When light comes

Part 6

When the strange looking man in the pew had told Jacob who he was, Jacob had been so stunned,he just stood there as if fixed to the ground , ..tongue tied.

An angel !.  'How could this be ? What was going on here,..shouldn't he say something ...
   
The angel must have read his mind . Without saying a word. Arimel had cautiously approached the pastor and  gently lead him out of the church, down the narrow path the pastor took that evening , and back to his house .

   Arimel knew where the old pastor would feel most comfortable. So he took him to his wife's garden .
They were finally seated in-front of the small but beautiful landscape of flowers , and Arimel noticed Jacob had relaxed , but the angelic being also knew the old man had misinterpreted the reason for him being sent .
    It was time for them to get down to business .

"The FATHER sends his love ,Jacob!"..., the angel's voice boomed from where he sat . "HE knows your inner  most desire is to join your beloved Joyce ,...but..", the angel's voice trailed off , knowing how the man beside him longed to join his wife  and had mistaken him for another angel ...  "Death".

     
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Jacob had been staring at his feet all this while, overwhelmed at  seeing an angel right before him.  Finally his prayers had been answered . He was truly going  'Home' , to join his Joyce ! .
     He was ready ! .He had no Will to write or any property to bequit to any child.

Jacob and his wife had never had children and had not really been bothered by it.
   Their marriage had been one based on something deeper, 'companionship' .

They had loved to be by themselves , traveling together without worrying about leaving any offspring behind at a boarding school or with relatives .
They had done missionary work in dangerous towns and cities with the knowledge that if they were killed , if they died for the Cross , well, so be it .
But at least, no child would be left behind to grieve or miss them .They chose the life of Evangelism and missionary work , just like Jacob's ancestors. To them, it was the best life ever .

As the years went by, when they could hardly travel anymore due to old age , the LORD occasionally led them to adopt and care for poor or orphaned children . 

All those children were grown now . Some married and settled within the three towns ,while  others had gone off into the world  to establish themselves elsewhere.

But Jacob's train of thoughts abruptly came to an halt with the angel's  last words .
  'But' ,..
What did he mean by that ! ,was it not his time yet..

The old pastor turned his head so fast towards the angel , that a small cracking sound emitted from his neck .
 
"Jacob", Arimel  continued,  with compassion in his voice ,  "there is a war coming". "And the FATHER has chosen you to lead and free HIS people from an ancient evil that has been resurrected in this town,...even as we speak,..it has already corrupted a young soul ". 

"One of your ancestors, Comfort Marcella ... had an encounter with this evil and wrote everything that took place down. You will remember her write up , it was in a private journal  that you came across two months ago while reading through the church archives".

She was a great warrior for Christ and with a few others , they bravely faced and fought against this abomination almost two centuries ago".

Jacob focused his eyes on the angel's face.. "you aren't joking are you ,.my grand mother?!

"Yes" , Arimel replied .   "And now , it is back ..  'Ethjab' . He does not only want revenge on you for what your ancestor did to him , but also to corrupt your  town . He wants everything to go back to the way it was centuries ago".