Long Lost Love

Chapter 6

The next morning, Rachel woke up with Luis heavy on her heart. She thought about their ride on the zip line and their five hour long conversation. She remembered the hurt in his eyes as he talked about his ex-wife and the devastating reality that came on his anniversary date. She was determined to help him heal and guide him back to where he once was as a young adult.

"Maybe he'll be under the shade tree this evening." She whispered to herself.

"Who are you talking about Rachel?" Helen asked, as she quickly made her bed.

"I met someone yesterday when I went zip lining." She smiled.

"Really?"

"Not in that way, Helen. He looked almost terrified when we started hiking up the mountain, so I gave him a pep talk and we hiked up together."

"Uh huh..." She replied while fluffing her pillow

"Yeah. He had never been ziplining. He asked if I would ride alongside him again before we left the camp."

"Did you say yes?"

"I did. Then he asked me to join him for coffee." Rachel turned to Hellen. "Helen...we sat at the coffee shop and talked for five hours. Can you believe that?"

"Five hours? Sounds like it was an interesting conversation."

"His heart is hurt. I feel really bad for him."

"Have you prayed for him?" Helen stood and faced her. "You're an awesome prayer warrior Rachel."

"Thank you. And yes, I prayed for him last night and I'm hoping to see him later today. I didn't see him at worship and I'm a bit worried. I'd like to share some verses with him."

"Let me know how it goes. We better get moving. The girls are outside waiting to go to breakfast."

"Let's go." Rachel replied.

****

Rachel prayed for Luis throughout the day, asking God to heal him and that his love for Jesus may be restored. She knew the difficulty divorce could bring on someone, mentally and spiritually. She also knew how hard it would be to place complete trust in Christ, but that would definitely bring him out of his pit. Rachel was certain of it. She experienced it and wanted Luis to experience it too.

The day with her girls was long but fun. She loved the constant reminder of her youth and that brought her joy. As the day went on, she caught herself spending more time thinking about Luis.

"Ms. Rachel, are you okay?"

"Ah, yes sweetheart. I am."

Not being able to see Luis the night before, caused her to feel anxious. She played the conversation in her head over and over. Don't forget to mention forgiveness for your own self, she reminded herself. Her mind took her back to that awful time when her days were dark, depressing, filled with disappointment and regret.

As her day went on, she prayed without ceasing. She came to a stop and asked,

"Lord, is this what it looks like when a wife prays for her husband? Everyday and all day?" She smiled.

She welcomed the feeling. And all at once she felt sad. She tried to remember if she had ever spent this much time praying for Mark. Her heart broke. She gave herself grace at that moment. Lord, forgive me.

Their schedule for the day called for bible study, topic discussions and quiet time in Central Chapel with their group of girls. Rachel especially loved their discussion time. During this time, the girls became more vulnerable and open to share life experiences. As they took the girls from one cabin into another and finally into the chapel for some quiet time, Rachel's eyes wandered around the campgrounds in hopes to catch a glimpse of Luis, but he didn't appear to be out and about throughout the day. Disappointment set in. Helen noticed her distractedness and saw the look of worry in her eyes. She knew Luis had taken up most of her thoughts since their time together at the coffee shop.