In the beginning of the novel, Terri is consumed with money. Marlee tells her money isn’t everything, but Terri has to learn this lesson for herself. There are numerous scriptures about money but here are a few that relate to “The Carol of the Rooms.”
“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7
Terri was bothered to overhear Gramps and Ethan discuss her need for a “Road to Damascus Experience.” Saul was known for his persecution of the Christians until God blinded him and spoke to him. From there he became a changed man and eventually went by his Greek name of Paul. This story can be found in Acts 9.
God works to get our attention through suffering, hardships, heartache, tribulations, trials, sickness, adversity, and anguish. He works behind the scenes to bring us to him and then to draw us closer and closer to his heart and will. 1 Peter 3:18 says “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
Music is used to rejoice and praise and worship the Lord. We were created to sing and make music. Scripture is full with stories of music such as Moses and the Israelites sang a song to the Lord, David danced before the ark of the Covenant and Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn at the end of the Lord’s Supper. Here are a few more scriptures:
“Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.” Psalm 96:1
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”“ Zephaniah 3:17
“Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” Psalm 105:2
“Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.” Psalm 150:1
“My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.” Psalm 57:7
Gramps waited for decades for Terri to turn back to the Lord. Once she did, Terri had to learn to walk in faith with her business, adopting Alexander and Mia, and creating Sunrise. Our faith walk is a journey and each step prepares us for the next. Hebrews 11 tells of the heroes of faith.
Hebrews 11:6 says “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Other scriptures about faith include:
“ For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34
Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Terri was raised in the faith and turned away from it. Later, through her experience she returned and raised her own children in the faith. So what about when a child turns away from the faith and doesn’t seem to be returning? All we can do is to keep praying. Jesus told the parable about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. That father waited, prayed, and watched for his son.
An overriding theme throughout the book is caring for the widows and orphans. James 1:27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Terri found a way to care for both the widows and orphans, as well as to allow them to enrich one another’s lives. These are two very special groups in my heart.
Deuteronomy 14:29 says, “And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.”
Psalm 68:5 tells us, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”
This last point goes along with the previous one. Even when Terri was angry at everyone else she cared (both emotionally and through deed) for Gramps. 1 Timothy 5:3 says “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put.” I’ve helped care for my grandparents for over two decades and worked in skilled nursing. So many seniors are lonely and many have no one. How can you make a difference in their life?