Witnesses of The Passion Week of Jesus- A Grieving Single Mom Meets Mary The Mother of Jesus.

Mary has been an example of faith to me for a long time. I think her story can resonate with many people whatever their church affiliation is. I admire her courage to say yes to God’s plan and her devotion to our Savior Jesus.

Grieving Single Mom Meets Mary The Mother of Jesus by Matthew Kohrell

“Grieving is a process that differs for each person, so there is no one way to grieve that is the right way. You will find your way through the process.” Marlys tried to find reassurance in those words as she left her grieving support group, but she wondered if anyone could really understand the depths of her loss. She was weary of cliches she was hearing from acquaintances at church, people she only knew in passing. Emptiness was her constant companion and it was relentless in causing her agony. Still after group, for some reason she thought it might be helpful to stop for a caramel frappe at The Harbor, so she drove over after her support group.

Cindy and Jessica knew Marlys from church, so when they saw Marlys approach the door they looked at each other and nodded the mutually understood need. Jessica went to the backroom to pray while Cindy chatted with Marlys as she took her order.

“Marlys it is good to see you here,” Cindy sought to reassure her friend.

Marlys mustered a slight smile, “It is good to be here Cindy, How are you?”

Cindy didn’t want to press too hard, “I am good. I am glad you are here. Do you want your usual?”

Marlys nodded yes and then stepped back to wait for her frappe.

Cindy finished the frappe, turned around and handed it to Marlys, “Here you go sweetie.”

Marlys managed to whisper a simple thanks and went to sit down by the window. It seemed safer to just sit alone and stare out a window looking at many things but actually not focusing on anything at all. She was lost in her thoughts and memories of her late husband Dan and her son Joshua. Dan had died of cancer several years ago. She had moved on with her life as a single mom of two, her son Joshua and her daughter Anna. It is one thing to lose a spouse. Losing a child is a pain too terribly deep to handle at times especially for a mom. She could still vividly remember the night when her Joshua was born and holding him in her arms for the first time. She treasured the memories of his first steps, his first words, when he learned to ride a bike, his first day of school, graduating high school. He was just about to begin college when that drunk driver hit Joshua while he was riding his bicycle to work a few months ago. Marlys was deep in in her mind oblivious to all around her when there was a gentle voice trying to get her attention.

“May I join you Marlys?” the kind voice asked.

Marlys turned to see the woman. The woman had kind eyes and a gentle spirit about her. Marlys nodded yes as she looked down a bit.

The woman looked into Marlys’s sunken hollow eyes. Marlys’s spirit was broken and it showed through her eyes. “Marlys I know you just came from the support group. I am here to chat with you if that is okay.” The woman explained.

Marlys was confused, “How do you know I was at the group? How do you know my name? Who are you?” Marlys asked not in a demanding way but more from a sort of dazed curiosity.

“I know you were at the group and I know your name because God told me. My name is Mary. I wanted to talk with you because I can understand what you are going through,” Mary replied.

“How can anyone understand me?” Marlys was skeptical and  felt it wasn’t possible.

“I can understand because I have experienced the death of my husband and my son,” Mary confided.

“How did it happen?” Marlys asked. She was beginning to feel a slight glimmer of hope.

“My husband Joseph died of natural causes years before my son died. My son was executed as a criminal even though he was innocent.” Mary shared.

“A criminal? Who was your son?” Marlys wanted to know.

“My Son is Jesus the Son of God and I am Mary the Mother of Jesus. My son Jesus was crucified for our sins. The religious leaders conspired for it, The Roman governor agreed to it. But the charges were baseless.” Mary explained.

“So you are saying you are Mary the Mother of Jesus?” Marlys inquired more out of a desire to clarify.

“Yes, I am and I am here for you Marlys because my Son Jesus loves you. He knows you are hurting. He also knows you are his faithful daughter. I am here because as a mother I can understand what you are going through.” Mary elaborated.

“It’s just that I feel so empty, so hollow. I don’t want Jesus to think of me as a failure, but when I go to church, I feel nothing. The pastor is kind and his wife is too. I just feel numb.” Marlys was able to finally confide in someone.

“I understand Marlys. I felt so empty myself. More so when my son Jesus was crucified, My husband Joseph was a good man and took me as his wife even though I was pregnant with God’s son. He was older than me and had been sick for a while, so it was not a surprise when he died . Life was difficult but Jesus was old enough to take over his earthly step-dad’s carpentry business, so that made life somewhat easier.” Mary shared.

“My husband Dan had a great life insurance policy, so I could focus on my kids after he died. But my Joshua. He had so much life ahead of him. I can’t handle this.” Marlys was finally starting to feel she could express feelings for the first time.

Mary continued, “I know. The death of someone young is hard especially the death of one’s child. No matter how old they are, for us moms, they are always our children. My son died when he was in his early thirties and at what seemed to me to be the height of his ministry.”

Marlys was feeling a calmness in her spirit for the first time in months, so she expressed, “I don’t know why, but I feel I believe you when you say you are Mary the mother of Jesus. Can you tell me more?”

“Certainly,” Mary replied. “Jesus had been active in public ministry for about three years when his passion week happened. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Even when he was a baby a man named Simeon warned me that a sword would pierce my own soul too. I had seen the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, oppose Jesus. But when he was arrested, it surprised me. I was there at the cross and watched him die. He was barely recognizable because of the severe beating they inflicted on him. I wanted to comfort him but all I could do was stand there so he could see I was there. I wanted to hold him, to hug him like I did when he was a boy, but he was up on the cross and I couldn’t reach him. Even if I could reach him, I would not have been able to because of the soldiers standing there. Even in his suffering, he was such a good son. While he was dying he gave me over to the care of John his close friend and follower. In those days a widow needed to be cared for by someone because we did not have anything like life insurance. Even as he was dying he showed he was truly God’s son when he asked The Father to forgive the people who did it to him. When he took his last breath and died, a sword of suffering cut through my soul and spirit. I couldn’t believe that my beautiful son who healed people had just died. Strange things were happening all around us that afternoon, but my son Jesus was my only focus. When he died, all of us thought it was over. He was supposed to be the Messiah, the promised one. He was supposed to be the Savior of the world and there he was dead. The grief was so sudden and overwhelming that I could barely walk. John and my friend Mary Magdalene had to help me walk.”

Tears were flowing down Marlys’s face as her lips quivered, “You do understand how I feel. Death is so horrible. My beautiful boy is gone.”

