Chapter 59

The day was Saturday. We had planned on leaving for Ashlee's parent's house, but the weather had other ideas. It was snowing, GREAT BIG FLAKES and we were not leaving the house.

The family didn't bother getting dressed. We stayed in our jammies for breakfast and just laid around watching TV.

I flipped around to a football game and only got little bit of resistance to watching it.

Dad must have gotten bored because less than half way through the game, he got up and left the room. A little while later, he came back dressed for being outside and announced that he was going to shovel the drive.

When he said it, he looked straight at me and gave me a head nod which I took as a HINT that he was not going to do it alone. "Ok dad. I'll go get dressed."

So I extracted myself out from under Brenda's leg and untangle myself from Ashlee leaning on me to go upstairs. Jeans, heavy shirt and socks and then I managed to get my boots on and head outside with my heavy coat on. Dad was working to get his snow blower running. It was one of those self-propelled models that had a two stage blower system. I grabbed a shovel and started working around the edges and in places where the blower would not be able to get to. Dad got the engine running and started moving down the driveway. The snow wasn't very deep, maybe two inches, but if we hadn't gotten a jump on it we wouldn't be able to get out for a few days.

I started on the front walk as dad was working on the drive.

"Here honey, have something warm to drink." I turned around and Ashlee was there holding out a mug of something warm. Mom was behind her walking down drive to dad holding a mug for him. We stopped what we were doing, took our mugs from our woman and drank it down. Mine was hot chocolate with a hint of peppermint.

"Oh, this is so good honey. What's in it?"

"Your mom and I made hot chocolate and put peppermint sticks in them. Isn't It good?"

"Yes it is."

That is what I did. I finished my hot chocolate and gave her the mug back. I got a kiss on the cheek and she spun around and went back in the house. I went back to shoveling and dad fired up the blower and finished his work as I finished mine.

I went to dad leaning on my shovel, "Are you about done dad?"

"I am here, but we have to run over to a friend's house and get her drive taken care of."

"OH really? Who's that?"

"You don't know her, but she is a widow from church and still able to drive. She asked for help from the church and I volunteered. So, help me with this thing and we'll get going."

Dad and I put the blower in the back of his truck and I tossed the shovel in and joined him. We drove across town, slowly, and arrived at a house on the west side of town. We got out, unloaded the blower and I took the shovel to begin on the walk. Her drive wasn't nearly as large or long as dad's so we finished in short order. The widow came out, hugged dad and I thanking us for our hard work. We got back in the truck and headed for home. "Any other drive ways that need work dad?"

"Nope, just this one."

We drove home and unloaded the blower then went inside. Ashlee and mom were busy in the kitchen making something that smelled great. I saw the cookbook open on the butcher block table and I went over to it. Looks like the ladies were going to make grandma's matzo ball soup for lunch/dinner. "Hey all, whatcha doin'?" I asked as I kissed Ashlee on the cheek and then gave one to my mom."

Mom answered me. "I'm showing my future daughter how to make grandma's soup. Remember it?"

"Oh yes. I remember it very well. One of my favorites. When is it going to be done?"

"Just a few minutes. 30 minutes at least. Go and get changed and them come back down for soup."

"Ok mom." I left the kitchen and headed for the stairs. Dad came in and I think had a very similar conversation because while I was changing, I heard him walk up the stairs and into his room.

Dry jeans, dry socks, a hoodie and I was back downstairs. Ashlee and mom were sitting in the family room talking so instead of bothering them, I went to the study where dad usually uses his computer and fired up mine. I checked Facebook and the other websites I favored and found nothing very interesting to keep my attention. I logged into my WoW game and tried to get a few things done. A couple of my guild mates signed on and said 'hi', wished me a merry Christmas and a happy new year and I wished them the same. I finished one random dungeon run before mom and Ashlee came looking for me for eating. Brenda thumped her way to the dining room and we all sat down for dinner/lunch. Mom had put out a salad, a big bowl of soup along with a big glass of milk for everyone. The five of us ate and talked and enjoyed our time together.

