A Treasury of Miracles for Friends by Karen Kingsbury Page A

happiest man in the world. After a rough childhood and teenage years fraught with drug abuse and petty theft, at age twenty-two Adam moved across the country to Portland, Oregon, and took an apartment in a low-rent district. Two days later he met Will Fredericks.
    Will was in his late seventies, a retired police officer still in love with his wife of fifty-five years. Will and Wanda took a liking to Adam from the beginning, asking him to church service and inviting him to their home for Sunday dinners. Adam had no trouble accepting the dinner offer, but going to church was another thing.
    “God wouldn’t know what to do with a guy like me.” The corners of Adam’s mouth would lift in a half-hearted grin. “He’s a lot more comfortable with people like you and Wanda.”
    Still, Will continued to ask. Three months after his move to Portland, Adam took fresh stock of his life and realized how far he’d come. He had a job, he was free of drugs, and he had a best friend—Will Fredericks. The two would meet in the afternoon, when Adam was finished with his job at a local auto shop. Sometimes they’d talk about current events, other days they would play checkers or share some of Wanda’s famous lemonade.
    Summer was coming, and Will suggested Adam attend a downtown festival on the waterfront. A nationally-known evangelist was speaking that day, and Adam felt drawn to the message.
    “No matter who you are . . . no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, God isn’t surprised. He already knows.” The man smiled, and something about the sparkle in his eyes reminded Adam of his friend, Will. “Here’s the best part—God loves you anyway. He loves you and he’s waiting even now for you to turn around and come to him.”
    Adam moved closer and closer to the front of the crowd, caught up in the message. When it was over, he realized he’d been standing next to a blonde, blue-eyed young woman about his age. Adam smiled at her. “Great stuff, huh?”
    “Yeah.” She shrugged, shy. “I can’t wait to hear what he says tonight.”
    “Tonight?”
    “Sure.” The girl giggled. “He’s here all weekend.”
    Adam glanced back at the small crowd of people gathered around the speaker. “I guess I didn’t know.”
    “I heard him last year. He’s great every time he talks.”
    The brief conversation was about to end; Adam could sense it. He hesitated, but only for the blink of an eye. Then he stuck his hand out. “I’m Adam Murphy.”
    “Hi.” Another shy smile. “I’m Brenda Gellen.”
    Adam motioned toward the water. “Wanna take a walk?”
    “Sure.”
    They talked for an hour near the river’s edge. Adam told her about his past and how he’d cleaned up his life.
    “But sometimes I still feel empty.”
    Brenda listened to Adam’s story, nodding and paying attention during parts when he expected her to be judgmental or critical. When he was finished talking, she told him about herself. Brenda was in her second year at Portland Community College. She wanted to be a nurse and was deeply involved in her church.
    She looked at the water, and her eyes caught the reflection. “My dad’s the pastor.”
    “Really?” Adam felt his eyes grow wide. Her dad was a pastor? He resisted the urge to back up, to run. He’d never spent this much time with a church girl, let alone one whose father was a minister.
    “Mm-hmm.” Her head fell back and she let out a light laugh. “Don’t worry. He’s not that bad.”
    Adam relaxed some. So what if her dad worked at church? She was the only girl he’d talked with since coming to the Northwest, and the glow in her eyes took his breath away. The conversation continued. “What’s the name of your church?”
    Brenda told him, and Adam could only stare at her, stunned. It was the same church Will and Wanda attended, the church they’d wanted him to visit for so long.
    Adam and Brenda talked through the afternoon and attended the evening session with the speaker