Gilbert Morris Read Online Free PDF

protect them.
    To Ben the picture had seemed somehow wrong , even when he was a child. He’d stared at it often, and wondered if God really cared enough to send an angel to look after wandering children. As he’d grown older, he liked the painting less and less—though he never mentioned his feeling to his parents.
    â€œWell, I don’t know, Son. I expect God’s got different kinds of angels. One of them might look like that, but others might look like something else. Funny thing, every time an angel appeared to someone in the Bible, the first thing he’d say was, “Fear not.”
    â€œWhy do you suppose they said that?”
    â€œI guess they were pretty spectacular. In the book of Revelation an angel appeared to the apostle John, and he fell down and began to worship him.”
    â€œWhat’d the angel do?”
    â€œWhy, he said, ‘Don’t do that!’ or words to that effect.”
    Ben looked at the picture and remarked, “You’ve had that picture a long time, haven’t you?”
    â€œEver since I got out of the army. Your mother saw it for sale on the street and bought it for me. I remember that day just like it was yesterday,” he said.
    Ben suddenly remembered his mother as she had been when he was young, and a wave of loss touched him. “You still miss Mom, don’t you?”
    â€œEvery day of my life, but I’ll see her one day soon.” Willie smiled gently, and a light touched his faded blue eyes. “You know, Son, people talk about people who die being lost , but I don’t see it that way.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause if you know where something is, why, it’s not lost, is it?”
    â€œNo, I guess not.”
    â€œI know where your mother is, so she’s not lost. I like to think she’s waiting for me to show up.” Willie laughed suddenly, adding, “I was always late for things, and your mom was always on time. So I’m a little late, but I’ll catch up with her pretty soon.”
    Remarks like this made Ben Raines uncomfortable. He himself had given up on religion when he was no more than

twelve years old. He knew his father, however, was a staunch believer in the Bible, and he quickly changed the subject.
    â€œI’ve got some good news, Dad. I’m not going to be gone for Christmas.”
    â€œWhat about that trip to Spain?”
    â€œI decided not to go. Too much work to do at the office.”
    Willie Raines studied his son thoughtfully then asked, “You’re not giving up your trip just because of me, are you?”
    Ben didn’t like to lie, but this was the time for it. He grinned and said, “I’ve got to fill in for a friend, but that’s OK. It’ll be good to be here with you.”
    â€œI hate for you to miss your trip.”
    â€œSpain will be there. It’s not going anyplace. One thing I have to do is to write the annual Christmas story.”
    Willie Raines brightened up then and asked, “Christmas story? What’s that?”
    â€œOh, you know, Dad. Every year the paper has a long story on some aspect of Christmas.”
    â€œOh, yes, I remember. It was always the best part of your paper, I thought.”
    â€œMaybe I could write something about the Christmas you had at Bastogne,” Ben said. Instantly he saw something change in his dad’s face. “What’s the matter, Dad? You don’t want to talk about that?”
    Ben’s dad had talked very little about his service during the war. Ben had grown curious a few years prior and had gone to the War Department and dug out the citation that went with the silver star that his father had won. It impressed him mightily, more than anything his father had ever done, but now he

saw that there was some hesitation in his dad. “That might be a real good thing. People need to remember what you guys did in the war, and it was Christmas, wasn’t