ONE MONTH LATER
The pastor’s face was a blur through the water.
Kathy opened her eyes.
For one quiet moment, everything seemed still.
Then she felt herself being lifted.
She broke through the surface of the water and drew in a breath.
And Kathy raised both hands toward Heaven.
She was smiling.
Really smiling.
A month ago, she had been running through darkness.
Today, she was standing in the Light.
Kathy turned toward the steps.
Lucy was waiting.
Her blonde hair fell around her shoulders, and she leaned carefully on the cane that had become part of her life since the accident.
Kathy reached for it.
“Come on.”
Lucy smiled and placed the cane in her hand.
Then, step by careful step, Kathy helped her friend down into the warm water.
The pastor took Lucy’s hands.
A moment later, she disappeared beneath the surface.
And when Lucy came back up—
she laughed.
She reached for Kathy and the pastor, wrapping them both in her arms.
In the congregation, a woman began to cry.
Lucy’s mother.
For the first time in her life, she had come to church.
And now she stood watching her daughter in the baptismal waters, seeing a joy in Lucy’s face she had never seen before.
On the front row, Susan stood beside Chris and his parents.
They were all crying now.
All smiling.
All applauding.
Chris glanced toward Susan.
Then he leaned close enough that only she could hear him.
“That’s going to be my wife, Mrs. Hunt.”
Susan looked at him.
Chris smiled.
“Very soon… if I have your permission.”
Susan’s eyes filled with tears.
She didn’t answer with words.
She simply pulled Chris into her arms.
In the water, Kathy and Lucy were still holding each other.
Around them, the entire church rose to its feet.
And the sanctuary filled with applause.
High above the celebration, six angels sat among the rafters.
John.
Paul.
Debbie.
Donna.
Mary, Debbie and Donnas' angel.
And one more old friend who had stopped by just to see how the mission was ending.
Below them, the sanctuary seemed almost alive.
Lights shimmered everywhere.
Soft colors moved through the congregation as prayers rose, hearts opened, and lives changed.
Paul stared down in wonder.
“I wish they could see this the way we do.”
One of the angels smiled.
“They have no idea.”
Paul shook his head.
“No. They really don’t.”
For a while, none of them said anything.
They simply watched.
Kathy and Lucy were still in the water, holding each other and laughing through their tears.
Susan stood with Chris and his parents.
Lucy’s mother was crying.
And everywhere John looked—
Light.
So much Light.
The visiting angel finally stood and stretched his wings.
“Well, my friends, I guess I need to be moving on. I just wanted to stop by and see this for myself.”
The others gathered around him.
For a moment, all six angels embraced.
John looked up at him with a grin.
“Awesome, wasn’t it?”
The angel laughed.
“More than awesome.”
John nodded toward the great stained-glass window at the end of the sanctuary.
“But I’m pretty sure you have an appointment to make.”
The angel smiled.
“I believe I do.”
“Good luck,” John said.
Then, after a moment:
“And God bless you, my friend. We’ll see you soon.”
The angel spread his wings.
He swept down from the rafters, soaring above the congregation, through the brilliant colors of the sanctuary—
and out through the beautiful stained-glass window.
John watched him disappear into the sunlight.
Then he turned back toward the baptismal pool.
And his eyes grew very wide.
John leaned forward.
His mouth fell open.
“Hey, Paul.”
Paul looked over.
John pointed excitedly toward the baptismal pool.
“Check out Momma’s Light now!”
Paul followed his finger.
Kathy stood in the water beside Lucy, surrounded by family, friends, tears, laughter—
and Light.
Her Light was no longer small.
It no longer flickered.
It blazed.
Warm.
Golden.
Alive.
Paul smiled.
“Pretty awesome, John.”
John never took his eyes off his mother.
“Pretty awesome?”
He reached into the pocket of his robe.
Paul raised an eyebrow.
John pulled out a pair of golden sunglasses and slipped them onto his face.
“Yes, sir. That is going to be one very bright Light!”
Paul laughed.
Then, to John’s delight, he reached into his own robe and pulled out a pair of golden sunglasses.
He put them on.
“Bright is right, John.”
John grinned.
“Bright is right!”
For a moment, the two of them simply sat there.
John looked down at his mother.
At Susan.
At Chris.
At Lucy.
At all the people whose lives had crossed his during this strange and wonderful mission.
He had come searching for one thing.
His mother’s Light.
And there it was.
John reached for Paul’s hand.
Paul took it.
Debbie, Donna, and Mary gathered close beside them.
Below, the congregation continued celebrating, unaware of the little group high above them.
The angels drew together.
Their wings touched.
And then—
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
a brilliant Golden Beam poured down from Heaven.
It surrounded them.
John looked down one last time.
At Momma.
His smile was enormous.
The golden Light grew brighter and brighter until the angels could barely be seen.
And in an instant—
they were gone.
Home.
Waiting for the day when the people they loved would join them.
The angel soared through the clouds.
Higher and higher he flew until the Earth spread out beneath him.
For a moment, he hovered there.
All across the world, thousands of Golden Beams streamed down from Heaven.
One after another.
One life.
One mission.
One heart at a time.
The angel smiled.
“One at a time,” he whispered.
Then he looked toward Heaven.
“Even now, Lord Jesus, come.”
He folded his wings and began his descent.
Down through the clouds.
Past the rooftops.
Past the streets and houses.
Until a small parking lot appeared on the edge of town.
A lone car sat near the corner.
The angel slowed.
He had reached his destination.
Through the windows he could see pamphlets from the clinic scattered across the seat and floorboard.
He landed gently on the roof of the car.
Across the parking lot, a nurse was helping a young woman in a wheelchair toward him.
The angel watched quietly.
Then—
a Golden Beam broke through the clouds.
His face lit up.
“There you are, little one!”
The Light touched the car.
And suddenly a small angel appeared.
He blinked.
Wiped his eyes.
Shook out his wings.
Then he looked around at the strange new world before him.
The older angel smiled.
The little angel reached out his hand.
“Hi. My name is Michael.”
The angel took it.
“Well, hello, sweet spirit. Welcome.”
He smiled.
“My name is River.”
Together they watched as the nurse helped the young woman into the car.
Michael floated down beside the driver’s window.
He looked inside.
And his face softened.
“She sure is beautiful, isn’t she, River?”
River moved beside him.
He looked through the window at the young woman.
Then back at Michael.
“She sure is, Michael.”
River smiled.
“She surely is.”
Need someone to talk to about an unexpected pregnancy?
Confidential support, pregnancy counseling, and practical help are available.
​
Call or text: 1-800-712-HELP (4357)
​
​