Read an Excerpt
Chapter OneTriple Trouble
...but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint...
Isaiah 40:31
"Oh, it's always so good to be home." I sighed as I said this, looking at Paul, my husband, who was stretched out relaxing. We'd been woken up early by the birds outside our window.
"Make the most of it, Margie," he responded, "we'll be off again tomorrow.
"Were to this time?" I asked, weariness sounding in my voice.
"Vancouver...
We'd just returned from a two-month series of church camps in Washington State. Summer was always ourbusiest season. Our "Little People's Ministry," which dedicated to evangelism--to equipping and encouraging children to learn and grow spiritually--found us hopping from one camp, church, and crusade to another. Not that it wasn't challenging and fulfilling--of course it was, in fact it was one of the dreams of our lives come true--but toward the middle of the summer we were more than ready to kick back and relax at our home in Coquitlam, British Columbia.
Now it was August. As I looked at our travel itinerary, observing the date--Monday, August 7, 1989, a Canadian holiday--I thought we would at least sleep in. I didn't know it at the time, but the date was to be forever imprinted on our memories--an unforgettable day with triple events that would sear us for life.
Very early that Monday morning the phone rang. "I'll get it, stay put," I said to my husband.
"Hi Mom, how's everything?"
"It's Paula." I mouthedthe words to Paul. "Everything's fine," I assured our daughter, "but we were just saying how good it felt to be home."
"Welllll...in that case, maybe I shouldn't ask," and she paused. But she knew her parents and what pushovers we are for kids, so it was only a momentary pause. "How would you like to drive a carload of kids up to Golden Ears and picnic at the Lower Falls?" Golden Ears was a vast provincial park, about ten miles away. "I need an, extra vehicle, someone dropped out." She paused briefly again. "If you'll do it, the sooner you can come and meet us at the church, the better. Everyone's waiting. They're anxious to get this show on the road.
I glanced at Paul. "Okay, we'll come," I promised. I already knew what his reaction would be. There just wasn't anything he wouldn't do for kids; his own childhood had been so traumatic.
"Come just as you are," she said, and I could tell she was relieved. "Thanks, Mom, I knew I could count on you and Dad. Bring your swimsuit and wear your shorts,"
I quickly pulled on my swimsuit, slipped some shorts on over it, and reached for the top I'd worn the day before. "I'll leave all this stuff behind," I said, remembering everything in the pockets.
"No, don't take time to clean out your pockets," Paul said. A few minutes later we were on our way out the door. As we drove the short distance to the church where Paula and the kids were waiting, I felt in the pockets of the shirt jacket, fingering the bottle of Paul's heart pills and another bottle of Extra-strength Tylenol. To myself I thought: Why do I always load myself down with this stuff!
We did a quick drive through McDonalds on our way out of town, the back of the van filled with kids. "Golden Ears Park, here we come," one of the kids shouted, and we all laughed. It was going to be a fun day. We enjoyed being with Paula and her young charges. We often jokingly said to each other and our friends that our daughters, Tina and Paula, and their young friends, kept us on our toes. There's no time to think about advancing years when you're around young people.
"What a gorgeous day," I said. Everyone agreed that they'd picked the right day. Twice before, the outing had been canceled due to inclement weather--B.C.'s liquid sunshine.
Upon arrival, we joined the others clambering out of cars. A few instructions to the group from Paula about the need to be careful--the rocks would be slippery and we'd be crossing the top of Lower Falls on a rock ledge--and we all took off. Just before leaving, Paula explained, "Now listen, you guys, there's a forty-foot-deep glacier pool off one side. No funny stuff, okay?"
We were proud of our beautiful daughter. She had such a love for young people, and she and her sister had always been apart of our work with youth. They were extremely gifted ventriloquists, and it was a delight to be around them. Now, as I watched her lead the kids, I saw her long strawberry-blonde hair swinging free as we approached the rock ledge walkway.
We all made our way cautiously across the slippery rocks, and found perches for ourselves on the rocks as we paused to rest and enjoy the breathtakingly beautiful scenery. We watched rather anxiously as some older fellows (not part of our group) dove into the glacier pool from high atop a rock perch. "Thatwater is ice-cold," I called to Paula. "How can they stand it!"
"I don't know," she called back, shaking her head, "I'm glad it's not me!"
Footprints. Copyright © by Margaret Fis Powers. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.
