She was no longer in control. She was totally undone.
For several minutes, all the years of denial, all the years of suppressed feelings mingled into a mess of emotions that painfully scraped over her heart as they moved through her. The guilt, the abortion, her selfishness, her pride, her rebellion against God—everything was exposed in the holy light that shone from the spiritual world.
She was a sinner in the presence of holiness. She knew it with absolute certainty.
The light kept shining and for a few more minutes she cried until, mercifully, the tears began to subside. She let the feelings move away. She released them. The relief was welcome. But, in the emotional wake was a new realization.
“God, please forgive me. Please have mercy on me. I need you. I need your forgiveness. Please have mercy on me. Please forgive me.”
She cried some more.
The tears rolled down her face.
“Jesus, please forgive me. Please save me.”
Above, the spiritual battle had shifted drastically. Nabal was gone and the demons were being defeated easily. Kathy was now in the presence of the divine and it was impossible to break through and harm her now. Demons fled in different directions as they realized the battle was over. Then, suddenly, it was quiet.
Kathy had stopped crying.
The light was still shining on her, opening her heart to truth, nudging her to realize her need. It was wonderful. It was painful.
Then, a strong and pure wave of love flooded into her soul and with it came the wonderful realization that God was not angry with her. He wasn’t there to judge her or beat her down with guilt. He was there to forgive her.
The peace and security of God’s love enveloped her. He seemed to hold her, comfort her, and embrace her with such acceptance that she felt joyous. She knew he loved her. She didn’t understand how she knew, but she knew that now was the time to turn to him and be forgiven, be forgiven of everything, freely, and forever.
She laughed slightly through a sob and with closed eyes, lifted her head toward heaven.
“Lord Jesus, please forgive me. Please save me. I am a sinner. Please forgive me of all of my sins. Please forgive me of the abortion, of my lying, my pride, my selfishness. Please forgive me. Please take me. Jesus, I need you. Please Lord, save me.”
Kathy sat in the front seat of her car, alone. All danger had passed. Salvation had come. She had found total and free forgiveness in the divine love and sacrifice of Christ.
***
At home, John was sitting on his couch reading the Bible. Kathy suddenly popped into his mind. That was not unusual, particularly as of late, so he kept reading. But it was strong. John laid the scriptures on his lap. He could feel that something had happened. “Lord, is she okay?” He waited.
Peace filled his heart.
He closed his eyes and let his head rest back on the couch as he began to pray. “Lord, please be with her and protect her. Please save her.” It was a simple prayer, one he had prayed for her countless times in the past. But this time there was something different.
“Lord,” he said again. “I don’t know if this is from you or not, but as always, I pray for her protection. And, Lord, please save her from her sins.” With the last statement, his heart leaped. He opened his eyes. Then the urge to go to the hospital and visit Mark came over him. It was so strong that he quickly decided to go.
He got up with a single grunt of discomfort, took his Bible with him, retrieved his keys, and closed the front door behind him as he hurried to his car.
***
Kathy had stopped crying. She was wiping her eyes with tissue from the glove compartment. She felt absolutely wonderful and could not help but smile. Her eyes still held tears, but she laughed in spite of them as she wiped them away. She took deep breaths and sighed heavily. It was a wonderful sensation. She closed her eyes and laid her back against the headrest. Then, after a minute she started talking to the Lord. “I didn’t expect this. This is wonderful. Thank you, God. Thank you for saving me.” She smiled and the tears began to well up in her eyes again.
“Thank you for forgiving me.”
In the spiritual world, the light faded and gradually disappeared.
Kathy sat in her car, slowly recovering and savoring the moment. She was so involved in relishing her salvation that she was unaware of the truck that pulled off the side of the road and parked behind her. The driver opened the door and a pair of dirty work boots planted themselves on the ground. A large man emerged. He left the door open as he began to walk slowly towards Kathy’s car. Something was in his hand. He walked up to the passenger-side window and could see that she was alone. He tapped on the window.
She jumped and glanced over to the right and saw a gruff-looking man. Her heart raced. Mark always told her to never let strangers in the car since there were so many dangerous people around.
“Do you need any help?” the man asked. His voice was muffled by the glass.
Kathy reached over for the window control and lowered it a couple of inches. “No,” she said. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure, ma’am?”
“Yes, really. I’m okay.” She put her finger on the window control, about to close it.
“Ma’am, I hope this doesn’t sound odd. But I had a dream last night where the Lord told me to drive down this freeway at this time. He told me that there would be a woman under a bridge and that I needed to give her—uh, you, this.” The man lifted up a worn, obviously often-read copy of the Bible and showed it to her through the window. He smiled. A tooth was missing.
The fear instantly vanished. She lowered the window.
“Thank you, ma’am.” He extended his arm through and handed her the book. “In the dream the Lord let me know that he has done a wonderful work in your life. He loves you greatly.” The man smiled. “I don’t know who you are, ma’am, but the Lord does. God bless.”
With that, he smiled again and started walking back to the truck. She watched him in the rear view mirror. He got in and quickly pulled out onto the highway. As he went by, she noticed a sign on the passenger door. It read Heaven’s Tow Service.
