Читать книгу The Legacy: Book Two of the Lane Trilogy - Vicki Inc. Andree - Страница 7

The white-haired gentleman held out his hand. “Good morning, Pastor, that was a great sermon. You’re an inspiration.”

“Well, thank you, Mr. Helms. You know where it comes from.” David looked skyward. They stood outside the small community church where David Gabriel preached.

A small congregation of about seventy people ambled out of the white building. Pastor David shook hands with each one of them and spoke to them individually and personally. He knew his congregation and felt a deep and profound love for each of them. “Hello, Mrs. Ginnis, glad to see you this morning. How is that little grandson of yours?”

“Oh he’s growing fast, getting bigger every day.”

He ruffled the seven-year-old boy’s hair. “I can see that! How ya doin’, Jaden?”

“Good!” They high-fived, and Jaden caught up to his grandmother.

David saw one of the church deacons approaching. Jim, who’d been recently appointed, looked concerned. “What’s on your mind, Jim?”

“Could I speak to you in private?”

David looked around to see that everyone had left. “Sure. Let’s go to my office.”

Jim followed him back to a tiny room filled by an ancient walnut desk, bookcases overflowing with books, and two chairs.

“Have a seat. How can I help you?”

Jim started slowly. “Well, Pastor, it’s really not me who needs the help.”

“Oh? Well, tell me what’s going on.”

“Now I’m not one to read those gossip rags, I want you to know that right up front. But when I was checking out of the supermarket this morning, I couldn’t help but see the store display of Today’s Celebs.”

“That’s nothing to be concerned about. We often find ourselves in situations in this day and age where we are forced to see things we would never seek out.” David leaned toward Jim. “If you saw something that distressed you, you know what to do. Go to the Lord, confess it, and then don’t worry about it.”

“Oh, I’m worried, all right. But it’s not me I’m worried about. It’s you!”

David’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? Whatever do you mean?”

Jim slapped the paper on David’s desk. “Imagine my surprise when I recognized the face on the front page! I couldn’t believe it. There you are with Lyza Lane.”

David glanced at the picture. “No way.” David leaned back in his chair and smiled.

Jim raised his voice. “Yes way. Does this mean it wasn’t a fake, a trick photo? Are you actually seeing this woman? Do you know who she is?”

“Oh, I do know who she is.”

“Let me make sure, just in case you’ve been deceived. She’s one of the richest women in the world. Her father built up the huge conglomerate, L. L. Lane Unlimited, from nothing. They have more money than Fort Knox. She’s a wealthy mover and shaker, all business and career—and besides all that, they’re a bunch of Jews! What kind of circles are you running in?”

David held up a hand to stop Jim’s rant. “Whoa, whoa, hold it right there, Jim. That was a mouthful. This conversation is going to take some time, so I hope you’re not hungry for lunch. No, in fact I have a better idea. Let’s go to lunch, and I can explain everything.”

“I can do that. I want some answers before people start coming to me for explanations.”

They walked out to Jim’s car. David said, “If they come to you for explanations, I hope you’ll direct them to me. I explain my own actions.”

As they got into the car, David continued, “Jim, the first thing I want to address is the remark you made about Lyza being Jewish. It sounded like you have a bad opinion of Jews, and that surprised me. How long have you been attending our church?”

Jim drove six blocks before he spoke. “It’s been ten years. Six months ago you appointed me as one of the deacons.” He maneuvered the car into a parking spot and shoved the car into ‘park.’

David opened his door and sat for a moment before getting out. “I’m not going to say that I made a mistake, but if you talk about the Jewish people the way I just heard you talk, then there’s a big misunderstanding. I’m responsible because I took it for granted that you understood the position of the Jews in Scripture today.”

Jim’s volume increased. “Yeah, they killed Jesus, and they rejected Him, and they are all going to hell.” He stood up and slammed his car door shut.

David spoke over the car. “No, that’s not the way it is, not even close. As your pastor, I need you to understand that before I begin to explain my relationship with Lyza.”

