THE DINGHY: CAST THY BREAD UPON THE WATERS

By L C King

A RIVER IS MORE THAN JUST A RIVER

IN

THE DINGHY

In this heart-stirring Christian adventure, L C King unravels hidden truths within the human spirit and explores the depths of faithful giving through the lives of a grandmother and her granddaughter.

After losing her parents in a tragic accident, six-year-old Kara begins spending the summer months at her grandparent's cottage along the St. Joseph River.

Kara loves the summers in the country-fishing and rowing in the dinghy-while listening to Grandma casting her bread through storytelling.

Now at seventeen, Kara arrives at the cottage for the summer a different person. She is insolent, defiant, and self-centered.

Alarmed by the changes she sees in her granddaughter, Grandma prays to God for wisdom and direction.

God charts the course as he accompanies Grandma and Kara on a memorable river adventure in the old weatherworn dinghy.

At summer's end, Kara returns home. She disregards the lessons learned along the river and navigates an uncharted course in her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685267957

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Acknowledgments

Part 1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Part 2

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

About the Author

cover.jpg

THE DINGHY

CAST THY BREAD UPON THE WATERS

L C King

ISBN 978-1-68526-794-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68526-795-7 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 L C KING

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

To all my grandchildren, with love.

In memory of my grandmother, who rowed the river and left behind her beautiful lilies.

Acknowledgments

With heartfelt gratitude, I acknowledge Ivy Sermos for her help developing this work and her tenacious editing. I also wish to recognize Kari Johnson for her research and for bringing details long forgotten to mind. These two wonderful people—alongside God, my husband, and my family—helped fulfill this writer's dream.

Part 1

She gazed up at the riverbank covered in vibrant color. Each spring, the wood lilies awaken and rise to embellish the bank of the river, with arms outstretched in terracotta hues.

Grandma's lilies, Kara whispered.

She looked to the small white cottage overlooking the St. Joseph River and surrounding countryside.

Kara took the oars in hand as she thought about Grandma. Grandma loved rowing the river in the weatherworn dinghy, especially when Kara began staying with her during the summers.

1

Glistening beads of ice adorned the leafless white branches. Limbs, burdened with accumulating ice and snow, arched across the road. Dusk had settled in, and the dense snowfall made it difficult to navigate the path ahead. Although the winter canopy presented an incredible display, it was ominous for the travelers.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, Kara sang as she journeyed with her parents to Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, to celebrate Christmas with her mother's sister, Vi. Grandma and Grandpa would also be there, and Kara was excited because Grandpa said he was bringing her a special gift.

Kara's parents joined in song to relieve their fears as they traveled the treacherous road amid the unexpected winter storm. Kara, seated in the back of the car and oblivious to the danger, sang with all of her heart. She heard a loud splintering crack and her mother's cry as a tree fell and halted their journey.

All Kara could see was the mangled outline of the roof looming over her. Desperate, she pushed with all her strength against it.

She yelled out, Mommy! Daddy!

There was no sound from the front of the car. Kara continued to call out for her parents with no response.

The snow was accumulating inside the car through the broken windows. Kara sat shivering and crying alone in the back seat for more than an hour, trapped inside her parent's tomb. She closed her eyes and prayed the only prayer she knew. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. It was then that she heard the sound of a woman's voice.

Are you all right?

Kara opened her eyes and looked toward the sound. Her teeth were chattering from the cold as she stammered out the words, Help us.

The woman, frantic to free Kara, was unsuccessful. The opening in the window was too narrow, and the doors had jammed under the weight of the tree.

I'm going for help. Don't you worry. God is with you, dearest little one, the woman said.

Kara watched her dash away from the window, unmindful of her words as if in a dream, noticing only the woman's big hair.

When help arrived, Kara was in shock and hypothermic, yet otherwise uninjured. The woman who found her returned with the paramedics and sat beside her in the ambulance. All Kara could think about was how the ambulance smelled funny, like roses and hairspray.

Grandma and Grandpa had already arrived at Vi's when they received the tragic news that a fallen tree killed their daughter, Jenny, and their son-in-law, Jimmy, but Kara survived. Without delay, they set out to get Kara, which proved to be an agonizing two-hour trip, hindered by multiple fallen trees and limbs.

The emergency room doctor treated Kara for hypothermia and gave her warm fluids to stabilize her. When Grandma, Grandpa, and Vi arrived, the doctor released Kara to their care. However, Kara was sullen and withdrawn, and it took some effort to convince her to leave the hospital. She knew her parents were there somewhere, and she did not want to leave them behind.