“But not gone forever my friend,” Mary reassured. “Jesus was dead but not done. He died on a Friday before sundown. On the third day, Sunday morning, he arose from the dead. He defeated death. He was alive again and forever more. The good news is that he will share that eternal life with anyone who believes in, trusts in him. And I more have good news for you Marlys.”

Faith was bubbling up in Marlys. For the first time in what seemed like eternity, Marlys felt hope. She jumped at Mary’s comment, “What good news?”

“Your son is in heaven. He has no pain. He only knows the wonderful joy of being with Jesus in heaven. And because of your faith in Jesus, one day in the future, you will see your son again.” Mary encouraged Marlys.

“Oh yes, I can see my Joshua again.” Marlys responded. “I feel sorry for not remembering that. I am so sorry for being in such a fog. I am, I mean I don’t know how to tell Jesus.”

Mary stopped Marlys by tenderly taking Marlys’s hand. “Dear, Jesus understands you. Remember, he is our sympathetic high priest. He lived in this world. He was there when Joseph died and helped me through that experience. He understands you. There is one more thing my dear.”

“What is it?” Marlys asked.

“You still have a purpose in this life. Your daughter needs you. You have friends here. Let them in. God has more for you in this life and when the time comes, many years from now, you will see your son again and also your husband. I need to go now dear. I think your friend is coming over. Bye for now.” with that Mary was gone.

“Hi Marlys, Can I join you?” Cindy asked.

Marlys looked up to see Cindy’s soft brown eyes that reminded her of Mary’s eyes. “Yes, please.”

From the author- I hope you have a blessed Good Friday and Easter and I hope this story blesses you as a part of the observance of our Lord suffering, death, and resurrection.

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Witnesses of the Passion Week of Jesus- Joel Meets the Roman Centurion

This week I will post a few more times with each story relating to the death and resurrection of Jesus. This first story is about the Roman Centurion who said of Jesus, “Truly this was the son of God.”

Witnesses of the Passion Week of Jesus- Joel Meets the Roman Centurion by Matthew Kohrell

Wednesday afternoon, so Joel was following his usual routine of having coffee while reading and preparing for ministry that evening. As student ministries director at church, Wednesday evening kept him busy with the youth group on top of his work with college students. Trying to think about his message for the week of remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus, Joel wanted to convey the authentic experience, but was struggling with how do it.

“Do you need anything else Joel?” Joel looked up from his laptop to Jessica’s welcome interruption. He had come to appreciate her work volunteering for the group and her gentle spirit. “Maybe another espresso, I need some inspiration too. Prayers are always welcome.” Joel replied.

“Well espresso is on me. Inspiration can come from Jesus and prayers are free of charge.” Jessica grinned as she spoke with her trusted friend.

“Thanks little sister. Now I need to get back to work. I want to impress on the group this evening what it was really like when Jesus suffered.” Joel confided in his volunteer. As Jessica walked back to the counter, Joel prayed for insight.

Jessica returned with the espresso and teased her friend, “Any inspiration yet?”

“Not yet, but this will help, thanks.” Joel responded lightheartedly.

Joel bowed his head for a moment asking the Lord to help him with what he wanted to get across to his group tonight. As he was praying, a man came up to him. “Excuse, you are Joel the youth director, aren’t you?” Startled Joel looked up to see a man who looked like he could play any sport he wanted or perhaps be a federal agent of some kind and definitely not a man anyone would want to mess with.

“Uh, yes, why do you ask?” Joel hesitantly asked.

“I have never been one to mince words. My name is Marcus and I have come to share with you about the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.” Marcus introducing himself.

Jessica walked over to greet the man knowing something important was about to happen for Joel. She had seen the encounters happen since her own one with Mary Magdalene. “Can I get you anything sir?” Jessica asked.

Marcus replied, “Same as Joel. Nothing like a shot of espresso to get going.”

“Sure thing. Joel, I think inspiration is about to happen.” Jessica giggled a little.

Marcus looked at Joel, “Let’s get right to the point Joel. My name is Marcus and I am here to share with you my first hand account of what happened to Jesus. In the bible I am referred to as The Roman Centurion and my only quote  was when I said, ‘Truly this was the son of God’ I wasn’t only there to see it. I was in charge of his crucifixion.”

Joel sat up in his chair. Marcus had his full attention. “Go on. I am listening.”

Marcus continued, “I never enjoyed crucifixions. There was no honor in executing people at least for me. I had fought in battles throughout the Roman Empire. At least in battle the opponents can try to defend themselves. With crucifixions it was taking a lamb to slaughter. First we were ordered to whip Jesus with something called the cat of nine tail. It was a gruesome way to be punished. Pilate was hoping that would be enough but it wasn’t. The calls were for Jesus to be crucified. After he was whipped, we forced a crown of thorns on his head. Jesus was beaten beyond recognition and blood was trickling down his face as we led him out to Golgatha.Because he was so weak after being badly beaten, he fell and could not carry his cross. We made prisoners carry their own crosses to their own executions, but he couldn’t, so we forced a man named Simon to carry it for him.”

Joel was transfixed by Marcus’s description and Marcus was intense about his memories, so they didn’t notice Jessica set the espresso down for Marcus until she started to walk away. “Oh, thank you.” Marcus quickly told her. Jessica returned to the counter.

Marcus went on, “The thing that caught my attention was that as my men drove the large nails into his wrists and feet, Jesus cried out in pain, but he never cursed at us or spit at us. Those were normal reactions of men we crucified. Even when my men hoisted up his cross and set it into place, he cried out in pain but didn’t swear at us. The things he said while he was hanging on the cross really got to me especially when he cried out go God saying, ‘Father forgive them, they know not what they do’. It was the first and only time I saw someone being crucified asking for God to forgive the people doing it to them. When Jesus died, I was so moved in my spirit that I risked it all by expressing, ‘Truly this was the son of God’  a risk because for any Roman soldier to say anyone else but Caesar was God could mean punishment, but that was exactly what I came to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. As he was dying and after he died, strange things happened. An eerie darkness came over the land. As soon as he died, an earthquake shook the land. There was definitely something way beyond normal about the man we had just put to death and I knew it. I also know for sure he was dead. Roman soldiers always made sure of it by breaking the legs of the ones being crucified, but when we came to Jesus, he was already dead, so we only pierced his side.”

Joel took a deep breath, “I can’t even imagine being there. Oh how he suffered for us.”

“But it doesn’t end there.” Marcus asserted. “We rolled a huge stone in front of his tomb. There is no way anyone could come take the body away because I posted guards there who if they failed in their duty, they could be put to death. Jesus was dead and buried forever in that tomb as far as I was concerned, but then on the 3rd day, early in the morning, something happened. That huge stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. Jesus had come back from the dead, not a ghost, but alive again. The word is resurrected. I hope my first hand account helps you Joel. I need to go now. See you again.”

