The Calling by Deborah A Hodge

believe that until you and Matthew began to see each other, and when I saw how happy you seem to be, I decided to try for a little of that happiness myself.”
    “You deserve to be happy. Go for it. David is a great guy.”
    “Thanks,” Kim considered the possibilities.
    Once they were a couple, Kim seemed to be happy, and so did David. Actually, David seemed to be happier than he had been for a long time, causing a deep sadness to creep into Cate’s heart. She prayed that the Lord would take it away and thought it was gone until she’d see David and Kim together. She was sure at times the sadness and jealousy surfaced enough to be seen on her face or in her eyes. But, if Matthew ever noticed, he never mentioned it. Still, she was constantly afraid that he, or someone else, would notice.
    Many nights she looked out her window to the mountains in the distance and prayed, “Lord, please help me with this. I don’t want to be sad or jealous. David deserves to be happy, even if it’s not with me. Maybe, it’s Your will that Matthew and I have a future together, and David and Kim. Oh, Father please, help me to yield to you. I want to honor you.” Afterwards, she would try to sleep. Sometimes the sleep came quickly; often it didn’t.
     During this time, Matthew became even more attentive. Cate was bewildered and frightened and wondered if this was the answer to her prayers. She knew she still loved David, but she might have feelings for Matthew too, and realized that it was possible to love two men at the same time. Cate knew that the most important thing she could do was seek God’s will. She tried to concentrate on really being with Matthew when she was with him. She refused to think about David. She gave Matthew her constant, undivided attention, and her solution seemed to work.
    Things seemed to be progressing at lightning speed with David and Kim. Kim hinted that wedding bells might be ringing, and she had asked David to allow her to occasionally stay with Sarah while he was away. When David approached Cate with the idea she reluctantly agreed.
    Cate had difficulty being edged out with both Sarah and David. She struggled with losing David and Sarah, but that’s crazy because they’re not mine to lose. Once again, she found herself trying to submit the whole thing to God.
     
     
    *****
     
     
    One day while Cate was staying with Sarah, Sarah began to ask questions.
    “Cate, is Miss Kim going to be my new mother?”
    Her question stabbed at Cate’s heart, and she struggled to come up with the right answer, in the right tone. “I don’t know, Baby Girl. That’s a question you need to ask your daddy.”
    “I did,” Sarah said.
    Cate was surprised, “You did?”
    “Uh-huh,”
    “And what did he say?” Cate was more eager to hear the answer than she should have been.
    “He said he didn’t know.”
    Cate was pleased with what she heard. She smiled, “Well, there you go.”
    “Cate, I want you to be my new mother.” Sarah spoke with the innocent candor and determination of a child.
    Cate found herself searching for just the right thing to say, I wish I could be her mother. “Sarah, it’s up to your daddy to choose your new mother, and he’ll make the right choice.”
    “But, I love you , I want you,”
    “I love you too.” Cate quickly gathered Sarah in her arms and hugged her.
    Sarah’s five-year-old mind came up with the answer to their dilemma. “Tell daddy that I love you and you love me and that if he’ll choose you, you’ll be my new mother.”
    “I can’t do that, Sarah. Your daddy has to make his own choice.” Cate tenderly corrected her suggestion.
    “Well, I’m gonna tell daddy to choose you.”
    Cate laughed and hugged her again, remembering the verse, “Out of the mouth of babes”. Even though she was still confused about God’s will concerning Matthew and her, she admitted to herself that she wished David would choose her.
    When she awoke the next morning, Cate checked on