The Color of Hope - By Kim Tate Page 0,11

kind of embarrassed and wanted to avoid all the questions.”

“Girl, you don’t need to be embarrassed around us,” Beverly said. “I was wondering what happened to you. Even looked for you at the joint services. We’ve missed you.”

Charley smiled. “I missed y’all too. I’ve been thinking through some things today, and Soul Sisters came to mind. That’s what led me to come back.”

“Well, I’m feeling good tonight,” Sara Ann said. “Stephanie’s a new resident of Hope Springs, Cyd’s in town, and Charley’s back.” She scanned the group. “Any announcements or other housekeeping matters before we get started?”

Trina’s hand went up. “Beverly mentioned the combined service. We’ve been praying for it from the beginning, and Pastor Travis and Pastor Todd even said Soul Sisters inspired it. But I’m afraid of what’ll happen now that there’s this boycott on Sunday.”

“Who’s boycotting?” another woman asked.

A few voices clamored at once.

Violet, a Calvary member in her seventies, stood, and the women quieted. “Skip Willoughby’s the one who started it. Called me today and told me not to go. And I told him a thing or two in response.” Ever full of spunk, she sat back down.

Willoughby? Stephanie couldn’t help but glance at Charley. Had to be related to her somehow.

“Ladies, ladies!” Sara Ann tried to quell the noise, but so many pockets of conversation had erupted that her voice was barely audible. She walked closer to their table. “Becca? Could you say something? You probably know more than anybody here.”

Becca hesitated. “That’s why I didn’t want to say anything, because I might be too close to the situation. But I’ll try.”

She got up and walked to the center of the tables, and the women grew quiet, probably thinking they were about to get some juicy tidbit.

“Sounds like a lot of you are upset about this.” Becca had a calming way about her. “And understandably so. But we shouldn’t be surprised. There was opposition from the beginning. The boycott is just the latest thing.” She sighed. “Todd and Travis have suffered a lot of blowback from people in both churches. We know the real struggle is not flesh and blood, so let’s keep praying. Todd is convinced that our prayers are the reason that more and more people are coming to the services from outside of Hope Springs. Boycott or no, let’s pray for a packed house on Sunday.”

“Amen!” rang out in the room as Becca took her seat.

“Thanks, Becca,” Sara Ann said. “Sounds like we’ll be doing a lot more praying than mingling at the end.” Her eyes took a mischievous turn. “But right now, I’m wondering if everybody’s ready to spend the next week focused on hospitality.”

A couple of women groaned. “That’s just not me,” one said.

Sara Ann laughed. “Isn’t that the whole point? To be like . . .” She cupped her ear.

“Him!” the women shouted.

Stephanie’s brow creased. “What’s that about?”

Janelle leaned over. “Our latest study—’Like Him.’ Every week we focus on a different attribute of Jesus or a godly character trait.”

“I’m just saying,” the first woman insisted, “whenever I think about having people over, I get hung up on the food. I’m not good at cooking for people. By the time I go round and round with it, I just say forget it.”

“Well, Soul Sisters to the rescue!” Sara Ann said. “Seriously, I need a lot of work in this area myself, but that’s why we’re doing this. Let’s see what the Bible says about hospitality and look at some examples from Sarah to Martha.” She turned to the table beside Stephanie’s. “Then we’ve got a special treat. Trina’s gonna come up and give us some tips.” She smiled. “And if she did like I told her, she brought some recipes to share with us too.”

Trina smiled, nodding. “Yes, ma’am, I did.”

“The one for the lemon bars you made that time too?”

“You know it.”

“Awesome!” Sara Ann pumped her fist, then picked up her Bible from the table. “Okay, y’all, turn to Romans 12 . . .”

Stephanie had thought about it all during the time of closing prayer. When it ended, she turned to Charley. “We’ve given you another reason to stay away from Soul Sisters, haven’t we?”

Charley looked surprised. “Because of talk about the joint service?”

“And your grandfather,” Janelle said. “When somebody prayed for God to touch his heart, I thought, I wouldn’t blame Charley for taking this personally. She might never come back.”

Charley shook her head. “I don’t agree with what my grandpa’s doing either, although I think that he