears to his eyes. He drew her closer and pressed his lips to her brow. “Yes, Joey, God’s going to use us.”

Rod felt a tear land on his palm and he leaned forward slightly to look into her face. She was smiling. She met his eyes with her own peaceful ones, “Wow,” she whispered as she rested in the warm embrace.


The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
~Psalm 34:17-18


HEY! and don't forget to e-mail me if you have a comment!




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