Indemnity: Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series (30 page)

“
Well, yeah, but after that.”

“
I don’t know how to get there, and I can’t even drive yet. My mom won’t even let me push the pedals.”

“
God gets you there, but there’s one thing you have to take care of first.”

“
What?”

“
Everything you ever did wrong,” Brad said, and Jack’s shoulders dropped.

“
I can’t even remember all that!”

“
I can’t remember mine either. But God is so perfect, we can’t be around Him unless we’re that perfect, too.”

“
Well, that’s not gonna happen,” Jack said, slumping back onto the pillow.

“
You’re right, and God knew that. So He came up with a plan.” Brad got Jack’s Bible from the suitcase. He’d tell him the whole story, at least as long as Jack kept listening. He read from Isaiah, and explained how Jesus would come. Then he flipped to Luke, and read the Christmas story. Jack hardly blinked as he read from the gospel of John where Jesus explained to His disciples why He had come, and what fate awaited Him. Finally, he read the stories of the crucifixion and the resurrection.

“
That was the plan?” Jack asked. “I don’t get it. Why did Jesus have to die?”

“
All those things we did wrong - those are called sins - and anybody who sins deserves death, and can never be in heaven with God. When Jesus died, because He never did anything wrong, He can be our substitute. We can tell God we want Jesus’ death to count for us.”

“
How can He count for everybody? He’s just one guy.”

“
Here, let me read you some more, so you know I’m not just making stuff up.” Brad held the Bible so Jack could follow as he read from Romans that everyone fell short of God’s standards and everyone needed Jesus’ death to count for them.

“
Did you get that?” Brad asked. “Because Jesus was so perfect, and was willing to die when He didn’t deserve it, God said that counted for anybody who believed it.”

“
Believed what?”

“
Believed Jesus died so they wouldn’t have to.”

“
That’s how you get to heaven?” Jack asked.

“
Yep.”

“
I don’t get it again,” Jack said, furrowing his brow. “Do I have to die or not?”

Great. He’d confused the kid. He could hear his dad’s voice, saying ‘Brad, stay out of it. Let me handle it.’ That wasn’t his dad though. He had his dad’s blessing. He could do this. Okay, how could he explain this?

“
It’s like this. People are special because we have a part of us that never, ever dies. Remember Jesus told that guy on the other cross that he was gonna be in heaven that very day?

“
Yeah.”

“
That guy was dead before the day was out, just like Jesus. So did Jesus lie to him?”

“
No way!”

“
Right, even if your body’s dead, the rest of you goes someplace.”

“
Okay, if heaven’s so great, how come it’s not a lot harder to get in?”

“
God wants everybody to be there with Him. If it was really hard, some people might not make it.”

“
So everybody’s going to heaven?”

“
No.” He was losing Jack fast. He needed something concrete. Something that would make sense ...
Of course
, Brad grinned. He took a five-dollar bill out of his wallet, and laid it on the dresser. Then he sat back down on the bed. “Jack, that five bucks is yours.”

“
All right!” He dashed over, grabbed the bill and kissed it.

“
How’d you get that money?”

“
You gave it to me.”

“
No, I put it on the dresser.”

“
I had to go pick it up.”

“
Right! Then it was yours. You believed me when I said you could have it, though, didn’t you?”

“
Yes.”

“
All right. You believe God when He says if you let Jesus’ death count for you, you get to go to heaven?” Jack nodded. “Then you tell God you understand that you’ve done things that were wrong—”

“
Sins,” Jack said, catching on.

Brad nodded. “Just like you hopped up, and got that five dollars, you tell God you want Jesus’ death to count for you, and you want to go to heaven.”

“
That’s it?”

“
Yep.”

“
How do I tell God that?” Jack asked.

“
You just tell Him,” Brad said, but Jack frowned. “You pray.”

“
Just like at dinner?”

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Except that you don’t say anything about food.”

“
Right now?”

“
Sure.”

“
Father God,” Jack began, and then he raised his head. “That’s the way my dad taught me to pray at dinner. Will that still work?”

“
Absolutely,” Brad said. He wiped his palms on the bedspread, and breathed his own prayer of relief that he didn’t mess things up.

“
Okay,” Jack said, and then he bowed his head again. “Father God, I want to go to heaven. I believe all the things Brad told me. I’ve done lots of things that were wrong like jumping on the bed ... and throwing my green beans in the trash when my mom answered the phone that time ... and, well, You probably know ‘em better than I do. Brad said when Jesus died that could count for me too, if I wanted it to. I want it to. Thanks.” Then he raised his head. “Did that do it?”

“
Did it?”

“
You told me it would,” Jack said.

Brad smiled. “No, the Bible said it. Remember, all those sins get taken away when we believe in Jesus. You believe Jesus died and that counted to take your sins away, right?”

“
I said that already.”

“
Did you mean what you said?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Then it’s a done deal.”

“
I guess it is.” Jack broke into a wide grin. “I feel kinda tingly.”

“
You should tell Dad,” Brad said. “Only don’t go in while Shannon’s in the tub.”

“
Dad!” Jack shouted. “I’m going to heaven!”

Saturday, September 22

Bobbi stepped off the elevator to the cardiac floor, and quickly rounded the corner to the waiting room where Brad sat in one of the waiting room chairs, his long legs stretched out across most of the floor. “Hey, thanks for sitting with Grandma so I could run home for a bit. A shower and a cup of good coffee did wonders for me.”

“
You’re welcome. Did Jack have any news for you?” Brad asked with a grin.

“
He nearly tackled me as soon as I walked in the door. He told me everything, even what you read to him.” She sat in the chair next to Brad and patted his knee, hoping he understood how proud she was of him.

