The Virtuous Woman (24 page)

Grace felt more uncomfortable as time went on, and finally a man strode across the platform, smiling and holding his hands high. He stood in front of the lectern and said loudly, “Friends, we’re going to worship the Lord. Will you please stand while we sing, ‘All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name.’”

Grace stood with the others, and soon both the piano and the choir were drowned out by thousands of voices. It seemed that everyone knew the song except for her, and she stood there wishing she were anywhere in the world but in this place. The song was powerful as the tent filled with the sound.

As soon as the last verse was finished, the song leader said, “We’ve asked the Reverend Henri Duvall, one of your local pastors here in this fine city, to come pray for the service.”

A tall, broad-shouldered man came forward, and the room was still as he prayed a short prayer, asking God’s blessing on the service and the evangelist. When he sat down the song leader took over again, and for the next thirty minutes the congregation sang heartily. An offering was taken, and then a woman with a beautiful voice stepped to the microphone and sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

As the woman sang the solo, the words made Grace even more uneasy. She could not explain it, but it seemed as though she were somehow the target of the hymn. The words echoed
in her mind and brought a sense of great loneliness. Everyone else in the tent seemed happy, but Grace began to feel a longing for something she could not even define.

Finally the last verse came, and the singer’s voice was clear and sweet yet powerful. After the last note of the solo died away, a nicely dressed man with white hair approached the microphone. He had a Bible in his hand, which he opened at once, and after stating how glad he was to see them all there, he said, “Sometimes it’s necessary to preach to Christians. Much of Paul’s writings were directed to the problems that had followed believers into the early church. I am sure that the pastors of the churches of this city do a good job, but tonight I want to speak to those of you who are lonely and perhaps do not even know why. Every city and small town I’ve traveled to in this country is filled with people who feel alone. Some of them may be in the midst of crowds all day long or may be members of large families, yet there’s a longing for something they cannot name. I want to speak to those of you tonight who need a friend. Miss Johnson has just sung the beautiful song ‘What a Friend We Have in Jesus,’ and I want to offer Jesus to you tonight as your friend.”

Grace had come prepared to dislike the preacher and the service. She had had several unfortunate experiences with men who had claimed to be church members, and this had created a resistance in her. But something was happening to her since coming into this place. To her surprise, the service was moving her, and as the preacher began to speak of how Jesus loved sinners, she grew more interested. He read from the Bible many stories of how Jesus sought out sinners and how He was criticized for eating and drinking with them. Billy Sanders grew more passionate as he spoke of this aspect of Jesus’ ministry.

As the sermon went on, Grace wanted to listen but at the same time grew more and more uncomfortable with the message. She was well acquainted with the loneliness that the preacher spoke of and knew that she had been lonely
all of her life. A terrible sense of oppression came over her as she realized that nothing was going to change. She was always going to be alone. The Winslow family had tried to make her a part of them, but she was still an outsider. And now she realized that was partly because they were believers and she was not.

The evangelist presented Jesus as a man full of joy. “He was anointed with the oil of joy above His brethren,” Sanders said. “Yet the book of Isaiah says He was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. We understand this was because He had to come to earth to die, to suffer, for all of our sins. But He was also filled with joy, for He was always at one with His Father. That’s the way you can be. Go with joy. Even in the midst of tribulation, even in poverty or sickness, Jesus is always your friend. There is not a friend like the lowly Jesus, the old song goes, and He longs to be your friend.

“In the book of Revelation we read the verse, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ Doesn’t that move you?” Lowering his voice, he said, “All you have to do is open the door, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will come into your life. He will come to stay, for before He died, He said he didn’t lose one of the people given to Him by the Father. Wouldn’t you like to have a friend like that? Someone who would understand you and forgive you for every sin? Maybe you’re wondering how many times He will forgive you. The answer is as many times as you ask. There may be some sitting here who say, ‘But I’ve sinned too much. He wouldn’t have me. I’m a great sinner.’”

Sanders lifted his Bible and said, “Thank God that you do not have to remain in your sins, for Jesus died to save great sinners! He loves you, dear friend, and this night you can have Him as your friend, both in this life and forever!”

Grace’s eyes filled with tears, and she felt weak. Her hands were trembling, and she dropped her head. She could hear the preacher’s voice, but there was another voice speaking
inside her own heart. And a longing filled Grace Winslow such as she had never known.

Kevin was sitting on her right, and he reached over and put his hand on hers. He said nothing, but the gesture meant a great deal to Grace.

Finally, at the direction of the evangelist, they all stood and sang a song called “Just As I Am,” and once again the words seemed directed straight at Grace.

A surprising impulse came over Grace to go down the aisle with the others, but her feet felt frozen to the floor. Many people were gathering in front of the stage, where they were greeted by some men who began to talk with them. Some of them were kneeling with their heads bowed, and one woman wept inconsolably.

“Sis, are you saved?” Kevin asked. “Do you know the Lord Jesus?”

“N-no ...” Grace said, her voice breaking.

“I wish you did. Jesus loves you.”

Kevin said no more, but his words caught at Grace. She whispered, “I-I can’t!”

Kev put his arm around her and held her, and she brushed the tears away and blinked her eyes fiercely to keep any more from coming.

Francis too put his hand on her shoulder. Neither man said anything else to her, but she knew that both of them were praying for her.

Finally the benediction was pronounced, and they filed out slowly. Grace walked on ahead, brushing tears from her eyes. Kevin whispered to Lucy, “The Lord was speaking to Grace during the sermon. I want to see her saved more than anything.”

