A Meeting in the Air

Dennis A. Beaudry

Description

In this Christian romance novel, two hurt and struggling people find solace in life, love, and marriage the way God intended it.

David Post has only been a Christian for a few short years, and he is struggling for answers. He’s living his dream of operating his own photography shop in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, but now he finds himself facing a challenge he wasn’t expecting.

Meanwhile, Trish Ivey is wallowing in self-pity, having suffered through a lengthy deception and painful divorce. She’s trying to flee the hurts of the past but finds herself second-guessing all her recent decisions.

Using everyday circumstances, God causes David’s and Trish’s paths to cross, then charts a course that results in their growth and fulfillment. Together, they can experience spiritual growth and much more as they help each other through life’s difficulties. Life has its ups and downs, but God uses them for good in this tale of unselfish love—everyday arrows intercepted by a caring God who changes hurt and loneliness into love, strangers into friends, and distant family into loved ones.

In this Christian romance novel, two hurt and struggling people find solace in life, love, and marriage the way God intended it.

Sujets

• Religious
• Personal development
• Spiritual formation
• Christian radio
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 20 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664266377
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

A Meeting in the Air
Dennis A. Beaudry


Copyright © 2022 Dennis A. Beaudry.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6638-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6637-7 (e)
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 7/15/2022
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
Notes

To the Holy Spirit,
who ensures “my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer”
(Psalm 45:1 NIV).
And to my late wife, Linda,
who kept hope alive with her love, support, and prayers.
Introduction
“Dear heavenly Father,” my midnight prayer started as I stood gazing out through the large living room picture window. It was mid-November, and the heavy, wet snow kept falling, piling higher and higher with each moment that passed. “There’s no retreat or status quo left in me, thanks to You. Forward movement in Your kingdom is all I want. Unlike Lot’s wife, I don’t even want to look back. You know that; after all, who could possibly know me better than You? I search the inner depths of me, finding You and the evidence of Your presence everywhere I look—Your Spirit, Your truth, Your peace, and Your revelation. I see things so differently now, and I’m thankful for it. These words—spirit, truth, peace, revelation—were only words with dictionary meanings to me before encountering Your Holy Spirit. They were just words in the Bible, the ultimate book of truth—yet so unyielding to my casual reading.
“How have these recent changes in my life taken place? How is it that where there once was spiritual mediocrity, there now is desire for excellence? How is it, Lord God, that where there once was loneliness, there now is fulfillment? Father, You know these questions have already been answered. You answered them all, and Your Spirit confirms that to me. You answered most of them through the life of the one You placed in my pathway, who sleeps upstairs even now as I pray.
“I’m thankful to You, God, for her entry into my life. Without her, I would still be struggling with my relationship to You, if indeed even trying to struggle at all. I would be living a powerless life, and worse yet, I would be walking through this earthly life ignorant of the challenges to my soul. Father, bless her and enable me to be that blessing. Deepen our affections for each other and cause our life together to be pleasing unto You. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen and amen.”
The Bible says, “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ … So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,” for she was taken out of man.’ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they shall be one flesh. Adam and his wife were naked, and they felt no shame.” 1
My name is David Post, and I knew there had to be someone out there for me somewhere. That’s what I’d heard so many times from family members, friends, and associates. Maybe there was a time when I believed it; I don’t really know. What I did know was that I had stopped actively seeking a wife long ago. My life had rambled through as much of that seeking, dating, and compromising as I could stand.
After becoming a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, I was nothing more than a spiritual baby. I lived a day-to-day existence, powerless to do much more than attend services, pray half-heartedly, and meander fruitlessly through the Bible. That is, until a lunchtime encounter with a previously nondescript acquaintance from my past.
The turn of events that followed, coming in rapid-fire succession, can only be described as God’s intervention. What wonderful thoughts, dreams, and hopes escape the carnal existence of man when the spiritual life is neglected. The mighty plans of God Himself await their implementation, predicated by an awakened spirit, a diligent search, a responsive heart, and a submissive will. While prayer is one of the keys to attaining this state, the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the master key. It unlocks a spiritual awareness conducive to attaining God’s best, which is really all He wants to give us.
But now, here are the events of this story.
Chapter 1

THE FIRST FROST came like clockwork. Labor Day was over, and with it went summer and the nearly perfect weather of the past four months. But unlike other places where I had lived, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was predictable in only one way: each day brought us closer to a certain and long-lived winter.
Today was Wednesday, and my first step outside the house coldly alerted me that, for at least this day, autumn had been skipped, and winter was taking control. After starting my car’s engine, I stepped back out into the brisk, unlit morning air to scrape nature’s icy residue from the windshield and side glass. Yes, there was a substantial touch of frost, but eventually that would mean something beautiful. The annual spectacular color-rama of the northern Michigan trees would soon be taking my breath away. In fact, some of the maples and birches had already displayed a touch of that thrilling color. Though nearly two full weeks from peak color, today would still be a great day for walking through the woods at the back of my house. While there, I could survey, up close, the beginning of the fall extravaganza. As much as I would like to take that walk in the morning’s first light, I knew it would have to await completion of the demands of my job.
Although I am a freelance photographer, able in most cases to set my own agenda, regrettably the office work needs to be done too. Today was to be an office day, and upon entering my studio, I paused to glance at the calendar on my desk. It verified what I already knew. I had no appointments, but highlighted in red was “Do Billing.” The written comment triggered a grimace that I’m certain reflected my disdain for that chore. But alas, I had put it off for several days and now realized that if the bills didn’t go out, the pay wouldn’t come in.
After filling my cup with coffee, I started the routines on the computer, doing so with the same groggy-eyed, half-asleep, trancelike enthusiasm of a night watchman after his first graveyard shift. In the background, one of my favorite contemporary Christian songs played on the radio, which soothed me and brought thoughts of God to mind. I had started my day with Him, praying as I inched my way out of bed, and methodically dedicating the day back to Him. It was morning meditation as usual and best described as on the fly. More often than I cared to admit, the workday seldom relinquished time for contemplating the wonders or nearness of God. This morning, though, while my fingers independently worked the computer keyboard, my mind lingered on thoughts of my heavenly Father.
His power and greatness were the first things I locked in on. The scenic beauty of this earth has always been important to me. His great handiwork is vividly displayed in all He has created. That was why taking pictures of God’s creation was such a pleasure to me. The wondrous old hymn “How Great Thou Art” states it well, but I had found a way to do it one better. I had unintentionally started softly singing those famous words, meditating on them, while walking through God’s masterpiece one day. There in the solitude of the wooded trail, while observing the complexity and grandeur of the world in which we live, I came to a significantly deeper appreciation of the praise we give unto Him by acknowledging “how great Thou art!”
Recovering from the distraction of several phone calls, I started reflecting on life’s event