by JoAnn Carter
Holding up the black sheet first, he quickly began sharing the time-worn illustration. “Can one of the children here name this color?”
Many little voices called out, “Black!”
“You are right. My grandmother explained to us that this black color represents our sin. Anyone want to guess why black?”
This time the group waited quietly. “Can you see anything when it is pitch-black out with no moon or stars?”
Abbie called out, “No.”
Amanda sent her a tender smile before Pastor Brown continued.
“No, you can’t. In the same way, because of the blackness of sin in our hearts we cannot see God, nor live with Him when we die. He knew all this before He created us and made a way for that to change.”
Pastor Brown’s eyebrows burrowed together in thought, as he mused, “I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. Hold on to that thought for a moment as I grab this next color.” Placing the red sheet of paper over the black one, he continued, “The next color in the scheme is red. Any thoughts on what this color means?”
A small, frail woman with a cane whispered, “Jesus.”
“Thank you, I heard that.” Pastor Brown smiled at her. “And you are right. The color red represents the blood of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus, the Son of the living God, died for us, and rose again, so we can be cleansed of our guilt and shame by asking Him to forgive us. So, let me ask you something else. If blackness is taken away, can you see again?”
“Yes, but how is blood supposed to clean anything. I just don’t get it!” Ian replied. “Why did he have to die? What does that have to do with me?”
“They are very good questions.” Pastor Brown walked over to Ian and stood right in front of him. “I would like to answer your questions with one of my own. Are you perfect? I mean have you ever made any mistakes or done anything wrong?”
“Pastor,” he huffed, “My whole life is a mistake.”
“I’m not going to say I agree with that. However, I will say there is not a person in this room who has not done wrong things and I’m definitely included in that list! The Bible calls it sin. There was only one person who never sinned. Do you know who I’m talking about?”
“Is it, Jesus?”
“Yes. The Bible says Jesus is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. You see, we can only stand clean before God because Jesus’ purity becomes ours when we ask Him to forgive us and be our Savior.” He waited for a moment to let his words sink in. “It is then and only then that we become,” picking up a white piece of paper and placing it over the red, he continued, “as white as snow in God’s eyes. The Bible calls it righteousness. That is how his blood cleans us. Do you understand?”
Ian nodded his head but said nothing.
“But what about good people?” someone called out. “Don’t they go to heaven?”
Pastor Brown shook his head. “Good isn’t perfect, and if it’s not perfect, it simply can’t be in heaven with God. That’s why He sent His Son.”
“Well, I’ve heard that as long as you believe there is a God out there, the details don’t matter,” another person quipped.
Pastor Brown sighed. “Unfortunately, I am aware that is what more and more people are saying nowadays. I could give you a million of my own reasons why I don’t believe that is so. However, I don’t argue with them. I take them directly to the Bible. If they want to argue with that…it’s between them and the Lord. According to the Bible, there is only one way to heaven. It’s through the cross of Jesus.”
Someone toward the back started to clap softly and before Pastor Brown knew it, many people joined in.
He smiled with an excited gleam in his eyes. “That Thanksgiving, I truly believed Jesus did indeed die for me as my grandmother had said. I had grown up hearing the Bible verse John 3:16 which says, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ For the first time I really understood what that meant. I asked Jesus to forgive me. That’s when He made my heart, like the threads she had showed me, as white as snow.”
He glanced around the room. “Who is holding my fabric?” The people who were caught up in his story turned and started to look around. Suddenly, an older gentleman stood up. Waving the cloth as if he had found a treasure, “I got it, preacher!”
“Sir, could you please tell us what color is next?” Pastor Brown inquired.
The older man scrunched up his eyes, “I believe it’s gold.”
“Ah, you are precisely right. In Acts 16:31, Paul tells the jailer who wanted to know what he must do to be saved, ‘ Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. ’ Saved, saved from what, you ask?”
He looked imploringly around the room. After a moment’s silence, one of the little girls from Amanda’s class yelled out, “Saved from hell!” When she finished, she quickly stuffed her fist over her mouth, and with big eyes, sat looking at Pastor Brown.
Smiling down at the little sweetheart, he walked to her and gently touched her shoulder. Looking at those around her, he said, “She’s right. I, through the power of Jesus Christ, am saved from the punishment I deserve for my sins and reconciled into the relationship of peace that God intended and desires.”
He held up the gold colored paper. “This represents the streets of gold in heaven God has promised to all who believe in Him and ask for forgiveness in His name. I ask you, have you ever given thought to where you will be spending eternity?” As his eyes roamed the room, he also asked, “I’m wondering today, on this early celebration of Thanksgiving Day, do you know the Bread of Life?” He paused. “No, it’s not bread as in money nor food, it’s Jesus Christ. He can fill you like no other.”