They walked into the small diner and ordered sandwiches for lunch. The restaurant, filled with people, teemed with activity. The wait staff almost ran back and forth from the kitchen window to the tables to keep up with the orders.

Jim ordered a Diet Pepsi. “All right, start explaining what I need to know before you can tell me about your relationship with Lyza. Go for it.”

Their sandwiches arrived immediately. David opened his napkin. “First, let’s pray and ask the Lord to bless the food He provided and that He will provide nourishment of His truth in our conversation.”

David prayed, “Lord, we thank You for your presence here with us today. We thank You for Your provision in this meal and all things in life. We ask, Lord, that You nourish us so we can be strong and serve you throughout the day and the days to come. Give us willing hearts and ears to hear Your divine truth. In the precious name of Jesus, amen.”

After the prayer, Jim raised his head, and their gazes met. “Thank you, Pastor.”

Getting down to business, David instructed Jim, “Open your Bible to Genesis, chapter twelve Here God is talking to Abraham. Look at verse two, it says:

I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

Jim nodded. “Pastor, that was before the crucifixion.”

“Ok, I’ll give you that. It was before the crucifixion, many years before Jesus’ birth. But do you agree that it is a promise made to Abraham concerning his people?”

“How can I not?”

David reached across the table and placed his finger on the words. “Jim, look at the passage. It says God will bless those who bless Abraham’s people. This is about the Hebrew tribes at that time and the Jews today. So God will bless those who bless the Jews. He will curse those who curse them. Do you want to be part of those who curse the Jews? Because people who do that are cursed.”

Jim’s brow wrinkled. “Well, no, I don’t want to be among the cursed, but again, that was before Christ.”

“Jim, do you think God lies to us?”

“Of course not. Our God is a loving God.”

David opened his Bible. “Turn to Genesis 9:16. Remember, this is at the end of the account of Noah’s ark. It says, ‘Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’ Now do you believe God is keeping this promise? It is, after all, an everlasting covenant. That means it’s a promise He made forever.”

Jim looked up from rereading the passage. “I believe God will never destroy the world by a flood. Yes, I believe that promise.”

“Now go to Genesis 17:7. It says, ‘I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.’ This is again directed to Abraham. Is not Abraham the father of our faith? Did God make an everlasting covenant with Abraham?”

Jim took a bite of his sandwich and spoke with a mouth full. “Well, yes, He did. But then the Jews rejected Him, and the Gentiles became the chosen people.”

“Never. God would never do that. He made an everlasting covenant with the Jews. He never made such a covenant with Gentiles. The only way we get to be in the family is through the Jews. Yes, Jim, through the Jews. You know Jesus was a Jew. Do you think God probably knows what the words ‘everlasting covenant’ mean?”

Jim put his half-eaten sandwich down. “Yes, I know that, but they rejected Him.”

“They rejected Him, but He didn’t reject them. Throughout the Old Testament we are shown instance after instance where the Hebrews—Jews—failed God. Time and time again He stood by them in spite of their mistakes. He is faithful, Jim, even when we’re not. You keep saying that everything changed after Christ’s crucifixion. It did, but not the way you think. The apostle Paul wrote most of the New Testament, and he was a Jew. He accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, along with many other Jews at the time, but He never gave up his Jewishness. God never asked any Jew to do that. In fact, just the opposite. He made a way for us to be Jewish.”

Jim’s jaw set, and he nearly rose from the table. “What are you saying?”

David nodded. “Oh, yes, Jim. You believe the New Testament, don’t you?”

“You know I do.”

David reached across the table, took the Bible, and flipped to one of his favorite passages. “Read what Paul writes about being the chosen people. We are grafted into the chosen people, not the other way around. When God makes an everlasting covenant, it is forever. Read what Paul wrote while he was in prison in Rome. Look here in Romans, the eleventh chapter.

“‘If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.’”

David finished off his sandwich and took a sip of water. “We are grafted in—adopted, so to speak. God clearly warns us not to feel superior to the natural branches. Ask yourself if you’re feeling superior to the Jews. You see, Jim, Jesus was Jewish and under the everlasting covenant with Abraham. As Gentiles, we were not a part of that covenant, but only by being grafted in Jews do we become the chosen people.”

