Love's Abundant Harvest
Read Love's Abundant Harvest Online
Authors: Beth Shriver
With
Love's Abundant Harvest
we're reminded again how God's love and care can set broken spirits free and heal the deepest wounds. This is an emotional and riveting book I read in one sitting.
âA
DINA
S
ENFT
A
UTHOR OF THE
H
EALING
G
RACE SERIES
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L
OVE
'
S
A
BUNDANT
H
ARVEST
by Beth Shriver
Published by Realms
Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy,
recording, or otherwiseâwithout prior written permission of the publisher, except
as provided by United States of America copyright law.
Although this story is depicted from the town of Lititz, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding
area, the characters created are fictitious. The traditions are similar to the Amish
ways, but because all groups are different with dialogue, rules, and culture, they
may vary from what your conception may be.
Copyright © 2015 by Beth Shriver
All rights reserved
Cover design by Bill Johnson
Design Director: Justin Evans
Visit the author's website at
www.BethShriverWriter.com
.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
An application to register this book for cataloging has been
submitted to the Library of Congress.
International Standard Book Number: 978-1-62998-008-9
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62998-009-6
Wherever we go, God is there.
Whenever we call, God is listening.
Whatever we need, God is enough.
Contents
T
he horses stamped their impatience as Lucy Wagner scooped a pail full of oats.
The dust lifted into the early morning sunlight as she dumped the feed into the bin.
Lucy filled a large container with cane for the cows, gentle creatures waiting for
their due.
“You're slow today.” Her husband, Sam, didn't stop walking even though he favored
his right hip, a sure sign the cool April breeze was causing an ache in his bones.
“The babe's kicking.” She put a protective hand on her belly as he glanced down at
the bulge in her stomach. The familiar silence swelled with each step. “It's getting
hot.” She wished she had a handkerchief to wipe off her sweaty brow and envied the
one Sam had around his neck.
“You're always complaining about the weather. It's been nice this spring.” He checked
her work to make sure the teat cups were clean.
“
Nee
, you're just cold-blooded,” she mumbled, and dropped her shoulders as if to
hide from the knowledge that his was the coldest of hearts she'd ever known. The
sweat trickled down her face, seeping over the scar on her right cheek that had been
there since she was a child and made her self-conscious about her appearance.
She brushed the thoughts to a faraway place.
He grunted and looked up over her head. Although he was a good five inches taller
than she, it was customary for him to look around but not at her.
Lucy couldn't get used to the Pennsylvania weather. It was plenty cold for about
three months every winter, and she was always glad when it started to warm up again.
But since the baby, it seemed she was always too warm.
“You'll wish for days like this come summer.” Sam handed her a bottle of milk from
the cooler and turned toward the
haus
.
Her mind wandered to musing over what her sisters were doing about now down in Tennessee.
Being the youngest of six girls had left her lonely and discontented when two of
them moved to Colorado to join the new community there. Her heart wrenched to see
her sisters go, so much so that her
mammi
, Frieda, had come for a visit and ended
up staying in the area when she found out Lucy was in a family way. Now that she
was pregnant, visiting Tennessee was out of the question, which meant family would
have to come to her, namely her
mamm
, Verna.
She worried about her
daed
's health, but her
mamm
was quite well. Lucy shook her
head when reading the letters her sisters sent, subtly mentioning a hurtful word
or action. Her
mamm
Hochstetler was an uncompromising woman who expected strong daughters.
Lucy would honor her
mamm
as God commanded, but she found it necessary to hold fast
to Christ's commandment to love Him with all her heart, soul, and mind in order to
gain strength for the challenge.
“Lucy, pay attention.” Sam's stern voice broke into her thoughts as she looked up
in time to keep from running into him from behind.
“Sorry, Sam.” Lucy looked past him and walked to the barn door. As she cracked open
the heavy door, the wind slapped her cheeks. She paused, waiting for it to die down
and scanning Sam's farm. A tall silo filled with grain, corn, and other harvested
crops, the largest in the community, was a beacon on the plains.