This hadn't been a very busy day, but dad and I were exhausted when night time came. I think that dad and I went to bed early because we were so wiped out. Of course this was after he and I did dishes together and made sure that the house was squared away.

I am sure that Ashlee came to bed that night. I just don't remember when.

Sunday morning, everyone was up bright and early for church.

Cereal, coffee and out the door.

We had to take two cars.

We had a church service first then we went to the Sunday school class that dad taught. He was very good and the others in the class seemed to enjoy themselves.

"You did good dad." I said to him afterward. "I had no idea that you were such a good teacher."

"Yes, well, thanks for noticing."

We left, managed to get out to the car after going through the gauntlet of people who wanted to meet Ashlee and Brenda. When they got a look at her ring, you could actually see their eyes jump out of their skulls. Yes, it felt good.

During the ride home, "Paul, why do you and your parents go to church?"

"So that we can worship our savior."

"Why do you need a savior?"

"That's easy, because of what it says in the Bible about there being a God, hell and eternal punishment for what we have done that is against the standards that God has set down for us."

"That seems a bit harsh." Brenda said from the backseat.

"Well, let me ask you this. Let's say that you break a window in someone's house. Who's going to pay for its repair?"

Both Ashlee and Brenda looked at me. Brenda said, "Guess I would pay for it."

"Correct. Now where do you go when you're sick?"

"Hospital." Ashlee said.

"Now, if you break the law by speeding, who pays for the ticket and accepts the punishment for their speeding?"

Brenda, obviously embarrassed by the reminder, said "I would."

"Now let's say that an alien race came down to earth thousands of years ago and started the human race then left us. The only thing they left behind were a few rules for us to follow. When we break these rules, who pays?"

"Well, whoever broke the rule of course? Where are you going with this Paul?" Ashlee asked.

"I believe that there is a God in heaven. That he created us humans a few thousand years ago and in the past he handed down a few rules for us to live by."

"The ten commandments?" Brenda asked from the back seat.

"Yes, those are part of them. There are a bunch of others that the Jews still follow, but the same person gave them to the Jews. So, when we break the rules that God handed us, who pays for breaking his rules?"

"We would." Ashlee said.

"Now, going back to the speeding ticket, what would you do if someone stood up in the courtroom and paid for your ticket and volunteered to accept your punishment? How would you react?"

"I would be very happy and glad to meet this person." Brenda said now interested in where I was going.

"The same is true for God's rules. We have broken them, and some people have broken them all many times over. Well, God sent down his son to pay the price for our breaking of his laws. So instead of us paying the price for our law breaking, Jesus took the punishment in our place by dying on a cross even though he did nothing wrong. It has been written that the he broke none of the laws that were handed down to us humans. He lived a perfect life and still he accepted the punishment that we, WE, are supposed to get when we die."

The silence in our car was deafening.

We pulled into the driveway at the house and we all piled out. I don't know what was going through their heads, but they looked like they were in deep thought. I was going to let them think. I wasn't going to push them; I was going to let them think about it so that they could make their own decision.

Lunch was put together and served. Another family favorite straight out of the cook book. After lunch, we all went our separate ways for a while. I went to the den and played on my computer. Dad was downstairs working on his lathe. Mom and Ashlee were talking in the living room and Brenda was off somewhere else. All I know for sure is that I took a nap after playing for a while and didn't have company in the bed.

Dinner was a simple affair, sandwiches, popcorn and 60 Minutes on TV. This had been the pattern I grew up with and it still holds true all of these years later. Funny how things work out.

During a commercial break, Ashlee asked the question that so many ask. "Mom, Dad, are you saved and do you believe that Jesus died for our sins?"

They exchanged a look and mom went ahead. "Yes we do."

"Well, Paul talked on the way home about how Jesus died for our sins on the cross so that we wouldn't have to pay for our mistakes. Is that really true?"

"Yes honey it is."

"How do you know?" Brenda asked.

