The Mark of the King

by Jocelyn Green

The truth was so much harder than hope.

Before Paul was an apostle of Christ’s, he too followed the law with what he considered a righteous vengeance. But after his conversion, every letter he wrote to the early churches began and ended with grace. Not the law, but grace.

The older woman’s voice broke with empathy. “But I want you to listen to me. You will survive it. If God wanted you with Him now too, He would have taken you. But here you are. There is more life for you to live. The sun will shine again.” With her hand pressed to her heart, Julianne trapped a groan in her chest. “Does the pain ease?” she whispered. Francoise sighed. “The pain changes, and you will change with it. The sharp edges wear away in time, but the loss remains. You’ll learn how to live with it.

“You behave like you love him—even if you don’t care for him—and your heart will release its bitterness. You practice grace.”