will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; in him will I trust.’”
“How do you know of those verses?”
“I have them marked in my Bible.”
“So you’ve studied it quite a bit.”
“Off and on for many years,” he answered honestly.
“What’s been most significant to you?”
Edward cocked his head to think.
“It’s probably the fact that salvation is only the beginning. Once we trust Christ for our eternal destination, we still have a life to live on this earth. I spent too many years living for myself and not really seeking what God would have of me.”
“So eternal life might have been lost to you?” Niki asked.
“No, my salvation, the trust I put in Christ to save me, was real, but I was ignorant and blinded by my own desires about living for Him. I would not have been lost, but neither would I have been able to stand before God and say that I’d chosen to devote my life in order to live as His child. By that I mean making Him my God in every sense.”
Niki looked as confused as she felt. Edward read it on her face and searched for a way to explain.
“Let me put it in earthly terms. Maybe you had done something wrong, a crime of some type, and you were going to be put to death. But then the king comes forward and pardons you. He saves you.
“Clearly you would owe him, but you could choose not to live a life of obeisance to him; you could choose to live your life your way. You might think of him as your savior, even your friend, but not your king, because a king has rule and authority.
“I can think of God as my savior and even my friend, but I must never forget that He is God, and after He saves me, I must put myself in subjection to Him and His will.”
“How long did it take you to learn all of this?”
Edward smiled a little. “Quite a while, but He’s a most patient God, ready to forgive me of my foolish pursuits.”
“So you believe forgiveness continues?”
“What do you mean?”
“You believe you can be forgiven even after salvation?”
“Absolutely. All sin can be repented of and forgiven.”
Niki opened her mouth with another question, but the coach rocked, and Edward swiftly reached to steady Denley. He had looked to be on the verge of rolling off the seat. Edward laid a hand on his brow.
“He’s warm.”
Niki’s fist went to the roof. The coach came to a stop, and she got out.
“How much further to Coimbra?”
The coachman began to give the answer in miles. Niki cut him off.
“How much time?”
“Less than two hours.”
Niki nodded.
“We’ll stop here for a few minutes and then be off. I need that box,” she ordered, and pointed to a small hamper atop the coach.
One of the men retrieved the hamper with their food and put it inside. While the coach was stopped, Niki prepared the meal, but just as soon as she had given some to Edward and Denley and taken some for herself, she signaled the driver to leave again.
“The coachman said less than two hours, Denley,” she told him.
That man nodded, a piece of bread that he hoped to swallow in his mouth. He didn’t know that time could move so slowly. It felt as if they’d been in the coach for days. He ate everything that was handed to him and drank more water, but it did nothing to revive him. The moment he lay back down, he slept again, hoping that when he woke the jostling would all be over.
Coimbra, Portugal
“Did you locate a doctor?” Edward asked when Niki entered the room, this one much smaller than the last.
“Yes, he’s on his way.”
Niki went to the bed, much as she had in Lisbon, to check on Denley. He was sleeping hard and very warm to the touch.
Regret filled her. She was certain that if they could have stayed in Lisbon, he would have gotten back on his feet and they could have taken a ship to Portsmouth, England. Moving by way of coach had probably been the worst thing they could have done.
“Are you going to let the police know about the robbery
“How do you know of those verses?”
“I have them marked in my Bible.”
“So you’ve studied it quite a bit.”
“Off and on for many years,” he answered honestly.
“What’s been most significant to you?”
Edward cocked his head to think.
“It’s probably the fact that salvation is only the beginning. Once we trust Christ for our eternal destination, we still have a life to live on this earth. I spent too many years living for myself and not really seeking what God would have of me.”
“So eternal life might have been lost to you?” Niki asked.
“No, my salvation, the trust I put in Christ to save me, was real, but I was ignorant and blinded by my own desires about living for Him. I would not have been lost, but neither would I have been able to stand before God and say that I’d chosen to devote my life in order to live as His child. By that I mean making Him my God in every sense.”
Niki looked as confused as she felt. Edward read it on her face and searched for a way to explain.
“Let me put it in earthly terms. Maybe you had done something wrong, a crime of some type, and you were going to be put to death. But then the king comes forward and pardons you. He saves you.
“Clearly you would owe him, but you could choose not to live a life of obeisance to him; you could choose to live your life your way. You might think of him as your savior, even your friend, but not your king, because a king has rule and authority.
“I can think of God as my savior and even my friend, but I must never forget that He is God, and after He saves me, I must put myself in subjection to Him and His will.”
“How long did it take you to learn all of this?”
Edward smiled a little. “Quite a while, but He’s a most patient God, ready to forgive me of my foolish pursuits.”
“So you believe forgiveness continues?”
“What do you mean?”
“You believe you can be forgiven even after salvation?”
“Absolutely. All sin can be repented of and forgiven.”
Niki opened her mouth with another question, but the coach rocked, and Edward swiftly reached to steady Denley. He had looked to be on the verge of rolling off the seat. Edward laid a hand on his brow.
“He’s warm.”
Niki’s fist went to the roof. The coach came to a stop, and she got out.
“How much further to Coimbra?”
The coachman began to give the answer in miles. Niki cut him off.
“How much time?”
“Less than two hours.”
Niki nodded.
“We’ll stop here for a few minutes and then be off. I need that box,” she ordered, and pointed to a small hamper atop the coach.
One of the men retrieved the hamper with their food and put it inside. While the coach was stopped, Niki prepared the meal, but just as soon as she had given some to Edward and Denley and taken some for herself, she signaled the driver to leave again.
“The coachman said less than two hours, Denley,” she told him.
That man nodded, a piece of bread that he hoped to swallow in his mouth. He didn’t know that time could move so slowly. It felt as if they’d been in the coach for days. He ate everything that was handed to him and drank more water, but it did nothing to revive him. The moment he lay back down, he slept again, hoping that when he woke the jostling would all be over.
Coimbra, Portugal
“Did you locate a doctor?” Edward asked when Niki entered the room, this one much smaller than the last.
“Yes, he’s on his way.”
Niki went to the bed, much as she had in Lisbon, to check on Denley. He was sleeping hard and very warm to the touch.
Regret filled her. She was certain that if they could have stayed in Lisbon, he would have gotten back on his feet and they could have taken a ship to Portsmouth, England. Moving by way of coach had probably been the worst thing they could have done.
“Are you going to let the police know about the robbery
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