In the midst of a busy month, I found time to read a short book by Robert Morgan called Gap Creek. The Subtitle was, "The Story of Marriage" but Mr. Morgan could have easily subtitled it, the story of life. The story is told through the eyes of a young woman named Juile, living at the turn of the century. She faces what seem at times to be unsurmatable hardships and yet she learns that hard work is the secret to life's success. She works hard as a daughter to save her family and works even harder as a wife to save, not only her marriage but her life and the lives of those she loves.
Julie meets Hank early in the story and they move to Gap Creek to begin their life together. The leave with nothing and no where to live and yet they quickly see how the Lord provides. Their faith is only an undercurrent through the first part of the book but when Julie is invited by the local preacher to attend church, her life and soon that of Hank's are profoundly impacted. As she goes to church and talks about her salvation experience, I felt so challenged and loved her words, "the faces looking at me was not the faces of saints, but ordinary people. And that was the congregation I wanted to be a part of, just ordinary people like myself. I didn't need to be a part of any special group. I was just a sinner that had accepted grace, and I needed the fellowship of other sinners". Wow! I love that she recognizes who she is, that she accepts those around her, that she doesn't need what we often think we need today, she only needs the fellowship of other sinners. I pray that for myself as well, knowing that I too want to feel that warmth and acceptance and praying I show that to others.
Julie and Hank will have trials in their lives and in their marriage. There will be moments when they will call out "Jesus, have mercy on me", there will be times of pain and sorrow, there will be small glimpses of joy that we cannot begin to fathom and yet through it all, Julie remains strong. She is the force that continues on no matter what life hands her. If I learned one lesson from Julie, it was that percerverance is what allowed her to grow stronger.
As the story ends, it really begins. The final sentance reads, "We started walking again". I loved that the book ended on reminding us that sometimes we must just start walking again.
