Love's Abiding Joy (Love Comes Softly #4)(62)

They rode home in silence . . . each one thinking thoughts that belonged to herself. Nathan cantered on ahead on his Spider, manfully "breaking trail" for his mother and grandmother. Josiah, his head resting against his mother, nodded off to sleep.

Clark was waiting for them when they returned. He had spent the day putting new legs on Cookie's worktable.

"How did you an' Cookie make out?" asked Missie, knowing that Clark had been looking for an opportunity for a heartto-heart talk with Cookie about his relationship with God.

Clark shook his head. "We had a good talk--nice an' open--but Cookie is still hesitant. He says thet he wants to be sure he is acceptin' Jesus Christ--not Clark Davis."



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"I don't understand," said Missie.

Marty thought about the statement for a moment. "I think maybe I do," she said slowly.

"Well," said Clark modestly, "Cookie says thet he admires me . . . guess 'cause we both of us had the same kind of accident. Not much to admire a man fer, but Cookie reasons a little different than some men do. Anyway, he listens to the Word as I give it Sunday by Sunday; he sees me able to make do with one leg. . . . I don't know. He's got it all mixed up as to what I can do as a man and what I can do with the Lord's help. He's not sure yet where the difference lies. Cookie's right, ya know. I don't want him to be a follower of Clark Davis. Iffen he can't find the difference here, then he should wait until he does. No good followin' a man. Nothin' thet I can give to Cookie thet he can't find in hisself."

"Sounds strange to me," mused Missie. "I never thought of anyone getting mixed up on man-followin' before. Seems to me it should be plain as can be that Jesus is the only way to heaven."

"I left Cookie my Bible and marked some verses for 'im to read. I hope thet he will be able to understand their meanin'."

"We're gonna have to do some prayin'," Missie said simply as Clark and Nathan moved away with the horses and she and Marty walked on to the house, the sleeping Josiah in her arms. "Iffen Pa can't make Cookie see the difference, how will Willie or Henry ever do it?"

It was Lane who showed Cookie the difference. He walked into the cookshack and found Cookie frowning over Clark's Bible.

"I still don't figure it," mumbled Cookie.

"Don't figure what?" asked Lane, reaching for the ever-ready coffeepot.

"Iffen I take on this here religion, will I be doin' it to try to become a man like Clark Davis?"

"What's wrong with being' a man like Clark Davis?"

"Nothin'. Nothin' thet I can see. Only he says thet tryin' to be like 'im ain't gonna git me one step closer to those pearly gates yer always talkin"bout."



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"Oh, thet," said Lane, understanding Cookie's dilemma. "He's right."

"But how can I be like Jesus?" asked Cookie in frustration. "I don't even know Him."

"Forgit 'bout being' like Him fer now," said Lane. "Yer tryin' to start too far ahead of yerself." Cookie looked doubtful but let Lane continue.

"You've heard it preached an' read many times thet all men are sinners?"

"Yah," grunted Cookie.

"Are ya a-doubtin' thet ya fit in thet category?"

"Shucks, no," said Cookie. "I know myself better'n thet."

"Okay," said Lane, "thet's where ya start. Now ya know thet yer a sinner, an' I guess iffen yer wantin' to copy after Davis, ya don't really want to stay one."

Cookie nodded his agreement.

o "Well, how ya try to clean up yer act ain't gonna make a whole lot of difference. You'll never measure up, no matter how hard ya try. Oh, ya might even git to act as good as Clark

Davis himself, but thet won't really impress God none. He still sees deeper than the skin.

"Bible says thet man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart. Also says thet the heart of man is 'desperately

wicked.' But the good news is thet our hearts can be changed. Now, thet there's the startin' place.

"Jesus, holy an' pure, died fer every dirty, wicked heart thet ever beat. All we gotta do is see what we are, an' who He is, an' accept fer ourselves what He did. Thet's all there is to it. From there on, He does the workin' on makin' ya a follower."

Cookie's eyes opened wide at the simplicity of it. Lane gulped the last of his coffee, placed his cup on the table, and headed for the door.

When he reached the door he hesitated, turned to Cookie, and said softly, "All ya gotta do is ask Him."

to. After Lane was gone, Cookie did.



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Chapter Thirty




Plans



Clark and Marty began to make plans for going home, talking quietly together in the privacy of the little soddy. At first it was like a dream to be thinking of boarding the slow-moving train again and leaving behind the West that they had come to respect and the family that they loved so deeply. Marty wished there was a way that she could bundle them all up and take them home with her. But then she thought of Willie and his love for his spread, Missie and the sun reflecting in her eyes, and Nathan and Josiah as they rushed about their beloved hills with the wind whipping at their hair; and she knew that she would not want to pick them up by their roots and try to transplant them--not really.