“Well, from all you say, it sounds like it was a difficult time, but God brought you both safely through it, and with good deal of growing to show for it.” Mrs. James smiled sympathetically.
Just then, Sally appeared, carrying the tea.
“I see what you mean, Katherine,” Mrs. James appraised her niece with delight. “Sally, I can tell already that you’ve done a good job while I was away, just by the way you carried that tray.”
“What? Just by that?” Sally raised her eyebrows and blushed in pleased embarrassment.
“Yes. You used to carry the trays tentatively, with your shoulders rounded forward like this—” she hunched herself forward to demonstrate. “But now you’re standing tall and the tray is neither shaking nor being dropped. You look exactly like you know what you’re doing.”
She stood and put her arms around her niece. “And what’s more, you have the air of one who’s discovered why she’s doing it.”
“Tell her about Rosie.” Katherine prompted as Sally sat with them.
“Oh, yeah. Well, she’d been acting different… sad, I suppose. Anyway, I’ve been looking for ways to be extra kind to her, and Katherine told me what kind of tea to give her.”
Mrs. James reached across the table and squeezed Sally’s hand. “I’m sure that took a good deal of humility to reach out.”
“I didn’t even get a chance to tell Katherine yet, but yesterday, Rosie stayed a bit longer, and ended up the only customer for a while. I brought her another cup of tea and made one for myself, and sorta plunked myself down at her table.”
“You did?” Katherine leaned forward, shocked at her friend’s boldness.
“I told her I could tell she’s been sad about something, and asked what it was.” Sally paused and took a sip of her tea.
“And did she tell you, Dearie?” Mrs. James asked gently.
“Yes. Trouble with her kids. Turns out it was just as you said. She just wants to be loved. Anyway I …well, I told her that I’d be praying for her—and I have been.”
Katherine and Mrs. James exchanged happy smiles across the table.
“I suppose that means we won’t have any more dramatic incidents in the tearoom.” Mrs. James chuckled. “I have to say I’m glad about that. And I’m so pleased to see how you both have grown during this difficult few weeks."
She reached out and took their hands in hers. "It’s a joy to come back and find you both still seeking out those ‘old paths’ and finding rest for your souls through all this turmoil. And now that I’m home again, I hope you can both take time to find rest for your bodies as well.”
* * * *
The next day, Katherine woke to the familiar sound of Mrs. James starting the morning baking. She nestled her head into her pillow as she listened, wondering how two people performing the same tasks the same way could sound so different from each other. Then, with a smile, she rolled onto her side and drifted back asleep.
* * * *
When Katherine woke again, she fully enjoyed the luxury of a slow morning. The Harborside didn’t open till ten that day, and, although eager to start planning for the museum, she took her time getting up and ready, spending extra time curled up in the window seat with her Bible.
When she finished reading her usual few chapters, she flipped back to the book of Jeremiah and found the verse that had become precious, not just for its promise, but for its reality in her life.
“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, wherein is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
The words were so familiar by now, she could have recited them with her eyes closed. But as she read a new gratitude filled her heart, as she noticed how the verse ended.
“But they said, We will not walk therein.”
She suddenly realized how close she had come to missing out on the soul-deep rest she had found in God. At so many moments of decision, she could have chosen to go her own way, to do her own thing instead of letting God guide her—and everything would have been different.
Without God, she would still be dully moving through life, overwhelmed by the pain in her heart and the darkness of her past. As she sat and watched the blanket of clouds over the harbor slowly change from midnight blue to the pale grey of morning, her heart once again overflowed in what had become her favorite prayer: Thank You, Lord!
21 Dilemma and Decision
“Katherine, do you have a few minutes?” Mrs. James asked as Katherine came down the stairs, buttoning her jacket.
“Yes, I think so, although I need to get to the Harborside.” She tried to keep her tone light, crossing the room with quick strides, to mask the uneasiness that suddenly gripped her.
“It can open late today,” another voice said from behind her.
“Serena! What are you doing here?” Katherine was pleased to see her friend, but it did seem strange for her to be at the tea shop before it opened.
“We’ve been having a chat, Dearie. Come and sit down.” Mrs. James motioned Katherine into a chair at Serena’s table before taking another herself.
Katherine looked from one lady to the other, not sure what was coming next. The verse flitted through her mind: Perfect love casteth out fear. Katherine felt a wave of peace wash over her. I trust You, she prayed silently, meaning it.
The two women looked at each other, as if deciding how to begin. Serena spoke first.
