An hour later, bleeding, hungry, thirsty and exhausted, Sammy finally stood outside of a large white canvas tent. The men had looked for him for what seemed like hours, but the alcohol coursing through their veins eventually got the best of them. And in the end, they gave up the hunt.
But now Sammy had a problem. In his panic, he’d lost control of his bladder, and a large, wet stain had spread across the front of his pants. There was no way he could go inside that tent.
Furious with himself and too ashamed for anyone to see him, he sulked around the side of the tent where he could still clearly hear the voice of the preacher.
“Are you looking for something, but aren’t sure what it is?” the preacher boomed. “Do you constantly try to fill that longing with people or things, but they never quite seem to satisfy you?”
Sammy sank to the ground and leaned up against the tent. It was hard and taunt against his back.
“Are you aware that when you were created, God left a large hole in the center of your heart that only He can fill? But some people try their entire lives to fill it with relationships or work or shopping or food or alcohol. But it never quite works, does it? You’re always left wanting for more.”
Sammy listened intently. Is this what his dad had come to know? Had he filled up the hole in his heart? Is that why his mom always seemed to be so unsatisfied? Like something wasn’t quite right? He placed his hand over his own heart. Does this explain the mysterious longing he’d felt for as long as he could remember?
“I’m telling you, you can fill this hole today. But first, there’s something you should know.”
Sammy sat up straighter, forgetting about his hunger and thirst and the dirt caked to the front of his wet pants.
“If you make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, He’ll absolutely wreck it!”
Sammy heard the audience gasp.
“Don’t think the Creator of Heaven and earth is some feeble God who will allow you to invite Him halfway into your life. Don’t think you can call yourself a follower of Christ and not follow Him. Christ isn’t for the fainthearted, and He’s not for those of you who want to say a little prayer and then go on with your lives as if nothing has changed. He is the Lion of Judah, The Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings! And I’m telling you He will turn your life upside down! He’s the great I AM!”
Sammy heard the rustle of people inside and then saw a few of them walking down the path that led away from the tent.
“Now before any of you begin to think He’s asking too much of you, let me tell you why He has the right to do so.”
Sammy was excited about what he was hearing, but also terrified. He wanted to know what it would be like if the longing in his heart was filled, but he didn’t understand what the preacher meant when he said Jesus would wreck his life. Is that why his dad died after he’d found Jesus? Would he die, too? His stomach growled, and he licked his lips to get rid of the awful dryness in his mouth. But he put his uncomfortableness out of his mind and instead listened to what the man inside the tent had to say.
Raul finally reached Principios and followed the noises to the revival tent. Hundreds of people gathered inside the tent and he wondered how he would ever find Samuél. Hesitantly, he walked in and took in the scene before him. A long wooden stage that looked like it had been hastily constructed sat at the back of the tent. On it was a lumbering man who looked vaguely familiar to Raul. He looked to be in his sixties, and stray strands of his salt and pepper hair whipped to and fro as he moved heavily back and forth across the stage. He wore dark brown trousers and a green long-sleeve shirt held up by tan suspenders. Even as the man moved back and forth across the makeshift stage with his voice booming over the loud speaker, he had a calm about him. Like the eye of the storm. The gray, opaque stillness before the crack of thunder.
A few hundred people sat in mismatched chairs, and more stood in the rear of the tent. They appeared to be listening intently. Their rapt attention was on the stout speaker on stage.
“Jesus Christ has the right to every area of your life because he died an excruciating death for you.”
Raul moved along the back wall, keeping an eye out for Samuél while listening to the preacher.
“The God of this universe willingly came down to this planet as an infant with the intention of sacrificing Himself so He could one day be in a relationship with you and me.”
Raul slid his eyes toward the preacher. Did I hear him right?
“You see, God didn’t create the world like it is today with all the sickness, violence, dying and meaninglessness. No, He created a perfect world, but Adam and Eve, the first people to populate the earth, sinned against Him by wanting to be equal to Him rather than serving Him as their God. When they did that, a great separation occurred between mankind and our Creator. Now humans seemed to be all right with that separation. They went their own way and did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”
Raul watched a couple get up from their seats and walk out, shaking their heads in disgust. Was Samuèl here somewhere?