“
He’s pretty sharp. He asked a lot of good questions.”

“
He can’t wait to tell Glen and Laurie tomorrow. I hope he can hang on to that joy and that enthusiasm when he goes back to his mother.”

Brad pulled himself around until he was sitting up straight, facing her. “Do you think Tracy will ever become a believer?”

No. But that was the “wrong” answer. “She’s a hard case right now. If God could soften her up, I guess anything could happen.”

“
Maybe Jack can help with that,” Brad said. “You know how it is with boys and moms.” He gave her wink and a sideways grin.

For Brad, that was nothing short of declaring his love and devotion to her. “Expert on moms, are you?”

“
Just callin’ ‘em like I see ‘em.” He pointed toward Ann’s room. “The doctor’s in with Grandma now. I think they’re gonna try to get her on her feet today.”

“
You’re kidding.”

“
Well, not running the halls, just to the chair.”

“
Mrs. Molinsky?” Dr. Ayala stood in the doorway of the waiting room. “I just wanted to go over what I told your mother-in-law. She did very well. All of her vitals look good. We’re going to get her up for a little while today and increase that gradually over the next few days. Next week we’ll start talking about what happens after she goes home and rehab.”

“
I’m amazed she can go through something so serious and bounce back so quickly,” Bobbi said.

“
She’s right on track. I’ll stop in this evening to see how she did today. The nurses know where to find me if you need anything.”

“
Thank you,” Bobbi said. As the doctor walked back out, she turned to Brad. “Did you get all that?”

“
Yep. I’ll pass it on to Dad. You sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”

“
No, go help your dad with the kids. I brought some work and a book to read. I’ll be fine.”

“
I’m gonna tell Grandma bye.” Bobbi followed Brad into the hospital room where Ann was propped up, punching buttons on the television remote. “ESPN is channel thirty-five,” Brad said.

“
I already know everything I need to know about football,” Ann said.

“
You’ll have to teach me someday,” Brad said. He leaned over and kissed his grandmother. “Mom’s here so I’m going home to help Dad with Shannon and Jack. We’ll get your grass cut too. Anything else?”

“
Water the flowers out front, only wait until this evening when the sun is going down so they won’t burn. Thank you, dear.”

“
Bye, Mom,” Brad said with a wave.

“
How do you feel this morning?” Bobbi asked, taking a seat in the chair by the bed.

“
If you had told me I would feel this good the day after getting my chest cracked open, I would have never believed it.”

“
Why are they even keeping you?” Bobbi shook her head and smiled. “So you slept last night?”

“
Decently. You know how hospitals are.”

“
Did Brad tell you about Jack?”

“
Yes,” Ann said with a broad smile. “I’d love to see him and Shannon.” She glanced back at the curtain and lowered her voice. “Maybe we can sneak them in later.”

“
Maybe Wednesday,” Bobbi said. She heard footsteps and looked over toward the curtain, expecting to see a nurse, but instead she was delighted to see Donna Shannon.

Donna kept her hair the same honey blonde color and had a healthy tan. Her eyes had a sparkle that never left even after Phil died.

“
Oh, Donna.” Bobbi crossed the room to hug her. “It is so good to see you.”

“
I didn’t find out until yesterday evening, or I’d have been here sooner.” Donna leaned over, and hugged Ann gently. “You look wonderful.”

“
You’re lying, but thank you,” Ann said.

“
They did the bypass?”

“
Three of them,” Ann replied.

“
Oh, bless your heart, Ann. Did you have any idea this was coming on?”

“
I thought it was stomach flu. I would have laid in the bathroom and died if Bobbi hadn’t come in.”

“
It wasn’t quite that dramatic,” Bobbi said.

“
Donna,” Ann said with a sigh, “I thank you so much for coming, but girls, I’ve been up four hours in a row, and I’m very tired.”

“
Of course,” Donna said. “You rest. I’ll hang around and come back in later.”

“
They have a sorry excuse for coffee here,” Bobbi said, “but if you’re game, I’m buying.”

“
Lead on,” Donna said, and then she hugged Ann once more before leaving.

“
I’ll look in on you later,” Bobbi said quietly to her mother-in-law before joining Donna in the hallway. “I can’t believe you drove all this way.”

“
Oh, stop. It’s just an hour, little over an hour maybe.” Donna pushed the down arrow for the elevator. “You and Chuck are like my own kids.”

Once on the elevator, Bobbi said, “Brad has decided to drop out of law school and go to seminary.”

“
That’s wonderful!”

“
If you’re still here when he comes back, get him to tell you about it. He’s got a great story.” Bobbi led Donna to the cafeteria, and bought two large coffees, then found a table by the window. Donna quickly caught Bobbi up on each of her sons and their children.

“
Do you still see Dr. Craig?” Bobbi didn’t want to come right out and ask if Donna’s struggle with depression worsened after Phil’s death.

“
You know, I had to find another doctor,” Donna confessed. “I ran into some ethical issues with Dr. Craig.”

Bobbi sputtered, nearly choking on her coffee. “I’m shocked.” She still warmly remembered the doctor and his kind, gray eyes from her own time in his office during the days after Chuck’s affair. To imagine him guilty of impropriety was too much. “What on earth happened?”

“
Well, it’s a longstanding rule in medicine that you can’t date your patients.” Donna’s eyes sparkled as she sipped from her cup.

“
Date ...? Wait! You’re dating Dr. Craig?” Bobbi asked with a wide smile. “He’s perfect for you.”

“
That’s what David and Michael said, too. Bless his heart, it took him three years to ask. He gave me some longwinded explanation about the grieving process, and so on, but I think he was just chicken.” Donna winked. “We’re getting married this Thanksgiving.”