The List (29 page)

“Sure.”

Handing a glass to Jo, Renny raised his own. “A toast. To tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” Jo said. “
L'chaim,
to life.”

Later, Renny lay in bed, excited that Jo was just a few feet away in the main house below. At first, he hadn't liked the idea of driving to the mountains, but it was not where he went but whom he was with that mattered. For that reason, tomorrow would be a good day.

Mrs. Stokes lay awake long after Renny and Jo went to sleep. Most people considered her retired, but Daisy had simply relocated to a different mission field. According to the evangelization society's guidelines, she had to leave Taiwan when she turned sixty-seven; however, she couldn't find a strong argument in the Bible for retirement from the kingdom of God. Thus, the provision of the house and car in Charlotte from her brother's estate became the ticket to her next port of call. Taiwan or Charlotte, people were people. They all needed a touch from God.

The upstairs apartment had proven to be a fruitful avenue for ministry. During the past ten years, a succession of singles and couples had passed through Mrs. Stokes's life and home. Each one left blessed and closer to the Lord than when they came.

She had not rented the upstairs area to Renny on a whim. The apartment was prime residential space in an area convenient to uptown, but it remained vacant for several months after the previous tenant, a young woman who worked for an international Christian ministry based in Charlotte, moved to Houston. Six people inquired about living in the house, and although Mrs. Stokes needed the extra income a renter provided, she patiently waited until the right person came along.

Within a few minutes of their first meeting, she sensed that Renny wasn't a Christian, but the unmistakable inward nudge of the Spirit said
Yes.
That settled it for her, and she offered him the apartment. The night before he moved in, she walked through the vacant rooms, pausing to pray in each one, gently touching the walls and windows, asking the Father to impart a blessing to Renny during his stay. That was four months ago.

Their relationship had developed gradually. Renny was an ambitious young man on the way up in the legal world, but true to the ingrained influence of his Southern upbringing, he frequently took time to greet her and stop for a few moments of polite conversation. Of course, he benefited from an occasional home-cooked meal and the older woman's willingness to take care of Brandy when he was out of town. Mrs. Stokes didn't push. Early in their relationship she received the word,
“Go easy with this one
.
I'm doing this on my timetable.”
And as far as she was concerned, the young lawyer's spiritual destination was sealed.

However, she had been uneasy following Renny's trips to the coast. Something was not right. There had been an anxiety in his eyes after the trip to Charleston regarding his father's estate. She went to the Lord for directions. Nothing. Then, after his second trip, Renny asked her if Jo could come for a visit. She agreed, but wondered if Jo was the cause of Renny's tension.

She went back to the Lord again. “Does it have anything to do with the girl?”

“No
.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Fast.”

For three days she ate nothing and drank only water. The evening of the third day, she concluded that Renny was under spiritual attack—a state of affairs for which Renny had no frame of reference or understanding. He was as vulnerable as a child playing at the entrance to a rattlesnake's den. Mrs. Stokes prayed, “I want to stand in the gap for him.”

The answer surprised her.
“Yes. And there are others, too.”

She knew that spiritual conflict, like earthly warfare, often involved several participants, some battles more than others. She'd learned the danger of solitary action on the foreign mission field and appreciated the power of people praying in the unity of spirit. Now, she asked the Lord to direct not only herself but the unknown co-laborers he had called to come to Renny's aid.

When Renny had described Mama A, Mrs. Stokes smiled in satisfaction and anticipation. Surely Mama A was part of Renny's troop of intercessors. The time might come when they would need to talk. “If one can put a thousand to flight, two can put ten thousand to flight.” Perhaps the two women could pray together for their young charge.

She hoped Renny's time to encounter the Lord for himself was at hand. He needed the divine connection for himself and the battle he was facing. “Hasten the day, Lord,” she asked. “Bring him to the time of his visitation.”

Jo awoke at dawn and thought for a second about rolling over to continue her slumber. Then she remembered the prayer closet, and sleep dropped off her list of options. Bible in hand, she quietly opened the door. There was not yet enough sunlight to read, so she sat in the chair and silently thanked her Father for the day before. Eyes closed, she leaned her head back and relaxed as a stillness flowed over her, a stillness that could be felt. Unlike the previous day, she did not experience intense emotion, only peace. But what a peace it was. As she lingered, the sense of well-being became more pervasive. “Shalom,” she said.
Shalom,
the Hebrew word for peace, a word that encompassed more than quietness or the absence of conflict. Shalom, a state of being in the center of Jehovah's blessing and favor. Her Bible remained unopened in her lap as uncounted minutes passed until she heard a knock on the door of the bedroom.

