Until Tomorrow (28 page)

“What about coming back to Europe?”

“It's a possibility,” Todd said.

“You probably have figured out what I'm getting at,” Mike said. “We would love to have you here. We need help running The Rock. You are a perfect fit. Meg and I got excited last night talking about what could happen if you came on staff with us.”

Todd quietly ate the last of his oatmeal without responding.

“Think about it,” Mike said, pulling back. “Pray about it.”

Todd nodded.

“So,” Megan said, obviously trying to take the attention off Todd, “tell us about you, Christy. You said last night you're going to school in Basel. What are your plans after that?”

“Well, I'm not real sure. I've been doing some soul-searching
on this trip, and I just realized a couple of days ago, as Todd and I were talking, that I'm headed in a direction I don't want to go.”

“Do you mean with the orphanage and all that?” Megan asked. “You were saying last night that it really took a lot out of you to be with the kids.”

Christy nodded. “I'm discovering that I don't have the gifts needed for a long-term commitment like that. I need to figure out where I'm gifted and see what I should be doing instead.”

“Christy is exceptionally gifted,” Todd said.

“Really?” Mike looked interested. “Do you sing, Christy?”

“No, not really.”

“Do you like to teach?”

“Sort of. Little kids.”

“What about counseling?” Megan asked.

Christy shook her head. She was beginning to realize that the quest to find out what she was gifted at might be a rather long journey. Nothing popped right out as her specialty. It made her feel insecure.

“Christy has a rare, pure, golden heart,” Todd said. He looked at her with an open, caring expression. “She gives unconditionally and is a constant source of encouragement. She's gracious and patient and organized. She looks for the best in people and in every situation. She's willing to go the extra mile, even when it's inconvenient for her. She's flexible to change, generous, and wise beyond her years. God is going to use Christy's life in a powerful way.”

When Todd finished, none of them spoke for a moment. Christy was stunned at his shower of praise.

Megan was the one who finally broke the silence. “Todd, why didn't you tell us? Christy's the one you were talking about before, isn't she?” Turning to Christy she said, “I should have figured it out. When Todd first came to Spain, we kept
trying to fix him up with this woman on staff who was from Pennsylvania. Todd was nice to her. He was nice to everybody. But when he turned down all our dating tips, I asked him what the deal was. Do you remember that conversation, Todd?”

Christy glanced at Todd. He seemed to be trying to signal Megan that their conversation had been private.

Megan pulled back and said, “So he . . . I mean, you were . . .”

“I wasn't interested in Tina. That's what you're trying to say, isn't it?”

Megan grinned sheepishly at Christy. “We thought it was so cute. You know, we were Mike and Megan, and we figured Todd and Tina should be together. But Todd said he was interested in someone else, and he was waiting on God's timing. Now I guess we know who that someone was. It was you.”

“It was,” Todd said, giving Christy his full attention.

“Morning all,” Katie said, making a grand entrance into the kitchen. “What did I miss?”

Only one of the most tender expressions of Todd's forever kind of friendship that he's given me since the day he first put this bracelet on my wrist. I'm his girlfriend, Katie! I really am. He loves me. He's loved me for a long time
.

“Nothing,” Christy said.

It wasn't that she didn't want Katie involved in this conversation, but the revelation had been perfect just the way it was. She didn't want anyone to repeat the details when it wouldn't have the same effect it already had had on her.

“I suppose you three are ready to see Amsterdam,” Mike said, changing the subject for Christy. “Do you want to borrow a car, Todd?”

“No, we can use our train passes. You might want to give us a few tips. And if it's okay with Katie and Christy, I think we'll stay here tonight, too.”

“Definitely,” Katie said. “Only one small request. Do you have a washing machine, Megan?”

“Sure. It's small. Euro-size. You guys are welcome to use it. Or better yet, give me your clothes when you head out for the day, and I'll run them through for you.”

“That would be great,” Christy said. “Thank you.”

Mike suggested several places to visit, including some art museums, the Hiding Place, where Corrie Ten Boom had lived, and the Anne Frank museum.

“Any preferences?” Todd asked.

“I'd love to see the Hiding Place,” Christy said. “And at least one art museum. We sort of ran through the Louvre a little too fast. I'm feeling like we could use one more brush with culture before we go for our yodeling lessons in the Alps.”

“Is that where you're going next?” Megan asked.

“Looks like it,” Todd said. “But we're flexible.”

Todd displayed his flexibility that day by doing whatever Christy wanted. Katie noticed it after they bought their admission for the Van Gogh museum. “I thought you said you weren't interested in any more art, either, Todd.”

“Christy wanted to see this. I think it's a good idea.”

In Christy's opinion, it was a good idea. Katie got more into the exhibit when she recognized some of Vincent Van Gogh's art and realized he was the tormented artist who cut off his ear.

For a long while, Christy stood in front of Van Gogh's famous painting of sunflowers. In some places, the paint was plopped onto the canvas so thick it stood up like freshly whipped cream stiffened into peaks. Only instead of white whipped cream, the colors were bright yellow. In other places, Christy could see the original canvas where no splotches of paint had landed. Such creative expression fascinated her.

When they went on to the Hiding Place, Katie complained again that she had voted for the Anne Frank museum, but Todd had decided on Christy's choice even though it was farther out of the city. To make matters worse, the Ten Boom clock shop, where the Hiding Place was located, was closed when they arrived so they weren't able to go on a tour.

