Three years later
Vincent stood under the cloudy gray sky trying to keep his promise to Shana. He was looking down at her grave. His B.F.F. had left him. He missed her smile and heartwarming giggles. She had died in her sleep after being hospitalized for phenomena. Vincent had made a promise to her before she died that he had every intention on keeping. His promise was not to be sad.
His watered eyes blinked rapidly. Carefully he laid some flowers at the grave.
"Daddy, rain coming look!"
Vincent looked down at his daughter, Vincentia, as she held his finger. "I see it, baby."
"Daddy, why you sad?"
"Daddy is not sad. He's just upset. Come on, let's go home. Say bye-bye to Shana."
Vincentia released his finger and waved. "Bye-bye, Shana. We go home now." She turned and held up her tiny arms, wanting to get picked up.
Vincent carried his daughter to the car.
"Daddy, Mommy is crying." Vincentia pointed at her mother.
Micki sat in the passenger seat wiping her eyes. She missed Shana too.
"Mommy, I'm hungry." This came from Vincentia's fraternal twin brother.
Vincent and Micki's gender bet was a tie since she had fraternal twins, Vincentia and Michael. Since Micki was now seven months pregnant. . .all bets were on again.
Vincent drove away from the cemetery trying his best not to be sad. When he looked in his rearview mirror at the beautiful blessings from God, he realized he had so much to be happy about. Although he hadn't had a good relationship with his parents, he was going to be the best father God would have him to be to his own children.
Before putting his eyes back on the road, both his son and daughter locked eyes with him in the rearview mirror. Each shot him a huge smile.
"Thank you, God," he mumbled, returning his eyes on the road. It had been Shana's smile that had softened his heart and moved him to start going to church, but it would be his children's smiles that would move him to live the life God had for him all along.
The End
If you have never made a decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, God Himself extends this invitation to you. If you have not trusted Him and believed Him to be the giver of eternal life, you can do so right now. We do not know the second, the minute, the hour, the moment or day that God will come to claim us. Will you be ready? The Word of God says, "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are SAVED." (Romans 10:9-10 NIV). Being saved is just that easy. It's not some formal ceremony. It is simply being obedient to the scripture above by confessing with your mouth out loud that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Jesus from the dead to cleanse away your sins. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth the following:
"I ________________________________ believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord. That He died at Calvary for me- for the remission of my sins-and that God raised Him
from the dead."
You, my friend, are now saved. You are not the same person you were before reading this book. To God Be the Glory!