by Pat Simmons
Adrian was glad his cousin couldn’t see the smile on his face. “Fair enough. See you there.”
His cousin had barely seemed interested when he had shared about his Holy Ghost experience, but last night, when Regina had told them how God had healed her after a series of major disappointments, Dolan had seemed to hang on her every word. Hopefully, her influence would rub off on him the way Brecee’s had on Adrian.
He ate a quick breakfast, then got in his car and headed to Brecee’s condo. Even though he would have to go past the church to get there, he insisted on picking her up. That courtesy had been ingrained in him by his father since his very first date.
Not surprisingly, she was ready before he rang the bell. She stepped outside in a light gray two-piece suit. She seemed to get a kick out of asking him what he was wearing, then dressing in a coordinating color. He sure didn't mind it when their outfits complemented each other.
“You look amazing,” he told her, “but I’m starting to wonder if you have clothes to match all the colors in a sixty-four box of Crayolas.”
She laughed. “Only my closet knows for sure.” She grabbed her Bible and her purse, then locked her door.
Once they were settled inside his car, the scent of her perfume tickled his nose. “You smell good, too.”
Her blush was thank-you enough.
As he drove, he gave her a sideways glance. “You know, babe, I have to thank you. After our double date last night, I appreciate the wisdom God gave you about being alone with me. You have no idea how much you tempt me.” He grunted and shook his head. “I tell you, without God’s Holy Ghost to keep me from falling, I would have tripped a long time ago. So, thank you.”
“Amen.” When they arrived at Bethesda Temple, Adrian knew the rou¬tine this time: select a row, kneel at the pew to pray and thank God for the privilege of being in His holy place, and then join in the praise service.
Moments later, Laura skipped up to their pew. She looked ecstatic to be there, giving him a hug before stepping on his Stacy Adams shoes to get to Brecee, who doted on her with unrestrained affection. Dolan shook Adrian’s hand. He didn’t look quite as excited.
Before long, Regina joined them. She seemed flustered. “Sorry I’m running late.”
Laura’s eyes lit up as she climbed over her father and Brecee to get to Regina. Adrian was able to move his feet out of the way this time before his little cousin could crunch them again.
“Hi, Miss Regina. Like my dress?” She looked hopeful as Regina squeezed into the pew to sit next to Dolan.
Regina nodded. “You and your daddy look very nice.” Then she knelt to pray.
“See, Daddy? And I picked out your tie.” Laura spoke loudly, but the praise music drowned her out.
Of course, Adrian hoped Dolan would experience what he had, but that was between his cousin and God. Jesus, please open Dolan’s eyes to see You, in Jesus’ name. Amen. But what if Dolan didn’t make a change? Adrian was having second thoughts about the whole double dating scenario. If things didn’t work out between Dolan and Regina, he wondered how that would affect his relationship with Brecee. More than anything, Adrian wanted her to be happy.
After Regina prayed, she stood with them and joined in the praise music. Dolan didn’t budge from his seat. The Cole men didn’t fake it for the sake of a woman, and Adrian could respect his cousin for keeping it real.
Adrian enjoyed the choir’s selections that morning. Judging from the way Laura hopped to the beat, she did, too. But after his experience with the Holy Ghost, Adrian was ready for the meat of the message. When Pastor Archie approached the pulpit, Adrian grabbed his Bible.
“I’d like to welcome any visitors,” the pastor said. “We’re so glad you’re here to worship with us. If God speaks to you during the sermon, I encourage you to take it to heart. We read in Hebrews three, verse fifteen, ‘Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.’
“That Scripture is so compelling, considering where my text is coming from this morning—Jeremiah thirty-one, verse three: ‘The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.’ God is not going to force Himself on you and your lifestyle. He won’t do it.”
Pastor Archie shook his head. “But that doesn’t mean He won't try to reason with you to draw you away from danger. He handles our hurts and pains like an overprotective mother. Jesus is kind and gentle. But, one day, He will shut the door and say, 'Time’s up.’ Don’t take God’s kindness for weakness and ignore the warning signs. The Bible says hell was enlarged because of sin. Where would you go if you died today?”
