Description

The story you hear in Promise Hill is a work of fiction, not drawn from any one person I know. It’s a reflection of the many human experiences we all walk through—grief, hope, change, and growth.

In this episode Mira spends time with her mom and learns more about her life while at the same time it bringing up a mystery of sorts.

The action steps and reflections I share are simply that—gentle suggestions. Take what’s helpful, leave what isn’t. This podcast is meant to encourage, entertain, and inspire.

If you find yourself facing something heavy, please don’t walk through it alone. Reach out to a trusted counselor or mental health professional. You are worth that kind of care.

Bless you, friend—and thank you for spending time here.

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Transcription

• Speaker #0

  Welcome back to Promise Hill. You're listening to Season 1, Episode 5, The Bluebird. I'm Kimberlee Herman, your host. There are conversations we tuck away for another time, words wrapped in silence waiting for the right moment to unfold. And then sometimes... The moment finds us. In this quiet corner of Promise Hill, something stirs in the space between memory and presence. A tender visit, a daughter, a mother, and the kind of words that only surface when the heart knows it's time. Let's walk in gently.

• Speaker #1

  Mira knocked gently and stepped into her mother's room, clutching the still warm loaf of cinnamon honey bread from Daily Bread Bakery. The scent of lavender and fresh linen filled the air, mingling with the soft hum of a distant radio playing an old song. It was the kind of scent that brought back fragments of childhood. Saturdays filled with laundry on the line and fresh bread cooling on the counter. Mira found her mom Ruth, sitting in her rocking chair by the open window, gazing out at the fading afternoon light. Her light grey hair was cut short to frame her sweet face, and there was something... Soft and still about her, in that moment, as if she was somewhere far away. Ruth turned when she heard Mira's footsteps, a slow smile spreading across her face. Her blue eyes danced as she welcomed her daughter.

• Speaker #2

  You came?

• Speaker #3

  Yes, I'm glad you called, Mama.

• Speaker #1

  Mira knelt beside the chair, gently squeezing her mother's hand, the familiar warmth grounding her. Ruth studied her daughter's face with quiet affection.

• Speaker #2

  You always find your way back to me.

• Speaker #1

  Mira smiled, though it trembled slightly. Charity's words echoed in her heart. Focus on the present. Embrace the clarity.

• Speaker #3

  I love you, Mama. I'm so glad to spend time with you today. Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?

• Speaker #2

  Oh, sweet Mira.

• Speaker #1

  Ruth's gaze drifted out the window again.

• Speaker #2

  There's always so much to say.

• Speaker #1

  Mira stood and began straightening the room, more out of instinct than necessity. As she tidied a stack of books, she glanced back at her mother.

• Speaker #3

  Mama, what is one of your favorite memories of me when I was little?

• Speaker #1

  Ruth's face lit up with a quiet chuckle.

• Speaker #2

  Oh, child, you had the most dramatic flair. One day you marched into the living room with a towel wrapped around your shoulders and declared yourself queen of all the sofas.

• Speaker #1

  She smiled fondly.

• Speaker #2

  You ordered your father to bring you juice in a goblet, not a cup. Funny you had a toy one that your dad used.

• Speaker #3

  Oh boy, that sure does sound like me.

• Speaker #2

  You were always creating kingdoms and stories,

• Speaker #1

  Ruth said, her voice almost wistful.

• Speaker #2

  It's like you were born with a little world in your head.

• Speaker #1

  This story bonded them in that moment. A moment of quiet intention about the past bringing joy in the present. Mira could see delight dancing in her mother's eyes as she reflected over their shared history.

• Speaker #3

  What about when I was a baby? I don't remember you telling me if I was easy or challenging.

• Speaker #1

  Ruth's fingers paused mid-rock.

• Speaker #2

  You were beautiful.

• Speaker #1

  She smiled, but something in her eyes flickered and she looked down. Mira caught the shift but didn't push.

• Speaker #3

  Was that a hard time?

• Speaker #1

  Ruth's lips pressed into a faint line.

• Speaker #2

  Some seasons are like photographs you only get to look at.

• Speaker #1

  Mira nodded, unsure what that meant and how to respond. Her eyes wandered, landing on a large, black, leather-bound book on the dresser. It was worn, its edges frayed, the gold lettering barely visible. Something about it felt important.

• Speaker #3

  Mama, what's that?

• Speaker #1

  She asked, pointing. Ruth's expression softened.

• Speaker #2

  That's my Bible. I realized it's okay for me to let it sit for all to see, now that your dad is not here.

