Imperfection

By Judith Oliver

I wanted to write a story based on a woman, a mother, who has lost her husband and must now create a life for herself and her three children. She was raised in the church, but things edged God out as the focus of her life. She stopped recognizing her life as dependent and guided by Him, but found that He was always there for her. Often we stray from our relationship with Him, but when we find ourselves seeking Him again, we discover that He is there. He always has been. God is constant. He is never failing. He seeks only to have a relationship with us. If I can speak to someones heart through my story, and they can become aware of how God has continued to weave their story, even when they were unaware, I will be grateful. Shelly would say, I looked for Him everywhere. Who would have thought, that at my lowest, Id find Him right by my side. If that is your situation, I hope you will take a moment, stop, and look Who is right beside you, patiently waiting for you.

I hope this will be the first story of the people that God wove together to form a body of believers who seek only to serve and share His love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512747485

Judith Oliver

Judith Oliver lives in Bakersfield, California, with her husband Tony, who is a Chinese Brush Painting artist, and her two cocker spaniels, Fonzi and Thumper. She has three grown children and seven beautiful grandchildren, as well as assorted grandpups and grandcats. Judith is a teacher, teaching third grade in Fruitvale School District. She is an avid reader and has been inspired by writers such as Richard Paul Evans, Nicholas Sparks, and Karen Kingsbury. This is her first book. She’s dreamed of being a writer for most of her life.

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Imperfection

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JUDITH OLIVER

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Copyright © 2016 Judith Oliver.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4749-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4750-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-4748-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016910345

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/27/2016

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Acknowledgments

IN THIS FIRST FORAY INTO THE WRITING WORLD, I HAVE TO THANK MY DEAR DAUGHTER, Kara, my precious sister, Kari, and my good friend, PlumFairy (leader of PlumFairy’s Pet Parlour, our dog message board). All three have read, given constructive criticism, and tons of encouragement and love. Kara, a nurse, even advised me on medical issues. I don’t know if I’d have gotten this far without them.

I’d like to dedicate this book to my loving parents, Curtis and Mary Kennedy. They were faithful servants who loved the Lord with all their hearts, and with all their minds, and with all their souls. And they lived that. They showed His love to everyone they came in contact with, stranger or friend. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being such shining examples of God’s unconditional love.

Prologue

WHEN WE LOSE SOMEONE WE’VE ALLOWED TO BE OUR WHOLE LIFE, WE FIND THAT WE’VE very little left to sustain us. Not only have we distanced ourselves from God, but we’ve lost something of ourselves in the process. My relationship with God had been a shallow one at best, and I had no reservoir of inner strength to draw from.

Shelly re-read the words she’d written in her journal and took a deep breath. What was she going to do now? Her parents had been gone for years. Her three children were going to be dependent on her alone. No more lavish lifestyle, no more household help, no more exclusive school, no more of the security she had taken for granted all these years. Her husband was gone. Their finances destroyed. Everything was going to be different. What was she going to do now? How was she going to protect and raise her children? She recalled the words and the look on the attorney’s face when he informed her that her husband’s debts were greater than their assets would cover. Everything was gone. How did she not know? How could Mark have left her like this? How could he have done this to his children? Nothing left. Nothing to live on. Fortunately, there was her car. It, at least, was a gift from her dad, it was ancient, but it was paid off. They couldn’t take that…even if they had wanted it. And what did the attorney say about an old house that sat empty in Bakersfield?

The doorbell rang. She heard the butler answer it and low voices. Soon, he tapped on her study door. She turned as the door opened and vaguely heard him say the estate attorney was here. She righted herself, took a deep breath and steadied herself, bracing herself for what was to come.

Chapter 1

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 NIV

HOW CAN THEY TAKE ALL OUR STUFF? JORDAN ASKED. IT DIDN’T SEEM FAIR AND Shelly didn’t know how to explain it to the children. Jordan was just fourteen, blond, lanky and intense. At least he’d be able to keep his tablet and most of his personal effects. He’d miss his friends in his Karate group and his beloved sports. But those were things he would be able to do anywhere they went, she thought.