Adrian sneaked a glance at his cousin. Now that the music had ended, Laura sat quietly beside her father, flipping through her picture Bible. Dolan held an arm around her shoulder. His body language gave no indication that he felt God was talking to him.
But He was talking to Adrian. As Pastor Archie continued to preach, his words seemed to seep into his soul, until the realization hit that had been on his way to hell and hadn’t known it.
Pastor Archie ended his sermon with a warning: “There will be a trumpet, and it will be louder than a tornado siren. And just like that”—he snapped his fingers—”the dead in Christ will rise first, and we who are alive and remain in Christ shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Don't miss it! Don’t miss it! Don’t miss it! Get the Spirit of Christ today. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins....” He directed the congregation to stand for the altar call and, with bowed heads, to pray for souls.
While the music played softly, Adrian prayed for his cousin, soon adding his parents to his petition. When he heard Laura whisper, “Daddy, I’m sorry for being bad. I want to get baptized, so I can fly with Jesus,” he smiled. He had just read a passage in Matthew 18 about taking on the innocence and humility of a child to be led into heaven.
As he continued to pray, he felt a soft nudge, but he ignored it. The second one was harder, so Adrian opened his eyes and stared directly into Dolan’s.
“It’s time, man,’’ his cousin told him.
Adrian frowned. “Time for what? Don’t tell me you’re leaving.”
Pastor Archie had preached an incredible message. How had it failed to get through to Dolan?
“The sermon reminded me of Lynn.” Dolan swallowed. “She used to talk to me about Jesus’ loving kindness. Of course, I ignored her. She seemed to overlook my faults, but I guess I can’t hold out forever. If my baby girl wants to be saved from whatever little misdeeds she’s done, I can only imagine what I need saving from. It’s time to surrender.”
Stepping out of the way, Adrian watched as Dolan took Laura’s hand and proceeded down the aisle to the front.
He exhaled a sigh of relief. One soul down, two more to go.
Chapter Twenty- Three
M
y Yoke is easy, My burden is light. God reminded Brecee of Matthew 11:30 as she witnessed father and daughter repent and receive the baptism in water and in Spirit. As the dozens of new converts praised the Lord, she could feel God’s presence among them.
Hours later after leaving church, she and Adrian were at Longhorn Steakhouse, waiting for their meal. Although Adrian had offered to treat Dolan, Laura, and Regina as a celebration of their new births in Christ, Dolan had declined, preferring to enjoy Regina’s company without them— this time.
“Hey.” Brecee touched Adrian’s hand to get his attention. He was staring out the window.
He blinked. “Sorry. I was just thinking about Dolan and how happy his late wife would be. I guess the Lord made a promise to Denise, too, for her family, because Jesus fulfilled it today.” Adrian chuckled, then trapped her hands in his strong ones.
“Yep.” Brecee exhaled. “God never breaks His promises.”
“I know it. Honestly, the way Dolan fought coming to church, I was shocked that he surrendered so easily. Something held me back on my first visit.”
&n
bsp; Brecee nodded. “True, but we don’t know how many seeds his late wife had planted,” Brecee pointed out. “Some people come to church ready to repent, while others need more persuasion by the Holy Ghost. My family in Philly's going to think we’ve got a revival going on here.” She pulled out her phone and sent a group text with the praise report.
Stacy replied first. Excellent!
Praise God! came Shari’s response.
When her smartphone rang, she glanced at the ID. Victor, she mouthed to Adrian, just as their food arrived. He nodded, then quickly said a silent blessing before tearing into his steak.
“Hey, cuz. That’s good news about the salvation report, but I’ve got one for you,” Victor said. “I stopped by that house on Old York Road to see, against all odds, if that woman still lived there or if someone remembered her.”
Brecee’s heart pounded. “Go on.”
“The woman who answered the door looked familiar, and you’re not going to believe this, but—”
“Hold on. I want Adrian to hear this.” She waved to get his attention, and he immediately got up and scooted next to her in the booth, then slid his plate around. She set the phone on the table between them. “Go ahead.”