Jim looked up. “I can’t believe I’ve never been told any of this. I don’t ever remember you preaching this, Pastor. I’m sort of in shock. This is huge information.”

David slowly shook his head. “Jim, I’ve taught this over and over throughout the years. There is so much more. I want you to study this chapter in Romans. Read Romans, chapter eleven, and get back with me so we can discuss it.”

“Oh, I will, Pastor. This has got my attention. Thank you so much for clarifying this. I feel like I’ve been so ignorant, and I—well, I’m feeling a little ashamed of myself.”

“Jim, don’t ever think that the Jews killed Jesus, or that the Romans killed Jesus, or that anyone else killed Jesus. Jesus wasn’t murdered; He gave His life willingly on the cross to atone for our sins. If He had changed His mind, He could have called legions of angels to stop the crucifixion. We owe the Jews so much. Many Christians don’t think about it. The Jews preserved the Word of God on the Scrolls of the Torah. In fact, Jews wrote the New Testament, except for the books of Luke and Acts. We’ve got to put that replacement theology where it belongs, in the circular file! We cannot tolerate anti-Semitism in any form in this congregation. And by the way, to answer your question about my relationship with Lyza Lane, it’s none of your business. When it gets to the point that it is your business, I’ll let you know.”

David smiled. “I’d like to walk back to the church. Call me if you have any questions.”

Jim picked up the check and made his way to pay the cashier.

Walking back to the church, David began whistling a low pleasant tune. He felt happy in spite of Jim’s accusations. He went to his office, picked up the article, sat on the edge of his desk, and read:

LANE HEIRESS AND NEW MYSTERY MAN

There’s a new man in Lyza Lane’s life these days, and no one seems to know from whence he came. Here they are, entering the Lane Estate for the annual Save the Orchids ball thrown each year by Lana Lane, founder and director of the cause. Lyza recently recovered from the Swiss Air Flight 688 crash in the North Sea. She and five others were the only survivors out of two hundred ninety-two crew and passengers.

Lyza remained in a coma for over a month after the accident and made a swift recovery. We expect her to soon resume her normal duties at L. L. Lane Unlimited. Hard hitting and demanding, Lyza will surely be welcomed back to the company with open arms, especially by her father, who swore never to put business ahead of his family again. Interesting how people tend to drop back into their old habits in a short time.

Lyza, known for her business acumen, has more than once gone the distance to make huge money for the corporation, traveling abroad most of the year. She shows no sympathy for whomever her grandiose decisions might affect. All business and no play made Lyza a boring date until now. Witnesses report romantic sparks with last night’s escort. Something’s changed since the crash. Everyone’s asking who the new man is in her life, and even more importantly, when did Lyza Lane decide to have a personal life? Please report future sightings to our tip line.

***

Leesa made her way to the huge kitchen. She noticed Lyza had already left the twins’ estate, probably for the office. The Save the Orchids benefit ended up being fun after she, Tim, Gary, and Julie left and went to the same bowling alley they’d escaped to a couple of years before.

“Good morning, Leesa.” Cook came in with a basket of fresh flowers from the gardens outside. “What can I fix you this morning?”

“I’m hungry. Could you fix me some blueberry crêpes?”

“Coming right up, blueberry crêpes for Leesa.” Cook started bustling about the kitchen, and Leesa sat at the oversized kitchen bar. “Have you had coffee?”

“No, but that sounds good.”

Cook poured while Leesa got cream and sugar. “The patio looks inviting. I’ll be out there. It’s so nice today, I think I’ll work at home.”

“All righty. I’ll bring your crêpes out soon. Have you recovered from the benefit the other night?”

“It was fun, except for—well, you know. It’s not that the benefit was boring, it was just that Mother and Father have never quite accepted the fact that their only daughters are grown. They were all over Lyza about her date.”

Cook lit the stove. “Oh my, I was afraid of that. They’ll get over it. I’m sure it will take some time.”

