The Moral of the Story

Cindy Trane Christeson

o7 “If you experience God’s love at your lowest, you’ll know it has

nothing to do with your condition and everything to do with God’s amazing

grace.” --f7 Unknown I graduated from Newport Harbor High School and

I frequently rode my bike to get there from my parents’ house on the

NewportPeninsula.

I loved passing familiar places and faces, and knew I could always

count on a smile and a wave from the friendly crossing guard at Newport

Elementary School. During my junior year I monitored the progress of a

store being built on Balboa Boulevard.

The first day I saw the front door open, I stopped in. I was intrigued

by the name of the store and wanted to meet the owner. The name of it was

the Handmaiden and the owner’s name was Carol Wallace. She couldn’t have

been nicer or more welcoming. The same was true of her store. I was

just a teenager on a bicycle, but Carol made me feel important and

welcome to come in and talk. I often dropped in on Carol and plopped

myself on the stool next to her desk while she wrapped special gifts in

brown paper, ribbon and strawflowers. We talked about anything and

everything.

Carol knew and loved her customers, and they felt the same way about

her. The Handmaiden felt more like a home than a store. Carol explained

that she chose the name because she felt the store belonged to God, and

she was his handmaiden.

“I felt like God gave me the store and I wanted to honor him,” Carol

said to me recently, “My store was my ministry.” She certainly ministered

to me there. And she never opened on Sundays.

For the next 27 years, Carol was busy and blessed with a husband, a

son and a flourishing business. Several years ago, though, Carol

considered retiring to have more time for her family. She proceeded along

that path until she hit an unexpected detour when she was diagnosed with

breast cancer. She began a regimen of chemotherapy and radiation.

I talked to her while she was undergoing chemotherapy, and was amazed

with her attitude.

“Well, I’m not complaining about bad hair days anymore,” she said.

Last August Carol announced a monthlong closing sale for the

Handmaiden. I planned to go there the day after Labor Day. But tragically

the store burned down the day before Labor Day. I couldn’t believe it,

and when I called Carol to see how she was doing, I was the one who was

crying.

Even though cancer and treatment were painful, Carol wasn’t angry at

God. Even though the loss of the Handmaiden was devastating, Carol still

wasn’t angry at God.

“He was with me through it all,” Carol said. “I knew he wouldn’t give

me more than I could handle with his help.Really, he’s been very good to

me.”

“The Lord has different paths for me now,” Carol said. Fortunately

that doesn’t include chemotherapy anymore because Carol has been

cancer-free for a year.

I still miss the Handmaiden. But I wouldn’t want to miss Carol’s

message that even though the paths of our lives have unexpected twists

and turns, God will walk with us every step of the way.

And you can quote me on that.CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach

resident who speaks frequently to parenting groups. She can be reached

via e-mail ato7 cindy@onthegrow.comf7 or through the mail at P.O. Box

6140-No. 505, Newport Beach 92658.