Lavished with Lavender - Valerie Comer Page 0,38
“Yes, I definitely believe in germs.” She laughed. “But the love of God is stranger than that. First of all, how do I even know God is real and exists?”
“He is willing to show Himself to you,” Winnie said softly. “The evidence of Him is all around us just like the evidence of the wind. Or the evidence of germs. We just need to look at the cause and effect in this world, and we will soon come to the realization that a more powerful being must be in charge.”
Kenna nodded cautiously. That made sense, even when she was worried about all the evil in the world. It could be so much worse if there was no goodness as well. “I see what you mean. It’s hard to completely deny that there’s a God. Maurice went to AA for a while, and they told him about a higher power. I don’t think he chose to believe it, though.”
“And you?”
Kenna sighed. “Okay, yes. I do believe in a higher power. In God, if you will. But the next question is how He loves me. And that is a much bigger stretch for my mind to grasp. I took a lot of science in my training to be a nurse, and it seems like the Bible can’t possibly line up with it.”
“You’d be surprised. I think if you truly examine the areas where you think science and the Bible are against each other, you’ll find that science is either presenting a hypothesis, or that they actually agree. I’d love to leave a book for you to read if you’re into it. It’s called ‘Evidence That Demands a Verdict’.” Winnie pulled a paperback out of her purse and laid it on the table between them. “Interested?”
Kenna stared at the book for a long moment before reaching over and running her finger across the cover. Were the Santoros and their neighbors a bunch of wackos? Or was there really something to their faith? She couldn’t deny that, regardless of Maurice’s opinion, they seemed like one of the kindest, nicest families she’d ever known. Not that she’d ever had much to do with large families like this before. Families where everyone seemed to get along. Where the mother-in-law and her daughters-in-law respected each other and didn’t make nasty, cutting jokes. Where the siblings and the cousins genuinely seemed to like being with each other. She didn’t even know what had happened to her own cousins, not that she’d had many. But it sure hadn’t been anything like what the Santoro family was like.
She lifted the book and flicked through the pages with her thumb. “I’m curious enough to read this, or at least a little of it. I’ll be honest, though. If it’s seems like so much hot air, I’ll be setting it right back down again.”
Winnie nodded. “Fair enough. Let me know what you think when you’ve had a chance to go through some of it. I know you took Mamma to see the doctor this morning. What did he have to say? Is she healing well?”
Kenna drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. Finally the uncomfortable part of the conversation was over. This part of the conversation was much more up her alley.
It was past midnight when Tony opened the gate and entered the backyard. As always, the motion sensor light flicked on at his approach, but what caught his attention was someone sitting in one of the chairs near Nonna’s patio door. “Kenna?” Her name escaped his lips without a conscious thought.
She turned to watch him as he came closer. “Hi, Tony.”
“You’re sure up late. Is something wrong?”
“Not with your grandmother, if that’s what you’re thinking. Your aunt Winnie came to see me this afternoon.”
Tony sat in a chair near Kenna. It was definitely time to start winding his brain down so he could get some sleep, but he could spare a few minutes for his grandmother’s nurse. He tried to ignore the reminder that he had begun to think of her as much more than that. “What about?”
“She wanted to talk to me about God’s love.” Kenna tugged at the sleeve of her fleece jacket. It definitely was cool outside this late at night.
Tony could do with a jacket himself, but it didn’t look like he’d get one. He wouldn’t take one to work until the weather turned much colder. The five-minute walk home was barely enough to cool him down after hours in the hot kitchen. He