“Because we usually have to drag you out of bed kicking and screaming to go to church, that’s what,” Donna said.
“Really? That’s terrible. I’ll have to work on that,” Jimmy said. “Mom? Are you gonna plug in the coffeemaker or stand there with it in your hand for the rest of the morning?”
Mary looked at the plug in her hand, then turned to plug it in.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Donna demanded with her hands on her hips.
“If you hang around asking me questions, we’re all gonna be late for church,” Jimmy said.
“But—”
“He’s right, Donna,” Mary interrupted. “I don’t want to spoil whatever’s gotten into him by asking a lot of questions. Let’s just…make the most of it.”
The routine to get ready for church continued as usual—except that this time Jimmy was the one waiting for everyone else. He didn’t tell them what had happened the night before. Not yet. He wanted to relish their surprise and curiosity at his mysterious behavior.
Jimmy walked to his Sunday school class as if it were his first time there. Rather than drag himself down the hall with a scowl on his face as he normally did, he walked quickly, taking in all the sights with a nervous anticipation. What he anticipated, he didn’t know. But it was the first Sunday he was in church after he had said yes, and everything seemed new to him. He felt as if it were the first day of school. He felt like a stranger, even though he’d been there week after week since he was seven years old. He felt that way not because no one knew him, but because he didn’t really know them. All the kids moving to and from their Sunday school classes from various assemblies, clutching their Bibles and lesson books, looked as if he’d never seen them before. No longer were they Sunday school zombies as he had always thought of them. Now—now they were alive because Jimmy was alive. And he was alive because he had said yes.
Jimmy’s wide-eyed reverie was suddenly interrupted by someone grabbing his arm. “Whoa! Where’re you going in such a hurry?” Dave Wright asked.
Jimmy was too startled to answer right away.
Dave took a step back and looked him over. “Something’s happened,” he said. “You look different. This isn’t the frowning, I-don’t-want-to-be-here Jimmy Barclay I’m used to seeing on Sundays. What’s going on?”
Jimmy smiled awkwardly. His heart picked up a few beats as he tried to say the words. If anybody should hear first, it was Dave. But how could he say it?
“Well?”
Jimmy nodded. “You said Jesus wanted me, and I said yes—He can have me.”
Dave’s face instantly lit up. “Jimmy! Are you serious? You really accepted Jesus?”
Jimmy smiled and said, “Yeah!”
“Yahoo!” Dave shouted, scooping Jimmy up in his arms. It wasn’t what Jimmy expected, and he was a little embarrassed when everyone in the hall stopped to look. “Praise God!”
“Hey! Cut it out!” Jimmy said.
Dave put Jimmy down. “Jimmy, that’s wonderful ! Wonderful!” And he grabbed Jimmy again for a bone-crushing hug.
“Lay off!” Jimmy said.
“Sorry.” Dave let him go. “I’m a tactile person.”
“I hope it isn’t catching.”
“It means I’m a huggy kind of person,” Dave said with a laugh.
“I hope that isn’t catching either,” Jimmy said.
A bell rang.
“We’re late for Sunday school,” Dave said, moving away. “You go on and I’ll…invite myself over to your house for Sunday dinner or something so we can talk about it. See you in church!” He gave Jimmy a thumbs-up and smiled before he disappeared down the hall.
Just like Sunday school, the church service took on a whole new meaning for Jimmy. The hymns, the Bible readings, and the prayers all seemed created just for him. The pastor’s sermon still made him fidget and want to doodle on the offering envelopes, but besides that, he liked it. For the first time, he really liked it.
During the final hymn, Jimmy leaned over to his mother. “Mom?”
She continued to sing while she leaned her ear toward Jimmy.
“Mom,” Jimmy began. He wanted to say it just right, so he used the phrase Dave used earlier. “I accepted Jesus last night.”
