Arden was dreading this visit, but he knew his grandfather was right. Gott had stalled things in Arden’s life, and perhaps He was trying to get Arden’s attention about this unfinished matter. Mistakes were tempting to walk away from, but they kept dragging along behind a man if he didn’t deal with them.
Gott, give me the strength to face him, Arden prayed.
Arden pulled into the long drive, past a large produce stall complete with a gravel parking area that was already busy with several customers being served. He nodded to the teenagers who were working there, and he carried on down the drive toward the big house. The grass had been recently cut, and petunias bloomed in tubs along the drive. Mature trees provided welcome shade, and in the distance he saw cattle grazing.
Would Job even be nearby? He could be anywhere on his farm this morning, and he wondered if he’d be able to get away with a piece of pie with Job’s wife and put this difficult conversation off for another day, but then he spotted him coming out of the stable with a bucket in one hand and rubber boots on his feet. He looked up and shaded his eyes as Arden reined in his horse.
“Good morning!” Job called.
Arden jumped down from his buggy and sucked in a nervous breath. There was no chance of avoiding it now.
“Good morning,” Arden called back.
Job put the bucket down, peeled off his gloves and headed in his direction.
“We saw your grandfather last night,” Job said when he got closer. “We’re happy for them. Your grandfather is a good man, and I’m glad my mother found love again.”
“Yah, they’re very happy,” Arden said. “I wish we could do more to support them as they start out—”
“No need to worry,” Job replied. “I already support my mother. It won’t change much, actually.”
“All the same.” He dug his boot into the gravel. If he didn’t say it now, he never would, and he grimaced. “Job, I have something I have to tell you.”
“Oh?” Job crossed his arms over his chest and sobered. “What is it?”
“Five years ago, your buggy was stolen for a joyride and was totaled,” Arden said.
“Yah, I know. That was a good buggy, too. I was sad to see it go that way.”
“I wanted to come see you with the money to pay you back for it when I confessed to this, but life didn’t turn out that way. All the same, I think I need to confess. I was the one who stole your buggy and took it for a ride. I was the one who ruined it. It’s been on my conscience for years, and I told myself I’d save up the money to replace it. I haven’t managed that yet. Every time I get close, some expense comes up, and it gets put off. But I want you to know that I’m going to pay you back. It will happen, but first, I have to humbly ask your forgiveness for what I did.”
Job was silent, and Arden swallowed hard.
“I know,” Job said at last.
“What?”
“I saw you return the horse and run off,” Job said. “I knew it was you.”
“You knew?” Arden shook his head. “You should have told my daet, had me punished or something.”
“No, you were old enough to know what you did was wrong. Punishing you wasn’t going to convict you of anything,” Job replied. “But I knew it was you, and I saw how miserable and scared you were when you brought the horse back.”
“Then...it isn’t any surprise to you,” Arden said. “If I’d known you knew, I would have come to you sooner. But I am sorry. I feel terrible for what I did, and I will pay you back. I just...hope you can forgive me.”
“I forgave you when you did it,” Job replied. “Anger and resentment are too heavy for a man to carry around. It was a good buggy. I was sad to have it ruined, but it was replaceable.”
“Then you understand why I can’t accept help for my father’s farm,” Arden said. “I owe you, Job, and I take that very seriously.”
“You do not owe me,” Job replied.
“I do! I won’t rest until I’ve paid you back. I have to be able to look you in the eye as a man.”
“You do that already,” Job replied. “You work hard. I’ve heard good things about you from one of the families out there. They say you’re mature, dedicated and a truly decent man. Son, you grew up.”
“I did,” Arden said.
“You owe me nothing,” Job said. “Let it go.”
Arden wasn’t sure what to say to that. This had been his goal for so long now that he couldn’t exactly drop it.
“As a man, then, you’ll understand why I need to pay you,” Arden said.
“Do you have the money now?”
He shook his head. “I paid my grandfather’s bills. And even before that, I didn’t have enough saved.”
“So you intend to scrape for another few years to pay me back?” Job asked. “Arden...you’re right. You broke something that belonged to me, and by all standards, you should repay it. But I’m not facing you as a man to a man. I’m facing you as a Christian to a Christian, and I’m not holding you to what you deserve. I’m offering you grace. The same grace Gott offers me.”
Arden felt tears sting his eyes, and he dropped his gaze to hide it. He kicked the gravel with one boot and swallowed hard. The burden was lifting off his shoulders, and he could almost feel his own back straightening again.
“If you put it that way...”
“And,” Job said and put a hand on Arden’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, “I believe in what your parents are doing out there. I believe in what you’re doing in Ohio. We need more Amish communities to expand into. This is an investment in our children’s children. Gott didn’t call me to Ohio, but I want to help you all get settled. I want to provide that down payment for the thresher, and a little extra.”
“My daet will be very grateful,” Arden said, his voice thick.
“I’m going to tell you something that I hope you’ll remember in your own dealings with others,” Job said quietly. “We have to allow people the space and the grace to grow. You needed to grow when you were a young man here in Redemption. Gott was not finished with you yet, but from what I’ve heard and what I see in front of me, Ohio has been good for you. That place grew you up and taught you some lessons. I’m proud of who you’ve become, Arden. You’re a good man, you hear me? A good man.”
