loss.
But even as he tried to force the memories away, images of Ken filled his mind—images so real Jed could almost reach out and touch him. As though he were right there beside Jed, eyes shining with kindness and understanding, smile comforting.
Ken Hall a fool? Hardly.
So where does that leave you? If he wasn’t a fool, then how could he buy into all the God crud? And look where it left him! Dead! Gone! If that’s not a fool, what is?
“Mr. Curry?”
Jed almost jumped out of his skin. He opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with Ken’s widow. A quick look told him the funeral was over.
More than that, the casket was gone. As were the people.
He was the only one left sitting here.
Jed jumped to his feet. “Oh, I’m sorry.” How had he missed them removing the casket? All those people leaving?
A soft hand on his arm stopped the words. Jed met the woman’s gaze and felt his heart break.
The same gentle care he’d always seen in Ken’s eyes shone inAmy Hall’s as well. “Mr. Curry, thank you for coming.”
He managed a shrug.
“I … I have something for you.” She held out a large padded envelope. “Kenny said if anything should happen to him, he wanted you to have this.”
Jed frowned. “Are you sure? He hardly knew me.”
She smiled through her tears. “Your time together may have been short, but Ken told me he felt a real connection to you. He cared about you.” She patted the package and her eyes held his. “Please take it. Don’t let Kenny down.”
No. Not in a million years.
He reached out for the package. It was heavy. Like his heart. Jed looked around. “Can I … are you supposed to go somewhere?”
She took his arm. “To the graveside. The car is waiting. And yes, I’d appreciate it if you’d walk with me.”
Jed put his hand over hers, where it rested on his arm. Together they walked from the room.
Two hours later, Jed was back at his apartment. The package from Ken lay on the kitchen table.
He avoided it as long as he could, but Amy’s soft voice kept echoing in his mind: “
Don’t let Kenny down.”
He grabbed the envelope, tearing it open.
I won’t. Not like Someone else …
The angry thoughts froze as Jed stared down at what he held in his hand.
A Bible.
Engraved on the cover in silver was a name: Kenneth Hall.
His throat thick, Jed lifted the cover. Ken’s name was inscribed inside. He flipped through the pages … notes dotted the margins.
Notes from a dead man.
One scribbled comment caught Jed’s eye. It was written in the margin next to Ecclesiastes 4. Two
people can accomplish more than twice as much as one. … If one person falls, the other can reach out andhelp. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble …. Two can stand back-to-back and conquer …
Blah, blah, blah.
Then Jed read Ken’s note: “
Need to remember this when life doesn’t make sense. Don’t try to face it alone. Find someone to share the struggle. And share it with God. He’ll have the answers.”
Humorless laughter gurgled up from within Jed, and he slammed the book shut.
This was crazy. Ken Hall may have been a good man, but he trusted in a God who let him down. So why should Jed pay any attention to anything the man had to say? “Find someone to share the struggle”?
Fat lot of good that did Ken.
No, Jed’s way was better. He would handle this like he did everything else—like he handled his father leaving. Like he handled his parents’ divorce. Like he handled having a stranger come to live in his home, calling his mother “darling” and him “son.”
By himself.
No sharing. No praying.
And definitely no God.
TEN
“He is blind who thinks he sees everything.”
C HARLES H ADDON S PURGEON
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 C ORINTHIANS 5:7, KJV
S EPTEMBER 22
6:30 a.m.
“Give yourself time, boy”
Jed turned his back on the huge picture window overlooking the Pacific Ocean and faced his
But even as he tried to force the memories away, images of Ken filled his mind—images so real Jed could almost reach out and touch him. As though he were right there beside Jed, eyes shining with kindness and understanding, smile comforting.
Ken Hall a fool? Hardly.
So where does that leave you? If he wasn’t a fool, then how could he buy into all the God crud? And look where it left him! Dead! Gone! If that’s not a fool, what is?
“Mr. Curry?”
Jed almost jumped out of his skin. He opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with Ken’s widow. A quick look told him the funeral was over.
More than that, the casket was gone. As were the people.
He was the only one left sitting here.
Jed jumped to his feet. “Oh, I’m sorry.” How had he missed them removing the casket? All those people leaving?
A soft hand on his arm stopped the words. Jed met the woman’s gaze and felt his heart break.
The same gentle care he’d always seen in Ken’s eyes shone inAmy Hall’s as well. “Mr. Curry, thank you for coming.”
He managed a shrug.
“I … I have something for you.” She held out a large padded envelope. “Kenny said if anything should happen to him, he wanted you to have this.”
Jed frowned. “Are you sure? He hardly knew me.”
She smiled through her tears. “Your time together may have been short, but Ken told me he felt a real connection to you. He cared about you.” She patted the package and her eyes held his. “Please take it. Don’t let Kenny down.”
No. Not in a million years.
He reached out for the package. It was heavy. Like his heart. Jed looked around. “Can I … are you supposed to go somewhere?”
She took his arm. “To the graveside. The car is waiting. And yes, I’d appreciate it if you’d walk with me.”
Jed put his hand over hers, where it rested on his arm. Together they walked from the room.
Two hours later, Jed was back at his apartment. The package from Ken lay on the kitchen table.
He avoided it as long as he could, but Amy’s soft voice kept echoing in his mind: “
Don’t let Kenny down.”
He grabbed the envelope, tearing it open.
I won’t. Not like Someone else …
The angry thoughts froze as Jed stared down at what he held in his hand.
A Bible.
Engraved on the cover in silver was a name: Kenneth Hall.
His throat thick, Jed lifted the cover. Ken’s name was inscribed inside. He flipped through the pages … notes dotted the margins.
Notes from a dead man.
One scribbled comment caught Jed’s eye. It was written in the margin next to Ecclesiastes 4. Two
people can accomplish more than twice as much as one. … If one person falls, the other can reach out andhelp. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble …. Two can stand back-to-back and conquer …
Blah, blah, blah.
Then Jed read Ken’s note: “
Need to remember this when life doesn’t make sense. Don’t try to face it alone. Find someone to share the struggle. And share it with God. He’ll have the answers.”
Humorless laughter gurgled up from within Jed, and he slammed the book shut.
This was crazy. Ken Hall may have been a good man, but he trusted in a God who let him down. So why should Jed pay any attention to anything the man had to say? “Find someone to share the struggle”?
Fat lot of good that did Ken.
No, Jed’s way was better. He would handle this like he did everything else—like he handled his father leaving. Like he handled his parents’ divorce. Like he handled having a stranger come to live in his home, calling his mother “darling” and him “son.”
By himself.
No sharing. No praying.
And definitely no God.
TEN
“He is blind who thinks he sees everything.”
C HARLES H ADDON S PURGEON
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 C ORINTHIANS 5:7, KJV
S EPTEMBER 22
6:30 a.m.
“Give yourself time, boy”
Jed turned his back on the huge picture window overlooking the Pacific Ocean and faced his
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