Mary sang another few words, then the hymnbook in her hand slumped a little. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again to look at Jimmy, they were tear-filled. She pulled him close with her free hand. It wasn’t enough. She laid the hymnbook on the pew and embraced him long and hard with both arms. Jimmy wasn’t as embarrassed as he was with Dave. This hug was all right.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Donna stare at them as if they’d lost their minds.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Sunday Afternoon
DAVE, HIS WIFE, JAN, and Jacob invited themselves to a Sunday meal at the Barclays’. Mary said there was plenty of food to go around and she’d love to have them. She wished George would get home from his mother’s in time, she added, but she didn’t know when he’d make it. Besides that, it seemed like a perfect way to celebrate Jimmy’s decision.
Jimmy wasn’t sure if the dinner felt more as if it were his birthday or Thanksgiving. Either way, it felt like a special occasion. Jacob was as quiet as always, while Dave entertained them all with stories of other churches where he had been a kids’ minister. Jimmy thought Jan was rather quiet but really pretty. Now that he saw her up close, he realized Jacob looked more like her than Dave.
After dinner, Jacob gently smiled and gave Jimmy a small box. Jimmy opened it to find a new Bible.
“We didn’t know if you already had one,” Dave said, “but I figured some of the study helps in there might be good for you.”
“Thanks,” Jimmy said and flipped open the cover. On the inside was written: “To Jimmy Barclay, for saying yes to life’s greatest adventure…with Jesus! Love, Dave, Jan, and Jacob.”
After they all helped to clear away the dishes, Dave took Jimmy into the living room and sat him down. “How do you feel?” Dave asked.
Jimmy shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “How am I supposed to feel?”
“It’s hard to say. Some people feel like crying, some feel like laughing, and some don’t feel anything at all.”
“I guess I feel funny about all this fuss,” Jimmy said.
“I would, too,” Dave said, “but I brought you in here to talk about some things you should know.”
“Like what?”
“Well…” Dave paused as if trying to choose his words carefully. “Being a Christian isn’t like anything you’ve experienced before. You and Jesus are directly connected now because His Spirit is living inside you. That means things are going to change for you.”
“Change? Like how?”
“For one thing, you’re going to grow as a Christian. That means you’ll develop and mature in the faith. And that growth is just like any other growth. Sometimes it happens in spurts, and other times it happens so slowly you hardly notice.”
“Okay,” Jimmy said, wondering when his growth would start to happen.
Dave said, “It takes work, Jimmy. The Spirit doesn’t just take over and automatically do things. You have to read your Bible every day and obey what it says. You’ll want to pray as much as you can. You’ll need to spend time with other Christians at church. And you’ll want to tell others about your faith. It’s a great adventure, Jimmy. It really is.”
Jimmy smiled. He liked adventures—especially adventures that changed things for the better.
Dave leaned forward and said quietly, “But make no mistake, Jimmy. It’s an adventure that can be difficult and painful sometimes. You’ll see.”
Jimmy looked at Dave uneasily. That didn’t seem like a very nice thing to say.
The front storm door banged, and the inside door opened. George Barclay stepped through, clumsily lugging his overnight bag. “Oh, hi,” he said with a weary smile. “I didn’t know we were having a party. Hi, Dave.”
“We figured we’d take over while you were gone,” Dave said.
“Hey, Dad!” Jimmy called out. “You’ll never guess what happened!”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t believe it in a million years,” Donna said as she emerged from the other room with Mary, Jan, and Jacob.
“Why? What happened?” George asked. He dropped his bag, and Mary kissed him hello. Then he waved hello to Jan and Jacob.
“Go on, tell him,” Mary instructed Jimmy.
“I accepted Jesus last night,” Jimmy said.
George looked from Jimmy to Mary and back again. “You did?”
“Uh-huh,” Jimmy said.
“Jimmy…Jimmy…” George simply said his name over and over as he moved across the room toward him. He pulled Jimmy close for a hug. “Son…I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say you’re glad,” Jimmy answered.
George whispered, “I’m glad, son. I’m so glad.” Suddenly he held Jimmy at arm’s length. “Wait a minute. This isn’t a trick to get out of being punished for that stunt you pulled the other night?”
