Miracles (23 page)

Jim came back in and slipped back into his chair. “Sorry. Sound problems. We're expecting a big crowd today, after the earthquake and all. Now, where were we?”

Andy looked at the others, then drew in a deep breath. “We just wanted to let you know that a bunch of the people who have come to Christ in the past couple of days will be visiting our church this morning.”

Jim clapped his hands together again. “Great. What are their names? I'll make sure I meet them.”

Bree smiled. “Well, uh . . . there are about a dozen of them, I think.”

“No, fifteen, I'm pretty sure,” Carl said. “They may not all come.”

“Fifteen, if you just count the ones who gave their lives to Christ,” Andy said. “But some of the seeds God planted could take a little root. A few of those could come too. Could even be twenty or so.”

Jim straightened slowly in his chair. “You guys have talked to twenty people about Christ? What . . . did you speak to a rally this weekend or something?”

“No,” Bree said. “We've just used our gifts. The ones we told you about.”

Jim stood up. “This is amazing. This is just what I needed to hear. My message today is designed for the seeker and the new believer. I wanted to take the opportunity the earthquake gave us to reach those whose hearts were made tender by the disaster.”

Carl began to laugh. “Well, we're bringing them so you can preach to them. Only some of them have some pretty serious problems. There's a doctor who's an alcoholic and a woman whose husband abused her.”

“The husband's in jail,” Bree added. “And she wants us to talk to him . . . only I don't think they'll let us visit him until he's been there a while.”

“There's a man whose wife lost her baby in the quake,” Andy said. “And then there's May—”

“May?”

“Yes. May's an old woman we found who'd had a stroke and lay on the floor over twenty-four hours. She's in the hospital. She might watch us from television.”

“Okay.” Jim paced back and forth. “I think I'm getting the picture now.”

Bree sighed in relief. “You are?”

“Yes. We can't just stop with a sermon. We have to set up a kind of spiritual triage. These people are hurting. We have to rely on all of the parts of the Body. We have people who can help with grief, and others who've kicked alcoholism, and we have a group who does prison ministry, and there are dozens in the church who are great at serving . . . taking food and giving rides and checking on the elderly.”

Bree looked at Carl. “People with gifts that follow up where ours leave off.”

“That's right,” Jim said. “We're all gifted differently, for just this kind of thing. Trust the Body, Bree. Let it work. I'm so glad you gave me a heads-up this morning. I'll use the Sunday-school hour to go around and gather up some help. Keep bringing them in, guys, and we'll take care of them here. They won't leave this place without knowing how much the Lord loves them.”

“Thanks, Jim. We knew we could count on you.”

“No. Thank
you.”
He came around the desk and hugged each of them. “One of the things you learn in seminary is that the true test of the effectiveness of your ministry is when you see your fruit bearing fruit. You're doing it, guys. You don't know how much that means to me.”

14

B
Y THE TIME BREE, CARL, AND ANDY MADE IT TO the front steps where their visitors were to meet them, Sarah Manning was already there. Her eye was still swollen and black, but it was clear that she'd tried her best to hide her injuries with the deft stroke of a make-up brush. She looked awkward and out of place.

Bree hurried toward her. “Hi, Sarah. I'm sorry I wasn't out here sooner. I was talking to the pastor. I hope you had the chance to meet some of our members.”

“I sure did.” Sarah looked around. “That's the problem. I'm not used to all this. I'm kind of the type that likes to keep to myself, you know? I don't like crowds or a lot of people.” She seemed jittery, like she needed a cigarette. “I don't know if this church thing is going to work out for me. I mean, I still want to be a Christian and all, but I just don't know if I can do this crowd stuff every week.”

Bree looked around, wondering which of the members had insulted her. “Was someone rude to you?”

“Oh, no, they weren't rude. I got, like, three invitations to lunch, and several invited me to sit with them. And I don't know. I just kind of freaked out. I didn't think I could handle it anymore. I was just about to leave.”

Relief and gratitude flooded over her. So none of them had undone her efforts with Sarah. She was just overcome by the love.

