Learning to Love
The Fruit of the Spirit Series
by
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Susannah took Thomas by the arm and said, "I will be praying for you while you talk to Ruth. Be careful what you say. Let the Lord lead you." He nodded and headed to Ruth's room. He knocked on the door and said, "Ruth, it's Thomas. Can I come in?" He didn't hear anything, so he gently opened the door a crack and looked in. "Can I come in?" "I guess. What do you want?" "Just wanted to talk to you a minute. You know Ma and Pa love you, I hope. It's in everythin' they say and do. They love all of us. Ruth, I love you too and so does Jeff. I really wish you could understand that. You've always struggled with it because we've talked about it before. Please show Ma and Pa you love them. Don't let these years of your life go by with an attitude of hate toward them when all they want is what's best for you. You know that, don't you? They don't do anythin' intentionally to hurt you or frustrate you,but you act like they do." "But they won't let me have a real life away from this farm. I want the big city where things happen. I want my own car so I can drive where I want to go." "Why do you feel like that?" Ruth was a little taken aback. She'd never thought about why she felt the way she did, just that she did. "I don't know, Thomas, I just do. I can't explain it." "Well, if you can't explain it, how can you expect Ma and Pa to understand it? They've tried. I've tried. As your brother, I just don't get it. You have a lovin' family with a good home and a lot of land and you want to leave it real bad. I can't understand it. I love it here. I never want to leave. I think you need to think about the advantages you have which are many. You can live fine without a car or a big city. Just think, you are bein' given the chance at a college education and, for you, it's not the right place. You need to be thankful for bein' able to get an education because so many people can't do that. Make the best of it. Sam Houston may be the best thing that ever happened to you. Do you understand what I'm sayin'?" "Maybe. I just wish they," flicking her hand in the direction of the front room, "could understand me and love me like I am." "Ruth, sister, they do love you like you are. You just can't see it for some reason. Pray about it." "Humph! That never helps anything. I quit doing that a long time ago." "Why?" "It just doesn't work. That's why!" "You need to think about that again, sis. God is the one with all the answers and loves you more than anybody on earth. Why would you not want to talk to your Heavenly Father? I consider it a privilege." "Well, I don't! Alright! It's just a waste of time. Why do you come in here telling me what I ought to do? You're fifteen, only a year older than me. What makes you think you know so much? You're only my brother. What do you know anyway?" "Apparently more than you do." Thomas opened the door and closed it gently behind him. Ruth threw a pillow at the door which was meant for Thomas. Anger boiled up in Ruth and she wanted to strike out at something or someone. When she could find neither, she threw herself across her bed and cried. If someone had asked her why she was crying, she couldn't have answered. She didn't understand why.
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About the Book
The saga of the lives of Clem and Susannah Brown and their family continues to unfold. The first book in The Fruit of the Spirit Series dealt with Clem’s childhood and subsequent marriage to Susannah and all the trials and tragedies they experienced through the years. Their children are Thomas, Ruth and Jeff. This book deals with their daughter Ruth from ages four to eighteen. She misbehaves as a child and doesn’t show respect and love to her family and feels they don’t love her. The prayer life of her family is greatly increased due to her attitude. She wants out of Victory, Texas, and off the farm. She wants big city life and wants to teach school. Her grandparents spoil her by giving her anything she wants. She eventually goes off to college in Houston and graduates top of her class in 1910, but through it all she shows lack of respect and love to her family many, many times with her prideful and haughty attitude. She applies for teaching jobs in four states and wants a big city. The only offer she gets is from a small town in Georgia in a one-room school. Everyone advises her to take it as a first-year teacher. She finally consents, but God has a plan for Ruth. The plan unfolds in a most unusual way to get her attention. Discover what happens to and in Ruth.
About the Author
Jean Ellis Hudson has her B.A. and M.Ed. in Secondary Education/ Social Studies and taught high school social studies for fifteen years. She went on to be a church secretary for several years. Upon retiring, she followed her dream of writing which she has wanted to do since she was fifteen years old. It only took her fifty years to get there! She enjoys writing Christian historical fiction. Her first book, A Journey to Faith, received a positive review from The US Review of Books which earned the book The Gold Seal of Literary Excellence. Her interests include reading, writing, gardening, crafts and graphic design. She lives with her husband, Jimmy, in Georgia.