With that Marcus was gone and Joel sat there stunned by what had just transpired. Jessica walked over and kindly asked, “How is the inspiration?”

“It is strong now, but what just happened?” Joel was shaken up a bit.

“These kinds of things have been happening here lately Joel. Can I share with you about when I first came in here as a customer and met a woman named Mary?” Jessica gently asked.

Joel nodded yes and motioned for her to join him. Jessica continued, “I was so nervous the first day I came in here…………”

For Jessica’s Story of meeting Mary Magdalene here is the link- Jessica’s Encounter at The Harbor Coffee Shop

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Billy’s Study Group Discusses Discrimination with a Man Name Cornelius

This story was inspired by an actual real life encounter I had in a park one day many years ago when I told a little boy at an outreach event “Jesus loves you”. He looked down at the ground and said, “The kids at school call me brown boy.” We talked about the love Jesus has for all people. I will never forget that conversation.

Billy’s Study Group Discusses Discrimination with a Man Named Cornelius.

Billy had a spring his step as he walked to the door of The Harbor. The reason? It was Tuesday afternoon which meant it was time for his GED study group. What began as study time with Jessica had grown to a diverse study group of four students. Jose was an 18 year old Hispanic who loved music and could play several instruments his favorite being guitar. Justine was a 22 year old woman from Congo who was too old for high school but needed a high school diploma so she could go to Nursing School. Pah was a 21 year old refugee from Burma whose English was quite good but he did not have the opportunity for high school in the refugee camp. Of course, Jessica was there ready and eager to learn. They were all waiting for Billy as he walked in and even had his cup of coffee ready from him.

“Well good afternoon kiddos,” Billy greeted them.

Jessica, Jose, Justine and Pah all greeted Billy with bright smiles. He was more than a teacher for them. He was also a mentor for them as they were trying to build their lives. The connection Billy had with them was obvious from the smiles around the table and also in the questions they would ask during conversation time. The questions would range from help with important papers, advice on dating, and questions about life in general.

That day the conversation turned to why each of them had not graduated high school yet. Pah shared that there was no high school in his refugee camp. Justine confided that the high school was too far away for her to walk to in Congo. Jessica shared about how her family life made it impossible for her to finish school. Then it was Jose’s turn. Jose was still young enough to go to high school, but he in no way wanted to go. He simply shared, “I never want to go back there.”

Jessica did not want to let it go at that, so she pursued it further, “Why don’t you want to go back?”

Jose took a deep breath and out it came. He spilled it all. “I was bullied in high school. The kids called me brown boy because I was the only hispanic in school. I never want to go back to that place.”

Billy quickly jumped in, “Listen to me kiddo, you are a good young man. You are God’s creation. Don’t pay attention to what bullies were saying.”

Jose looked down, “I am not sure about this God’s creation stuff with the way I have been treated.”

A man was sitting next to them and had been listening to their conversation. He looked at them and politely interrupted the conversation, “I know for a fact that God loves diverse people and cultures. God loves everyone in the world.”

Jessica and Billy smiled at each other with that knowing look people give each other who share a secret. They both knew another encounter was in process.

Jose shrugged his shoulders and said to the man, “How would you know.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Well, I know from first hand experience. You see, I was the first Gentile Peter visited when the church was first starting. My name is Cornelius. You don’t need to introduce yourselves. I already know your names, Jose, Justine, Jessica and Pah and of course your teacher Billy.”

Justine was surprised, “How do you know our names?”

“God has told me many things about the five of you and he has sent me here to share with you about how much he loves people from all cultures,” Cornelius explained.

Pah was curious, “Even refugees?”

“Especially refugees and anyone who has suffered” Cornelius reassured him.

“If he loves us so much, why do we have different skin colors that make others treat us badly?” Jose challenged.

“God loves variety. Just look at how many different flowers there are. They don’t look the same but they all add beauty to our world. God is an artist and he paints with diverse colors. But let’s get to the real issue. The issue of discrimination.” Cornelius responded.

Jose jumped on that, “Yes, why is there discrimination if God created us all?”

Cornelius saw the moment was right and leaned forward, “Excellent question my friend. It is because of sin in the hearts of people. Think about it. God created the diversity when he scattered human beings at the Tower of Babel. He wanted us to go out to all the world so he confused the languages to make people go to all of the world. So if diversity is from God, then discrimination cannot be from God because after all, Jesus himself said that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. So discrimination cannot be from God. It comes from the sinful hearts of people.”

Jose’s curiosity was peaked, “So you said you are a Gentile. What is that all about?”

Cornelius thanked Jose for the question, “Basically when the church first started, it started in Jerusalem and throughout Israel among the Jews. The Jews called anyone who was not Jewish a Gentile.”

“So why was that a thing back then?” Justine was into it now too.

“Jews viewed anyone who wasn’t Jewish as being unclean spiritually so they did not want to enter our homes or associate with us very much.” Cornelius explained.

Pah had to know, “So how did you hear about Jesus and how did the church grow throughout the world?”

Cornelius smiled knowing the time was now for his message, “I wanted to know about Jesus and know more about the faith. I prayed and asked God to send me someone. God wanted Peter to come to my house, but Peter hesitated because I was a Gentile and Peter did not want to be unclean spiritually so God spoke to him in a vision three times to not call unclean what God calls clean. Peter came to my house and explained about Jesus for me and my household. I faced discrimination in those days. Some Jews would even talk to me because I was a Gentile. Most of the time I would not be welcomed into their homes and they certainly did not want to come to my home. It was pervasive everyday everywhere I went. Because Jesus told Peter to come to my house, it broke the ice so to say and the church began to break out of the barriers.”

Cornelius paused to drink some of his cappuccino and let his words soak in a little and then continued as the study group was glued to his words, “Paul wrote in his letters that there is no Jew or Greek, meaning Gentile, no male or female, no master or slave, no rich or poor in the church. The only identity is Christian brothers and sisters. If someone professes to be a Christian then prejudice has no place in their hearts. That was a revolutionary concept back in those days. Think about this, about 2000 years before the Civil Rights Act in America, Paul wrote that in Jesus there is no dividing line”

Jessica had one final question for Cornelius, “So what did Jesus look like? Most pictures I see have him as white.”

Cornelius thoughtfully replied, “He looked like most men did that were from that part of the world. Don’t let artwork affect you.”

Jose had a pressing question, “So if I visit a church, it shouldn’t matter that I have brown skin? Kids at school called me brown boy.”

