card. “Thanks, Jerry.
That’s very kind of you.”
“I’m
going to take Rafael back to meet Charlie,” I told my friends. “We’ll come back
and say goodbye before we leave.” I linked my fingers with Rafael’s and led him
to Charlie’s office. His door was open.
Charlie
rose from his desk. His silver hair glowed under the harsh office lights,
lending him a somewhat angelic look. “This must be Rafael,” he said with a warm
smile.
Rafael
shook his hand. “Yes, sir. It’s nice to finally meet you, Charlie. Kri’s been
sharing your inspirational messages, prayers, and scripture readings with me.
They’ve helped a lot over the past few weeks.”
Charlie
encouraged us to sit before returning to his seat. “I’m happy to hear that.
I’ve been praying for you. Kimme told me what happened in Ukraine. How are you
holding up?”
“I’m
fine,” Rafael replied gingerly.
Charlie
smiled, but he didn’t say anything. He was waiting for Rafael to elaborate.
Rafael
glanced at me uncertainly.
I
squeezed his hand encouragingly. “Talking to Charlie’s a bit like going to
confession. You’ll feel better if you just lay everything out there.”
Rafael
studied the portrait of Jesus while weighing his response. Finally, he took a
deep breath and released it. His eyes met Charlie’s when he did. “I’m not fine.
I miss my brother. I regret the way things ended between us. I’m angry I
couldn’t save him… that I even allowed him to come to Ukraine in the first
place.”
Charlie
leaned back in his chair. “Michael doesn’t strike me as the sort of man who’d
give you any say in the matter. Did you ask him to go to Ukraine?”
Rafael
shook his head. “No. I told Michael to stay in Paris, but he refused to listen
to me. He insisted on coming.”
Charlie
nodded. “That was his decision to make, not yours. How do you think he would
have handled it if he hadn’t gone and Kri had been killed instead?”
“Not
well,” Rafael confessed.
Charlie’s
gaze was both scrutinizing and kind. “And if you had been forced to stay behind
and hadn’t been allowed to help… how would you have fared?”
“Not
well,” Rafael admitted a bit more grudgingly this time.
“Did
any good come of it?” Charlie asked.
Rafael
looked at me. “Kristine was released.”
“Do
you think your brother regrets his decision?” Charlie inquired softly.
Rafael
shook his head. “No.”
Charlie
looked thoughtful. “Why do you regret the way things ended between the two of
you?”
Rafael
glanced at me again. His voice cracked when he spoke. “Because I was dating the
woman he loved, knowing full well he still loved her.”
“If
I recall correctly, he’s the one who ended that relationship. Do you think he
would have eventually worked things out with Kri?” Charlie asked.
Rafael
shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Charlie
leaned forward and folded his arms against the desk. “I understand why you miss
your brother, but you were in no way responsible for his death. As far as your
regrets, we all have regrets. The only advice I could possibly offer you is to
ask for forgiveness, lay your sins and regrets at the cross.”
Rafael
nodded.
“I’ll
give you the same advice I gave Kri earlier… I want you to focus on all the
good things God was able to achieve through Michael. Celebrate all that he was
able to accomplish in Ukraine and when he froze those investment accounts for
that terrorist organization. Think of all the lives your brother has saved,”
Charlie replied. He paused uncertainly. “May I pray with you?”
“Sure,”
Rafael replied.
Charlie
walked around his desk, kneeled before us, and clasped our folded hands. “May
the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the
sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and
make all your plans succeed. May you be blessed and healed by
That’s very kind of you.”
“I’m
going to take Rafael back to meet Charlie,” I told my friends. “We’ll come back
and say goodbye before we leave.” I linked my fingers with Rafael’s and led him
to Charlie’s office. His door was open.
Charlie
rose from his desk. His silver hair glowed under the harsh office lights,
lending him a somewhat angelic look. “This must be Rafael,” he said with a warm
smile.
Rafael
shook his hand. “Yes, sir. It’s nice to finally meet you, Charlie. Kri’s been
sharing your inspirational messages, prayers, and scripture readings with me.
They’ve helped a lot over the past few weeks.”
Charlie
encouraged us to sit before returning to his seat. “I’m happy to hear that.
I’ve been praying for you. Kimme told me what happened in Ukraine. How are you
holding up?”
“I’m
fine,” Rafael replied gingerly.
Charlie
smiled, but he didn’t say anything. He was waiting for Rafael to elaborate.
Rafael
glanced at me uncertainly.
I
squeezed his hand encouragingly. “Talking to Charlie’s a bit like going to
confession. You’ll feel better if you just lay everything out there.”
Rafael
studied the portrait of Jesus while weighing his response. Finally, he took a
deep breath and released it. His eyes met Charlie’s when he did. “I’m not fine.
I miss my brother. I regret the way things ended between us. I’m angry I
couldn’t save him… that I even allowed him to come to Ukraine in the first
place.”
Charlie
leaned back in his chair. “Michael doesn’t strike me as the sort of man who’d
give you any say in the matter. Did you ask him to go to Ukraine?”
Rafael
shook his head. “No. I told Michael to stay in Paris, but he refused to listen
to me. He insisted on coming.”
Charlie
nodded. “That was his decision to make, not yours. How do you think he would
have handled it if he hadn’t gone and Kri had been killed instead?”
“Not
well,” Rafael confessed.
Charlie’s
gaze was both scrutinizing and kind. “And if you had been forced to stay behind
and hadn’t been allowed to help… how would you have fared?”
“Not
well,” Rafael admitted a bit more grudgingly this time.
“Did
any good come of it?” Charlie asked.
Rafael
looked at me. “Kristine was released.”
“Do
you think your brother regrets his decision?” Charlie inquired softly.
Rafael
shook his head. “No.”
Charlie
looked thoughtful. “Why do you regret the way things ended between the two of
you?”
Rafael
glanced at me again. His voice cracked when he spoke. “Because I was dating the
woman he loved, knowing full well he still loved her.”
“If
I recall correctly, he’s the one who ended that relationship. Do you think he
would have eventually worked things out with Kri?” Charlie asked.
Rafael
shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Charlie
leaned forward and folded his arms against the desk. “I understand why you miss
your brother, but you were in no way responsible for his death. As far as your
regrets, we all have regrets. The only advice I could possibly offer you is to
ask for forgiveness, lay your sins and regrets at the cross.”
Rafael
nodded.
“I’ll
give you the same advice I gave Kri earlier… I want you to focus on all the
good things God was able to achieve through Michael. Celebrate all that he was
able to accomplish in Ukraine and when he froze those investment accounts for
that terrorist organization. Think of all the lives your brother has saved,”
Charlie replied. He paused uncertainly. “May I pray with you?”
“Sure,”
Rafael replied.
Charlie
walked around his desk, kneeled before us, and clasped our folded hands. “May
the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the
sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and
make all your plans succeed. May you be blessed and healed by
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