“They're just trying to love you,” Bree said. “It's what they do at church, at least when church is working well. Don't hold it against them.”

“Oh, I don't.” Sarah hugged herself. “It just blew my mind. I've never seen anything like that. It's just going to take some getting used to.”

“I'll stay with you, but please say you won't leave. God brought you here for a reason. Some day you'll think of these people as family.”

Sarah's smile was tentative. “All right, I'll stay.”

Bree wanted to hug her, but she feared making her change her mind. Behind Sarah, she saw Carl and Andy with the others who had come, and she recognized the man whose baby had died. A lump of emotion formed in her throat. She hadn't expected to see him again.

“Come over here.” She took Sarah's hand and led her toward them. “I have some people I want you to meet.”

She could almost feel the woman stiffening beside her as they headed to the group. But as she made the introductions, she felt Sarah relaxing. It was clear that the others were as nervous and uncomfortable as she.

Jim preached the best sermon of his life that morning. Bree sat among the people they'd met in the last couple of days. Sarah sat next to her, riveted on every word the pastor said. Her awkwardness seemed to have melted, and when the altar call came, she got up and went to the front. Bree sat stunned in her seat, amazed by the Holy Spirit's work to make her take such a public stand. Several of the others went, as well.

When the service was over, Bree wiped her tears, then hurried to find Sarah in the back.

Sarah was dabbing at her own eyes, but she had a serene smile on her face.

Bree had to laugh. “That took a lot of courage.”

Sarah shook her head. “I think it would have taken more courage to sit there and not go.”

“You seem more relaxed now.”

“Yeah. Church was different than I thought. I expected people to be judging me, but they weren't, you know? They were nice.”

“Listen, why don't you come home with my family and me and eat lunch? I mean, it won't be much. Tuna sandwiches, probably, but the kids and my mother and I would love to have you.”

Sarah glanced at the exit door, then brought her big eyes back to Bree. “I don't know. I'm not too good with kids.”

As if on cue, Bree's children came running up to her. “Mom, Mom! Can we go home with Danny and his family?”

“Both of you?” she asked.

Danny's age fell between the two of them, so they'd all been close friends since they were in the nursery together.

“Did Danny ask you, or did his parents ask?”

“His parents,” her son said. “Mom, please? We never get to do this.”

Bree had hoped to go to the hospital to look in on May today. “Well, let me talk to Danny's parents.”

Her children ran and got Jeanine, the boy's mother. “Let them come home with us, Bree,” Jeanine said. “Heaven knows, you need a break with all that you've been through lately.”

“Well, I just feel like I haven't been spending enough time with them.”

“Mom, we can have quality time later!” Amy cried. “Come on. Let us go.”

Jeanine laughed. “We can keep them all afternoon, then bring them back to church tonight. You can take them home then. It'll be fun. They'll have a good time.”

Bree grinned down at her children. “Okay, but give me a kiss.” She hugged and kissed both of them, then watched them scurry off.

When they were gone, she turned back to Sarah. “Well, now that I don't need to go home, I think I might just give my mother some quiet time to herself and walk to the hospital to visit a friend. Do you want to come? We could get a bite to eat there. My treat.”

Sarah thought that over. “I guess that would be all right.”

“Are you sure the crowd at the hospital won't bother you?”

“Oh, yeah, it's not that. It's these people . . . loving me, you know. I'm not used to that.”

They started to walk out of the church and headed toward the hospital. Bree studied Sarah. “So you don't mind strangers. You just don't know how to react to people who want to be close to you?”

“Yeah,” Sarah said. “I know it's stupid. I probably need therapy. I
know
I need therapy. It's been a long time since I've had anybody really show me any affection, and today I must have gotten like eighty-nine hugs. Usually when someone comes at me, it's with a fist.”

It was a beautiful day, and a breeze whispered through their hair. The sun shone with such serenity that no one would ever know there were things in the world like earthquakes and fires, and people who beat up defenseless women.

