Halfway to forever by Karen Kingsbury

they started to sing.
"`Great is Thy faithfulness, 0 God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with Thee."' Their voices
joined together, and Jade savored the sound, every word a prayer to heaven. To think she'd believed her
cancer a punishment from that same faithful God seemed almost ludicrous now
She'd learned that, too, these past months.
A smile filled jade's face as the song built. "`Thou changest not,
Thy compassions, they fail not; as Thou hast been, Thou forever
will be."'
Jade opened her eyes and looked at the people around her,
people who, just six months ago, she thought she might never see
again. Hannah, whose passions were so like her own, but who
had been more like a sister these past months; Matt, who had
helped Tanner be strong when he had no strength of his own;
Jenny, whose sweet heart had been broken far too many times, but
who now seemed happier than she had in years; and Grace and
Kody and Maddie, who would be a part of all of them forever.
The song played on and jade shifted her gaze to Ty on her left side, strong in character and handsome like
his father, but still so much a boy. He grinned at her and she hugged him.
Then she turned to Tanner. Their eyes met and held, the
words to the song dancing on both their lips. She studied the
shape of his chin, his jaw, and cheekbones. Everything about him
was written on her heart, and she realized that she could read his
thoughts more easily since the cancer. Although there were no
words spoken between them, his voice played in her heart, telling
her he had never been happier, that he needed her more than air.
She leaned into him again, and turned her attention once more to Matt.
He was starting the third verse, one that jade was not familiar
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with. Only Matt and Hannah knew this part of the song, and jade listened, hanging on every word.
"`Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; strength for
today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!"' Jade could hardly
believe it.
Every word was as though jade had written it herself. It was the story of her life. God had pardoned her
sin and brought her peace. He'd cheered her on through the darkest days of her life and given her an
inhuman strength to carry on. She thought of her verse from Jeremiah, about the plans God had for her.
There was no question that her tomorrows were filled with hope.
Hope brighter than the sun.
Gratitude flooded her heart to overflowing. Ten thousand blessings, indeed! All of them had so much to be
thankful for. Suddenly jade had a vision of their two families gathered together this way, singing this song,
ten years from now... twenty. Thirty
Tears filled her eyes as one final time they joined their voices for the chorus.
"`Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have
needed Thy hand hath provided; great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"'
341 Dear Reader Friends, First, I must share with you how hard it was to let go of the characters in this
book. Matt and Hannah and Jade and Tanner have become like close friends, and as I neared the end of
Halfway to Forever the impending good-bye was almost painful. Of course, my husband thinks I'm
delusional. Crying over stories I made up, missing people that don't exist. He says I'll make an interesting