Nathan was afraid. The complication...
Illustration
Nathan was afraid. The complication from AIDS had sapped his energy, his spirit, his body, and now he was fighting for every breath. What had he done to deserve this? A car accident ten years ago had forced the hospital to give him blood. No one could have known the blood was tainted. Tainted with a virus gotten perhaps from a dark lifestyle.
Nathan's lifestyle had not been dark. He worked hard for his church, he was a successful businessman who donated much to charity, and his family came before anything else in his life. Nathan wasn't flamboyant; he referred to himself as a hermit, preferring camping and family outings to the social life he could have had.
And now all he could have had passed before his eyes. He could have lived high on the hog, as his friends said. He could have spent all those weekends flying to exotic places. He could have had all the clothes that would tell the world he was successful. He could have bought his family extravagant things.
Sighing, Nathan looked at the ceiling. Then his eye caught something hanging at the end of his bed. It was a crude picture of an airplane and a bright sun with a smile in it. The handwriting said, "Get well! Love, Nicky."
Nicky, his five-year-old little friend from the church preschool class, had sent the picture along with Pastor. Nathan remembered having Nicky's parents in his Sunday school class years ago. Nathan remembered a lot of things, mostly centered around his family and his church: the potlucks, the class projects, the Sunday school plays, the children's piano recitals.
Nathan's thoughts made him feel better and he started to smile. He may have passed up some opportunities, but he had the best experiences. He closed his eyes to give God thanks for the many, many blessings in his life: his devoted wife, his children, his friends and family, his church.
No, he wasn't so afraid any more. His riches did not lay in material possessions, because he knew God knew his heart.
-- Berg
Nathan's lifestyle had not been dark. He worked hard for his church, he was a successful businessman who donated much to charity, and his family came before anything else in his life. Nathan wasn't flamboyant; he referred to himself as a hermit, preferring camping and family outings to the social life he could have had.
And now all he could have had passed before his eyes. He could have lived high on the hog, as his friends said. He could have spent all those weekends flying to exotic places. He could have had all the clothes that would tell the world he was successful. He could have bought his family extravagant things.
Sighing, Nathan looked at the ceiling. Then his eye caught something hanging at the end of his bed. It was a crude picture of an airplane and a bright sun with a smile in it. The handwriting said, "Get well! Love, Nicky."
Nicky, his five-year-old little friend from the church preschool class, had sent the picture along with Pastor. Nathan remembered having Nicky's parents in his Sunday school class years ago. Nathan remembered a lot of things, mostly centered around his family and his church: the potlucks, the class projects, the Sunday school plays, the children's piano recitals.
Nathan's thoughts made him feel better and he started to smile. He may have passed up some opportunities, but he had the best experiences. He closed his eyes to give God thanks for the many, many blessings in his life: his devoted wife, his children, his friends and family, his church.
No, he wasn't so afraid any more. His riches did not lay in material possessions, because he knew God knew his heart.
-- Berg