"Well, we have the Bible as one source. The archeology record for a second and generations of history passed down through the years that says it is true." dad said since he was the teacher in the room and head of the family.

Ashlee put her folded her hands in her lap, "What do you have to do to be, saved?"

Mom answered her. "Believe honey. Admit that you are a sinful human and accept his forgiveness for your sins and you are saved?"

"That's all?" Brenda said. "You mean that is all there is? I would have thought that there would have to be classes, and pledges and work to be saved. I had no idea it was so easy to believe."

"Well, believing when things are good is easy. Believing when everything is falling in around you, then you know if you believe or not." Dad said and then leaned his elbows and looked back and forth between Ashlee and Brenda. "Right now, things are great for you. Ashlee, you have found your soon to be mate. Brenda, you are about to graduate and start out on your life as an adult and try to fulfil your dreams of being a race car driver. If my life is typical, then both of you are going to face challenges that are going to test your faith that there is a God." He motioned to me and continued. "Just look at that guy next to you Ashlee. How do think this guy next to you handled it?" They shrugged their shoulders. "I would bet dollars to donuts that he fell on his face many times after burying his family relying on God the Father to get him through that challenge. Well, when everything is at its darkest, God and your faith is sometimes the only thing you have to hold on to."

Well, that cut awfully close to the quick in my opinion. Brenda was the first to ask something. "What do we get out of a faith in Jesus?"

Dad answered, "The short answer is you escape the punishment that you deserve for the sins you have committed. The long answer is you get closer to the one that made you and get to learn all about him who you have faith in and in the process become a better person. More loving, more caring and more like our perfect example Jesus."

"And don't forget that when you die you won't spend eternity in hell but in heaven." Mom added quickly.

"What is hell and heaven like?" Brenda asked.

Dad got up and went to get his Bible from the other room, at least that is what he told us when he left us. When he came back he opened it and started reading. Revelations 20:14 and 15

14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

"Hell has been described as a lake of fire burning for all eternity. Those that are not found in the book of life at the end times will be thrown into the lake of fire and burn for all time."

"Like real fire?" Brenda asked.

"As real as anything in the afterlife can be. All we know is that you will feel everything as you do now but the pain that you will feel will never go away. The suffering will just go on and on."

"What is heaven going to be like?"

"We don't know, but we will be with Jesus in all of his glory worshiping him along with everyone that believed in him before they died. If your parents believe, or if your grandparents believed, then they will be there so that you can spend all eternity with them in perfect harmony." Mom said.

"What about Paul's first wife and kids? Are they going to be there too? I mean, how am I, we, going to spend all eternity with them around?"

"Ashlee, what you know now of love and affection is tainted and a poor example of what love could be. When you believe and end up in heaven, you will know Samantha and the kids so well that there will be no jealousy, no regret, nothing but pure love for even them. They will know you and your feelings just like you know theirs. It will be in perfect harmony that you all get to spend eternity together."

Now Ashlee had tears in her eyes and wiped them with the back of her hand. "Do you know how long I have waited for someone like him? Waited for something this wonderful? Well, it has been a long time let me tell you." She sat up a little straighter and looked mom in the eye, "I want to believe and be saved so that I won't lose my family."

Well mom and dad gave a shout and cheer. Brenda just sat there, still looking down at her lap still trying to make up her mind. Dad got up and went to her. "Ashlee, if we are going to do this, we might as well do it right."

He sat down next to Ashlee on the couch while mom sat on the other side. Mom and dad took her hands and then dad bowed his head and began

"Ashlee, just repeat after me. Dear heavenly father. I come to you tonight, admitting that I need you, your forgiveness and your salvation for my life. I accept your offer of salvation. Forgive me for my mistakes and for the sins I have committed against you. Come into my heart and take over. I put at the head of my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

Ashlee had repeated every word that dad spoke. When they looked up I was watching my fiancé and I swear there was a glow about her. Tears were falling from her eyes but she had the biggest smile on her face. She took a deep breath and sat up straighter. Like a weight had been removed from her life.