Stitches in Time (The Deacon's Family)

Stitches in Time by Suzanne Woods Fisher is the second novel in The Deacon's Family series. I recommend reading Mending Fences before embarking on Stitches in Time, so you fully understand what is happening. However, there is a cast of characters to help new readers to the series and some backstory is provided. I found Stitches in Time to be well-written with developed characters going through realistic situations. When Luke Schrock draws the lot for deacon, he knows his life will forever be changed and so does his wife, Izzy. Luke has troubling following through on projects which will not fly as deacon. He started the expansion of their small home by demoing some walls and then he became deacon (project is at a standstill). Izzy is struggling to connect with her mother, Grace, but they are still two distant strangers. Izzy is also upset because she has yet to become pregnant and Luke does not understand her concern. Izzy is grateful for her sheep who provide comfort and a listening ear along with the sanctuary of her yarn shop. Mollie Graber is the new schoolteacher and she is happy to be out from under her mother's thumb. She wants to live life to the fullest and when Luke asks for volunteers to become foster parents, Mollie is quick to raise her hand. She wants two young girls but gets two eleven year old sisters who have been in the foster system since they were small. They delight in skipping school and shooting off firecrackers to scare horses (and so much more). Mollie and Sam were getting to know each other when she took in the girls. Sam then became distant and Mollie does not understand why. There are dropped stitches in Sam's heart that need mending and God has a plan. There is love, sadness, hope, faith, dismay, confusion and frustration in Stitches in Time (all of life's normal emotions). We watch as Izzy and Luke navigate married life with the added complication of his new job as deacon. The importance of having strong faith and praying to God. We forget to pray when faced with troubling situations and that should be the first step. God can work wonders if we just let Him. One of the phrases from Stitches in Time stuck with me and it is "The more I pray the more things happen." Hank Lapp provided amusement as he always does with his loud voice and directness. I like that we get to see that the Amish suffer from the same afflictions that the English do. Stitches in Time is a thoughtful story that will linger in your mind with you long after you finish it. I found Stitches in Time to be an inspiring story with troubled tweens, scared sheep, deacon duties, a half-done house, and startling surprises.