Cherished - By Kim Cash Tate Page 0,46
But I won’t do it if it makes you feel uncomfortable, Heather,” she added quickly. “And, Kelli, I totally understand if you say thanks but no thanks. It’s just an idea.”
Heather and Kelli looked at one another.
“I’d really like that,” Heather said. “Will you do it, Kelli?”
“I think I need to do it. Count me in.”
Cyd clapped her hands. “Fantastic! Be right back.” She dashed down the stairs to the back door and returned holding two flowery gift bags. “One for you”—she handed it to Heather—“and one for you.”
“Should we look inside?” Heather asked.
“Absolutely.”
Heather and Kelli tore into the bags like it was Christmas, tossing tissue paper onto the table.
“Oh, thank you, I’ve never had one of these,” Heather said, lifting it out. “Is this a journal?”
“It is,” Cyd said. “Given with no pressure. I’ve started a million of them and can never stick with it. Some people write daily. If you think you might want to write down your prayers or thoughts about what you’re learning, you’ve got some pages to do it in.”
“Pretty pages too,” Kelli said. “Love this. Thank you!”
Heather showed hers to Kelli. “Did you see the pen tucked inside the spiral binding? Nice.”
“Keep going,” Cyd said. “There’s one more thing in the bag.”
The sound of swishing ensued again, and Heather and Kelli each pulled out a laminated bookmark.
“I was more excited about the bookmark than the journal,” Cyd said. “When I saw it, I knew it was made for you two.”
Heather held it between her fingers and read the words out loud:
• Done.
• Gone.
• Covered.
• Cleansed.
• Wiped.
• Washed.
• Renewed.
• Restored.
• FORGIVEN.
She turned to the back, which read,
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. ~Psalm 103:12
Heather stared at it, reading the verse again and again, then looked over at Kelli, who was apparently doing the same.
“I never thought about forgiveness this way,” Heather said. “I knew God was forgiving, but I felt like He’d always be mindful of what I did, like I’d never really get away from it. This makes it seem like He forgets about it. How can God forget something?”
Cyd smiled. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? He chooses to forget it. He chooses to blot it away. That’s how much He loves us.”
Kelli was still focused on the words. “It’s hard to believe God would cover what I did. Just wipe it away. It’s not like I deserve that.”
“That’s why I was excited about the bookmarks—because it’s exactly what I had already prepared for our first session. I want us to take a good look at God’s love for us and what the Gospel really means for each of us. We don’t have to pay the price for our sins. That’s why Jesus died.” Cyd gave them both a big hug. “I’m thrilled about what God is going to do in each of your hearts. Let’s go into the family room and get comfortable. Don’t forget to grab your Bibles.”
Heather kept the bookmark in her hand as she walked, staring down at it.
The new Heather is completely forgiven.
CYD CRUISED THE PARKING AREA OF THE ST. LOUIS Galleria, trying to catch someone pulling out. “This is hopeless. If you two didn’t really want to go to the Cheesecake Factory, I would so be headed someplace else. Everybody and their momma is out here this evening.”
After more than two hours of studying, talking, and praying, the three realized how famished they were. With Cedric at a client dinner, Cyd offered to treat the young women to the restaurant of their choosing.
“Back-to-school shopping probably,” Heather said. “Everybody was talking about it at the dentist’s office today. Tax-free weekend.”
“And look, that new Five Guys is open now,” Kelli said.
Cyd sighed. “We’ll never find a spot.”
“Over there,” Kelli said, aiming a finger. “Quick. That lady’s coming out on the other side.”
Cyd sped up and whipped around the corner, flicking her turn signal. “Parking spot conquered,” she said, moving into the space. “Now for the famous two-hour wait.”
“Oh, it won’t be so bad.” Kelli hopped out. “We called ahead.”
Cyd smiled as she walked with them. She couldn’t have asked for a better first meeting. Kelli and Heather had hit it off, and the three of them enjoyed rich, open discussion. Most surprising, Cyd found herself genuinely liking Heather. Unlike the woman who’d been caught in bed with Scott—gum-popping, unapologetic—this one had clearly been broken. She had a real humility now and an eagerness to grow in Christ.
They approached the