Billy asserted himself, “Let me jump in here. Jose you can come with me and we will sit together. I will be proud to have you sit with me. Everything Cornelius has said is true. There is no place for discrimination. If you come with me, you will see that the people will love having you there. As far as the kids at school, I am sorry that happened to you. They have a problem not you. But Jesus taught we should pray for those who harm us. We can start praying for God to change their hearts.”

Cornelius left with one last thought, “Before I leave, let me just encourage you that at the end when all of humanity is before Jesus, the bible says people from every tongue, every tribe will be there. Jesus wants people from every culture, language, race and ethnic group to be in his family. Back to your studies now.”

With that Cornelius was gone and Billy took it from there, “This has been a great conversation and in fact it leads to the social studies segment for this week. Let’s read about the Equal Rights or Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.”

If you see a name highlighted in blue it indicates the character was in a previous story. You can click on the name to see the previous story that introduced the character.

Next week all stories will deal with the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus as we experience Good Friday and Easter week.

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Retired, Billy Finds a New Purpose

(Note from the Matthew Kohrell the author- If you see a name highlighted in blue, it means that person is introduced in an earlier story. You can click on the name to bring up that story to know more about that character)

Early morning was Billy’s favorite time of the day because he could go have a cup of coffee and do his crossword puzzle. It got him out of his house and gave him a brief respite from feeling lonely in an empty house. It gave him time to not dwell on being retired and feeling like he had no purpose other than to look at everything in his house that reminded him of his beloved wife Claire. She had died the year before in an auto accident when that drunk driver hit them. Billy did his best to hide that emptiness from others with his quick wit, impish grin, and a look in his eyes that said, ‘I am up to something’.

As with any retired teacher, he thought about his former students and struggle with loss of identity. No one called him teacher anymore. Walking the halls of the high school interacting with students along the way seemed like a distant memory now. But it was time to go for coffee. He grabbed his newspaper muttering to himself, “everything is online now, but there is nothing like waking up to get my newspaper from the front porch, the good old days.”

Jessica had just finished setting out the coffee urns on the coffee counter when Cindy arrived. It might seem a small thing to others, but it meant the world to Jessica, with everything she had overcome, that Cindy trusted her to open the shop in the mornings and come in to get things ready. “Good morning Cindy. Coffee is ready for you if you need one,” Jessica greeted Cindy with a smile when she saw Cindy enter.

“Good morning kiddo. How are you this morning.” CIndy replied.

“I am okay…..” Jessica managed to half whisper.

Recognizing that look on her face and tone in her voice, Cindy knew something was on Jessica’s mind. “Okay kiddo, what’s up. I know something is bothering you.”

Jessica knowing she couldn’t hide things from Cindy admitted, “Well, it’s just,… well you know I have been helping with the youth group?”

Cindy stopped and looked Jessica in the eyes, “Yes, what about it? Is there a problem?”

“Well not with the group, but I feel like a phony.” Jessica confided.

“Why do you feel like a phony?” Cindy wasn’t going to let go of it.

“Well, you see, I don’t know how to say it.” Jessica was looking down at the floor as she spoke.

Her maternal feelings were coming out now so Cindy walked over and put her hand under Jessica’s chin lifting her head up, “Remember what we talked about Jessica. You are a child of God, a daughter of the most high God. Don’t look down and away. Tell me what it is.”

It was another time of trying to cope with her past, so with her eyes watering up, Jessica confessed, “Cindy with everything that happened to me, I never graduated from high school. I feel like a phony trying to help the kids in youth group.”

Cindy responded like she always did by giving her a hug and reassured her, “It is your faith in Jesus that is the example Jessica. We can figure out the high school thing later but for now we need to open up. Can you unlock the door?”

“Sure thing,” Jessica quickly went to the door and to no surprise there was Billy standing there waiting with his newspaper under his arm. Jessica unlocked the door.

“Good morning Billy. Cup of coffee again?” Jessica greeted Billy with a shy smile.

“Top of the morning to you Jess.” Billy replied. Being the grandson of Irish immigrants, he loved to try to sound Irish.  “Yes ma’am a cup of Joe. Best way to start the day.”

Feeling she could maybe speak with the older man, Jessica joked, “Hey Billy, you know there are a lot more crosswords online than in the newspaper.”

Billy quipped back with a laugh, “No ma’am. Don’t start on me like Megan. I don’t need online. There is nothing as good as waking up to the newspaper on my front porch. The smell of it, the feel of it in my hands, and the pleasant surprise the delivery boy got it on the porch and not in my bushes. Don’t try to get me online.” Billy laughed some more.

Billy got his cup of coffee and sat down. As soon as he sat down, another older man walked in and right over to Billy. “Mind if I join you? I see you have the paper too. Maybe we can help each other with the crossword.” he asked.

Billy looked up at the man, “I never need help, but you can have a seat and let me know if you get stuck my good fellow.”

They sat there for a while doing the crossword until the man cleared his throat in the way it lets people know one is about to speak, “So my name is Zech, what is your name?”

Billy stuck out his hand, “The name is Billy my good fellow. So are you from around here?”

“Just visiting for this morning. I have quite a ways to travel after our coffee,” Zech explained.

“So how do you spell your name? It is a little different sound than I am used to for Zach.” Billy was curious.

“Actually my name is Zechariah, but I use Zech, Z-E-C-H, for short.” Zech explained.

“Zechariah? Sounds like a name from the bible.” Billy mused.

“Exactly where I got the name. So what do you do for work?” Zech inquired.

“Don’t work anymore. Retired teacher and currently professional coffee drinker and crossword puzzler, but of course, not for pay.” Billy grinned as he answered.

“Do you think there is more to life than drinking coffee and doing crosswords?” Zech asked.

“Whoa now my good fellow. We barely just met. Don’t go trying to push me like others do.” Billy still grinning tried to put Zech in his place.

Zech quickly replied, “Billy there isn’t much time until the other regulars come, so I will get right to the point. The way you like it from what I understand. God sent me here to talk with you to tell you that you still have a purpose in life. It is time to start.”

That got Billy’s attention, “What do you mean God sent you? No tricks now. Talk straight.”

“I know a lot about you Billy. I know that you miss the school and the students. I know that you miss everything about being a teacher. I also know that you feel life has passed you by and you feel lonely. Oh, and one more thing, I know that you didn’t pay enough attention to Simon when he talked with you and Megan a few days ago.” Zech laid it on the line.

“You seem to know a lot about me..” Billy gruffly retorted.