• Speaker #1

  Mira blinked, caught off guard.

• Speaker #3

  Your what?

• Speaker #2

  My Bible, dear.

• Speaker #1

  Ruth repeated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

• Speaker #3

  What does dad have to do with your Bible?

• Speaker #2

  Your dad was a good man, but he didn't understand. But that is a story for another day.

• Speaker #1

  Mira walked over to pick it up. The leather was smooth, yet fragile in her hands, like something deeply loved. She had never seen her mother read a Bible before, never even heard her speak about faith.

• Speaker #3

  You read this?

• Speaker #1

  She asked, flipping through pages filled with tiny, handwritten notes in the margins.

• Speaker #2

  For most of my life,

• Speaker #1

  Ruth said simply,

• Speaker #3

  I didn't know you were religious.

• Speaker #2

  I'm not religious, honey,

• Speaker #1

  Ruth said with a soft chuckle.

• Speaker #2

  I have faith.

• Speaker #1

  Mira stared at her, unsure how to reconcile this version of her mother with the woman she thought she knew.

• Speaker #3

  Why didn't you ever tell me?

• Speaker #2

  Some things aren't spoken. They're lived.

• Speaker #3

  Okay.

• Speaker #1

  Mira sighed, wishing for more clear days, more chances to uncover more information about her parents. Mira stopped. on a page that seemed to call her attention. There were words underlined, and Mira felt she should read it out loud.

• Speaker #3

  Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. You believe all this?

• Speaker #2

  I do,

• Speaker #1

  Ruth answered with quiet certainty.

• Speaker #2

  And whether you realize it or not, Mira, I've- prayed for you your whole life.

• Speaker #1

  Mira's throat tightened. Something inside her shifted. Ruth reached out and rested a hand on her arm.

• Speaker #2

  Mira, I want you to have my Bible. It has seen me through hard times, things only God could handle.

• Speaker #3

  Mama, are you sure? I don't want to take something so important.

• Speaker #2

  I insist. Promise me you'll read it, cover to cover. Start with Matthew in the New Testament. Find a good church. Someone to help you understand it.

• Speaker #1

  She paused and got that distant look again, the one that told Mira her mind was drifting.

• Speaker #2

  My blue bird. Have you seen him?

• Speaker #1

  Mira gently squeezed her mother's hand.

• Speaker #3

  No, Mama, but I'll keep looking.

• Speaker #1

  A few moments later, Ruth shifted in her chair again and glanced toward Mira with sudden focus.

• Speaker #2

  There's something I need from the attic in our old house.

• Speaker #3

  The old house? Mama, do you remember we sold that house?

• Speaker #1

  Ruth nodded.

• Speaker #2

  Yes, honey, before we moved, I left a box up there in the secret room.

• Speaker #3

  Secret room?

• Speaker #1

  Ruth nodded again, pointing to her desk.

• Speaker #2

  The directions are in my diary.

• Speaker #1

  Mira was shocked as she reached for the journal and carefully laid on the desk. Inside were dates, scribbled stories, and, surprisingly, a hand-drawn map. At the back, there was a sketch of the attic and a small note about a hidden button.

• Speaker #3

  You always did think I could do the impossible,

• Speaker #1

  Mira said, more to herself than anyone.

• Speaker #3

  Mama, why didn't I ever know about the secret room?

• Speaker #2

  There's much to share with you,

• Speaker #1

  Ruth said with a soft smile.

• Speaker #2

  But first, the box.

• Speaker #1

  She reached out again, holding Mira's hand in hers.

• Speaker #2

  Thank you for doing this. One day I hope you'll see yourself the way I do. Strong, searching, and not as lost as you think.

• Speaker #1

  Mira looked down at the Bible and journal in her hands, the pages heavy with promises and untold pieces of her mother's story.

• Speaker #2

  Do you see it? My bluebird, I know he's coming home.

• Speaker #1

  Her eyes bright. Mira kissed her mother's forehead.

• Speaker #3

  Not yet, Mama, but I'll look for it.

• Speaker #1

  She walked to her car, holding the Bible and journal close to her chest. For the first time, she wondered if maybe there was something in the Bible worth discovering. Her thoughts drifted back to the big black book she saw at Grandma Eden's house. Was that a Bible, too? And then the flashback. Feeling loved in a moment with people she couldn't name, a childhood echo she couldn't place.

• Speaker #3

  I wonder if there really is a secret room, with a box that Mama is remembering now. If there is, what could possibly be in there?

