the pulpit away from any of your leaders. I am content to
simply do whatever God has for me to do. I know I have
come here for God's purpose, and that is enough for me."
"But what if part of that purpose is to lead a church?"
suggested Barbara.
Michael folded his hands in his lap. "Then God will have
to show that to me."
udrey tried to talk Maggie into taking Thursday
morning off to do some Christmas shopping in
Byron with her. "Look, honey, you gave up your
whole weekend last week for work, and you work half your
evenings. You know what they say about all work and no
play. Christmas shopping is the least you can do for your-
self." Audrey was determined to win this argument. "Come
on, Maggie, you need to get out and relax a little. Have some
fun. I'll even take you to lunch at that new restaurant Eliza-
beth Rodgers has been raving about."
"Okay," said Maggie finally, throwing her hands up in
surrender. "You win, Mom. Actually, it does sound won-
derful. Besides, I'm expecting to be lambasted by TS Devel-
opment about my article today, and I'm sure not looking
forward to that."
"So, why not put off the inevitable and have a good
time?"
And that's just what they did. Audrey was familiar with
Byron, and in just a few hours they managed to hit all the
best shopping spots. At their last stop, a Northwest gift
shop, Maggie discovered a beautiful collection of inlaid
189.
190Melody Carlson
wood pocketknives she felt certain Jed would appreciate. She
selected her favorite and bought it.
"Who's that for?" asked Audrey as the woman wrapped
it up.
Maggie shrugged, unwilling to admit that it was for Jed
in light of their recent disagreement. "Oh, I don't know.
We'll see...
Her mother nodded knowingly. "It's always good to have
a few spare gifts on hand. Did you see the handmade sweater
I got for Barry?"
They compared their purchases at lunch. Elizabeth had
been right on target about the restaurant. Situated in a beau-
tifully restored Craftsman house, it was set up like an old-
fashioned tearoom with antique tables and chairs on
hardwood floors. And fresh flowers, white linen, and deli-
cate china graced each table. The restaurant was renowned
for its delectable deserts, but its menu also included light
lunches-perfect for shoppers.
"Have you talked to Jed lately?" asked Audrey as they
studied the carefully handwritten menus.
the Maggie knew it was time to tell her mother exactly what