“We both know the things I just shared, but there is one thing I know that you need to know.” Zech calmly replied.

“Okay, out with it then. That Simon fella told me someone else would come. Out with it fella.” Billy backed down.

‘Billy, Jesus loves you. He still has a plan for you. Life has not passed you by. Your late wife loves Jesus and is with Jesus now as we speak, but you need to let God help you get going again.” Zech encouraged him.

“Well now, that is quite a message. But listen now my good fella, I am no spring chicken. How is it that a 65 year old man is supposed to get going again?” Billy asked thinking that would stump this intruder on his morning coffee.

Zech not being thrown off was ready, “I speak from personal experience Billy and I was just as skeptical as you are now. When I was living on earth and was older, an angel once came to me to tell me my wife Elizabeth and I would have a baby. I didn’t believe him or course, but we did end up having a son. Maybe you heard of John the Baptist.”

Billy replied, “Oh, my. So God sent the father of John the Baptist to me. Now I have seen it all.” Billy laughed at that one.

“Don’t take this moment lightly Billy,” Zech admonished. “I scoffed and ended up not being to talk until the baby was born because of it. You have a purpose Billy. You will have a practical way to show the love of Jesus, but first you need to come back to Jesus. It isn’t too late Billy. If God could work through me and my wife for us to become parents for the first time at an age people can’t, then God can work through you.”

Billy eyes were wide open now, “I am sorry my friend. So tell me, what is this purpose?”

Zech looked Billy square in the eyes, “It is right under your nose here in the coffee shop. Someone needs your help, patience and understanding. It will start there. You will have the opportunity to help someone who will go on to have a wonderful future serving God, but she can’t see it yet. She needs someone who can believe in her until she can believe in herself. She has no father, no family. You will discover more about why. Will you help her?”

Billy was moved as he thought of young women in difficult circumstances. It made him think of his daughter living in Europe teaching. His paternal instincts were coming to the surface, “Of course I will. Who is she?”

Zech smiled recognizing the change in Billy, “She is about to come over here. Be gentle with her. To her this is one of the hardest things she has had to do since she came to this town. It is time for me to go, but remember, we love because Jesus first loved us. You need to come back to Jesus too.”

Billy was tearing up a bit now, “Of course. It is time for me to get back to church. It is just hard to go without Claire.” Billy wiped his eyes and then realized Zech was gone. He snapped to when Jessica came to his table.

“Billy, Cindy told me you were a high school teacher,” Jessica shyly tried to start a conversation.

“Oh, yes, I was. Why do you ask Jessica?” Billy gently responded.

“Well, you see. I am not sure how to say this. I never had a chance to go to high school. I don’t want to say why.” Jessica half in tears trying to be strong.

Billy knew this is what Zech was telling him about. “Jessica, I would be happy to help you. I’ll tell you what. I’ll come back here this afternoon and we can talk about his here. I can help you study when you are off work and we can study right here.”

“Thank you Billy, Thank you!!!” Jessica surprised both Billy and herself with the spontaneous hug she gave him.

 

Written by Matthew Kohrell

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Friends Struggling with PTSD Meet the Man Who Carried the Cross of Jesus.

Friday afternoons were the time a few people struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would stop in for coffee after their support group. This afternoon only Megan and Billy had time for a cup after their group. Megan suffered from flashbacks from her time in the war which at times caused her to have debilitating anxiety attacks. Billy was trying to emotionally recover from the terrible car accident his wife of thirty years died in when they were hit by a drunk driver. Billy being a retired teacher in his sixties was kind of a father figure for Megan, so they often had coffee after the group. Megan enjoyed playfully helping Billy get the hang of social media, and for Billy, well it was time away from the loneliness of an empty home. The Harbor had become Billy’s home away from home even though he had not shared much with the people working there. He usually would stop by in the mornings to do his crossword puzzle while enjoying a cup of coffee, so he was one of the regular gang, so much so, that everyone knew what he would order before he spoke. Megan loved to tease Billy about trying something different.

“Maybe next time you can try a mocha,” teased Megan.

“No, no, just a cup of joe is all I need.” Billy quickly asserted.

“How about a frappe?” Megan smiled as she was having a little fun with her friend.

“If God wanted us to have those fancy things, coffee beans would have grown flavored.” Billy retorted with an impish grin.

“Billy, I really appreciate you joining me after group on Fridays. I don’t know if I will ever get control of my anxiety, but the group helps me a lot.” Megan confided partly to share her heart and partly to encourage her friend. She knew Billy felt so alone since his wife died.

“Well anything to help a vet even if she is pushy about me changing my beverage of choice,” Billy replied in his usual playful banter. Megan liked the way the the old Irishman would joke with her.

“But seriously Megan, please don’t stop the group. I hope you can heal up from the anxiety. I just wish there was more I could do.” Billy tried to comfort the young woman he had grown to think of as a daughter.

“There is healing available,” interrupted the man sitting beside them.

Surprised, they turned to look at the man who seemed to rudely interrupt their personal time.

“Hey now, who are you?” Billy promptly responded. The protective papa bear was coming out of him.

The man sought to reassure them, “Let’s just say I am a person who once witnessed one of the most gruesome violent acts but that act led to my healing in all ways and I would love to share a little with you about it”

Megan jumped in, “Let’s start with who are you, what is your name and why are you imposing?”

The man apologized, “I am sorry. I don’t mean to cause any distress. My name is Simon. I originally came from a place called Cyrene. I am only visiting here for a brief time this afternoon and actually God sent me here to talk with the two of you, Billy and Megan.”

Startled, Billy inquired, “How do you know us? Were you at the hospital when we left the group? Have you been eavesdropping?’

“Oh my, no. My name is Simon. I just sat down, but I do know a little about both of you. Megan you are having troubles with post-traumatic stress from being in the war. Billy for you it is from being in the car accident your wife died in. I too once witnessed a terrible ordeal.” Simon reassured.

“Who told you all these things about us?” Billy insisted.

“As I told you, God sent me here to talk with you. Could I share a little about what I watched happen to an innocent man?” Simon asked.

Intrigued, Megan agreed. Billy did too but he was wary of the stranger.

Simon continued, “I left my home in Cyrene with my two sons Rufus and Alexander to go to Jerusalem for the Passover. That was the most important religious observance for Jews and being a Jew, I wanted my sons to experience one Passover in Jerusalem. We traveled with a caravan and I felt safe knowing Roman soldiers patrolled the roads. Then we arrived in Jerusalem and got a room. The next day we went out to get some food, but people were lined up in the streets shouting and shaking their fists in the air. I was concerned for the safety of my sons, so we got close to some Roman soldiers thinking we would be safe.”