It’s not fair! Aidan stomped. I wish dad was here! He’d not let them do this! Aidan was twelve, a little boy still, with deep blue eyes and chubby cheeks. He had to be deeply troubled by his world being turned upside down. He would be leaving marching band and his own Karate group. He was always so quiet, it was hard to know what was going on in his mind and heart.

Abby, ten, just sat, tears streaming down her face and held on to her beloved teddy bear and her Kindle. Abby looked like a miniature Shelly, blonde and blue-eyed. Abby would be lost without her girlfriends and Girl Scouts. She’d been begging for dance lessons and horse-back riding lessons and her dad had made promises to her that would never be fulfilled now.

Shelly looked at her three children and her heart broke. She couldn’t explain to them how they came to be in these circumstances. She wasn’t sure herself. What she knew was too gut-wrenching, so she said quietly, Everything will work out. But, she wasn’t sure of that promise. Even now people were going through their home, labeling and deciding how much could be gotten at estate sale for their belongings. She, too, was worried about their future. What would become of them? Where would they go? She had only herself to rely on now, she thought. She did not want to fail her children. But, why, oh why, had Mark left her in these difficult circumstances?

Chapter 2

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19 -21 NIV

MARK HAD BEEN THE GOLDEN BOY. HANDSOME AND HEADED FOR GREATNESS. HE graduated at the top of his class, majored in finance, and had everything going for him. He’d made his mark on Wall Street, early in his twenties, and left to open his own brokerage house. She met Mark when he was thirty and she was just nineteen. He was so charismatic. He was so charming. Her parents weren’t exactly ecstatic about the match, but they finally gave their blessing. Shelly left home and became Mark’s wife.

It was exciting and so different from how she had grown up. Her parents had been so involved in their church life, her father the pastor of a small rural church, and her mother the choir director. New York was a world away, a whole different planet from their small town in Pennsylvania.

Mark had been seeing clients in Pennsylvania and stopped at the coffee house where Shelly worked. He said he fell in love at first sight, with her smile, blond hair and blue eyes, and her sweet nature. He came back several times, not to see clients, but to see her. He asked her to marry him after his fourth trip to Pennsylvania. She had fallen in love with his air of sophistication, the exciting picture of New York he painted, and with his devotion to her. Shelly and Mark were eager to start married life. Mark had a gorgeous apartment in Manhattan. Shelly enjoyed shopping and the theater. It was all so exciting and different from her sleepy home town in Shippensburg.

Jordan was born before their second anniversary. Mark said they needed to find a home where they could raise a family, so they began to look on Long Island. They found a seven bedroom, four bath on Long Island for $3,499,000.00. Their home in Long Beach sat right on the beach, with panoramic ocean views from both levels, expanded decks, and private beach access. The great room, with its soaring ceilings and floor to ceiling windows was the family’s favorite place to gather. At any time of the day or night they had a wonderful view of ocean waves crashing on the shore. There was an open area dining room and Eurostyle kitchen with a two-level center island with breakfast bar, and stainless steel appliances, granite counters and custom cabinetry. Life was good. Mark hired a butler, a cook and a nanny. Shelly planned his many lavish dinner parties and was a gracious hostess. The perfect life. Aidan came along two years later, and two years after that Abby was born.

Now, sixteen years later, Shelly was left with just her children, their clothes, personal items, and her mother’s china and silverware. At least they still had those along with the car that had been her father’s.

Mark had left them, gambled away everything, committed suicide and exposed them to a cruel world of poverty and uncertainty. There was no where for them to turn.

Chapter 3

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV

IT WILL BE AN ADVENTURE! SHELLY TOLD HER THREE MOPING CHILDREN. SHE WAS trying to fit everything into her Honda