All in Good Time (37 page)

DEAR READER,

Martin Luther once said, “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” This is a sentiment I wanted to convey through Dessa, flawed though she is by her impatience. Dessa possesses something that’s all too rare: a deep hope in and for the best of others. Seeing people with a touch of God’s love reminds her of His grace for others and herself—a message I was reminded of as I wrote this story.

It’s such a blessing to be able to write about the spiritual growth of imaginary people meant to be much like you and me, no matter the era. We might not get the job done perfectly, but as Dessa inferred, if we do get ahead of God’s plans, it’s more important that we’re going in His direction.

It’s my hope that Dessa and Henry’s story will be a blessing to you and remind all of us that God is a God of love and
grace
.

Maureen Lang

MAUREEN LANG
has always had a passion for writing, particularly stories with romance and history. She wrote her first novel longhand around the age of ten, put the pages into a notebook she had covered with soft deerskin (nothing but the best!), then passed it around the neighborhood for friends to read. It was so much fun she’s been writing ever since.

Her debut inspirational novel,
Pieces of Silver
, was a 2007 Christy Award finalist, followed by
Remember Me
,
The Oak Leaves
,
On Sparrow Hill
,
My Sister Dilly
, the Great War series, and most recently,
Bees in the Butterfly Garden
, book one of the Gilded Legacy series. She has won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award, the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Contest, the American Christian Fiction Writers Noble Theme award, and a HOLT Medallion, and has been a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s RITA, the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.

Maureen lives in the Midwest with her husband, her two sons, and their much-loved dog, Susie. She loves to hear from her readers at
[email protected]
or via the mail at:

Maureen Lang

P.O. Box 41

Libertyville, IL 60048

Visit her website at
www.maureenlang.com
.

1. Both Henry and Dessa have made youthful mistakes and deal with them in ways that suggest they have neither forgotten nor forgiven their own pasts. If you were to counsel either one of them, what advice would you give to help them deal with their regrets?
   
2. Dessa’s compassion for fallen women began during her years as a child in a foundling home, when unwed mothers and prostitutes took care of her, and grew when she made an unwise choice that might have cast her from polite society if it became known. Has anything in your own past made you more or less tolerant of the mistakes others make?
   
3. Henry’s mother and his uncle Tobias both know about Henry’s past, but neither confronts him with the truth until many years later. How would you face someone if you were aware they’d done something wrong? Would you keep it to yourself or confront that person? Why?
   
4. It’s obvious Henry does not believe in the importance of what Dessa hopes to do with Pierson House, and
   occasionally even Dessa doubts her efforts will be successful. Have you ever had to deal with someone who didn’t believe in something you wanted to accomplish? How did you face that person? In what situations have you had to overcome your own doubts?
   
5. Dessa admits she is impatient, but she also states that she is almost always going in the same direction as God’s leading. Have you ever found yourself getting ahead of what you believe to be God’s plan for you? Or have you struggled with the slow progress of something you feel certain God is leading you to do? How did you handle that situation?
   
6. When Mariadela White sees Henry again, years after having been in business competition with him, her words suggest that what happened in the past isn’t forgotten. How have you handled coming face-to-face with someone who wronged you, even after you’ve extended forgiveness or understanding?
   
7. Although Dessa has the full support of some in the community, not everyone in Denver supports the kind of mission she is starting. Can you think of a mission that might have difficulty garnering donations in today’s culture, or have we as a society gotten beyond most taboos?
   
8. When Henry sees the stove Dessa bought for Pierson House, his reaction suggests that she spent the bank’s money unwisely. But Dessa feels that the stove is a necessary investment that will contribute to Pierson House’s success. Whom do you agree with? Have you ever had to convince someone to spend money on a cause you felt was worthwhile? How did that person react?
   
9. Dessa offers “beauty lessons” in order to remind women that God finds them beautiful—even women whom polite society spurns. How can you remind yourself that God loves everyone, even those society sees as unlovely? Do you ever have to remind yourself that God sees
   you
   as beautiful too?
   
10. Belva helps Dessa because Dessa reminds her of the daughter she might have had. When have you been ready to like—or dislike—someone, just because they remind you of someone else? What can be good or bad about this kind of response?
    
11. When Turk Foster offers to help Dessa raise money for Pierson House, most are appalled, but some, like Remee, encourage Dessa to accept the money. Do you think Dessa would have been right to accept donations from such a source? Can money be tainted, even when it’s going to a cause you believe in?
    
12. Because of the offer’s timing, Dessa initially believes that Turk Foster’s benefit is an answer to her prayers for funds. What would you have believed in her situation? How do you determine whether a provision or solution is truly an answer to prayer?
    
13. When Nadette asks for Dessa’s help to rescue Mei Mei, it’s quickly clear that Dessa is in over her head. Have you ever tried to do something that you should have handed over to someone better equipped? What was the result?
    
14. By the end of the story, both Henry and Turk Foster have changed. What is the difference in their transformations? Do you notice any similarities?
    
15. Toward the end, Henry says to Dessa that if they didn’t have the pasts they had, they might not have become the people they turned out to be. Is there anything in your past that you wish had been different? If you believed that event made you who you are today, would you still regret it? Why or why not?