LITMIR.BIZ

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she had sat down and held the woman until she died in her arms. From that moment she had known that someday she would serve God as a medical missionary in India.

      “Yes, I’ve got India. That’s my future. Something to work toward. My life can really make a difference. As for Prince Charming, who needs him? Even if I met a man I really liked, that would only complicate things. God obviously doesn’t want me to get involved with anyone right now, so I’ll be free to do the work He’s called me to,” she reasoned.

      With determination she started up the car and headed toward the exit. Somehow she knew that this night had changed her life. “No Prince Charming for me,” she murmured as she headed toward home.

      When she reached the house, Ket was surprised to see that the lights were still on. She went inside and found her father, dressed in his pajamas and a robe, sitting at the kitchen table. He was dipping graham crackers into a glass of milk—his favorite snack. Looking up, he said at once, “I’ve been worried about you, Ket.”

      “Oh, I’m all right. You shouldn’t have waited up.”

      Roger Lindsey sat there struggling for words. The love he had for this daughter of his was enormous. Perhaps it was because she needed him more than his other two daughters, although he cared deeply for them. Now he dipped a graham cracker into the milk, bit it off, swallowed then said, “Try not to care too much. He’s not worth it.”

      “No, he’s not.” Forcing a smile, Ket came over and put her arm around her father. “Don’t worry about me, Dad. I’m all right. I have plenty going on in my life. I have plans. My training will be over soon, and I’ll be an R.N.”

      “And then you’ll be going off to India and leaving us.”

      “Yes, but that’s what God has called me to do. So, you wouldn’t want me to do anything else, would you?”

      “No, I wouldn’t.” He stood, suddenly put his arms around Ket and hugged her tightly. “I’m very proud of you, daughter,” he said huskily. Then he turned and left the room, saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

      Ket quickly showered, put on her nightgown, but she was thinking of her father. He wants to help, she thought, but he doesn’t know how a woman who’s rejected feels. I don’t think any man could ever understand that—but he’s a sweet thing. Why can’t I find one like him, who loves tall plain girls?

      Finally she got into bed, turned the reading light on and propped herself up. Picking up the thick Bible from her bedside table, she began to read. The Bible was her favorite book. She read other things, of course, but this was the one that really appealed to her. She was reading now all the way through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and had reached the thirtieth chapter of Isaiah. He was her favorite among the major prophets, and she settled down, forcibly putting everything out of her mind except the text that was before her. She had an enviable way of focusing on the thing at hand. Other things might occur, but once she was in this mode, whether it was studying medicine or the Bible, or reading a poem, she had learned the secret of total concentration.

      She began reading and the first verse said, “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of Me.” She thought about that for a moment, for she also had the habit of reading a verse, stopping and thinking, and meditating upon it. “A hard thing to say to the old Israelites,” she murmured. Then she read the second verse, which said, “That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at My mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadows of Egypt!”

      Somehow the verse seemed to reach out. “This is really a tough thing. God is saying that the old Hebrews trusted the strength of Pharaoh rather than putting their trust in the Lord God.”

      And as always, she tried to make a personal application. Lord, have I done that? Have I trusted in something else beside You? You know I don’t want to do that, for You are my hope and my trust. And I love You more than anyone else, or anything else. So, let me trust You and not in Egypt or anything this world offers me.

      A sense of approval and peacefulness came to her. It was not something she could have described to anyone else, but as she prayed and meditated, Ket often felt that when she surrendered herself to God, He gave His approval by this sort of feeling. Suddenly a startling thought touched her. Maybe I’ve been trusting the worldly things to get a husband instead of trusting God.

      The thought disturbed her for it was almost as if a hand had been laid on her. Slowly she began to review her life. She was well aware that all women did things to make themselves attractive and, deny it as they might, they laid plans to get a husband. It was not a thing women talked about, for traditionally the man was the one expected to do the pursuing. Women did not bait traps and catch husbands that way—at least none of them that she had known admitted it.

      She sat there for a long time. The only sound was the antique clock that had belonged to her grandparents slowly beating out the time. It made a solitary echo in her room as she thought, It’s not wrong for a woman to dress up and to make herself attractive, is it, Lord? She didn’t seem to get an answer, but somehow an uneasiness filled her. She continued to read and then finally in the fifteenth verse, one of those moments came when the verse seemed to jump off the page. It was almost as if it leapt right into her heart, it struck with such force.

      “For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength….”

      Somehow the verse nudged at Ket, and she paused again and thought, “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” Well, I haven’t done that. I remember back when I was just fifteen how I tried to be like Carol and Jenny and the other girls. I tried everything in the book to catch a boyfriend, but somehow I never was able.

      She thought again of the embarrassments and the humiliation she had endured to make herself popular, and how those attempts had failed. Oh, she had attracted a few, but no one that had pleased her. Now she went back and studied the words again.

      Lord, are You telling me to just be quiet in returning and rest shall ye be saved? To just let You have this thing?

      Again she waited, listening for the impression of some kind to come from God. She had never heard the voice of God literally and did not expect to. Still, there had been so many times in her life when after a long prayer, and sometimes even fasting, God had “spoken” so clearly within her spirit that she knew that God was speaking to her in this way. Now she waited, and the longer she waited the more strongly she believed that the verse was speaking directly to her heart. All right. I’ll rest and wait on You. You’ll be my strength, Lord.

      She was growing sleepy now but she continued to read, and when she got to the twentieth verse, once again she was brought up short. “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.”

      She thought, What does that mean, Lord? and then the first part of the verse came to her, and she thought, “The bread of adversity and the water of affliction.” I guess that’s what I’ve had as far as romance is concerned. I haven’t had any victory there.

      She looked down then and read aloud the twenty-first verse. “‘And thine ears shall hear a Word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’”

      At that moment Ketura knew that God was giving her a promise. It happened before, more than once, and she felt a sudden glad joy as she realized that this was God’s way of speaking to her. I’m going to hear a voice that will tell me what to do. Is that right, Lord? She was very sleepy and closed the Bible. Turning out the light, she lay back and began to repeat the twenty-first verse over and over again. “‘And thine ears shall hear a Word behind thee, saying, This is the way.’” Lord, that’s what I want, she prayed silently.

      Sleep came but she did not sleep well. More than once she almost came out of her sleep, and finally when dawn came she awakened.

      As

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