“The final color in the pattern is green. This color reminds me I have a new life in Christ that will grow. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ Because of Jesus, my heart at that very moment…when I was just a young boy sitting around my grandmother’s table…was clean and new.”
“Since that day He has been faithfully working with me, helping me to ‘grow’ into the man he wants me to be. I wish I could tell you I have arrived at that place, but growth is a daily process. There are sometimes bumps in the road, as well as mountaintop views. Even through all the ups and downs, since I committed to live for Christ, I’ve not, for one moment, regretted my decision.”
Picking up the cloth which had made its way to the front again, he added, “God extends this same gift to you today. Just tell Jesus you believe He died for you. Ask Him to forgive your sins and welcome Him into your heart as your Lord. Won’t you take a moment to pray with me?”
As the room grew quiet, a few sniffles were heard. Amanda glanced over at Joey to see a tear trickle down his cheek. She quickly sent up a prayer that God would make Himself known to Joey and to anyone else in the room who had not yet received Christ as their Savior.
****
“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you all day.”
Amanda balanced the phone on her shoulder as she folded some laundry. “Hi, Mom. I’ve been at the soup kitchen with the kids. We had an awesome time.”
“That’s nice,” Mrs. Manning said distractedly.
“What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know for sure. Your brother apparently has been having some problems he hasn’t told us about. To make a long story short, I found out about an hour ago that he had to go into the hospital early this morning for some testing and observation.”
Frowning, Amanda said, “Oh, no. What’s wrong?”
“You know how Albert is. I can never seem to get the whole story out of him. The only thing he told me is that it’s nothing life threatening.” She took a deep breath, “Oh, honey, I want to just hop on a plane and come home, but I don’t want to jump the gun.”
Amanda agreed, knowing how much her brother loved his independence. “Why don’t
you just let me go see what’s up first. It’s only a two hour drive for me.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t want to interfere with your work. I’m not sure what we should do.”
“It won’t interfere with work, Mom. Tomorrow starts the Thanksgiving break so it’s not like I need to rush home or anything.”
With a sigh of relief, her mom said, “If you’re sure, it would be a lot easier for me to make the right decision if I knew just what was going on.”
“It’ll work, Mom. Besides, even though I know Albert will most likely pitch a fit, it’s always nice to have someone with you when you have to do medical testing. You and I both know Albert’s been there for me many times.” Looking at her watch, she continued, “I’ll leave here in about an hour.”
“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t know what a weight this takes off of my shoulders. Some of your Dad’s meetings have been delayed. If Albert is indeed okay, it looks like we may need to be here until at least Saturday.”
“Well, keep me posted. I’ll talk to the doctor at the hospital and get the scoop before I call you. Don’t worry about us. Just tell Dad to knock ‘em dead at those meetings and come home real soon.”
“I’ll tell him. Thanks again, dear. Please give my love to Albert. We’ll talk soon.”
“Bye, Mom.” As Amanda hung up the phone, her head was in a tailspin. First things first , she said to herself. I need to call the school and leave a message to let them know what’s happening, just in case this turns out to be a little longer than I expect. I also need to pack an overnight bag and give Carolyn a quick ring.
****
Amanda cautiously opened Albert’s hospital room door. Albert’s pale form lay on the bed. When she stepped into the room, he opened his eyes.
“Albert, you look awful!”
“Thanks.” He moaned, “You always know how to make me feel better.”
Chuckling, Amanda said, “Well, at least you haven’t lost your sense of humor.” She glanced at his grossly swollen arm and clucked her tongue. “Why do you always wait so long to call the doctor? Some people run to the doctor for a runny nose, but my brother, he has to wait until he can’t move!”
“Not now, Mandy.” Wincing in pain, he added, “Save the lecture for later, huh?”
Amanda sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Sorry.” She took a chair and pulled it close to his bedside. “What do they think is wrong?”
“They think it may be Lyme disease. The doctor’s waiting on some test results.”
“Oh, really? Did they say when they think you may be able go home?”
“I’m hoping for tomorrow. The doc should have the results by then.”
Amanda thought about his one-bedroom bachelor quarters. It was clear he definitely was not well enough to go home without someone to help him. She quickly came to a decision with a nod of her head, “Albert, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to stick around for a while.”
Relief flooded his face. “That would be good.”
“I’ll just camp out on your couch for a few days until you feel more like yourself. Mom said she’d come home if you needed her.”