Billy was growing impatient, “Nice little story, but what does that have to do with us?”

Simon calmly replied, “I understand. Let me get to that. The reason for the almost riot was a man was carrying a cross down the road for his own crucifixion. That was how Romans executed people. The man stumbled. The Roman soldiers all of the sudden grabbed me and ordered me to carry his cross. I heard his name yelled out, ‘Jesus’. I was shocked. I had heard about a Jesus who healed people and did miracles even back in Cyrene. So there I was carrying the cross of an innocent man, not able to understand why he was on his way to his death. The cross was heavy, so I was surprised he could have even carried it that far. He had been beaten badly. I was forced to carry his cross all the way to a place called Golgatha where prisoners were crucified. I stood there frozen in a dazed stunned fog. I couldn’t move. I was numb. I watched as the soldiers nailed him to the cross and then hoisted him up. It was the most horrific scene I ever observed.”

“So you are saying you saw Jesus killed? You were there?” Megan asked hesitatingly.

Simon wasn’t upset, “I realize this is hard to believe, but how else would I have known about you unless God had told me?”

Billy wanted to get to the point and let Simon know it.

“I think the main point is that I understand trauma whether it be experiencing it first hand or watching someone else go through it. That night after Jesus died, I couldn’t sleep. Images of Jesus and his beaten body hanging on the cross kept flashing through my mind. It was the longest night of my life. When sunrise came, I did the best I could to put the events out of my mind and focus on my sons, but emotionally I was still there at the cross and my heart was pounding in my chest,” Simon sought to share why he understood.

Megan was moved, fought back a tear, and asked, “So how did you get over that? What does all of that mean to us?”

Simon realized the moment was right, “What I was forced to do and what I saw done to Jesus was brutal to say the least, but my story doesn’t end there. I stayed in Jerusalem for a while because the journey was long back in those days. I needed to try to recover. I ran into some of his followers in the days after and they recognized me. They expressed their concern for me and wanted to know if I was okay. I heard rumors that Jesus was alive again, but that was unbelievable for me. Then one day some of his followers invited me and my sons to a gathering of about 500 people. While we were together, Jesus suddenly appeared. He was there. He was alive again. I realized that he was truly the one and only Son of God. I came to trust in him and when I did, I felt a rush of healing emotionally.”

Billy was close to bursting when he exclaimed, “So don’t leave us hanging. How does that apply to us?”

Simon gently looked at them and answered, “For anyone who receives Jesus, who trusts in him, Jesus will come into their lives. Jesus promised that anyone who believes in him that he and The Father will come live with them. We are also promised that anyone who believes in Jesus receives a spirit of adoption to be children of God and not slaves of fear. For some the inner healing happens quickly. For some it is step by step, but we can know he is always with us. There is healing in his name for our emotions and for our minds. That can be a process, but he will stay with us each and every step of the way. We can know that we will never be alone.”

Tears were running down Megan’s face as she asked Simon, “Does Jesus want to do that for me? I need help so badly. I need peace.”

Simon reassured her, “Yes, he wants to do that for you and he can give you peace for your soul.”

Billy ever the skeptic asserted, “I am almost there, but I am not sure about all of this.”

Simon smiled as he replied, “Yes, Billy, I was told you would need more. You will have another visitor in the future. Your life isn’t over. You still have things to do here”

Billy sighed, “oh great, another visitor.”

Megan laughed a little, “Papa bear, I think it will do you some good.”

Simon politely thanked them, “I appreciate you listening and letting me share about my experience. It is time for me to go. God Bless.”

With that Simon was gone. Megan looked at Billy and for the first time seemed lighter in her spirit, “You know Papa bear, I think it was supposed to be just us having coffee after group today. I feel like God might help me after all.”

Written by Matthew Kohrell

Note from the author- Thank you for reading my stories. If you have a person from the bible you want to see incorporated into a story or a story idea, let me know by sending me a comment.

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God Bless

Fatima Meets The Woman From The Well

Our eyes can be windows into our inner selves even if we try to hide what is going on in our secret inner world. Such was true for Fatima as she went through her every day life trying to conceal the pain she carried with her; pain from having been rejected by her husband and left to be a single mom, pain of being left by another man who claimed to love her,  pain of having to flee her homeland in the Middle East because of violence, and the pain of seeking to make a new life for her and her children in her new country the U.S. with all of the ups and downs. It seemed like mostly downs for her. Sure she would smile, but her smile was an outward mask to prevent others from seeing how vulnerable she felt.

Fatima stopped in at The Harbor for an espresso one day after dropping her kids off at school. As she approached the counter to order her espresso, she avoided eye contact with those sitting at the tables. She looked down at the floor as she walked to the counter and when she was finally first in line, Jessica smiled and let her know, “I will be right with you after I finish this latte.” Feeling shy about speaking English, Fatima forced a smile and nodded averting her eyes in hopes Jessica wouldn’t notice her. Jessica having survived ordeals herself, picked up on Fatima’s forced smile and knew something was wrong. There is a kind of intuition survivors have when it comes to recognizing others who have suffered.

Fatima got to the counter and Jessica asked what she could get her. Fatima avoided eye contact and quietly answered, “I only want an espresso.” Espresso reminded her of the good times in her life when she would drink an espresso with her parents even though the memories were of a distant time and place. Espresso was one of the few times she could feel connected to that far away land and memory.  While Fatima was lost in her thoughts about her parents, Jessica made her espresso. Then came the innocent intrusion on Fatima’s brief mental escape, Jessica returned with the espresso and asked, “Is there anything else you need?”

Fatima shook her head no and softly replied, “No Thank you.”

Jessica noticed Fatima’s accent and it reminded of the accent Mary Magdalene had when Jessica had her encounter  with Mary, so Jessica gently inquired, “Where are you from? You have a beautiful accent. It reminds me of a woman I met a while back.”

Trust is an issue for survivors and being a refugee only heightened that issue of wondering who she could trust. Fatima simply replied, “I am from the Middle East.” Then without saying another word, she went to a table in the corner of The Harbor Coffee Shop to be out of the way and unnoticed. Her desire was to have a brief respite from her struggles by mentally disappearing into her past before life fell apart.

Jessica sensed something was troubling Fatima, so she asked Ashley to cover the counter for a minute. Jessica quickly found Cindy in the back. Cindy had gotten to know Jessica quite well and could tell there was something pressing Jessica needed to ask. “What is it sweetie?” Cindy asked while reassuring Jessica with a pat on the shoulder. “There is a woman I think we need to pray for. She is sitting by herself and I am sure something is wrong,” Jessica confided. They joined hands and prayed for the welcome stranger.