• Speaker #1

  Some stories begin with words, but others, like this one, begin with the silence between them. In her mother's Bible and journal, Mira found more than just old pages. She found prayers that had been holding her long before she ever knew they were there. As Ruth's memories begin to surface, and a hidden box calls from the past, Mira steps into a journey she didn't expect, one that may just lead her back to herself. Stay with us for the next episode as we follow Mira deeper into Promise Hill, where faith lives in the spaces between the spoken. Take it away, Kimberlee.

• Speaker #0

  Sometimes what we think is the end of the story is really just the beginning of understanding. In this quiet exchange between Mira and her mother Ruth, a new layer unfolds, a legacy hidden not in grand gestures, but in quiet faith, handwritten margins, and a love that's been steady all along. What do we do with a past we only partly understand? Maybe we hold it gently. Maybe we follow the thread. Ruth's Bible becomes more than an object. It becomes a bridge between what was and what could be, between silence and story, between a mother and her daughter. And the bluebird? Perhaps it's not just something to be seen, but something to be remembered longed for, searched out, and maybe one day understood. As Mira traces these quiet clues, Ruth's journal, the Bible, the attic, the unseen bluebird, something sacred begins to stir. The past isn't finished with her yet. I have five reflections for you today. The first one, the power of a parent's prayer. Ruth's quiet, steadfast, faith reveals that she's been praying for Mira her whole life, even when Mira didn't realize it. She was covered in prayer. This reflects how a parent's prayer shapes and sustains their children, even when they wander or doubt. Do you pray over your kids? If you don't have kids, your siblings, nieces, nephews, hear it and hold it. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective from James 5 16. 2. Faith is lived, not just spoken. Ruth never preached to Mira about faith. She simply lived it. This reminds us that faith is not just words, but a way of life. How do our actions reflect God's love to others? In other words, how do you show others you're a Christ follower without saying you are? Hear it and hold it, Matthew 5, 16. In the same way, let your light shine before others. that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Number three, God's presence in our fear and uncertainty. Mira is beginning to wrestle with the idea that faith could be real for her. Her mother's certainty in God's promises challenges her doubts. The following verse reassures us that even when we don't understand, God is present, guiding us through life's uncertainties. Isaiah 41 10. So do not fear. for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Number four, the Bible as a source of strength. Ruth's Bible is worn and filled with notes, a symbol of a lifetime of seeking God's wisdom. When she gives it to Mira, it's more than a book. It's an inheritance of faith. The Bible guides, strengthens, and reveals God's truth to those willing to read it. Psalm 119, verse 105. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Last one, number five. God's plans unfold in mysterious ways. Ruth's request for the box in the attic hints at something unfinished from the past. Just as Mira is searching for clarity, God is already weaving a bigger plan. Sometimes, uncovering the past helps us step into God's future for us. Jeremiah 29, 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. And I have four live it out action steps for you today. Number one, begin a prayer journal. Just as Ruth prayed for Mira without her knowing, commit to praying for someone in your life. Write their name in a journal and pray for them daily, trusting that God is at work, even when you don't see immediate results. Number two, live out your faith in daily actions. Instead of just talking about faith, practice it in small ways. Show kindness, serve others, and extend grace. Identify one way you can reflect God's love today, perhaps through encouragement, patience, or an act of generosity. Number three, Start reading the Bible intentionally. Like Ruth's advice to Mira, begin with the book of Matthew and commit to reading a small section each day, or find one of those read the Bible in a year apps. Find a Bible study group or a mentor to help your understanding. And as you know, you can find about just about anything online these days. Number four, lean on God in uncertain times. When facing fear or doubt, turn to scripture and prayer instead of relying on your own strength. And memorize Isaiah 41 10 and repeat it when you feel anxious, trusting that God is with you. All right, let me close this out in prayer today. Father in heaven, thank you for the moments that catch us off guard and open our hearts, for the quiet ways you show up in a scent, a smile, a Bible, or a mother's memory. We pray for every listener who is holding both the beauty and the mystery of their past. May they be brave enough to return to the rooms they've left behind, curious enough to open old books, and tender enough to believe there's still something beautiful waiting to be found. Let what's been hidden come into the light. Let what's been buried grow into something strong and rooted. May your presence meet them in unexpected places, just like it did for Mira. And may they come to know deep in their soul that they've been prayed for too. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Friends, may you find peace in the presence and hope on the hilltop. This is Kimberlee Herman cheering you on from Promise Hill.