She looked at him with a smile. “Well, you must earn backmy trust, Jacob. It was an awful thing for you to keep from me, but we’re already on that journey, dearest.”
Discomfort settled in his gut. Jacob pulled away from her in the pretense of shifting again to find comfort. “But Martha, I told you, I was under contract. Icouldn’tsay anything.” He paused, searching for the right words. “I didn’t deliberately hide something from you.”
She sat back, shoulders rigid. “Jacob.” The way she said his name was back to her foreman tone. “You worked for another team, then came to work for me. With the pressure of the dig and the deadline, and the rules laid out by the museum owner, that was information I needed to know, no matter what the contract said. I’m willing to look past it though and begin again. Why can’t you let it go?”
He stared at her. The chasm between them was still there. She, the wealthy owner and foreman. He, the poor employ—
No. He couldn’t think like that. “I was bound to that contract by my word and my signature. I care for you. Deeply. And you say you care for me. But is this issue something you will hold over my head? When I’ve asked for forgiveness for hurting you?”
“I’ve given you my forgiveness.” But her shoulders were stiff, her eyes narrowed.
“Have you ever hurt anyone, Martha?”Please, Father, let her hear me and not become defensive.
She pushed the chair back farther and laced her fingers together. “We all hurt each other in some way.”
Jacob nodded. “That’s true. And when you hurt someone, like maybe your mother or Lily Rose, how do you resolve it?”
“Resolve it? There’s nothing to resolve. Maybe sometimes Mother will remind me about a past mistake, but she does that to help me remember not to make the same one again.” She sighed and gave him a small smile. “You’re not a bad person, Jacob. Is that what’s concerning you? That I now think you’re a bad person?”
His eyes dropped to the quilt over his lap. Was that the issue here? His own pride? He paused for a moment then shook his head. “No, that’s not the concern. I know I’m a bad person, Martha. I know I’m a sinner. That’s what Scripture says.”
“Oh Jacob—that’s not true. You’re—”
“The Word of God tells all of us that we are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God.” As much as he cared for her, the truth stared him in the face. Had he been ignoring it because of his feelings? It rocked his entire being....
She didn’t truly understand faith and salvation.
“Without Jesus, we have no hope of being reunited to God. Jesus is the one who loves us and has given Himself for us that we can be cleansed from our sins.”
Martha nodded. “I remember Phoebe telling me that. Jesus died and now I’m saved.” She shifted in her seat and started playing with her drawstring bag, her fingers plucking at invisible strings. “Why are you even bringing this up?”
He sighed. He took a long look at her, his heart open to her with all its love ready to spill out. But he ached for the battered and bruised heart of the beautiful woman before him. “There is so much more to it than knowing Jesus died. He wants us to come to Him and know Him. Do you know what Scripture says about love and forgiveness?”
“Well, I’m sure many things. I’ve heard many a sermon over the years.” Her voice held a sarcastic edge.
“It does say a good bit on the subject, but one of the things it says is that love bears all things. And when we love one another, we strive after Jesus’s example, forgiving one another because He has forgiven us.” Jacob swiped a tired hand over his face. Where was his grandfather at a time like this? He would have the right words. Know the right theological things to say.
Tell her about My love. Tell herabout My forgiveness.
The thought whispered around his heart.
Yes, Lord. “Martha, Jesus loves you. And He wants you toknow Him. To know that love doesn’t mean keeping a record of wrongdoing or holding things against one another. But to love someone means forgiving when it hurts, believing the best about the other, and holding each other to what the Bible says.”
Martha stood. Her body rigid. “I can see that my visit has taxed you and you’re tired. You need to get some rest. I need you back on that dig, Jacob. You’re my partner out there. When this dig is all over then we can talk about other things. But right now, the dig is the most important thing.” She plucked the napkin off his lap, the bread and apples flying.
The confusion on her face nearly broke him. He didn’t want to push her away, but they could not be together if they weren’t on the same page spiritually.Lord, help me.
Jacob captured her wrist in his hand. He folded her fingers in his. “I love you, Martha, but Jesus loves you more than I ever could. I’m praying you will come to know Him and to experience His real, beautiful love.”
Martha looked at him for a long moment, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. Silently, she slipped from his grasp and plucked the picnic basket from the chair. The click of the door closing echoed into the silence.
His own tears flowed.
“Lord, help...”
Eighteen
“If prophet, genius, sage, and seer