Sam shut the gate to the back pasture then walked through the barn. “What are ya
waiting for? The wind's not gonna stop blowing today.”
Lucy was still standing at the entrance to the barn. “I wanted to go through the
barn instead of going around to let the dogs out.”
She waited. He didn't respond, a rarity for him; he usually wanted the last word.
He frowned. “You go ahead. I'll let 'em out and catch up with you at the
haus
.”
When the swirl of dirt and leaves slowly disappeared, she opened the barn door just
wide enough to fit through and shut it tight behind her. Pulling her shawl over her
kapp
and keeping her head down, she walked quickly to the
haus
. It was much larger
than she felt they needed, but Sam wanted to have room to grow a family.
Their border collie ran to her and bounded straight up in the air with excitement.
“Skip, stay down.” She looked around to see what had him stirred up. A buggy rumbled
down the lane, a surprise considering how rare it was to have unexpected visitors
here in contrast to Lucy's Tennessee experience. There, she had enjoyed the large
community where she spent time with her sisters and made new friends. At Sam's place,
she was forced to make herself invisible.
Abner Umble pulled the horse to a stop. His place was just behind them to the south,
behind the Ecks'. He was a bit crotchety but always kind enough to bring them the
mail. “Boy, it feels more like spring.”
His gravelly voice made Lucy want to clear her throat. “Would you like to come in
for coffee?” She kept walking, feeling a bit rude, but it was too hot to stand still.
When he didn't answer right away, Lucy wasn't offended; Abner knew she was not the
best cook. Uncommon for an Amish wife, but with six older sisters, she'd spent her
time helping her father while her
mamm
taught her sisters to do the domestic work.
Some had done the cooking; others had taken care of the mending and laundry while
she and her sister Fannie, the next youngest, learned how to best help
Daed
work
the land and tend the livestock.
“I might need a little coffee this morning.” Abner climbed the steps carefully and
took out a hanky to wipe his stubbly nose. “Got a letter for ya. Looks like somebody
back home.” He flipped the letter over and read the return address again. “One of
your sisters.”
If he were anyone else, Lucy could have taken offense at his prying, but the fussy
old man had grown on her after his wife became ill. “Thanks for saving us the trip
to the mailbox, Abner. I know we should check it more often, but sometimes that community
mailbox seems so far away.” The community mailbox was located next to the store by
the frontage road. Considering she and Sam were at the other end of the community,
they didn't check all that often.
Abner shut the door behind him and sat at one of the eight chairs in the kitchen.
The table was large, but the room was big enough to hold it, with plenty of space
to work around. Lucy had tried to add some color with the rugs she'd hooked, and
she had made the quilt that was draped over the rocking chair.
She started the coffee and stirred up some eggs, sausage,
and grits with gravy. Her
mammi
had taught her how to make a few more dishes, but she mainly cooked breakfast
food. It was easier, and she always had the ingredients needed.
She handed Abner a cup of coffee and poured one for herself. “How are you and Grace
with this weather, Abner?” Even though they were neighbors, they both had big farms,
so they didn't see one another often, and she knew how the weather made his knees
ache.
“Me and the missus are getting along. She complains of ailments, but I figure it's
just old age.” He slurped the coffee and winced. So did Lucy. “She's finally catching
up with her old husband.” He grinned with affection, something Lucy wished and prayed
for from Sam.
“Would you like some cream?” Her hands were still sweaty from doing the morning chores,
so she handed the creamer cup to him to pour.
“And sugar, if you'd be so kind.” He handed her the mail. “Just so I don't forget.”
She'd walked back to the kitchen cabinet to get another mug when she heard Sam enter
the mudroom. The gravel under his boots crunched against the floor, annoying her
that he didn't take a moment to wipe his feet.