Amanda Stone looked into the small oval mirror in the bedroom that she shared with three other women. Although not a vain person, she did want to look her best today when she and Riley met with Mr. Taylor, their pastor. They would be married soon and Mr. Taylor had asked to meet with them. Hearing a knock on the door, Amanda put down her hair brush and hurried into the front room. After asking, she opened the door to Riley. As always, she thought how handsome Riley was and how happy she was to be sharing the rest of her life with him. But she knew that no matter how much she loved him that there would be no marriage if Riley had not asked Christ to be his personal Savior.
Amanda smiled at Riley as she welcomed him into the small four roomed cabin. Sarah used it as an office as well as their home. Originally Sarah, Amanda and Beth Matthews, one of Amanda’s friends from Ohio
Amanda turned at the sound of Beth coming into the room from the examination room and quietly shutting the door. “How’s Emily?” asked Amanda quietly.
Beth shook her head and said, “She’s resting quietly but it is hard to believe that she is the same person we knew on the way out here. She is so grateful for everything that we do for her and so thin and battered and bruised. I just thank God that she was able to get away and make her way to us or she may not be alive. It will take time for her to regain her strength but I think eventually she will be all right. Sarah seems to think so anyway.
Are you two going to meet with Pastor Taylor now?”
“Yes, we told him we would be over this morning. Have you heard anything from Sarah?”
“No, but I expect she will be back this morning unless there were problems with the delivery.”
After saying goodbye to Beth, Amanda and Riley began the short walk to the Taylor
“I’ll always feel responsible for what happened to Emily. I was supposed to be in charge of the group and I should never have left her in San Francisco
”But, Riley, you know that all of us begged her not to stay. I don’t see how you could have made her go with us unless you kidnapped her. We all have to make our own choices. Just as you had to do when you accepted Christ, no one can make that choice for you and Emily had to make her own choice, even if it was a bad decision. I can only pray that she will recover and come to know the Lord as we do. That will make all the difference in her attitude. She is so changed that I pray she will be willing to listen to the word of God now.”
In a few minutes, they arrived at the Taylor
“Come in, come in! I have been looking forward to your visit. Estelle is resting now so we can talk here without being disturbed. I am so happy that you agreed to speak with me before the wedding. So many of the men just want to get married and hurry back to their claim. We’ve had men from way up in the mountains up north looking for brides. I just pray that no one rushes into a marriage. It is much better for two people to get to know each other before they marry. I have also been praying that the couples will both share a faith in God but it has not always happened.”
Mr. Taylor brought his Bible over to the table and invited Amanda and Riley to sit at the table with him.
“There are two passages that I often like to share with couples before they marry. The first comes from Ruth.”
Amanda smiled because she was familiar with the passage and thought it appropriate but she looked at Riley to see him shaking his head. As a new Christian, Riley was not as familiar with the Bible as Amanda who had always attended church and had given her heart to the Lord at a young age. Sarah’s brother, Joe, had given a Bible to Beth when she was in St. Louis
Mr. Taylor found the passage and began to read,
‘And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God”
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.’ Ruth 1:16 – 17 KJV
“Now this passage was Ruth speaking to her mother-in-law. Her father-in-law had died, her husband had died, and her brother-in-law had died. Naomi, the mother-in-law, had lost her husband and both sons. She wanted to return to her homeland and begged her sons’ wives to return to their homes. The other daughter-in-law, Orpah, did return to her home but Ruth would not leave her mother-in-law. To me the most important part is that Naomi had witnessed to Ruth in such a way, that she also wanted to worship her God and follow her faith. This is the way it should be in a marriage. You should want to go where your husband or wife goes, stay with them until death and worship their God. Riley, I know that Amanda loves you but I also know that she would not marry a non-believer because we have discussed this in our Bible studies on our trip out here. I know that all of our group that are Christians starting praying for you from the first day of our trip, that your heart would be opened to the Lord and that you would answer His call.
And we all rejoiced when you made that decision. I have spoken with you about it and we have prayed together so I know that this was a sincere decision. Otherwise, I would have misgivings about the marriage. However, just because both people are Christians, that does not mean that they will never disagree but I pray that you will seek the Lord’s guidance in all of your decisions. Sometimes it is difficult to put the other person’s needs first but that is what you must try to do.
“Now the second passage I want to read to you is from Ephesians:
‘Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.’
Ephesians 5:22 – 25 KJV
“Now some think that these verses mean that the wife should be as a servant to her husband, but Christ compared himself to a groom and the Church, meaning all who follow Him, as the bride. We know that Christ gave His life for us and that is what this is saying. Husbands should be the spiritual head of the home and they should love their wives as Christ loves us. I believe that a couple should study the Bible together, pray together and make decisions based on the guidance they get from the Lord. I hope that you will follow this in your marriage.”
Amanda and Riley looked at each other and she waited for Riley to speak.
“Pastor, as a new Christian, I have so much to learn but I am going to keep reading God’s word and coming to church and praying and I know that Amanda will join me in this. She and her friends have been great witnesses to me and made me see that I really needed God in my life. We will certainly do all we can to make God a part of our lives and our marriage.”
Amanda agreed and they had a time of prayer together before Riley and Amanda left, walking back toward the cabin.
Riley stopped near a fallen tree and asked Amanda to sit down.
“Mandy, we really haven’t decided about whether I should accept the job as sheriff and I have to tell you that if I do, the leaders will want me to live in town. The town is growing so that we really do need a lawman to keep things straight. I am just not sure that the Lord wants me to do that. I just built the cabin out on my land and we would have to live in town. Of course, you will be coming in to teach each day. I just don’t know what we should do.”
“I have been praying about it, too, Riley. I am concerned for your safety as that job but we know that many jobs here are dangerous. I do love the house that you built and would love to live in it. I think we will have to pray a little longer until God makes it clear to us.”
“I think for now we will plan to move in the house and I will continue working at the saw mill. It will be too cold for farming and it will bring in a steady income. You can come into town with me each day in the wagon.”
Amanda agreed, “Beth and the others have been so kind to promise to share some of the vegetables and other food we grew. We need to start moving my things in soon. I don’t have that much. I imagine we can move it all in one afternoon with the wagon. Oh, Riley, I love you so much. I can’t wait to start our new life together.”
Riley smiled at her. “I can’t either. I never knew what blessings I would receive when I agreed to bring that small group out here. I am so happy to have met you and fallen in love with you but the best part of all has been coming to know Christ as my Savior and growing closer to Him each day. I can never thank you and the others enough for your witness to me.”
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