Loving a Believer

Chapter 11: A Miracle That Happens

I felt his lips on my head before he said, "Okay."

Napanatag naman ako sa sinabi niya. For the first time, I fell asleep without taking my sleeping pill.

***

I was awakened when I felt something warm hitting my skin, and squinted at the sunlight through the window. I quickly got up when I thought of Storm and our conversation last night. Nag-iisa na lamang ako sa kuwarto. Sakto namang pumasok si Kuya Tyler sa kuwarto ko at lumapit sa akin habang may dala-dalang tray na naglalaman ng breakfast ko.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Where is Storm?" I asked.

"He left early in the morning."

Naramdaman ko ang pag-init ng mata ko dahil sa sinabi niya. "H-he told me, he won't leave."

Kuya Tyler took a deep breath. "Don't worry, he'll be back. Come on, eat your breakfast now. You have to get well soon because you need to go back to school again. You want to study again, right?"

I just nodded my head and ate my breakfast. After eating my breakfast, I made my way to the living room and sat down there for hours.

Nakatingin lang ako sa TV ngunit hindi naman pumapasok sa utak ko ang pinapanood ko kaya pinili ko na lang na damputin ang remote control at ini-off ang TV. Napasandal na lamang ako sa sofa at bumuga ng hangin.

Hindi sinasadyang tumama ang tingin ko sa bookshelf malapit sa kinaroroonan ko. I slowly stood up to go there. I missed reading books. Puro mga magazine at ilang mga libro ang laman ng bookshelf, ngunit may isang libro na nakaagaw ng pansin ko. I pulled it out of the shelf and stared at the title printed across its cover.

More than a Carpenter

I saw a sticky note below the title, and it says,

Merry Christmas!

Kirby told me that you love books. Try to read that one. That's one of my favorites. God bless you!

―Storm Dlyan Hunt

"This letter..." I whispered.

***

S T O R M

I was driving when I passed by a plaza where a large crowd was gathering. I decided to slow down and saw a man speaking to a crowd while holding a familiar book. I stopped at a corner to watch him as he stood on the small stage. When I opened the window on my side, his loud voice cut through. I realized he was using a lavalier microphone.

"Si Jesus ay napako sa krus dahil sa ating mga kasalanan na hindi kayang bayaran ng tao! Ang sabi po sa Banal na Kasulatan sa Romans 6:23, Sapagka't ang kabayaran ng kasalanan ay kamatayan; datapuwa't ang kaloob na walang bayad ng Dios ay buhay na walang hanggan kay Cristo Jesus na Panginoon natin. Ang tanging paraan upang mabayaran ng isang tao ang kaniyang kasalanan ay kailangan muna nitong mamatay. Ano po ba ang kamatayan na tinutukoy ng Bibliya? Iyon po ang impyerno! Ngunit dahil sa habag at pag-ibig ng Diyos sa tao, ibinigay Niya ang Kaniyang bugtong na Anak na si Jesu-Cristo upang mamatay sa krus ng Kalbaryo at linisin ang ating mga kasalanan..."

Napagtanto kong na nakangiti na pala ako habang pinapanood ito. I was like him when I was still in the ministry. This man was a blessing to the people who were listening to him. What he shared just now was the Good News, the Good News of Salvation to everyone.

I noticed some droplets starting to hit the window of my car and got worried for the man. I quickly grabbed the umbrella I had in the backseat of my car and, minutes later, I found myself walking towards the crowd. The man kept on preaching the Gospel. Good thing that the people around him had an umbrella with them.