A Miracle of Hope (The Amish Wonders Series) (41 page)
Josiah stood at the window and watched Simon and Hannah walk hand in hand across the green lawn. Several of the members had arrived and other buggies were pulling into the driveway. He hadn’t realized how excited Lindie was to host Sunday services until he watched her and Hannah buzzing around the house the past few days, cooking and cleaning. It made him happy to see them excited. He was a blessed man. He wasn’t sure if it was
Hannah’s laying hands on him or the miracle of Hope’s stem cells that God used to heal him. Maybe it was Lindie’s faith. It didn’t matter. God had given him his life back.
Lindie came up beside him, Hope cradled in her arms. “Now that she’s fed, she should sleep for a while.” She craned her neck to see out the window. “
Ach
, I’m late. I wanted everything perfect before the others arrived.”
He placed his arm around Lindie’s waist and kissed her temple. “Everything is perfect.”
1. Lindie and Josiah entered into a marriage arrangement that didn’t include falling in love. Do you think it would be easier, about the same, or harder for a non-Amish couple to make the same arrangement? Why?
2. Lindie believed she had nothing to offer a husband but a marred life. How did the enemy convince her she was unworthy? What role did her family and community play in reinforcing these negative beliefs?
3. How did Hannah respond to her father’s remarriage? What eventually brought Hannah and Lindie closer?
4. Why was Josiah upset when Lindie rearranged the kitchen cabinets? Was his reaction reasonable? How did he try to mend the situation?
5. How did Lindie discover Hannah’s God-given gift? Were Lindie and Josiah skeptical or supportive?
6. In what ways did God use Hannah’s gift?
7. Although Hannah was deaf, she said she could hear God’s voice. What are some other ways God uses the weak in the Bible to accomplish his purpose?
8. Do you think Lindie’s struggle to accept her pregnancy was unrealistic given that most Amish women are thrilled to be pregnant? How did she accept Josiah pointing out she wasn’t eating enough for two?
9. Lindie prayed for her situation to change, but to no avail. Later, she was grateful for her unanswered prayer. Have you prayed about a certain situation only to question if God was really listening?
10. How does Romans 8:28 apply to Lindie’s situation?
11. How did God use what the enemy meant for evil as a blessing that gave God the glory?
12. Can you think of any situations in the Bible where God used a difficult situation for His glory?
I
would like to thank my friends and family for their ongoing support and encouragement. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to work with a wonderful publisher, Daisy Hutton, and her staff.
I could never fully express my gratitude for my editors: Natalie Hanemann and Becky Philpott. You’ve blessed me tremendously, working with me from development through line editing. Thank you!
AUTHOR PHOTO BY LEXIE REID
R
uth Reid is a full-time pharmacist who lives in Florida with her husband and three children. When attending Ferris State University School of Pharmacy in Big Rapids, Michigan, she lived on the outskirts of an Amish community and had several occasions to visit the Amish farms. Her interest grew into love as she saw the beauty in living a simple life.
