A Mother's Promise. Ruth Scofield

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      “Haven’t you ever wanted to

       change your life, Lisa?

       Start again? Do something

       entirely different than before?”

      She stared at Ethan. Was he kidding? That was what brought her to New Beginnings. She honestly wanted to get her life back…and straightened out. She wanted to make a stable home for Cecily and be the kind of mother that won prizes.

      Ethan’s eyes said she had a willing listener who would be sympathetic. She was tempted. “Can I trust you?” At his frown, she blinked. “Yes, yes, I can. It’s just…I can’t trust everyone, you know?”

      RUTH SCOFIELD

      loves to write about God’s love, and His Son, Jesus. Since she does not have a father, she loves to call God, Father, and to feel the faith that that builds. She also loves to play with her grandchildren.

      Ruth’s first book was published in 1993 just a month after her return to her native Missouri after years in the East. She often sets her novels in Missouri, where there are lakes and hills aplenty, and as many stories and history as people. This is Ruth’s eighth Love Inspired novel.

      A Mother’s Promise

      Ruth Scofield

      MILLS & BOON

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      But seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness,

       and all these things will be given to you as well.

       Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for

       tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has

       enough trouble of its own.

      —Matthew 6:33–34

      Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

       For in the same way you judge others, you

       will be judged, and with the measure you use,

       it will be measured to you.

      —Matthew 7:1–2

      To all the young mothers in my family who give

       unrestricted devotion and love to their young.

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Chapter Eighteen

      Letter to Reader

      Chapter One

      Lisa Marley guided the dual-wheel rusty red pickup truck into the deep shadows of the parking lot. A lighted sign declared she had reached the right place— Blue River Valley Community Church.

      “Okay, God,” she whispered. “Here I am, as promised.”

      She turned off the growling engine and headlights. A few windows illuminated nearby houses, but there was only silence, and the church stood quietly before her in the autumn mist of early evening.

      Silence was good, Lisa thought, only she’d grown unused to it. She shivered. From the cool evening or from nerves, she wondered?

      Only a small number of cars were scattered across the parking lot.

      Her friend Beth Anne Hostetter had warned her there wouldn’t be a large crowd when she’d issued the invitation to New Beginnings. The organization was meant for men and women over forty who needed just what the name implied. A new beginning in life. A second start.

      Beth Anne said the person in charge of this ministry, Dr. Michael Faraday, was a very capable, compassionate man, and Lisa could trust him.

      Sure, sure… Trust.

      Beth Anne knew Lisa’s fears. Lisa had faith in very few people these days. Sometimes not even in herself.

      Those were the middle-of-the-night times when she lay still, listening to her own heartbeat, begging God to talk to her. To tell her how to get her life back.

      Did God hear her? She didn’t know, was never sure.

      But she’d promised Beth Anne to give New Beginnings a chance, and she was willing to do anything to help rebuild her life.

      New Beginnings wasn’t just another singles group, Beth Anne insisted. It offered hope for people. Some were in crisis, some in a rut. Others simply needed to change their attitudes toward life.

      That certainly described her—Lisa Jane Marley. Beth Anne’s passion about a loving God had drawn Lisa to a Bible Study last year, and over the months, Lisa had tentatively given her heart to God. Now she was learning the hard part—trusting Him with every ounce of her being.

      Her nerves felt stretched as she contemplated getting out of the truck and walking through that door. What if those people asked questions?

      Her stomach tensed. Beth Anne had assured her that no one knew of Lisa’s recent history, but still…

      If anyone asked Lisa what she’d done this last year or two, or where she’d been, she was outta here.

      Yet Beth Anne had said Lisa could make new friends. She couldn’t ask for more. Beyond that, the group’s ideals appealed to Lisa. It offered her a place to work on her future, with people her own age who had similar needs.

      She clenched her eyes shut while a familiar gut-deep yearning and hope rose high. Please Lord, let this count…

      “Okay, God,” she murmured aloud, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “This is it, so You gotta keep Your promise and stay with me. I’m not doing this all alone.”

      Swiping her hand down her thigh, she opened the door and slid to the ground. As she started across the lot, another car pulled into it. Instinctively, she turned her head toward the new arrival. The high beams hit her face, momentarily blinding her.

      Lisa froze. Her heartbeat jumped, then raced. Her lips went dry. For one long moment, she couldn’t make herself move.

      The car parked, and Lisa blinked. On shaky legs, she ran the last few yards to reach the sidewalk that led to the church door.

      “Hey, wait up!”

      She