“Probably. I’ll be blissfully working on my project. I’ve decided I can make an old cannery into a wonderful theme park. And Seattle needs one, so I’m sure it’ll be a rousing success.”

Leesa took her coffee out onto the spacious patio, looking into a clear sky and picturesque surf. She sat in a lounge chair beside the oversized pool and contemplated her newest project: Kramer’s Island. It would be a makeover of the tiny island off the coast of Seattle where Kramer’s Kannery operated for many years. The cannery closed years ago, leaving everything in a state of disrepair, but Tim, her best friend and an architect, agreed it had great potential. She punched his speed dial on her cell phone.

Tim answered pleasantly, “Hello, Leesa. What are you up to this morning?”

“I’m thinking we need to get back to Kramer’s Island. The project is coming along quickly. A lot of the design and construction is winding up, so we need to go on some inspections. I also have some fresh ideas to incorporate into the project.”

Tim chuckled. “Sure, when do you want to leave?”

Leesa thumbed through her daytimer. “Now is not too soon. But you need some notice, so how soon can you leave?”

“I can leave tomorrow, Tuesday. But I think we should meet to discuss these new ideas before we go. Can you meet this afternoon?”

“Sure.” Pleased, Leesa answered, “But I’m working at home today. Can you come over here around two o’clock?”

“Two o’clock should work. I’ll see you then.”

At two o’clock, loaded down with blueprints and his computer, Tim pulled into the private drive of the Lane twins’ estate. Security allowed him access and alerted Leesa that Tim would be at the door in a few minutes. She met him on the porch.

She smiled. His sandy blond hair accentuated his tan, looking especially good to her that afternoon. “Right on time.”

“Of course. I didn’t come planning to disappoint you in any way.”

She opened the door. “Come in, silly one. We have work to do.”

“Oops, are you sure you’re not Lyza? She’s the workhorse.”

Leesa’s teeth clenched. “No, I’m not Lyza, but I work as hard as she does.” Then she brightened. “I’m just not as mean!”

They chuckled in unison as they climbed the stairs to Leesa’s wing of the house. Leesa warned Tim, “You just make sure you stay in this wing of the house and stay out of her side.”

Tim glanced to the left as they turned right. “As if I would ever…”

They walked into her home office, and Leesa unrolled blueprints on a large drafting table. “I’m thinking about the theme park inside the Kramer’s Island Village. We’ve talked about roller coasters, fun houses, a large Ferris wheel that extends over the sea, and other attractions.”

He held one side of the roll of blueprints open. “Sure, that’s what theme parks have in them for fun. You wanted a small scale Disney-type attraction, and all of those things will be needed.”

She nodded. “All of these attractions are important to me, and I want all of them available on Kramer’s Island. However, we need to add a luxury hotel.”

Tim looked dumbfounded. “A luxury hotel? Are you kidding? That’s a huge change. Leesa, I don’t think you understand the impact such an addition will have on the project.”

Leesa leaned over the drawings. “Now, listen to me. I never thought about it before, but people need to be able to stay over instead of having to ride the ferry back at the end of a long, exhausting day of fun.”

“You’re serious. Good grief, talk about dropping a bomb. We’re already behind schedule.”

She flashed him her best smile. “Oh schedule, schmedule. We can do it, can’t we?”

“Leesa, I agree it’s a good idea. No, it’s a great idea. If the schedule can be slipped, then I say ‘bravo.’ Let’s do it. I’ll meet with my team. Do you have any particular hotel chain in mind?”

She straightened. “Chain? Tim, I thought you knew me better than that.”

Tim slapped himself on the forehead. “Right, no chain, that would not be Leesa’s style. We better get moving. Tell me what you want in the design. I’ll meet with my team tonight. Can we fly up to Seattle tomorrow afternoon? I’m going to need the morning.”

She pulled up a spreadsheet. “If we wait until afternoon, we may not get finished before dark. We should go in the morning. Let’s go over my requirements for the new Kramer’s Island Hotel!”

Tim’s brow wrinkled. “Sure, but it looks like my team’s going to have to put in an all-nighter to be ready tomorrow. I need to make a few calls.”