| 9 Comforting Stranger |
| Peggy burst into tears. �Why...did...you...have to...remind me...of...all that?� She rested her head in her hands, her body shaking. Mike moved around the bed and crouched down in front of her. �I�m sorry I had to bring up such painful memories, but it was necessary.� She moved her hands away from her tear streaked face. �Necessary? For who?� �For you. You can�t abandon your faith because of your husband�s death.� �I hate death. I hate everything about it. Why do people have to die? If God loves us, why let us die?� �There�s a reason for everything God does.� �Yeah? Well, I�d really like to know what it is.� �I was hoping you�d say that.� He stood up and reached out his hand to her. �Come and sit on the other side of the bed and we�ll talk.� Peggy gazed at his outstretched hand wondering whether she should do as he asked. She finally decided to listen to what he had to say, whether she believed him would be another story. She took his hand. It was strange, every time they touched, she felt safe and warm inside. She allowed him to lead her around the bed, and then sat down on the edge. Mike moved back to the armchair and sat down. She eyed him curiously for a moment. Who was he? He looked at her and smiled. Peggy couldn�t help notice how attractive he was, and those gorgeous blue eyes! How can you be thinking that another man is attractive when Rick has only been dead three weeks? she chided herself. Mike reached into a pocket in his jacket and pulled out a small, black, leather bound book. He handed it to Peggy. She took it and examined it, then looked up at him and frowned. �You�re not serious?� �You believe in God, right? Why not read what he has to say?� �Everyone thinks the bible is pass�...hardly anyone follows it nowadays.� �That�s the problem. If people followed God�s word everyone would live in peace and happiness.� �That�s rather naive, don�t you think. It�s never going to happen.� �That�s why he devised a plan for the earth.� �What kind of plan?� �I can teach you about it, if you�d like.� She looked at him sceptically. �Teach me?� �Yes. If you�re prepared to listen.� She looked down at the compact book sitting in the palm of her hand. �I don�t know...� �Open to the book of Revelation. Chapter twenty one.� Peggy turned the book over and opened the back cover. She skimmed through its pages until she found the chapter. �Alright, now what?� she asked. �Would you read it?� Mike instructed. She gazed up from the book. �To myself or out loud?� �I wouldn�t mind hearing you read.� �How did I know you were going to say that?� She lifted the tiny book closer to her face and cleared her throat. �And I saw a new heaven and a new earth...� Mike reached across and touched her arm. �Read verses three and four.� �Okay...With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: �Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes and death will be no more neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away...What does that mean?� Peggy asked. |