“But were they really all right?” the preacher asked the audience. “They murdered as a way to get what they wanted. People built idols to bow down to so they could act pious while asking for what they wanted, all the while truly serving no one but themselves. They became sexually promiscuous in search of a love they could only find in their Savior. Friends, people have been trying to fill that hole in their hearts since the great separation, but no one’s ever been able to do it with anything other than God.
“You see, God doesn’t want us to go through life looking for something we can never find. He didn’t create us to live apart from Him.”
Raul slid down the wall until he was sitting on his haunches. He was no longer scanning the crowd for Samuél, but had become mesmerized by the man’s words.
“But the only way to end the separation was with the ultimate sacrifice. God allowed Himself to be killed—hung on a cross like a common criminal—because the longing in His heart was so deep for you and for me, and it was the only way for reconciliation. Listen to what I’m saying, friends,” the man said in a softer voice. “God died a cruel and unthinkable death because He—the one who can create whatever and whoever He wants with one breath—misses us. Wants to be in relationship with us. Does it sound like He’s earned the right to be called the Lord of your life?”
Raul looked around the tent and saw that some people in the audience were crying, while others sat with their arms crossed, looking bored.
“You might ask why it had to be this way, why Jesus had to die,” said the preacher. “Understand please that the God of the universe is holy. It is impossible for Him to be in relationship with sin. But the Bible says we’ve all fallen short of the glory of God. Every one of us, no matter how many times you’ve sat in a church pew, or how many good deeds you’ve done, are still a sinner in the eyes of God.
“You see, because of what Adam and Eve did in that garden, humans are born with a sinful nature.” The man looked out into the crowd. “What? You don’t believe it? How many of you had to teach your young children to lie or sneak candy when they thought you weren’t looking? Sin is a part of the human condition, and God simply can’t be in its presence.
“But cheer up! Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no man gets to the Father, who is in Heaven, except through Him. Praise be! He’s made a way!”
Sammy roughly wiped away the tears, unaware of anything around him. It wasn’t fair that God had to die just because people messed up so badly. He thought about all the things he’d done wrong in his life, like being here in defiance of his mom, and he cried even harder. In that moment, Sammy was sure his dad had made the right decision, even if God took him to Heaven because of it. He thought it was only fair. He knew he wanted this Jesus to fill the hole in his heart, even if it meant dying like his dad. If it were possible to love someone you’d never even met, Sammy had just fallen hopelessly in love.
“But the good n
ews doesn’t end there,” the preacher said. “You see, Jesus is God, and not even the sins of the whole world were enough to keep Him down. The third day after He died on that cross and was given up for dead, he startled the world by getting up and walking out of the tomb. That’s right, he just walked out.”
The preacher peered out into the crowd. “What? It’s too unbelievable? Your faith can’t stretch that far? Ha!” He paced back and forth across the stage. “Is death too hard for the Creator of Life? If you believe He gives life, why wouldn’t you believe He can take it away at will? No, the difficult thing, the unfathomable idea is that His motivation for this entire scenario was love. Love for you and love for me.
“Now, if your heart tells you that you’re ready to ask God for forgiveness of your sins and repent—that means turning away from them—and you want to accept His offer of eternal life with Him in Heaven, I want you to come down here and we’ll tell Him together.”
Raul was halfway down the aisle before he even he knew what he was doing. Why hadn’t anyone ever told him this before? He thought of the few times he’d gone to church back in Rendiciòn and wondered why Padre Salinas hadn’t spoken of it. He glanced around, hoping to get a glimpse of Samuél. Had he heard the message, too?
Sammy sat debating. He wanted more than anything to be with God, but he thought about the promise he’d made to his dad. That he would take his mother with him to Heaven. Maybe he would have more time than his dad did before he died. That way he would have the chance to explain things to her. And Juan Jose. And Raul and Mona.
“Before we pray, I want to wait one more minute. I feel like there’s someone here who wants to come, but isn’t here yet.”
Sammy scrambled to his feet and ran around the tent toward the entrance. “I’m coming Jesus,” he mumbled as he ran. “Please let me tell my mom and friends about you before you take me to Heaven.”
When Sammy entered the tent, he saw that half the chairs were empty and a big group of people were crying and kneeling by the stage. He started toward it. As he walked, tears streaming down his face, he locked eyes with the preacher.