Fatima was lost in her thoughts when another woman approached her and asked if she could sit with her, “Do you mind if I join you? All the tables are full.” Startled, Fatima looked up to see a woman who looked like she could of come from the same area of the world and also had an accent similar to hers. Fatima hesitated at first, but after looking around and realizing all the tables were full nodded yes and held her hand out to the empty chair at the table to motion for the stranger to have a seat.

Fatima surprised herself by talking with this woman. Feeling free to strike up a conversation was not something a survivor often experiences. Fatima asked the woman where she was from and the woman informed her, “I am from a place called Samaria.”

“Samaria?” Fatima pondered and then inquired further in her broken English, “I not know where Samaria is..”

“Oh, I understand. Samaria is not very well known, and least these days. It is in the part of the world around Israel,” the woman explained.

“So you are Jew?” Fatima asked.

The woman replied, “I used to be a kind of mix of Jewish and other things, but that wasn’t very acceptable in those days. By the way, you can call me Salome. What is your name?”

“My name is Fatima. What do you mean used to be?” Fatima asked.

“One day I met a man who changed my world, my life.” Salome explained.

“Men. I not like men. They only hurt.” Fatima looked down as she reacted to images flooding in her mind of her ex-husband, the boyfriend after him, and the thugs that attacked her village.

“Believe me, I understand. But this man is one we can all trust.” Salome confided.

Fatima was curious now “How do you know we can trust this man?”

Salome could see the moment was right so she went with it, “One day, many years ago, I went to the well. We used to get our water from a well back then. As I approached the well, I saw a man sitting by the well. I was surprised that he was sitting there because at in those days Jewish people would not come through my area of Samaria. They thought it would make them unclean, so they would walk around our whole area, But there he was just sitting there. I went up to the well to draw some water and then he spoke to me. I was startled because he was obviously a rabbi, a teacher, of some kind and he was speaking to me, a Samaritan woman. He asked me for a drink of water.”

Fatima interrupted, “Were you scared? Did you give him water?”

Salome smiled and continued with her story, “We never got to that. I was surprised he would ask me for a drink and told him so. I asked why he was even talking to me. He answered in what seemed a strange way. He told me that if I knew who he was that I would ask and he would give me living water so I would never thirst. I asked him to give me some of his living water but again he responded in a peculiar way that really got my attention. He told me to go get my husband.”

“That is men, only respect men.” Fatima interjected.

Salome wasn’t disturbed because she knew Fatima was following her story. “Actually, he was getting my attention. It didn’t feel like he was judging me. It felt more like like he had something important he wanted to share with me. I told him I didn’t have a husband and he proceeded to let me know that he knew I had been married five times and the man I was with was not my husband. He had my full attention at that point. I talked about  the Messiah, the promised one from God because I was wondering if he was the Messiah. He told me he was the Messiah. With that I ran to my village and told the people. We all came back to listen to him.”

“Did he ever give you living water?” Fatima wanted to know.

“Yes, he did, but it wasn’t physical water. He was talking about the Holy Spirit. God gives the Holy Spirit to all who believe in the man I met at the well.” Salome explained.

“Who is this man? Can I meet him? Can I have this living water?” Fatima asked abruptly.

“Yes you can. Anyone can meet him and he will give this living water to anyone who trusts in him. His name is Jesus.” Salome shared.

Fatima looked down at her espresso thoughts swirling around in her mind and then looked back up and into Salome’s eyes. “I think I need learn more about this Jesus.”

Salome touched Fatima’s hand to reassure her sharing, “My time here is about up. I need to go back to heaven now. God wanted me to come talk with you. But don’t worry. A woman named Cindy is going to come over here as soon as I leave. She will share a lot more about Jesus with you. We will meet again someday. If you ever want to read about me, you can read in the Book of John Chapter 4 in the bible. Bye for now my friend.” Salome was gone and Fatima sat there dazed by her chance meeting trying to take it all in.

Cindy came over to greet Fatima, “Hi, my name is Cindy. Welcome to my coffee shop.”

Fatima perked up, “Hi, my name is Fatima. I talked with a woman, Salome. She tell me to talk with you. Can you talk to me about Jesus?

Cindy sat down smiling, “Of course. I would love to talk”

 

Discouraged guy finds new hope at The Harbor over coffee, Brian meets John Mark.

Waking up in the morning to only dread the day ahead had become commonplace in Brian’s life. It felt like life was one endless series of tries and failures in his career. There was the time he tried Real Estate only to find he didn’t really have the heart for sales and trying to persuade people to buy. He was a self-admitted flop when he tried to start his own organic lawn care company. Each endeavor was part of his search to find a way to support his wife and two year old daughter while also pursuing his life’s passion of music. For any creative personality, when everyday life isn’t going well, creativity can wane. The worship pastor, Pastor Steve, at his church wanted Brian to be part of the worship team, but depression over feeling like a failure caused him to say no and avoid the worship pastor. Even church life was something Brian was starting to feel reluctant about. Brian eventually got out of bed to make breakfast for him and his wife Maria. During breakfast, he did his best to hide his depression from Maria. However, Maria being quite perceptive knew her husband was troubled about things.

After breakfast, Brian kissed Maria and their little girl Rachael goodbye, got in his twelve year old Toyota, and drove to meet his friend Larry at The Harbor for coffee. Maria was not going to surrender the husband she loves so deeply to the darkness coming over him, so she sought out the one person she knew could help Brian. She went to Jesus in prayer, and pray she did, for an hour.

No sooner had Brian pulled into the parking lot, he had a text alert on his cell phone. He parked his car, checked the text and saw that Larry had sent him a text saying something came up at the last minute and had to cancel their coffee appointment. “What else can go wrong?” Brian thought to himself. He got out of his car and headed to the door of The Harbor anyway.

Jessica was working that morning. Her life had blossomed since her encounter with Mary Magdalene thanks to her new friend and boss Cindy and the people she had met at church. Jessica had watched Cindy on many occasions whisper a quiet prayer for customers as they entered The Harbor, something Jessica had started to do herself. Jessica watched as Brian came in with his head down obviously in a fog emotionally. She whispered a quick prayer for the man approaching the counter.

Brian got to the counter and mustered a slight smile as Jessica greeted him with a bright one of her own saying, “Good Morning. Welcome to the Harbor. What would you like to have?”

Brian was trying to count the quarters in his pocket while putting his keys in his pocket without being conspicuous about it. He figured he had enough for a cup of coffee, so he replied, “Just a cup of coffee today.”