Albert shook his head. “Don’t call her, Mandy. I’d hate for them to come rushing home just for me. Besides, this might turn out to be nothing.” Feeling frustrated at the course of events, he said, “It’s hard enough on me knowing you dropped everything to come here. Aren’t they going to be home for Thanksgiving anyway?”
“When I talked to Mom earlier, she said that some of Dad’s meetings were delayed. They’re hoping to be home by Saturday. Don’t worry about me; I’m off for the next few days anyway.”
Albert laid his head back against the pillow. “We’ll be okay, Sis. Mom needs to be with Dad now. There’s really nothing she could do here anyway.” He turned his head toward his sister. “Could you call the nurse in to get me something for this arm? It’s killing me.” Wincing again, he murmured, “I guess I shouldn’t have skipped that last dose of pain medication.”
She shook her finger at him playfully. “Will you ever learn to listen to doctor’s advice?” Albert made a sour face and she quickly said, “Well, you better listen to this nurse’s advice once we get you home!” she said as she pointed to herself. Another wave of pain must have hit him, because his face blanched. “Oops, I guess I should go get the nurse for you.” Turning toward the door, she continued as she crossed the room. “While I’m out there, I think I’ll give Mom a call. I’ll be back soon.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Mandy.” Albert flinched as he turned over onto his side.
Amanda quickly found Albert’s nurse. “My brother Albert, who is in room 323, is in a lot of pain. Can he have his medication?”
“Oh, sure thing.” She reached for his chart off the medicine cabinet. “I told him he was a glutton for punishment earlier when he didn’t want it when it was due, but he’s a tough one.”
Amanda shrugged her shoulder. “That’s my brother. Could you tell me where the payphone is? I need to make a call but I don’t want to disturb Albert.”
“Sure, it’s down the hall to the right.”
“Thanks.” Amanda turned away to find the phone.
****
Amanda looked nervously from the nurse to the Heparin lock in Albert’s hand. “Are you sure he’s okay to go home?”
The nurse patiently replied, “You don’t need to worry. Many people with Lyme go home with this so the home health nurse can administer their antibiotics.”
“Should I watch for anything?”
“The only thing you need to keep an eye on is if the site becomes red, warm to the touch or painful. That means it’s time to take it out.” Looking directly at Albert, she added, “It’s your job to help keep an eye on this.”
“When they take it out…is that when I can take the pills instead?” Albert inquired.
“Only if you’ve been able to have these IV antibiotics for at least five days. If not, the nurse would just find a new site for the port.”
“Ouch.” Albert said despondently.
“When will Albert need to see the doctor?” Amanda inquired.
“Let me see…today is Wednesday.” The nurse looked at his chart. “He’s had two day’s antibiotics here and he will need three more days at home. So that puts us to Saturday. His doctor has office hours in the morning.”
Amanda wanted to be sure she would be able to answer all of her mother’s questions so she asked, “If all goes well, what will happen then?”
“They will most likely put him on an oral antibiotic for another week or so and continue to monitor him. We’re here 24/7 so just give us a call if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
****
Amanda was truly thankful when Thanksgiving Day arrived. She had one day of nursing behind her. And as her mom had predicted, her parents were unable to make it home. Amanda decided to fix a small turkey and trimmings for just Albert and herself. After all it wouldn’t even feel like Thanksgiving without a turkey!
It was small and cozy with just the two of them. As the last of the dishes were washed up and the evening approached, she sat on the couch. Not knowing why, she felt oddly forlorn, as if she were somehow let down by the day. The phone on the table next to her rang.
“Hello?”
“Happy Thanksgiving, Amanda.” Tracy’s voice greeted her. “How was your day?”
Amanda’s heart picked up its pace as she sat up straighter on the couch.
“Hey, Tracy. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.” Feeling suddenly alive, she said, “My Thanksgiving was, well…small but nice.”
“Good. How’s your brother?”
“Albert’s doing his best to be a good patient. He didn’t fuss over the food so, I guess it was okay. How about you? How was your Thanksgiving?” Before he could answer, she suddenly realized Tracy shouldn’t even know she was staying at Albert’s. “Say, how did you know where I was anyway?”
“I had to do a little detecti
ve work, but I finally pinned you down. Carolyn gave me this number.”
“Oh…” she said as she fluffed the pillow on the couch.
“I’ve been thinking about you and I wanted to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, no. I’m glad you called.” Amanda licked her lips and tried to settle the pounding of her heart. Not wanting an uncomfortable silence to happen, she repeated her question, “Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?”
“Yup, I went to my sister’s house. She has three little ones who kept me busy. And, as for thinking of you, funny thing is, I do that quite often.”