“I think we crossed paths before. Years ago, on campus.”
“Okay, so you had an impromptu class reunion. What about Mrs. Daniels?” She calculated her age in her head. “Is she still alive? That would make her....”
“Ninety-four or ninety-five,” Adrian stated.
Victor chuckled. “Impressive. Her great-granddaughter, Judith Pride, says Mrs. Daniel lives in a nursing home.”
When Adrian faced Brecee, he looked like he was salivating, and it wasn’t over his steak. His heart was probably racing, too.
Their server returned to check on them. “Hold on, Vic,” Brecee murmured. “We’re still eating—”
“No, we’re finished,” Adrian said, then turned to the woman. “Can we get our check, please?”
“We’ll call you back as soon as we pay the bill and get in the car,” Brecee told her cousin before disconnecting the call.
“Would you like some to-go containers?” the server asked them.
“No.” Adrian set down a wad of cash—enough for the tab plus a generous tip. “I don’t want to wait around for her to return my plastic or any change,” he told Brecee. She wasn’t surprised when he left one of his business cards behind.
Grabbing her hand, Adrian hurried through the restaurant and out the door. She would have called him out on his behavior, but she understood the reason for his adrenaline rush. At least he opened the car door for her, as always, before sprinting to the driver’s side.
Behind the wheel, Adrian took a deep breath, then gave her a sheepish grin. “Okay. Call Victor back,” he said as an afterthought, he added, “please.”
Laughing, Brecee smacked him in the shoulder, then tapped her cousin’s number and put the phone on speaker.
“That was quick,” Victor said. “Adrian, you’ll be pleased to know I actually spoke with Mrs. Daniels.”
Brecee thought Adrian’s eyes were going to bug out of their sockets. “How did you manage that?” she asked.
“I explained to Judith that a friend of my cousin's wanted to speak with her, and why, and she agreed to take me to the nursing home for a visit.”
Adrian was speechless.
“I couldn’t believe Mrs. Daniels' memory. When I strolled into the room behind Judith, she squinted at me, then adjusted her glasses. When Judith told her who I was, she called out our grandfather’s name. She said I looked just like Theodore.”
“Wow,” Brecee whispered, stunned.
He cleared his throat. “Did she say anything about my grandmother Cora Lambert?”
“Ah, ah...sorry, Adrian. We got so busy talking about my grandfather and the Lord, I think I wore her out, and Judith suggested we leave before I could ask.”
Adrian squeezed his lips together and exhaled through his nose. Once he seemed to have his frustration in check, he slowly stated, “I’m glad she’s up to having visitors, because I’m coming.”
Yes! Brecee couldn’t wait to take Adrian to visit her hometown.
“Fairview Care Center, Bethlehem Pike,” Adrian repeated after Victor, then thanked him. “I guess you’ll be seeing Brecee and me next Saturday.”
She gave him an amused look.
“Babe, I'm sorry I got ahead of myself,” Adrian told her once they’d said good-bye to Victor. “Is next weekend good for you?”
“Are you kidding me? Shae and I are always looking for an excuse to go home. Do you mind if I ask her to join us? She will be highly ticked if I one-up her on a trip home.”
“Of course not. But I’ll want to focus on spending as much time with Mrs. Daniels as I can.”
That was fine with her, but she at least had to give him an abbreviated tour of the City of Brotherly Love, with dinner at Geno’s Steaks, a visit to her home church, a stroll at Penn's Landing....
“Pack light, babe,” he interrupted her agenda planning. “Let me know if I need to order three airline tickets.”
“Oh, it’s definitely two,” she assured him. “Even if Shae joins us, there’s no way my brother-in-law will let another man buy anything for his wife.”
Nodding, Adrian smirked. “I understand the feeling.” He leaned over and sealed his statement with a kiss.
“If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have repented sooner,” Dolan told Adrian during their next phone conversation. “I’m at peace.”
