Page 75 of Echoes of Eternity
With each ring, his heart pounded.
It went to voicemail.
He hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Walking over to the pool again, he felt heaviness in his heart.
Peering up at the evening sky, he prayed. “God, I’ll give this a shot, even place my heart out on my sleeve, but I can’t make them feel any differently about me.”
Recalling a sermon he had once heard, the words of a pastor on the radio filed through his mind. Forgiveness isn’t about the other person. It’s about forgiving as your Father has forgiven you.
He retrieved his cellphone from his pocket and wrote out a text message to all his sisters as a group.
Ryan: As I stand here at the pool and in the back yard where we all grew up, my heart longs for each of you. I love you dearly, and I wish things were different. I’m sorry for any pain I caused in your lives and any judgment you felt over the years for the way I live, the beliefs I hold, and the words I have spoken. I’m here if you ever want to talk. Love, your big brother.
Returning inside, he was surprised to find Jason sitting with Chloe on the couch watching a movie.
“What’s up?”
“Just swung by to see how your afternoon went.” Jason stood, smiling as he walked over to meet Ryan in the kitchen.
Ryan’s lips curled into a smile as his eyes moistened. “You knew about it?”
“I did. They wanted to keep it a surprise so I agreed to keep quiet.”
“Nice. I was surprised they had a change of heart.”
“I’m not. God used you as a vessel for His message to this town. I think a lot of people noticed the shift we’ve experienced over the years, and you brought it to light. Brought it out into the open and exposed it.”
“I still think I have to go back to California, Bro.”
Jason nodded, his gaze shifting downward. “I know . . . and as much as I’m going to miss you, I know you have to do what’s right for you and your family. I don’t blame you for doing it.”
“Thank you for not making it more difficult than it already is.”
Jason smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Ryan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he read a text from his sister Paige.
Paige: Lose my number and never contact me again. Erin and Alyssa already have you blocked.
Sighing, Ryan gently slid the phone into his pocket and looked at his brother.
“What is it, Ryan?”
“That was Paige. She told me to lose her number . . . I tried to make amends with our sisters.”
“Look, Ryan. I love you and you’re a great older brother. These sisters of ours have deep-seeded hatred for what they feel were injustices in our childhood. That may never change, but it is what it is.”
“I just want to restore the relationships with them. To be that older brother for them . . .”
Jason grabbed his shoulder and nodded as he smiled. “I know you do, and God knows it as well. Sometimes though, things don’t work out and we have to trust God through those times. Know He is still good and know that if He wills it, and they’re willing to forgive, the relationship can be restored. At the end of the day though, they have free will.”
“Right.”
Jason asked, “So with you going back to California . . . does that mean you and Emily are working things out and coming up with a plan?”
As Ryan explained the fight Emily had with her parents and the relocation to a hotel, Jason shook his head. “Man, how did I not know any of this? You usually tell me everything.”
“I’m learning to talk to God first instead of others. It’s been helping me a lot.”