She smiled and realized that she was entering a new world where God was real and the unexpected might very well become the norm. She glanced down at the Bible and opened it. There was a marker stuck in Matthew, chapter 5. She read the words of Jesus as he gave the Sermon on the Mount.
All she could do was smile. “I’ve got to tell Mark,” she said. “I don’t know if he’s going to believe me, but I’ve got to tell him.”
She started the car and put it in drive. Merging into traffic was easy. There was an off-ramp ahead where she could turn around.
***
“I really appreciate you staying here and talking to me,” said Mark.
“It’s no problem. That’s what I’m here for.” Pastor Tim was sitting down in a chair next to Mark’s bed. The two had been talking for quite a while.
“I wonder if I’m ever going to see Sotare again,” he commented.
“I have a feeling you will.”
“What makes you say that?”
“It’s just a guess. I mean, you had so many questions for him. I bet you’ll see him again. And, if you do, tell him I said hi.”
Mark smiled. “I hope you’re right.” Then he added, “Funny thing is, those questions don’t seem to matter much anymore.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Yeah. But what I’m worried about is how I’m going to tell Kathy that I’ve been talking to an angel and become a Christian. I don’t know how she’s going to take it. As far as she knows, I’ve been under a lot of stress and randomly showed up at her church. She’ll probably think I’m totally wacked.
“Don’t worry, the Lord is in control and he knows what he’s doing. Things will work out fine.”
“I suppose you’re…”
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” said Mark.
John’s
head appeared. “Oh, hi, Pastor. I hope I’m not disturbing you two.”
“Not at all.”
“How are you doing, Mark?”
“I’m doing great. I’m glad you’re here. I have something to tell you.” He smiled at Tim knowingly.
“Okay, I’m all ears, but first let me get to a chair. I’m still sore from the operation. This old body needs to take it easy.”
“You’re not old,” responded Mark and with a smile added, “Well, you’re not that old.”
“Well, I’m in better shape than you are.”
“He’s got you there,” said Tim as he got up and moved a chair into position for John.
After a nod of thanks, John said, “I sure feel old, especially lately.” He slowly lowered himself into the seat, grunting lightly. “That’s better.”
“What brought you here?” asked the pastor.
“I was at home reading my Bible when I had the strongest urge to see you, Mark. So, here I am. Besides, it was a good excuse to get out on my own. That daughter of mine won’t let me do anything.” He adjusted himself in the chair. “Where is she, anyway? I thought she would be here with you.”
“She left about an hour ago, dog tired. Wasn’t she at your place?”
“No,” said John casually. “She’s probably out doing some shopping.” John slowed his speech and emphasized the words as he said, “If I’m lucky, maybe she’s going to fix me a nice thick, juicy steak dinner, with mashed potatoes, gravy, and hot rolls. Too bad you’re stuck here in the hospital.”
“Thanks,” said Mark sarcastically. “I appreciate your concern. But, I’ll be out of here in no time and then you and I can chow down on some serious beef.”
“Sounds good. So, what’s new?”
Mark smiled, “Well, I thought you’d like to know…”
There was another knock on the door. It opened and Kathy’s head slipped in. “Oh, my,” she said. “This looks like a town meeting.”
Kathy walked into the room full of smiles and energy. Mark easily recognized that there was something different about her. He also noticed that she was carrying a Bible.
“I’m glad you’re here, honey,” he said, curious about the Bible.
Pastor Tim got up and offered Kathy his chair. “Oh, no, Pastor. That’s okay—you sit.”
Pastor Tim scratched his head. “Well, if you don’t mind, I have a hard time sitting while a woman is standing in the room. Please, I’d feel more comfortable if you sat down.” He offered a gentle smile and motioned towards the chair. She smiled back and quickly took it. “Thanks.”
She grabbed Mark’s hand and set the Bible on the bed. A glow seemed to shine from her eyes.
“What is it?” he asked.
She stared into Mark’s eyes and grabbed his hand with both of hers. She scooted closer to him and leaned forward. Mark looked at her and then at John.
“Something happened,” she said. His silence urged her to speak.
“I’m a Christian. I was driving home to Dad’s place and the most remarkable thing happened. I can’t describe it and I don’t know if you’re going to believe me, but the Lord spoke to me. I don’t know how I knew it was him, but I could hear him in my heart. I mean, it was all so clear. I knew I was a sinner and I knew I needed forgiveness.”
She was obviously excited and with each syllable, she shook his hand.
“I asked Jesus to forgive me, and he did. I’m forgiven of my sins, all of them. It was easy and simple.”
Her voice was bouncy, full of energy, full of joy.
“Mark, you need him. You need to be saved.”
She looked at her father. “Dad, I understand now. I understand why you love God. It’s wonderful. I feel so free. Jesus forgave me.”
John’s mouth was open slightly, frozen. He was half in shock and half in joyous relief. He stared at Pastor Tim, and then looked back at Kathy.
She looked at Mark. “I was driving down the freeway on the way back to Dad’s place, and this sensation came over me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I needed God. I don’t know how I knew what I did, but I knew I needed him. He was so real.”
