Free This Side of Heaven by Karen Kingsbury

the background of wherever Josh was calling from, a familiar song was playing so loud Lindsay could hear it clearly. “Josh?” She could hear the words now, and she sat on the nearest kitchen bar stool. What was going on? Before she could ask whether it was really him or not, he spoke up.
    “Do you hear that?”
    “Yes.” She managed a confused laugh. “It’s loud.”
    “I know it is.” Josh sounded happier than he had in years. “You won’t believe what happened, Linds. Six weeks ago I found the greatest song. Wynonna Judd was performing something live on country videos, and—”
    “Wynonna Judd?”
    “Yes! She was singing this same song, ‘I Can Only Imagine.’ So, I thought it was her song and I’ve been looking for it when I stop by the market—you know, in the CD section at the back. But then I had this idea to look online and sure enough . . .”
    “You found it by MercyMe?” Her smile spread down into her heart and soul.
    “Just now!” He sounded amazed, almost breathless. “Today I can honestly say my back pain isn’t the first thing on my mind. You know why?”
    “You’re too busy singing?”
    “Sort of. I mean, I’ve been playing it all day.” He rested for a few seconds, and when he started up again his pace was more controlled. “When I watched the video, I made a decision. Right then and there I gave my life back to Jesus and told Him I was sorry for every wrong decision I’d made without Him. I’ve been praying since then and, well, you know, just sort of thinking about how different my life should be at this point.”
    Lindsay could already feel the tears in her eyes. Sometimes Larry would see Josh’s name on the caller ID and walk away from it. “He’s always asking for money or needing some sort of handout,” Larry told her once. “He’s your brother, you deal with him.”
    But now Josh was proving why people could never, ever give up on someone they love. She’d prayed for Josh all her life—especially in the decade since he graduated from high school. Neither Josh’s choices nor the circumstances that came with them had ever brought him closer to God, but now maybe he was finally ready to stop running his life on his own. “Josh . . . I’m so happy.”
    “Me, too. It’s like I finally get it about God, about Jesus going to the cross and how He opened the gates of heaven for people like you and me. If we let Him, He’ll give us life here and forever. So now this is my song, you know? ‘I Can Only Imagine.’ ”
    Lindsay’s heart was so full she couldn’t speak. “Anyway, I called for a reason. Can I go with you and Larry and the kids to church this coming Saturday? Don’t you go in the evening?”
    “Six o’clock.” Lindsay felt like one of the townspeople watching Ebenezer Scrooge run around handing out gifts on Christmas morning. “You’re serious, right? You wanna go with us?”
    “Definitely.” He laughed and it was the laugh of a big kid, not a troubled young man in chronic pain. “Truthfully? I’ve been attending a Christian church with a few of my neighbors for the past five Sundays. I love it. Makes me not think about the pain so much, you know?”
    “Yes.” She felt hot tears on her cheeks and she dabbed at them. A picture came to mind: herself, Larry, Ben, Bella, and Josh sharing a pew near the front of their church on Saturday evening. “I’ll save you a spot.”
    “Come on, Lindsay.” He sounded like his old self, the way he was before the accident. “I know you better than that.” Another laugh. “My sister, Lindsay, on time? I’ll save you one.”
    The song was still blaring in the background, and Lindsay struggled to find her voice. “You know what this is, right?” She couldn’t wait to tell her mom about this phone call. Her parents went to the more traditional Sunday morning service, but this was one Saturday evening they needed to attend.
    “It’s a miracle.” Josh didn’t hesitate. “I could feel God doing