Opening her eyes, the room was flooded with light and, just as she'd imagined, the prismlike edges of the Star of David, scattered red, yellow, orange, blue, and purple across the room.

“Come in, Mrs. Stokes. I'm in here.”

Mrs. Stokes's white-haired head and bright eyes appeared around the doorframe. “Good morning. How do you like my sanctuary this morning?”

“I doubt there are many cathedrals more beautiful,” Jo replied, turning sideways in the chair.

“His mercies are new every morning.”

“Yes, they are.”

“Do you want to come out for some coffee?”

“Sounds good. I'll just come in my nightgown and robe. Renny has to go the office this morning.”

“I heard him leave hours ago. I'd say he wants to get his work done and come back as soon as possible.”

Mrs. Stokes had a cup of coffee and a plate of tiny pastries iced with frosting and topped with chopped pecans waiting in the kitchen. “Will this be enough?” she asked as Jo sat down in the chair that had the best view of the backyard.

“Perfect,” she replied, putting a couple of pastries on a small plate. “I'm not a big breakfast eater. Oh, I almost forgot something.” Jo went back to the bedroom. “Here.” She handed Mrs. Stokes a small decorative jar of raspberry jam topped with a little silk bow. “A Michigan specialty. It's homemade on a farm up north, near Lake Michigan.”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Stokes said. “I have some homemade bread that will be perfect for this jam.”

Jo nibbled a pastry and enjoyed the scene in the backyard. The more she looked, the more beautiful and serene it was. The inexpressible peace she'd felt earlier in the prayer closet flowed over the whole property.

Mrs. Stokes placed a piece of warm, buttered toast in front of her. “If you go to the mountains today, you'll have a big supper at the lodge and, knowing Renny, a barbecue sandwich on the way up.”

“He promised me some barbecue. He was shocked that I considered it ethnic food.”

Mrs. Stokes chuckled. “Renny is a Southern boy when it comes to his stomach.”

A hummingbird swooped down and hovered at one of the feeding stations. Its bill siphoned the sweet juice in three sips before it zipped back up in the air. Jo took a less frantic sip of coffee as Mrs. Stokes joined her at the table.

“May I ask you something, Mrs. Stokes?”

“Yes.”

“I am really attracted to Renny.”

“And he to you, from what I've seen.”

“There's something special about the times we've had together. When I'm with Renny, I sense the Lord's involvement and favor.”

“But you're concerned about the possibility of being unequally yoked, as the Scriptures describe it.”

“Right. I don't want my heart drawn further into what I feel is happening between us and then wake up in a situation that does not have Jesus at the core of the relationship. I've heard too many tales of women who married in the hope their husbands-to-be would come to the Lord, only to experience years of frustration and shallowness. Or worse.”

“That's true. It's wise to avoid that type of situation.”

“So what do you think I should do? How do I guard my heart and yet respond to what I believe the Lord is doing in bringing us together?”

“He hasn't kissed you yet, has he?”

Surprised, Jo said, “No, he hasn't even tried.”

“I didn't think so. In the midst of all that's happening, I believe there is a divine protection surrounding you. Oh, you could violate this safeguard if you choose to do so. But you have stayed in the shelter of the Most High up to this point.”

“Yes. That's probably true.”

“Stay in that place while the Lord works on Renny's heart.”

“But what if it takes a long time?” Jo said with a sigh.

Mrs. Stokes smiled. “I'd guess sooner rather than later. People have been praying for Renny a long time. You heard about his mother and Mama A. He is an egg that is about to hatch, and I think I can see a little beak poking through the shell.”

The phone rang, and Mrs. Stokes got up to answer it.

“Hello. . . . That sounds good. . . . Bye.”

“Renny?” Jo asked.

“The little chick himself. He is finished at the office and walking out the door to come home. He should be here in fifteen to twenty minutes.”

“Is it too early to call the couple in the mountains?”

“Oh no. I'll do it right now.”

“I'd better get ready.” Jo hopped up from the table and started toward the hallway, then stopped and quickly walked over to Mrs. Stokes and gave her a hug. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome. Very welcome.”

Jo was in the bedroom when Renny knocked on the kitchen door. Mrs. Stokes let him in.