Free And You Call Yourself A Christian by E. N. Joy Page A

yourself. Jim was a little weird acting compared to how upbeat he’d been earlier. And then that nurse ...”
    â€œHave you talked to Unique?” That’s all Nicholas could think to say.
    â€œUnique?” Lorain shook her head, puzzled at Nicholas’s line of questioning. “No.”
    Nicholas tried to think of something else to say, but his mind was blank.
    â€œOkay, now you’re scaring me. You’re just standing there like some zombie. You need to start talking.”
    Nicholas agreed; he needed to start talking. He just needed to say it. Just say it. If Nike could just do it, surely he could just say it. “That emergency; it was three children. It was three little boys.”
    â€œOh no. I can only imagine how it is when you guys have to deal with sick children. I mean, not that taking care of sick or injured adults isn’t just as important. There’s just something about seeing a child go through . . .” Lorain shook her head. “Then I guess that explains everyone’s mood around here.” Walking over to Nicholas, Lorain took his hands. “Do you want me to pray?”
    Nicholas gently shook Lorain’s hands. “No, hon. Why don’t I pray?”
    Lorain couldn’t hide the complete look of shock that displayed itself on her face. Besides a grace over his food here and there, she had never heard Nicholas pray before.
    â€œSure, by all means you can pray,” Lorain replied.
    Even after Nicholas bowed his head and closed his eyes, Lorain still stood there in shock. At first she couldn’t believe this was happening. She honestly couldn’t believe Nicholas was actually leading the two of them in prayer. She was ashamed that she was jumping for joy on the inside. She wasn’t ashamed that her soul was giving God glory for showing her a sign in the eleventh hour that He was doing a great work in her life and in her relationship with Nicholas. She was ashamed, though, that it had taken three sick children for the manifestation.
    â€œHeavenly, Father, I ... I just want to thank you, first and foremost, for all you have enabled me to do,” Nicholas prayed. “For all the miracles you have allowed me to witness right here in this hospital. I thank you, Lord.” He paused and then continued. “Father, I’ve seen you take a heart that has stopped beating and make it beat again. Lord, I’ve seen you take a brain that couldn’t function, that hadn’t functioned for years, and restore it whole.”
    â€œPraise God,” Lorain spoke. Her eyes were now closed, and she was fully engulfed in Nicholas’s prayer to God.
    â€œWhat I thank you for most, God, though, is the strength and comfort you provide daily in this place to families who don’t always get to experience your earthly miracles with the saving of their loved one’s life. Today is one of those days, Lord.” He gently shook Lorain’s hands. “Today, Lord, I need you to send your comforter like never before to saturate this place. For today we lost not one, but three souls, God. Three young souls.” Nicholas’s voice began to crack. “And, God, I don’t know how I’m going to tell the boys’ family. They were so special. So kind and loving. If I didn’t know any better, Lord, I’d say they were angels right here on earth. They were so loved; so very loved, and they will be missed.” Taking a deep breath, Nicholas closed out his prayer. “So, God, I ask you to give me the strength to say the words that I need to say. In Jesus’ mighty name; Amen.”
    â€œAmen.” Lorain, so moved by a praying man, a praying man that was her man ... her soon-to-be husband, pulled her hands from Nicholas’s and threw them around his neck. “Nicholas, that was beautiful.”
    Nicholas put his arms around Lorain and squeezed her tightly. He didn’t want to let her go, because he knew