Salvation was definitely contagious. “Without Brecee, I don’t know if I would have traveled this path, but then I think of my grandmother and how hard she probably prayed for my mother,” Adrian mused. “I guess there was no way the power of God would stop cold turkey in the family.”
“Regina played a big part in my ‘now or never’ decision to go to church,” Dolan admitted. “And then, once I was there, Laura was ready....’’
Adrian stood when he spied a car driving into the dealership parking lot. “Business beckons. I’ll talk to you before I leave for Philly.”
Barring sickness or death, it was unheard for Adrian Cole to skip a Saturday of work at the dealership. The sales manager at Broadway Luxury Motors had reminded him of that very fact when Adrian informed him that he would be out of town the following Saturday.
He tried not to think about the single sale he still needed in order to meet the manufacturer’s quota, which changed from month to month. He really wasn’t that worried, because he had never failed to meet it before. He’d always credited his expertise or self-confidence for his success, but now he understood that God alone was responsible for his blessings. “Lord, I’m trusting You.”
By Friday afternoon, Adrian had built many new relationships over the week, but he paced the showroom floor, hoping that the financing for the Mulligans would be approved. He’d already had three false hopes this week. He didn’t want it to be four. Trust God, trust God, trust God, he coaxed himself. He was going to Philly this weekend, no matter what.
Are you sure about that? a small voice from nowhere taunted him.
Briefly, a surge of doubt rose up within him, but he shook it away. Yes, Jesus had saved him, but it seemed like his grandmother had put him on that path. Besides his mother, Mrs. Daniels was the only connection he had left to his grandmother. He had to go to Philly.
Two hours before closing, Adrian learned that the Mulligans’ deal had fallen through. As his heart began to sink, he began to pray. After stopping in the men’s room, he returned to the showroom just as a gentleman strolled in. He looked somewhat familiar, and it didn’t take long for him to remember that he was one of Rahn’s referrals. If only he could recall his name.
The man recognized him immediately. “Adrian, it’s good to see you again.” He pumped his hand.
“Good to see you, too, Mr.—”
“Call me Fred,” he said. “No need for formalities. Since test-driving that
Benz a month ago, I finally convinced the wife that it was time for an upgrade. So, here I am, ready to sign on the dotted line.”
Thank You, Lord! Adrian wanted a private moment to dance before the Lord as King David had done. Instead, he exhaled and smiled. “We can make that happen. Come on into my office, so I can see which model you test-drove.”
“No need. I already spotted it in the lot, hidden behind two other models. It’s got my name on it.”
Adrian loved customers who knew what they wanted. “Then let’s go out there and get the model number.” They strolled outside. Besides financing, the only thing that could thwart his sale was if another associate had already sold the vehicle. When he saw that the sticker was still on it, he grinned once again.
Only minutes before closing, Adrian dropped the keys into Fred Miller’s hand. He waved as another satisfied client drove off the lot. It had been tight, but God had come through for him. “Thank You, Jesus!” Adrian pumped a fist in the air. “Won’t He do it?” he asked, repeating a favorite phrase of Pastor Archie.
Now he could finally focus on the trip. It came as no surprise that Shae wanted to tag along. A few hours later, Adrian escorted two lovely Carmen sisters and Sabrina through the airport terminal to catch their flight to Philly. Brecee and her sister talked places of interest for Adrian to visit.
“Babe, all that will have to take a backseat to visiting the nursing home,” Adrian reminded Brecee as they fastened their seat belts on the plane.
She scrunched her nose at him, a teasing gesture he had seen her sister direct at Rahn a few times.
Despite the late hour of their arrival in Philadelphia, thanks to a delayed flight and the time difference, there still was a welcome party of Carmens waiting to greet them at the airport.
Mrs. Carmen wouldn’t hear of Adrian staying at a hotel. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy your accommodations at my nephews’ apartment.” She nodded toward Victor and Dino. “First, though, you'll come to my house for a snack.”
That could work, Adrian thought. Maybe he could pick the man’s brain about what to expect from Mrs. Daniels the next day. Adrian was so keyed up, he considered camping out at the nursing home in order to be the first guest on Saturday morning.