The threesome returned to The Rock at 6:00, just in time for the homemade dinner Megan had promised them. Christy told Megan that was the best meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans she had eaten since coming to Europe.

“Does it make you a little homesick?” Megan asked.

“A little.”

“Are you going home with Todd and Katie, or are you going to stay and finish the course even though you're changing your major?” Megan asked.

“I haven't decided yet.” As soon as Christy said it, Todd gave her a surprised look. “I need to decide pretty quickly. You know what? If I could borrow your phone tonight to make a collect call to my parents, that would really help me out.”

“Oh, they're going to love that,” Katie said. “If I called my parents collect from Holland, they would hang up on me.”

“No, they wouldn't,” Christy said.

“I'm not going to call them to find out,” Katie said.

Christy phoned her parents after another incredible worship service. Even though it was late at night in Holland, it was still in the afternoon in California. Christy's mom answered and immediately asked Christy if she was all right.

“Yes, we're all fine. Everything is going great, Mom. But I'm going to change my major. I don't know what I'm going to change it to yet, but I know I can't do this kind of work with little kids for the rest of my life.”

“Are you sure?” her mom asked.

“Yes, very sure. The question now is whether I should stay at school for the next term or come home. What do you think?”

Christy's mom paused before saying, “I think you have to decide that for yourself. Dad and I told you we would support your decisions from here on out. But they are your decisions, Christy.”

21

The next morning, as Christy and Katie ate breakfast in Mike and Megan's kitchen, Christy said, “Sometimes I don't like being an adult.”

“Really hard for you to make a decision about this next term at Basel, isn't it?” Katie said.

Christy nodded. “Last night I hardly slept. I kept thinking about what Todd and I decided when I was leaving England a year and a half ago and he was trying to figure out how much longer he should stay in Spain.”

“Was that the conversation you two had at that little tea shop?” Katie asked.

“Yes, how did you remember?”

“You said it was the most romantic date you had with him—just the two of you, sipping tea and eating scones in London.”

Christy smiled. “I think that's why I really wanted him to come to my Konditorei in Basel. I've sat at the back table so many times all by myself this past year. Every time I was there I would imagine what it would be like to have Todd seated across from me. Don't laugh, but sometimes I carried on imaginary conversations with him.”

“And did he ever answer you?”

“Sometimes.”

“Okay, now I'm scared.” Katie reached across the table and gave Christy's arm a squeeze. “You and Todd need to talk about this. It's a big decision.”

“That's what I was going to tell you. I kept remembering what Todd and I talked about that day at the tea shop. Todd had these verses from Psalm 15 that he quoted to me.”

“Sounds typical. Todd would have a verse ready for any situation.”

“It was about keeping your promises, even when it hurts.”

Katie flipped her short red hair behind her ears and said, “Is that what you're going to do? Keep your commitment to the orphanage and the school, even though it hurts?”

Christy looked at her friend and quietly nodded. “Yes. I think that's what I'm supposed to do.”

“And what are you supposed to do about Todd? Just keep him waiting?”

“I'll be back in September.”

“I know,” Katie said. “It's not that long. And I do think you're doing the noble integrity-thing by sticking with your commitment. I just thought that after this trip it would be hard to say good-bye because you guys have gotten so much closer.”

Christy sighed. “You have no idea how hard it's going to be. But he and I seem to have said a lot of good-byes over the years. Still, I'd feel better about everything if we could define our relationship more clearly.”

“You've always wanted that,” Katie said.

“I guess I have.”

“What woman doesn't?”

“What woman doesn't what?” Megan asked, entering the kitchen as Katie made her last comment.

“We were just talking about guys,” Katie said with a smile at Christy. “So what's on the schedule today? I thought we
were going to Switzerland, but I have a feeling Todd would like to stay here another night. That was a fantastic worship service last night.”

Katie was right. When Mike and Todd returned from their breakfast with one of Mike's friends, Todd asked Christy and Katie if they would mind staying another night. The two of them had spent the morning helping Megan clean all the rooms and fix lunch. Christy didn't mind staying. She loved it there. Her morning chores had energized her. She quietly told that to Todd as they ate their vegetable stew and warm rolls for lunch.

“Would you like to work at a place like this more than at the orphanage?” Todd asked.

“Yes, definitely. It's hard to compare months at the orphanage with one morning here, but I understand what you meant about feeling energized instead of drained.”

“Did Todd tell you about our breakfast?” Mike asked, breaking into their private conversation. “I introduced him to the group of men I partner with in this ministry. They asked if he wanted to come on staff here.”

Christy hadn't expected to feel what she did at that moment. She wanted to grab on to Todd and say, “No, you don't! We're going to college together in the fall. You're not coming back to Europe in a few months, right when I'm ready to go home to California. You can't do this!”

“What did you tell them?” Katie asked, looking at Todd and then back at Christy.

“I told them the same thing I told Christy the other day. The need is not the call. I see the need here. I just don't sense the call from God. Not right now. I think my priority is to finish school. After that, I don't know.”

Christy felt her heartbeat returning to a normal pace. She felt she would burst if she and Todd didn't have a chance soon to talk through what was going on in their lives and
what they were deciding for the future.

“Well,” Katie volunteered, “it looks as if I'm the only one who hasn't struggled with deciding what I'm going to do after this trip. Christy decided this morning that she's going to stay at the orphanage for the next term and finish her commitment there. I wanted her to come home, but she has this thing about keeping her promises, even when it hurts.”