“No, Dad,” Jimmy said and rolled his eyes.
George laughed and pulled Jimmy back for another hug. “Good.”
Everyone gathered in the living room for coffee and soft drinks while George reluctantly reported that his mother’s health was going downhill. Even with treatment, the cancer was ravaging her body. The doctors couldn’t guess how long she had to live.
Jimmy sat silently while his dad spoke. He was a Christian now, and his grandmother was going to die. It didn’t seem right somehow.
Dave suggested they take a minute to pray for her, so they did. Jimmy was horrified when Dave asked him to start.
“Me?”
Dave nodded.
“Out loud?”
“Yes, please.”
“But I don’t know how,” Jimmy said.
Just do it like you’ve heard it in church,” his dad suggested. “You can do it.”
Jimmy looked on helplessly as everyone bowed his or her head and waited. Finally he started: “Um…heavenly Father…uh, we thank Thee for the things which Thou has, uh, spoken to our faces, and, uh, we pray that as we disregard the things we know today that, uh, You will be ever-pressured, uh, while we, uh, remain mindless of You….”
Donna snickered.
Jimmy told her to shut up.
George put his hand on Jimmy’s arm. “Son, just pray what’s on your heart, okay? Just pray for Grandma.”
Jimmy nodded and bowed his head again. “Dear God, please make Grandma better. Amen.”
“Amen,” everyone echoed.
Then Dave prayed long and hard for Jimmy’s grandma, saying all the things Jimmy’s heart had wanted him to say without knowing how.
CHAPTER NINE
Late Sunday Afternoon and Evening
THE WRIGHT FAMILY went home late in the afternoon, but not before confirming that Jimmy would go to the evening church service. They wanted him to go to forward at the closing altar call to present himself as a candidate for baptism. Jimmy wasn’t keen about going forward in front of all those people. Dave assured him it was nothing to be embarrassed about. It was the next step of obedience in his yes to Jesus. Jimmy reluctantly agreed.
In the silence of his room, he decided to read his new Bible. He figured the best thing was to start at Genesis 1:1 and read through the whole Bible.
He was asleep before he got to Genesis 2:3.
Amid dreams of firmaments, ocean waves, and blinding light, a gentle knocking woke him up. It was Tony at the window again. Jimmy threw it open.
“Hey, Jimmy,” Tony said. “What’re you doing?”
“Do you have a death wish or something? Why do you keep coming to my window?” Jimmy responded.
“Because your parents won’t let me come to the front door,” he said.
“Don’t you wanna hear about last night?”
“Last night?”
“Allen’s Pond! Me and Brad Woodward followed my brother and his friends up to the barbecue area on top of the hill. They took beer and everything! You should’ve seen them!”
“Did they catch you this time?”
Tony shook his head. “Nope. This time we hid around by the utility shack. Dale Miller walked right up to us to throw a bottle away and didn’t even see us!”
Jimmy wished he could’ve been there.
“You really missed it,” Tony said. “That’s what you get for going to that stupid church meeting.”
“It wasn’t stupid,” Jimmy said defensively.
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, it was…good.” Jimmy felt a hot rush of embarrassment. He didn’t know what to say to Tony, how to tell him what had happened.
“What was so good about it?”
“I…well, we played a lot of games and stuff,” Jimmy said. “And then…then…I came home.”
“Sounds like a blast,” Tony said sarcastically.
“Something happened….”
“Like what?”
Jimmy’s eyes darted around the room nervously. He didn’t dare look Tony in the face or he’d lose his nerve. How could he tell Tony he’d become a Christian when he and Tony used to laugh at them?
“This branch is hurting my arm. I gotta go,” Tony said when it didn’t look as though Jimmy would answer his question.
“Wait,” Jimmy said, then blurted out, “I became a Christian last night.”
Tony laughed. “You did what?” he said.
“I became a Christian,” Jimmy repeated.
“Cool!” Tony said. “What a great idea!”
For the first time, Jimmy looked him in the eyes. “What?” he asked, surprised.
