Free Miracles by Terri Blackstock

couch while he listened.
    â€œHey, Sam, it’s me—Bill. Me and the guys’ll pick you up at six for the game. Jeff and Steve are coming, but Brother John can’t come because he has a meeting tonight. Call me if there’s a problem.”
    Sam sat up quickly. He had completely forgotten about the game he had tickets for tonight. It was the biggest game of the year, between the two biggest state universities. They went every year, but this year was particularly exciting because neither team had lost a game yet.
    But then he realized that this wouldn’t be like other years. He was different.
    What would it be like sitting in those stands and hearing all those needy souls around him? He thought of begging off.
    He lay down on the couch and tried to take a nap, catch up on some of the sleep he’d lost the night before, but those voices he’d heard today kept circling through his mind. The woman who thought gravity would let her go; the one who thought she was her past; the man who thought he was dirty . . .
    He sat up and thought of the people in the houses around him, all of them with voices and needs. What if he could address them all? Help them as he’d helped Janie? He realized this “gift” was going to hound him. But even Christ took time to rest, he thought. Then he berated himself. He had spoken to a few people about Christ today, and now he was patting himself on the back, thinking he deserved a nap. As if he’d addressed multitudes, cast out demons, healed the sick . . .
    What was the matter with him? He could do better than he’d done. He didn’t have to cower away in his house for fear of hearing what he didn’t want to hear. He should see this gift as John saw it—he should look at these as opportunities. He heard the kitchen door shut, and Kate shouted out, “Sam?”
    â€œIn here,” he called.
    She came to the living room doorway, still wearing her nurse’s uniform . She helps people every day, he thought. Maybe God should have given her the gift . She would have done a better job of using it. She probably would have never considered using those lottery numbers. “What are you doing home so early?” she asked.
    He lay back down on the couch and patted the cushion next to his hip. “Come here,” he said.
    She approached him slowly. “Are you all right?”
    He shook his head. “Sit down.” She sat slowly down beside him and touched his forehead. “You’re not hot. Are you sick?”
    â€œSort of. Well, not really.” He swallowed and looked up at her. “Remember that dream last night? The one I told you about?”
    She nodded. “Vaguely. You were trying to catch a plane . . .”
    â€œNo, that was your dream. Mine was the coin. The voice.”
    â€œOh, yeah.”
    â€œIt did something to me. I mean . . . God did something to me.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHe gave me ears . . . to hear. I mean . . . like he hears.” Kate’s expression reflected her confusion, and Sam sat up, putting his face close to hers. “I know it sounds crazy, but, Kate, you’ve got to believe me. Call John. He knows. I heard his soul, and then—”
    â€œHis soul?” she cut in.
    â€œYes. And other people’s. Everybody I got near today. I heard their spiritual needs. What Christ hears. And John went with me, and we talked to people . . .”
    â€œWent with you where?” She wasn’t following him at all.
    â€œTo the diner and the hospital.”
    â€œYou were at the hospital today? My hospital?”
    â€œYes. But I didn’t look you up, because I was a little freaked out, and I didn’t know what to tell you about it. But, Kate, we told people about Jesus. Or John did. I just kind of sat there like dead weight. What else is new? But then . . . Janie, the waitress. She accepted Christ today after I talked to her, Kate. And there was this pregnant