“Why would you marry a guy like that?” Bree asked. “I'm just curious. You're a real pretty lady, and you have a sweet spirit. I don't understand why you would bond yourself with somebody like that.”

“That's the million-dollar question, and I'd love to have it answered. But here I am, and the truth is, every major relationship I've had has been like this. Men always woo me in the beginning. I start thinking he's just what I've been looking for, the fulfillment of all my dreams, and then I wind up sleeping with him. The next thing I know, my face becomes his favorite punching bag.”

“Did you know your husband was abusive before you married him?”

“Yeah, I pretty much did. Kind of felt like I deserved it, you know? Like I did stupid things that caused him to hit me. I thought I could change him. But it never happens that way.”

They reached the doors of the hospital and went in, quickly ate a bite, then headed up to May's hospital room.

“You don't have to come in with me,” Bree said. “You can wait out here.”

“That's okay.” Sarah kept walking with her. “I'll come. You said this is a lonely old woman. Wouldn't hurt for me to make friends with somebody as lonely as me. Just as long as you're sure she won't reach out to hug me.”

Bree started to laugh. “I'm sure. She's pretty helpless right now.”

They got to her room, and May sat up in bed, carefully trying to feed herself with her left hand. But the food kept dribbling out on the stroke side of her mouth.

“How are you today, May?” Bree asked as she came in.

May looked up. “Oh, my rescuer! Come in here, darling. Come in.”

Bree came to her side and leaned over to give her a hug. “How are you feeling today?”

“So much better.” She looked at Sarah over Bree's shoulder. “And who is this?”

“This is Sarah Manning. She's a new friend, like you.”

“Ain't she wonderful?” May asked Sarah, nodding toward Bree. “You know, she saved my life, she and her two friends. They just showed up at my door when I'd been laying on the floor praying my guts out that somebody would come.”

“I heard,” Sarah said, “but you look wonderful today.”

“I
feel
wonderful. Oh, that Dr. John, he said he knew you and that was why he came by. He's took over my case.

He got me the help I need, and he's just a wonderful man.”

“Really? John Fryer?”

“Yes. Oh, he's such a giving person . . . so attentive. I've never had a doctor that attentive.”

“Wow.”

May brought her hand to her heart. “And we talked about the Lord.”

“You did?”

“Of course we did. He said that you had helped him turn to Christ, and that his whole life had changed. He told me about the drinking. He's gonna give it up. I know he's gonna kick it.”

“Of course he is,” Bree said. “But I'm kind of surprised. It just happened yesterday, and already he's reaching out and giving of himself ? That's pretty amazing.”

“It's a miracle, that's what it is!” May slapped her hand on the bed. “Another one of God's miracles, just like sending you to me. We've struck up a friendship, Dr. John and me, and I think it's going to last a long time.”

She reached out for Sarah's hand and pulled her closer. “Now, tell me about you, dear.”

“Well, I guess I'm another one of Bree's converts,” Sarah said in a soft voice. “I was like you. I was kind of in my house praying to God for help. My husband had beaten me up, and he was arrested that night, and I realized I was probably not going to have the money to pay my rent, and I wasn't going to have a place to live, and all of a sudden, what do you know? These three people knock on my door and come in and tell me that somebody loves me.” Her voice broke, and tears came to her eyes. “I'm sorry,” she said, quickly rallying. “I didn't mean to do that.”

“Mean to do what?” May asked. “Cry? Well, honey, everybody needs to cry now and then.”

“I know, but not in front of strangers.”

“Well, I'm not a stranger,” May said. “I'm your sister in Christ. Don't you know that?”

Sarah smiled and dabbed at her eyes.

“Now what's this about you not having a place to live?”

Bree jumped in. “Her husband was arrested after he beat her up. She can't afford to pay the rent.”

Sarah nodded. “It's due tomorrow, and I don't have the money. It's a dump, anyway. Landlord has already found new tenants, so I have to move out. I'm sure I'll find some place to go. I'll probably go to a women's shelter until I can find a job.”