“Yes son, come down here. Jesus has special plans for you. I can sense it.”
Sammy looked around and then he realized the man on stage was talking to him. When he looked back toward the preacher, the man had closed his eyes and lifted his hands toward the ceiling. It didn’t matter. All Sammy wanted was Jesus.
He stopped at the rear of the crowd and knelt down on his knees. He braced himself. These might be his last few breaths on this earth.
“Let’s pray,” said the preacher.
Sammy repeated every word and meant it with everything in his heart. The tears kept coming and slowly, he felt the hole in his heart begin to fill up. He stopped listening to the preacher, stopped repeating his words, and instead, told Jesus everything in his heart. The tent and all the people in it faded to the back of his consciousness, and at that moment, Jesus was the only one who mattered.
And then he felt it. Loved beyond measure. Forgiven. Complete.
“I’m coming, Jesus” he whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited to die.
Mona pulled up to the yellow house and slammed on her brakes, sending the dust flying. A moment later, she stepped out of the car with her brightly colored floral shirt and brown pinstriped skirt. Black leggings with the poufy knees.
“Oh Mona,” Gabriella cried, racing down the steps to embrace her. “Where could they be? Now they’ve both disappeared.”
Mona shook her head and set her jaw stubbornly. “My Raul is a smart man. He will find Samuél.”
After a few minutes, Sammy heard noises and cautiously opened his eyes. Was it possible he was still alive? He reached down and pinched his leg and when it smarted, he knew it was true. Slowly, he scanned the room, and realized that everyone else who prayed to Jesus was still alive, too. Maybe it wasn’t instantaneous after all.
“Samuél!”
“Raul!” Sammy jumped up and ran toward him. “Raul, you’re here! I’m so glad you came!”
Raul watched as Sammy ran toward him. He was sure he’d heard the message too because he could see it in his eyes. They would have much to talk about on the way home. But Samuél looked a mess. Tears streamed down his dirty face, and his pants were caked with wet, sticky dirt. His blond curls were wild, sticking out in all directions, and there were scratches and dried blood along his arms and face. He limped a little, and Raul imagined it was from walking such a long distance. As he got closer, he saw that Sammy’s lips were parched and shriveled.
“Raul, did you hear?”
He nodded, wanting to rejoice with the boy, but his mind was heavy with the fact that his disobedience had caused Gabriella so much pain and worry.
Sammy looked down. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
Raul let out a long breath. “Samuél, your disobedience has given us much to be happy about.” He looked toward the stage, empty now, but for a few men breaking it down. “But your mother? She is very worried. She will be angry when you get home.”
“I know. But Raul, I had to know.”
He closed his eyes and nodded.
Sammy reached up and touched Raul’s heart, and then he looked at him questioningly.
He smiled. “Yes, Samuél. My heart was also filled.”
It was dark now, and in an effort to calm Gabriella’s fears, Mona pulled out the tools she’d brought the day before, and insisted they take out their frustrations on the rotting wood of the porch poles. The sound of scraping against the quiet of the night was grating on both of their nerves. The mosquitoes were out and every few minutes, Gabriella or Mona would slap at one, which was the only interruption in the monotony of the work. Both women were quiet, each afraid to voice the fears that were running rampant in their minds.
The shrill ring of the phone cut sharply into the night.
Gabriella threw down her scraper and ran into the house. “Hello!” she yelled into the phone, out of breath from racing to answer it. “Raul? Is that you?”
“Yes,” he said. “And I have Samuél with me.”
She sagged into the chair, relief washing over her like a summer rain after a long, hot drought. “Is he okay? And you?”
“Yes. He needs to eat and drink. And then we will drive home.”
She nodded, giving Mona the thumbs up to let her know they were both all right. “Where did you find him? Where was he?” She heard a deep sigh on the other end of the phone.
“Maybe it would be better if he tells you when we get there.”
“No, Raul. I need to know now. I can’t take any more stress tonight.”
“Bueno.” He hesitated. “I found Samuél at the revival in Principios.”
Gabriella dropped the phone and ran out of the house, but not before picking up Nicolas’ Bible and violently throwing it into the trash.
Chapter 8