“It’s a great way to get your parents off your back! Hey, maybe they’ll take you off restriction!” Tony said.
Jimmy frowned. “That’s not why I did it!”
Tony smiled as if to say, “I don’t believe a word you’re saying.”
“I’m serious, Tony,” Jimmy said. “See, Dave talked about how Jesus died for us and…how He wants me and…and I said yes. I’m even going back tonight to tell the church I want to be baptized.”
It sounded so ridiculous to Jimmy’s ears, he could imagine what Tony must’ve been thinking.
“You’re lying to me,” Tony said.
“Huh-uh,” Jimmy answered.
Tony renewed his grip on the tree branch. “I don’t get it, Jimmy. Did they brainwash you or what? You’re tellin’me you’re turning into a Chip Bender or something?”
Chip Bender was a former friend of theirs who became a Christian and talked about Jesus all the time after that. It drove everybody at school nuts.
“No!” Jimmy said, then added, “I mean, I don’t know. It just happened!”
“Oh, man,” Tony said, shaking his head. “This isn’t good.”
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re gonna become a monk and preach to the raccoons in the woods. I just know it,” he said.
“I am not!” Jimmy protested.
From downstairs, Jimmy’s mom called that it was time to go to church.
“You’d better go to church now, Jimmy,” Tony said and began to back away on the branch. “You don’t wanna miss your chance to preach.”
“Cut it out!” Jimmy said.
“See ya, Mr. Sunday School,” Tony said before he disappeared at the bottom of the tree.
“I don’t care what you say,” Jimmy shouted after him.
Some friend Tony turned out to be, he thought as he closed the window. But, of course, Jimmy did care what Tony thought. He cared a lot.
Jimmy brooded on Tony all during the church service. At first, he worried that he’d lost his best friend. Then he got angry about Tony’s teasing. Then he wondered if he had made a big mistake in saying yes to Jesus. Would he become Mr. Sunday School? Then he got mad again because Tony spoiled the night he was going forward for baptism.
The pastor finished preaching, and everyone stood to
sing the closing hymn—the invitation, it was called. George Barclay put his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder and leaned close to his ear. “I know it’s a little embarrassing,” he said. “Will you let me go up with you?”
Jimmy smiled as thoughts of Tony disappeared instantly. “Yeah,” he said.
George kept his arm across Jimmy’s shoulders as they stepped into the aisle and walked to the front of the church. Jimmy was vaguely aware of the rows of people on both sides, but they were merely trees in a human forest.
The pastor greeted them with a big smile. “Hi, George. Hello, Jimmy,” he said.
George cleared his throat and said, “Jimmy accepted Jesus last night and would like to be baptized.”
“Congratulations!” the pastor said warmly. He then looked at George expectantly, as if there were something else to be said.
Jimmy looked up at his dad’s face and suddenly realized tears were rolling down his cheeks.
“Because my son accepted Jesus, I want to rededicate my life to Christ,” George said and squeezed Jimmy’s shoulder.
“Me, too,” came a tear-filled voice from behind Jimmy. He turned. It was his mother.
“So do I,” came a younger choked-up voice. It was Donna.
As the organ played softly, the Barclay family collected themselves into a tender embrace. And Jimmy found himself crying, too.
CHAPTER TEN
Monday at School
JIMMY SET HIS RADIO alarm clock for Q96—Odyssey’s only Christian station. He thought he would wake up to music. Instead, he awakened to a fiery preacher who was making a case about lazy Christians who never talked about Jesus to their families, friends, and neighbors. He made his point by citing Acts chapter two. “Look what happened here,” the preacher said. “After the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, Peter went out into the street to preach the story of Jesus. At first, the people thought the disciples were drunk because they were so filled with the power of the Spirit. Peter set them straight. He said, ‘Hey, you heathens, we’re not drunk! We’re just fulfilling what the prophet Joel said would happen! He said that in the last days, young men and women would prophesy and see visions and dream dreams! And that’s exactly what’s happening right here, right now!’”
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