Kara asked, Where's the lady? She knows where Mommy and Daddy are.

What lady? Grandma asked, concerned.

The one with the big hair that rode with me in the ambulance.

Big hair? Kara, we haven't seen anyone like that. You are probably just a little mixed up. It'll be fine, Grandma reassured her. We are going back home to the cottage, and you are coming with us.

Not without Mommy and Daddy, Kara cried.

Grandma's heart fell. She too did not want to accept loss, the loss of her daughter, but she had to maintain her composure for Kara's sake.

Your mommy and daddy are in heaven, Kara, Grandma said, choking back her tears. Come go home with us.

After some pleading, a reluctant Kara succumbed to Grandma's wishes though she continued in disbelief and denial.

Sorrow filled the holiday season.

The funeral was held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the small church that Jenny and Jimmy attended. It was a grievous time, and Jimmy's parents, Mary and Greg Matthews, only served to intensify the grief with their bitterness.

Following the graveside services, while Kara was amusing herself with all the flowers, Grandma, Grandpa, and Vi approached the Matthews with concerns regarding Kara's future. Vi, devastated by losing her twin sister, expressed her desire to care for Kara. She had never married, yet she longed for a child. Grandma and Grandpa also shared their willingness to raise Kara at their cottage on the river.

Mary, Greg, we need to decide where Kara will live. She'll need a stable home, Grandma said.

Kara walked up and stood behind them. She was eager to show her other grandparents the new colorful patchwork teddy bear Grandpa gave her for Christmas, but no one noticed her.

Mary snarled in response to Grandma, You all take care of her. Jimmy made his choice to marry Jenny against our will. We don't have the time or the desire to take care of a little five- or six-year-old girl we don't even know.

Kara, overhearing the conversation, bent her head in sorrow and went to sit on a bench under a nearby tree.

Mary's lack of concern for their only grandchild shocked Grandma.

Grandma recalled that Jimmy's parents were against his marriage to Jenny. They wanted their son to marry someone with more of their social background. Nevertheless, Jimmy loved Jenny and told his parents he was marrying her despite their wishes.

Jimmy's parents would not attend the wedding. They shunned Jimmy and Jenny afterward and refused to acknowledge the birth of their only grandchild.

Grandma wondered why they even bothered to come to the funeral.

Grandpa, sensing Grandma was about to lecture them on God's love for orphans, touched her arm to quiet her.

Shaking his head to silence Grandma, Grandpa said, "We'll take care of her. We love her. I will have the legal paperwork drawn up. She's our beautiful grandchild, and she deserves a loving family."

So be it, Mary said and walked away in a huff. Greg remained behind and spent a few moments discussing legal affairs with reluctance. Before he left to join his wife, Grandma jotted down her phone number and gave it to Greg.

Grandpa turned and noticed Kara seated on the bench, clinging to her teddy with tears in her eyes, and went to comfort her. He lifted Kara onto his lap and soothed her tears. We'll be leaving soon, sunshine, and you get to come back with Grandma and me to the cottage.

I'll be living with you forever and ever? Kara asked.

Let's talk about that later with Grandma, okay?

Okay, Kara said, wondering why her other grandparents did not love her. She never knew them. She saw pictures of them, but that was all. They would not even look at her. Kara watched them leave without as much as a backward glance in her direction.

It was a long emotional day, and Grandma was thankful to see the last of the guests depart. Vi left for her home in Twin Lakes, and Grandma, Grandpa, and Kara headed back to the cottage near the small town of Mendon, Michigan.

Kara slept in the back seat, snuggling with her teddy bear the entire way to the cottage. Once they arrived and settled in, Kara asked, Why don't my other grandparents love me?

Grandma and Grandpa looked at each other, wondering how to answer the question.

I heard what they said, Kara confessed with tears in her eyes.

You heard what they said? When? Grandma asked.

When we buried Mommy and Daddy. I heard what they said about me.

Grandma and Grandpa felt terrible as Kara looked at them, searching with her big hazel eyes.

They wouldn't even look at me. I tried to be nice and smile at them, but they acted like they didn't even see me. Why? Kara pleaded for an answer.

Grandma and Grandpa looked at each other. Grandma said a silent prayer for God to give her words. How to answer Kara was a delicate matter.

I'm so sorry, Kara. Sometimes it's hard to understand why people do what they do, Grandma said, shaking her head in dismay.

There, there, sunshine, Grandpa said from his seat on the sofa and drew her close.

