Nothing in her life had ever shocked her so much as to render her speechless. Until now, that is.
How could he possibly know these things? Gail silently asked herself. Only Bernice, her sister, knew about the name “Care Bear.” Gail did not use it except in private when she wanted to express her ultimate affection for the child. She did love Carrie more than anything else on earth, certainly more than herself.
Peter didn’t wait for a response, he simply moved on.
“There isn’t anything you wouldn’t sacrifice if it meant that your niece could be healed. You have asked God hundreds of times to have mercy on Carrie, I know. Didn’t think He heard you, did you?”
Gail McCorkle, unflappable woman of the world and tough as nails, was now reduced to a quivering bowl of jello.
At that moment, Gail had a vision, so strong and pure it was as if it was superimposed on her view of the world. She saw her beautiful little niece as she had never seen her before; healthy, happy, running, talking, laughing. It was so real she knew she could reach out and touch her. Then, as quickly as it came, it vanished.
“Would you like God to make what you just saw a reality?” Peter asked.
Somehow Gail managed to move her head up and down signifying yes. It did not occur to her at the time that Peter Carson must also have seen her vision in order to ask this question. There was no opportunity now for Gail to think through anything, reality itself was being redefined.
“Then the Lord your God says this to you, ‘Leave My servants alone.’ Do you understand Him, Miss McCorkle? You are not to limit or hinder us in any way as we work for Him at this camp. Christ wants to bless you, Warden, but He needs your cooperation.”
Gail eked out another nod.
During this exchange Malik and Saul remained silent. They were engrossed in the unfolding events, but by now, after Legion and Audry, they had seen too much to be thunderstruck.
Peter rose, joined hands with Malik and Saul and began to pray. Little Carrie Lynn Johnson was lifted up to the Most High God in a short, but eloquent, plea.
This time Panos Kallistos was praying with total faith. The Holy Spirit had told him what to say to Gail McCorkle. Peter had complete trust that He would now finish the job.
“Call your sister, Gail,” Peter instructed, as the three men returned to their seats.
“What do I say? I mean really, Mr. Carson, I can’t just … ”
“Call you sister, Gail. Use the speaker phone, please.”
Warden McCorkle dialed her sister’s number, not sure if she had completely lost her mind or finally found it.
When the call was answered all they could hear at first were outbursts of emotion, but not the type made from panic or fear.
Gail had dialed into a celebration.
“Bernice! Bernice! It’s Gail. Is that you, girl? What’s going on down there?”
“Gail? Is that you? My God, honey! I can’t believe you called. Do you know what’s happened? Lord in heaven, sister!” In her excitement Bernice dropped the phone.
Gail listened to the voices and tried to make out what was going on. She heard her sister saying, “It’s Gail! Can you believe it?” Larry, Bernice’s husband, was having an excited, but undistinguishable, conversation on a cell phone or on another land line. Charlene and Diane, Larry’s sisters, were carrying on as if they’d just won the lottery.
There was another voice, mild, soft, and sweet, that Gail could not place, but was nonetheless very familiar. It was speaking to her sister and she could tell by its increasing volume that whoever it belonged to was about to pick up the phone.
“Auntie Gail, it’s Care Bear.”
Gail McCorkle let out a scream that could literally be heard a hundred yards away through concrete walls.
Carrie Johnson had never spoken, never walked, never so much as fed herself. Care Bear understood some words, recognized a few faces, but those minutes without oxygen had decimated her mind and body. The
How could he possibly know these things? Gail silently asked herself. Only Bernice, her sister, knew about the name “Care Bear.” Gail did not use it except in private when she wanted to express her ultimate affection for the child. She did love Carrie more than anything else on earth, certainly more than herself.
Peter didn’t wait for a response, he simply moved on.
“There isn’t anything you wouldn’t sacrifice if it meant that your niece could be healed. You have asked God hundreds of times to have mercy on Carrie, I know. Didn’t think He heard you, did you?”
Gail McCorkle, unflappable woman of the world and tough as nails, was now reduced to a quivering bowl of jello.
At that moment, Gail had a vision, so strong and pure it was as if it was superimposed on her view of the world. She saw her beautiful little niece as she had never seen her before; healthy, happy, running, talking, laughing. It was so real she knew she could reach out and touch her. Then, as quickly as it came, it vanished.
“Would you like God to make what you just saw a reality?” Peter asked.
Somehow Gail managed to move her head up and down signifying yes. It did not occur to her at the time that Peter Carson must also have seen her vision in order to ask this question. There was no opportunity now for Gail to think through anything, reality itself was being redefined.
“Then the Lord your God says this to you, ‘Leave My servants alone.’ Do you understand Him, Miss McCorkle? You are not to limit or hinder us in any way as we work for Him at this camp. Christ wants to bless you, Warden, but He needs your cooperation.”
Gail eked out another nod.
During this exchange Malik and Saul remained silent. They were engrossed in the unfolding events, but by now, after Legion and Audry, they had seen too much to be thunderstruck.
Peter rose, joined hands with Malik and Saul and began to pray. Little Carrie Lynn Johnson was lifted up to the Most High God in a short, but eloquent, plea.
This time Panos Kallistos was praying with total faith. The Holy Spirit had told him what to say to Gail McCorkle. Peter had complete trust that He would now finish the job.
“Call your sister, Gail,” Peter instructed, as the three men returned to their seats.
“What do I say? I mean really, Mr. Carson, I can’t just … ”
“Call you sister, Gail. Use the speaker phone, please.”
Warden McCorkle dialed her sister’s number, not sure if she had completely lost her mind or finally found it.
When the call was answered all they could hear at first were outbursts of emotion, but not the type made from panic or fear.
Gail had dialed into a celebration.
“Bernice! Bernice! It’s Gail. Is that you, girl? What’s going on down there?”
“Gail? Is that you? My God, honey! I can’t believe you called. Do you know what’s happened? Lord in heaven, sister!” In her excitement Bernice dropped the phone.
Gail listened to the voices and tried to make out what was going on. She heard her sister saying, “It’s Gail! Can you believe it?” Larry, Bernice’s husband, was having an excited, but undistinguishable, conversation on a cell phone or on another land line. Charlene and Diane, Larry’s sisters, were carrying on as if they’d just won the lottery.
There was another voice, mild, soft, and sweet, that Gail could not place, but was nonetheless very familiar. It was speaking to her sister and she could tell by its increasing volume that whoever it belonged to was about to pick up the phone.
“Auntie Gail, it’s Care Bear.”
Gail McCorkle let out a scream that could literally be heard a hundred yards away through concrete walls.
Carrie Johnson had never spoken, never walked, never so much as fed herself. Care Bear understood some words, recognized a few faces, but those minutes without oxygen had decimated her mind and body. The
Similar Books
