Broken: A story of hope and forgiveness
Page 60
Chapter 41
The Call
Pastor Rick was back to his old schedule. The funk brought about by the week of death, as he privately called it, was now gone, obliterated by fate, circumstances, destiny, or whatever words could be used to describe the odd telephone call made to him about a would-be DUI slayer by the assailant’s own victim. He did not believe in coincidence. Everything happened for a reason. He found himself remembering one of his favorite Bible passages, the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, third chapter, first verse, and it once again became a promise that spoke directly to his soul: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” He was firmly convinced that God made Robert Baxter call him. If not for the call, he would have already packed up his personal things in his church office and begun classes in real estate, insurance, or some other sales business where his “gift of gab” could provide a living for his family.
It was a Monday, 7:15 P.M. on the dot. He was sitting in his office a few minutes after counseling a troubled couple in the church about the sanctity of marriage. The man had just ended a lengthy cyber-affair that, thank goodness, was never physically consummated, and they came to him for guidance to get them back on track in their relationship. It was dark outside, about half-an-hour after sunset. All in all, it was a good day to be a pastor. He had led a young man in jail to the Lord and possibly saved a marriage. If he received another call from a needy soul at that very moment, late as it was, he knew he would be just as passionate about that person’s needs as he was for the others he’d counseled that day. He silently prayed for his wife and kids and the time they would have to spend without him as he answered the call, wherever and however long it took him.
His passion for ministry was back. He nodded his head to say a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the peace God had given him. After the amen, he repeated aloud Romans 8:28, the most applicable Scripture he could think of: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Ring, Ring! His office phone blared.
“Hello?” he said after picking up the handset and placing it to his right ear.
“What happened?” Robert asked from his dorm room 365 miles away.
He grinned, knowing Robert would be thrilled to hear the news. “He’s now a child of God. It was amazing. He has been flipping through a Bible, reading Scriptures, and he gets it. He really gets it.”
“So, he accepted Christ?”
“Oh yeah; we said the sinner’s prayer and he gave his life to Jesus, fully and completely.”
“It’s not a jailhouse conversion, is it?”
The thought always dawned on Pastor Rick after helping a jailed parishioner find Jesus. He had seen it many times before. The crime-hardened convict would discover religion just to win the favor of the parole board or judge. As soon as he earned his freedom, he would go right back to the places and people that got him in trouble in the first place. “Salvation” only lasted as long as it took them to walk out of the jail and to the nearest bar or casino. Something inside him told him that Michael was different. He just knew that there was genuine repentance in his heart.
“I don’t think so,” he replied, hesitant to guarantee results. He’d been burned too many times in the past to say with certainty that this time was definitely different.
“I’m glad, Pastor Rick.”
“Yeah. I’m proud of you, Robert.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Without your forgiveness of Michael it wouldn’t have happened. You almost died physically, but you may have saved that young man’s soul for all eternity. You saved his eternal life.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“It’s true. You should take some pride in what you’ve done. God does.”
They said goodbye and hung up their phones. Pastor Rick shuffled papers for a few minutes to prepare for the next day, then turned off the lights and went home. Robert tried to get back to his business, doing complex mathematical word problems that only remotely resembled the real world, but he had a tough time concentrating. His thoughts kept gravitating toward something he’d been searching for since the accident.
“That’s it!” he almost yelled, startling Janie out of her nap on the futon just a few feet away.
“What?” she groggily asked.
“I’ll tell you in a second,” he said as he picked up his telephone and punched in speed dial button number 2.