“Sure, here’s a mug for you. The coffee is right over there.” Jessica tried to be cheerful for the despondent soul in front of her.

Brian got his coffee and sat down at a table along the side wall in an attempt to avoid interacting with people. As he drank his coffee, he wasn’t praying rather muttering his disappointment in himself and his life. He was blankly staring at his bible app on his phone when a man walked up to him to ask, “Do you mind if I sit here? There are no empty tables at the moment.” Brian looked up and saw the middle-aged man standing there. Brian nodded okay and looked back down at the bible app.

“Do you read the bible a lot?”, inquired the polite intruder on Brian’s sullen mood. Brian looked up at the man sitting in front of him. The man was neatly dressed and well-groomed including his neatly trimmed beard. In other words, on the outside, the man looked like everything Brian could only wish to be. Brian just responded with a puzzled, “sure”, wondering why the man would ask him such a question.

The man continued on trying to strike up a conversation with Brian, “I love reading the bible. You don’t know how lucky you are to have so many different ways to read it, book form, app on your phone, websites like biblegateway.” Brian didn’t react, he only thought to himself, “lucky? Me? This guy is nuts.”

The man persisted, “There are so many examples in the bible of people who stumbled along, failed, got back up with God’s help, and experienced changed lives. Changed for the better. That’s why I love reading the bible.”

Brian had had enough of what he thought was an annoying positive thinker sitting in front of him, sat back in his chair, and felt like giving him a full barrage of insults, however, he held back and simply said, “Sir I don’t know you. I am not in the mood. How about we just sit quietly and leave each alone.”

“Suit yourself. I am not one of those crazy positive thinkers who believe in fairy tales. It’s just that I have lived it myself coming back from failure with God’s help,” the man replied.

Brian wondered if the man was some kind of mind reader. How did he know he had just thought of him as a crazy positive thinker? The comment got Brian’s attention, so he apologized with, “Sorry. I am just having a bad day. My name is Brian. What’s your name?”

The man reached out to shake hands and let Brian know, “My name is John Mark.”

Brian wondered where he had heard that name before, so he reacted, “It seems I have heard that name before, John Mark, but I am not sure where. I have met guys named John and guys named Mark, but John Mark, I haven’t ever met anyone with that name. Where have I heard that name before?”

John Mark explained, “Well sometimes I am referred to as Mark and sometimes John Mark, it all depends on what translation you are reading.”

Brian was in no mood for games and the depends on what translation comment seemed strange, and he let John Mark know saying, “I am not sure what you are getting at about what translation. Maybe it actually is best if we drop it.”

John Mark apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that I know you are struggling at this time in your life. The organic lawn care business wasn’t a failure. It simply wasn’t God’s plan for you.”

Brian had had enough of this now seeming odd man sitting in front of him and it was time to let him know, “How do you know anything about me and what business is it of yours?”

John Mark politely sought to reassure Brian of his motivation, “Brian there are many things I have been shown about you, but not to cause harm or confusion. After all, God is not the author of confusion. I will get to the point for you. My name is John Mark, and God has sent me here to share my story with you to encourage you that things can and will get better for you.”

For some reason Brian could not understand, he felt he should listen to the man and no longer thought of him as being off the wall. Brian only nodded and gestured for John Mark to go ahead.

John Mark continued, “If you look in your bible at Acts 15:36 to 41 you can see that I had failed the one and only Paul by deserting him and Barnabas before. Barnabas wanted to take me along with them to give me another chance, but Paul did not want me around. Paul, the great missionary apostle, did not want me around. I felt so low at that point. I mean if one of the top guys in the early church thought I couldn’t be trusted, what chance would I have of ever becoming anything in the church. Fortunately for me, Barnabas insisted I was worth it to give me a second chance. It was perhaps the lowest point in my life to feel like I had come between two great friends.”

Brian looked up over his cup of coffee at John Mark and bluntly retorted, “You know you are kind of blowing this cheer me up thing.”

John Mark chuckled a bit, “I see your point, but my story did not end there. Brian, Barnabas took me under his wing and mentored me. He was that older father figure kind of guy who could patiently work with me to help me grow in my faith and as a man. I learned a lot from him. The proof that it worked in is one little comment by Paul in the second letter he wrote to Timothy to instruct him to bring Mark along because he is useful in my ministry. Brian, God can do wonderful things in our lives as long as we don’t give up. Your worship pastor asked you to be part of the worship ministry. You have musical talent. Get in touch with him and ask him to let you be a part of it. Today, you can meet your Barnabas. My time is up, but when Jessica comes over here, ask her to introduce you to a man named Doug. Goodbye my friend.”

With that goodbye, John Mark was gone. Brian was sitting there trying to make sense of what had just transpired when Jessica walked over. “Can I get you anything else sir?” Jessica asked even though she had a feeling the anything else wouldn’t be coffee or muffins.

Brian was at a loss for words at first but finally managed to respond, “I am not sure how to say this. I, uhm, just had a conversation, but how to explain it.”

Jessica interrupted, “Don’t worry. I totally understand. I had one of those kinds of conversations myself the first time I came into The Harbor and it changed my life.”

Brian was relieved the young lady wouldn’t think he was crazy. He filled her in on what John Mark had encouraged him to do, “So the guy I just talked with told me you can introduce me to someone named Doug. Do you know a Doug?”

Jessica was beaming., “I sure do. He heads up a ministry called Love Justice. He is sitting right over there. Come with me.”

Brian followed Jessica over to another table where a gentleman was enjoying a cafe latte while checking into possible flights on his laptop.

Jessica felt comfortable around Doug because she knew he worked to rescue young women like she needed in the past. They had struck up a friendship to the point she looked at Doug as a kind of grandfather. Jessica got his attention, “Hey Doug, how’s it going?”

Doug looked up from his laptop and smiled. Joy showed through his eyes even though he was pushing 70. He hadn’t lost that zest for life nor his humor, “Hey Jessica. Good to see you. When are you going to bring me a doughnut?”

Jessica laughed and chided him, “You know doughnuts aren’t any good for you. You can have an apple haha. Actually, I have someone who needs to meet you. This is Brian and someone told him he should meet you.”

Doug motioned for Brian to have a seat, “Hey Brian, good to meet you, what’s up?”

Written by Matthew Kohrell

Note from the author– I hope you enjoy these short stories. I will try to post a new one each Tuesday afternoon. I have the next 3 story ideas, but if you have a brother or sister in the Christian faith from ancient times you want to suggest, please send me a comment.

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God Bless