“Father, you summoned me,” said Gabriel.
“Yes, Gabriel, I did. I want you to visit a boy named Thomas Ternwhile. This is going to take all of your skills,” answered the Father.
“Why is that?” I don’t understand.
“Thomas doesn’t believe in me. He says that there is no God,” said the Father, “your task is to prove him wrong.”
“I will do my best,” answered Gabriel.
Gabriel found Thomas as he was about to do something that could very well put him in jail if he was caught. In the darkness of night, he watched from the shadows as Thomas and two accomplices were peeking in the window of a house. It was three days before Christmas and the boys were up to no good.
“Nobody’s home,” whispered Thomas, “I watched them leave a few minutes ago.”
“Look at all the presents under the tree,” said one of the boys, “there must be fifty or more.”
“What are we waiting for?” said another boy while taking a crowbar to the window.
Gabriel watched the proceedings. The boy had the window loose and was raising it when he took action. He hadn’t materialized yet, so he knew they couldn’t see him., As he approached he lifted his face toward Heaven.
“Father, do I have to be invisible? This invisible and then materialize thing is annoying. Reminds me of that popular television show the kids like. You know the one. It’s called Star Trek. They materialize in it all the time. It’s stupid.”
“Stupid or not, I want you to use it tonight. I want you to frighten them,” came the answer.
Gabriel went up behind the boy and took the crowbar out of his hand and dropped it.
“What are you doing?” the boy whispered, “who took the crowbar out of my hand?”
“What are you talking about?” asked Thomas.
“I didn’t do it,” said the other boy.
“Well, then who did?” asked the boy.
Gabriel picked it up off of the ground and gave it a toss.
The boys watched it rise up off the ground and fly through the air. They panicked.
“Did you see that?” one boy shouted when they stopped running and tried to catch their breath.
“Uh huh!” panted another.
“There has to be a good explanation,” muttered Thomas while bent over with his hands on his knees..
“Are we going back? I got the window open?”
“No way! That crowbar might come flying at you!”
“Chicken!” said Thomas, “I’m going back for those presents!”
The other boys watched as he went back to the house. As he crawled through the window they saw a figure, dressed in white, go in behind him.
“Did you see that?” whispered a boy.
“Uh huh!” whispered the other boy, “let’s get out of here!”
As the boys scattered Thomas was kneeling under the tree. Picking up a present, he shook it, smelled it, and then ripped the paper off, and opened it.
“Just my luck,” he whispered, “ a bible.”
Picking up another present, he opened it.
“You gotta be kidding me! A Jesus T-shirt!”
Gabriel was standing behind him the whole time.
“Father?”
“Not yet, Gabriel, you will know when.”
Thomas grabbed another present and opened it.
“Who are these people? A bunch of Jesus freaks?” he said while taking a Christian flag from a box.
Opening another present, he found a daily devotional, another box contained a framed copy of the Ten Commandments. Every package contained something pertaining to God.
Thomas was starting to feel a little guilty about what he was doing. He tried to shrug it off and was having a hard time doing so. The last package was almost out of reach under the tree. Straining, he retrieved it, and opened it only to find that it was a book. The title was “Salvation For The Lost.” He nonchalantly tossed it aside. It landed open and as he glanced at it a scripture verse was highlighted in large print.
“Do not be amazed that I said, you must be born again.”
The book said that the scripture verse was John 3:7.
“Whoever heard of such a thing,” he muttered while getting up off the floor. Going into another room, he couldn’t help but notice the throw draped over a couch. “You Must Be Born Again” was displayed in bold letters. Going into the kitchen, a coffee cup sat next to the sink. On its side was “You Must Be Born Again.”
“I don’t believe this,” he said while going upstairs. He couldn’t help but notice the poster on the hallway wall. It was a picture of who he assumed was Jesus pointing his finger at him and saying, “You Must Be Born Again!”
“I gotta get out of here,” he shouted while racing down the stairs. Going to the garage door, he saw a Jeep parked there. It was backed in and the spare wheel cover shouted at him, “You Must Be Born Again.”
He pushed the overhead door button. It didn’t work. Going to the side door, he tried to turn the doorknob. It wouldn’t turn even though he saw that it was unlocked. He tried to go back into the house. The door wouldn’t open. He was trapped.
Gabriel had followed him the whole time.
“Father?”
“Yes, Gabriel, now,” came the reply.
Gabriel walked up behind Thomas and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Thomas screamed and jumped away from him. Thomas turned around to nothing. He couldn’t see Gabriel even though Gabriel was standing right in front of him.
“I must be imagining things,” he said while steadying his nerves.
“You must be born again,” Gabriel whispered into his ear.
Thomas shook his head as if trying to clear his mind.
“You must be born again,” Gabriel repeated.
“What is this? I don’t believe in God. It’s nothing but a fairy tale!” he muttered.
“You must be born again.” It kept repeating into his ear.
“Why am I hearing this?” he cried while holding his hands over his ears.
At that moment Gabriel appeared before his eyes. Thomas jumped back and looked for a place to run.
“Thomas, you can’t get away?” said Gabriel.
“Who are you? Why are you here?” he said with fear in his eyes.
“Thomas, my name is Gabriel. God has sent me to you tonight. I am an angel.”
“Are you kidding me?” he whispered, “There’s no such thing as God or angels!”
“Then tell me, Thomas, who or what am I? Did I not suddenly appear right before your eyes? It is December and it is 24 degrees outside. What am I wearing?”
Thomas could see that he was wearing a glimmering white robe and sandals. It was way too cold outside for that.
“I don’t know,” he said, “Prove it to me.”
Gabriel turned his face towards Heaven and spoke, “Father.” He nodded and disappeared. Moments later he returned.
“Do you recognize this?” he said while handing the crowbar to Thomas.
“You mean you and God are real?”
“Yes, Thomas, we are real. What have you seen in every room of this house? What caught your attention?”
“You must be born again,” he whispered.
“Thomas, God loves you. Would you like to meet Him tonight?”
That night doubting Thomas met the Savior. Crying, afterward he sat on the front step waiting for the homeowners to return. They did and a police car arrived and took him away.
“Father, another sinner saved,” he said.
“Yes, Gabriel, you are right. I took care of the situation. I whispered into Pastor Brown’s ear. He knows all about Thomas and I am sure he won’t press charges. He will check on Thomas and will help the boy.”
“Father, you work in mysterious ways, you surely do.”
December 16, 2021