Lucy squeezed his arm. “She will be, Kev—she will be!”

****

Babe and Kevin were returning to the airfield after an hour’s instruction. Kevin banked the plane to make the turn
back toward the field, and Babe shouted, “Okay, friend, land this airplane without tearing the wheels off.”

Kevin put the plane down gently, and they finally rolled to a stop. “You did fine,” Babe said as they climbed out. “You’re ready for a solo. How about tomorrow?”

Kevin punched her shoulder lightly. “I was born for it, Babe!” he said with a grin.

The two made their way to the office, pulling off their leather jackets as they went. “Well, how was the preaching last night, Kev?”

“It was good, Babe. I wish you could have been there.”

“That’s not for me.”

“Yes it is. It’s for everybody.”

“Did Grace hit the glory road?”

“No, she wasn’t saved, but God spoke to her.”

“Oh, great!” Babe rolled her eyes. “Now she’ll be miserable! That’s what religion does to people.”

“You’re wrong there, Babe. It makes them happy.”

Babe turned and studied Kevin. “Are you happy?” They went into the office, and Babe plopped down in her desk chair.

He hesitated, then said, “I’ve never told anybody this, but I was mad at God for letting my face get messed up, but I’m happy now.” He smiled his twisted smile at her, and then pointed to his face. “This has been hard for me to deal with. You know, you’ve helped me a lot.”

“Me? I haven’t done anything but teach you to fly.”

“That’s a lot for me, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”

“You’ve paid your way,” Babe said, uneasy with the conversation.

“No, Babe, I think it’s more than that. I’d like to think we’re friends.”

Babe Delaney had grown fond of Kevin Winslow. She had a hard streak in her, but there was something in Kevin that appealed to her. She felt pity for him because of his face, and she had learned how hard it had been for him to come out of
his cocoon. She also had seen that he had strong feelings for Lucy and was curious to see if anything would come of that.

“Friends it is,” she declared. “Now go home and get some rest. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

A Busy Night at the Green Lantern

Cara Winslow rushed into Phil’s studio excitedly, her eyes sparkling. “A letter from Kevin!”

Putting his brush down, Phil wiped his hands on a rag and said, “Well, read it.”

Cara opened the envelope and took out a sheet of paper.

“He mentions Lucy a lot. Do you think he’s getting serious about her?” Cara asked, looking over the letter.

“I don’t know. She seems like a nice young lady from what he says. Why don’t we go down there and visit them?”

“We can’t do that. Kevin wants to do this on his own. We’ll just have to be patient.”

“You’re probably right. Go on and read the rest of it.”
Cara read the rest of the letter, which was taken up with details of Kevin’s flying.

“God’s doing something in all of their lives, I think,” Phil said, taking the letter and scanning it. “How I’d love to rush down there. I want to do something for Grace, but I don’t know what.”

“We just have to be patient, Phil. You can’t rush God.”

****

At the Green Lantern, Grace wearily pushed Paul Ranier away for at least the tenth time. The lunch crowd had thinned out, leaving just a few regulars in the place. “Paul, you’re a real pain in the neck, you know it? Why don’t you gimme a break?”

Ranier grinned at her, and his white teeth gleamed against his olive skin. “We go together, baby. I’m gonna get you to see it someday. How about tonight? Me and you, we’ll have us a good time.”

“You never give up, do you?” Grace shook her head and walked away. “I’m going home,” she said to Luann, the other barmaid.

Luann was chewing gum with her usual vigor. “Why don’t you go out with Paul? He’s a good-looking guy.”

“I’ve seen enough of his kind to do me for a lifetime,” Grace said. “I’ll come back at seven and take over, Luann.”

Grace changed into her leather motorcycle outfit, and as she made her way out, she received several appreciative whistles from the men who were nursing their beer. She ignored them as she went outside and stepped onto her bike. Starting it up, she felt relief wash over her that her first shift of the day was over. She was sick of working at the Green Lantern but knew she could not quit. Her paycheck was helping to keep Kevin in flying school. She had never for one minute regretted working the long hours and giving all the money to Babe for Kevin’s tuition. It was the first unselfish thing she had done in her life, and it felt good. Now as she headed home, she looked forward to a good meal and a nap before facing the night shift. She had agreed to work the breakfast and lunch shift for another waitress on the condition that she could take some time for a break before the evening shift.

When she arrived home, she found Francis sitting at the kitchen table staring at a blank sheet of paper. She looked over his shoulder. “What’s the matter, Francis?”

“What’s the matter! I can’t write. That’s what’s the matter!”

Taken aback by his sharp answer, she said, “Don’t worry. It’ll come to you.” She looked around and saw that he had not prepared dinner yet. “You want me to cook?”

“I don’t care,” he snapped.

“Look, I work hard at that bar. It’s not too much to ask you to make sandwiches or something.”

Miriam was out of her cage, and she fluttered to Key’s shoulder, crying hoarsely, “My Francis! My Francis!”

“He’s all yours, you crazy bird!” Grace said and stomped out of the kitchen.

Francis got up and began slapping supper together. He jerked a pan out of the cabinet, opened a can of soup, and poured it in. When Grace came back from washing up, he had a sandwich and soup on the table and was sitting back at the typewriter staring at the blank sheet of paper.

Grace had never seen him like this and knew that the book was really getting to him. She ate the soup and sandwich, then said, “I guess I’ll take a nap.”

“All right.”

She went to her bedroom to lie down and quickly fell asleep. She had been working double shifts lately, and she slept like a rock. It was late in the afternoon when she awoke, and she went to the kitchen to find Kevin coming in.