Well, no matter what, we love you, Aunt Vi loves you, and God loves you, Grandma said, taking a seat beside them.

How do you know God loves me? Kara asked, tears glistening on her cheeks.

Because he is God, and God is love. He loves you more than we do, and you know how much we love you, Grandma said with a smile. She looked at the patchwork teddy that Kara clutched in her tiny hands and thought of the story of Joseph from the Bible.

I remember a story about a young man who felt just like you are feeling now, Grandma said.

Who? Kara asked, holding tight to her teddy.

His name was Joseph. His father loved him so much. He was very fond of Joseph, more so than he was of all his other sons.

Why did he love Joseph more? Kara asked.

The Bible says it was because Joseph was born to his father, Jacob, when he was an old man. It was probably an unexpected blessing in his old age, kind of like the way Grandpa feels about you! Grandma said.

Kara looked up into Grandpa's eyes and smiled. Grandpa nodded his head in agreement and kissed the top of her head.

Jacob showered Joseph with attention and even made him a fine coat made of colorful patches, just like your teddy. I imagine the coat was beautiful, with all the red, blue, and purple patches. It was called the coat of many colors, Grandma said.

Oh, I bet it was pretty, Grandma! I love purple! Kara exclaimed.

"It was so pretty that Joseph wore his coat everywhere he went. But that wasn't the only thing special about him. He even had a knack for knowing the meaning of dreams.

"He told his brothers about a dream he had one night that implied he would someday rule over them. They didn't like that at all! They made fun of him for thinking he would rule over them.

The brothers were very jealous of Joseph. One day they plotted against him, hoping to get him out of the family for good. While they were tending to their flock of goats in the wilderness, they seized Joseph and stole his coat of many colors, and then they threw him into a deep pit.

Kara gasped. She put her hand over her mouth and said, Oh no! Grandpa, did you hear that? That is so mean!

I heard it! That's awful! Grandpa agreed, widening his eyes in feigned shock.

Then what happened? Kara asked in anticipation.

"The brothers saw a caravan of men approaching. They were traveling to a faraway place to sell their goods at the market. Again, the brothers plotted against Joseph as he lay cold and shivering in the pit. When the caravan drew near, the brothers bargained with the men. They pulled Joseph out and sold him to the men for twenty pieces of silver.

After the caravan moved on, the brothers took Joseph's colorful coat and dipped it in the blood from one of the goats they slaughtered.

Kara wrinkled her nose in disgust. Yuck, she said. Why did they do that?

"So they could pretend that's the way they found it. They ruined Joseph's beautiful coat. When the brothers returned home, they showed their father the coat with the blood on it. Their father felt sick. He knew a wild animal must have mauled and killed Joseph, causing him much sadness and grief.

Meanwhile, the caravan reached the faraway place, and the men sold Joseph to a man named Potiphar. At first, Potiphar liked him and thought well of him, but he lost trust in Joseph because Potiphar's mean old wife lied about him. Because of the lie, Potiphar became angry and had Joseph thrown into prison for something he didn't do.

That's mean, isn't it, Grandpa? It's not nice to tell lies, Kara remarked.

Grandpa replied, Yes, it is mean, sunshine. Let's see what happens next.

"Joseph, however, with God's help, was treated well and gained the respect of all the guards. He was even able to interpret the dreams of others in prison with him. After many years, the kingdom ruler of the faraway place heard about Joseph and his knack for knowing the meaning of dreams. The ruler summoned Joseph to his kingdom, hoping he could tell him the meaning of a dream he kept having every night.

"Joseph explained to the ruler that his dream meant there would be seven years when there would be plenty of crops for food in the land. After that, there would be seven years when everyone around the world would suffer because there would be a famine, which means there would be no food, and many people might starve.

"The kingdom ruler believed Joseph's interpretation and trusted him. He made Joseph the boss over all the land. Joseph stored up food for the hard times to come. When the years of famine were upon them, people from all over came to the faraway place for food. Even Joseph's brothers came.

"The brothers were afraid when they found out that Joseph was still alive and that he indeed ruled over them as he said he would so long ago. Joseph too was surprised to see them and struggled with his feelings about them for what they did to him.

"He could have punished them for what they did, but rather, he forgave them in the end and invited them to stay. When Joseph's father heard that he was still alive, he thought it was too good to be true at first, but it was, and he was overjoyed. Bad things happened to Joseph, but God allowed them to happen, so Joseph would be in a position to save the lives of all of God's chosen people, including Joseph's own family.