“Praise God,” said John with a shaky voice. He was wiping the tears from his eyes by now. “Praise God. I have been praying for this for so long.” He rubbed his eyes again with his index finger and thumb and forced himself to get out of his chair. She stood up and met her father halfway. They embraced tightly.
Kathy could feel his strength and that same security she had felt in his arms when she was little. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you, too,” he said with a cracking voice and a sniff.
They held each other a while longer, savoring the joyous realization of salvation in Jesus. Tears dribbled down his cheeks. On the table next to the bed was a box of tissues. He reached over, grabbed some, and blotted his eyes. “Thank you, Jesus.”
It took a couple of minutes for John to let her go. When he did, he looked into her eyes and she returned his loving gaze with a smile.
“This is so wonderful,” he said. “You have no idea how many times I’ve prayed for this.” He chuckled and winced.
Kathy looked at Mark and then back to her dad.
“I need to sit,” said John, realizing she wanted to talk to Mark so he let himself sink back into his chair. He dabbed his eyes again.
Tim blinked a few tears away and then they all looked at Mark. Kathy went back over to the chair next to the bed.
“Honey?” she said tenderly.
“Yes?” answered Mark, excited that he was about to reveal his secret as well.
“I was driving and the Lord called me in my heart. He had been preparing me and then…he called me. I stopped under a bridge and…”
She stopped as her eyes softened and began to well up with tears. Then in a tender and trembling voice, Kathy carefully said, “… and I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins.” She looked at Mark, waiting to see what his reaction would be.
“That’s wonderful,” he said. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
Kathy grinned with a huge smile. She did not know that Mark was also a believer, but for now, she had to tell him the rest of the story. She continued. “Then the strangest thing happened. While I was there, in the car under the bridge, this man in a tow truck pulled up behind me. I didn’t see him at first until after he tapped on the window. He wanted to know if I needed some help. At first I was afraid, but I didn’t have to be. Now, get this. You won’t believe it.”
Mark glanced at Tim, then back to Kathy.
“He said that he had a dream where God told him to go onto the freeway and he would find me there. He said he was supposed to give me this.” She reached for the Bible and held it up. “Can you believe it? A complete stranger stops to help me right after I receive Jesus and he tells me that the Lord sent him to that place to give me a Bible? I mean, it’s like a miracle. It is a miracle.”
She looked at Mark to see what his reaction would be. “That’s wonderful,” he said tenderly. “The Lord is good, isn’t he?”
Kathy clued in on his comment and tilted her head slightly. Mark gazed into her eyes and gently squeezed her hand. “Honey, I have a lot to tell you, too. But the most important thing that I have to tell you is that I am also a Christian.”
“What?”
“That’s right. I just prayed with Pastor Tim and received Jesus as my savior.”
“Praise God!” shouted John from his chair as he stamped his feet and clapped his hands. He flinched harder this time, winced, and groaned.
Kathy quickly got up, leaned over the bed and hugged her husband. They embraced for a full minute as John and Tim waited silently, though John was obviously holding back his excitement. The pastor put his hand on John’s shoulder. They looked at each other, smiling.
“There is so much to tell you,” said Mark.
“Praise God,” said John again. His voice was full of joy. “Praise God!”
Pastor Tim walked o
ver to Mark’s bed. “God is so good.”
“May I see the Bible?” asked Mark.
“Sure.” She handed it to him.
“This must be what God wants us to read,” he said.
“It would sure seem so,” she laughed. “And there is a marker in it. It was in the book of Matthew, chapter 5. I read it. It’s pretty good stuff. Jesus sure was a wise man.”
“Yes, he was,” said Mark, “and wondrously holy.”
“Oh,” said Kathy. “I just remembered. You’ll like this. The name on the side of the tow truck was Heaven’s Tow Service. Isn’t that neat?”
Mark stared at her as the memory of Frank and his tow truck flashed back into his mind. “My car! I completely forgot about it.”
Kathy interjected. “It’s at the body shop. They called a few days ago on your cell. It’s ready.” She looked at her husband curiously. “Speaking of which, what happened to it? And, while you’re at it, can you please tell me why you were at the church on Sunday?”
Every eye was on Mark. He looked at the pastor who already knew the whole story and had a broad smile on his face. “I guess now is as good a time as any. I’ll tell you everything.”
“Well,” said Pastor Tim as he got up from his chair. “I think I’ll leave you three alone. I’ve already heard what Mark has to say, and it’s wonderful.” He walked to the bed and shook his hand. “God bless, Mark.” He took Kathy’s hand. “God bless, Kathy. See you soon, John.”
“Thanks, Pastor,” said Mark. “Thanks for being here.”
“Believe me, it was my pleasure.”
He turned towards the door but Kathy intercepted him. She reached out her arms and gave him a hug. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Thank you for being there for my husband.”
Tim nodded as he smiled. “I’m the thankful one. He saved my life.”
She released him and the pastor slowly walked towards the door. As he opened it, once again a sensation came over him. He began to walk out, but there was a sudden and strong impulse to speak, the same as before. He halted and turned around. All three of them were looking at him.
The Influence (Supernatural Thriller) Page 35