See, Kara, like you, Joseph was not appreciated by some of his family. God had a plan for him all along. And he has a plan for you apart from your Grandma and Grandpa Matthews for now. God knows, someday things might change for them too.

Kara thought about what Grandma said, then raised her teddy bear to her face and looked at it eye to eye. She said, We are going to be all right, little Joseph. Aren't we, Grandpa?

Yes, you are, Grandpa said.

Day to day, Kara struggled with her emotions over losing her parents. Grandma and Grandpa did their best to comfort her and answer her many questions while struggling with grief themselves. They knew that only time could lessen the pain.

As the end of the holidays drew near, Grandma and Grandpa explained to Kara that she would live in Wisconsin with Vi during the school year and spend summers with them at the cottage. Kara resisted at first, but she loved her Aunt Vi and reluctantly agreed to go.

Grandma and Grandpa brought Kara to Wisconsin and helped her settle in. With the love and support from the only family she had left, Kara seemed to have come to accept the death of her parents.

2

Kara adjusted well, living with her aunt. The love and care Vi bestowed on her helped restore Kara's youthful innocence and vitality as much as possible. She seldom asked why any longer.

As promised, Kara came to stay the summer with Grandma and Grandpa. They wanted to make sure Kara's first whole summer at the cottage was memorable for her, and Grandma wasted no time.

Let's go for a ride in the dinghy, Grandma suggested the morning after Kara arrived. Maybe we'll catch our supper.

Yes, let's go, Grandpa, Kara exclaimed.

Race you to the river, Grandpa said.

Kara giggled. She knew she would win the race.

Once seated in the dinghy and Kara had her life jacket on, Grandma rowed upriver. Grandpa's health was declining; therefore, he had to turn the oars over to Grandma last summer. Grandma became captain, making Grandpa the first mate and little Kara the second mate.

I won, Grandpa, Kara said.

Yes, you did. Grandpa tipped his hat to the second mate revealing his shiny, balding head skirted in silver. He sang with a sparkle in his brown eyes, You are my sunshine, my only sunshine….

Kara pretended she was embarrassed and covered her face with her hands, peeping at Grandpa between her fingers. She loved it when Grandpa sang to her.

Tell us a story, sweet Sue, Grandpa said.

Kara chimed in, Yes, Grandma, tell us a story. She looked at Grandpa and asked, Why do you call Grandma sweet Sue?

It's just a nickname I gave her from an old-timey song, he said, then broke out singing again. ‘Every star above, baby, knows the one I love. Sweet Sue—just you!'

Kara laughed at his singing and said, I thought your name was Suzy, Grandma.

My name is Suzanna, but everyone calls me Suzy except Grandpa when he wants something, Grandma said with a chuckle.

Kara thought for a moment, then replied, If I call you sweet Sue, will you tell us a story?

That is not necessary, Grandma said, laughing at her two coconspirators. Okay. Let's see.

A fish struck the water near the dinghy, and Grandma seized the crumb.

Did you ever hear the story of how a fish became a fisherman? Grandma asked.

A fish can't be a fisherman, Grandma. Kara laughed. Grandma was so silly.

It's true! Grandma winked at Grandpa. Ask Grandpa.

When did that ever happen? Kara asked as she looked over at Grandpa, raising a questioning brow.

Grandpa shrugged his shoulders and said, I'm not sure, but Grandma will tell us.

"It started a long, long time ago with two brothers who were fishing with nets near the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They were a scruffy-looking duo. They were fish but didn't know it yet. The men smelled like fish and had no education like fish, but they had big hearts.

"Jesus was walking along the sandy shore and saw them casting their nets. He already knew that they would be there because God showed him. God saw that these two scruffy fellows were precisely the type of fish that he wanted Jesus to call on for a fishing job.

"Jesus called out to them and said, ‘I will make you fishers of men if you follow me.' Andrew and Simon dragged their nets to shore and left them there to follow Jesus without hesitation. They had heard that this man, Jesus, was the long-awaited Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the whole world. This, in part, is known as the gospel.

"Fishing for men, Kara, means you need the right bait, and Jesus was an expert fisherman. He still is! Jesus cast his line, baited with the gospel truth, and caught Andrew and Simon. They were the first fish to be his disciples. As he continued his journey with Andrew and Simon, he cast his line baited with truth again and caught ten more disciples, twelve in all.

"Over time, these fish became fishermen and cast their lines out, baited in the truth that everyone's sins are forgiven in