The Midnight Intuders
Chapter 3
Kate was just about to fall asleep when she heard Emilie whisper her name. “Yes?” she answered.
“I want to tell you something,” Emilie responded. “Do you want me to tell you what we are running away from?”
“Sure, if you want to talk about it,” Kate replied.
“I guess I do. Well, Edward and I are running away from and orphanage.”
“An orphanage?” Kate exclaimed, extremely shocked.
“You heard correctly. Our parents died about a year ago. Since then we have been living in an orphanage. But the orphanage is not a good place. We’re not treated very well. We don’t get much to eat, and all of the children are mean to each other. The adults are mean, too. Well, anyway, finally Edward and I had had enough. We decided to run away to… well, actually, we don’t know where we’re going.”
Kate didn’t exactly know what to say. “That’s too bad,” she managed. “But don’t you have any family members who would take care of you?”
“That’s the problem,” Emilie sighed. “We don’t know any of our relatives. In fact, I’m not even sure that we have any. I guess it was a bad idea to run away from the orphanage, having no place to go, but Edward and I got to the point where we thought we couldn’t stand the orphanage one more day. So we secretly packed all of our clothes and what few belongings we have, and we left. We’re always afraid that the orphanage has sent people out to find us and bring us back.”
“Well, don’t worry,” Kate reassured her. “I’m sure they won’t find you tonight! But what are you going to do after this? You don’t know of any relatives who would take care of you, and you don’t know where you are going.”
“Like I said, running away was a bad idea. But there is no way we are going back to the orphanage. Especially because if we went back, we would be punished severely. I have no clue what we are going to do.” Here Emilie started to cry.
Kate got up out of her bed and put an arm around her new friend. “I know what we can do,” she said confidently. “In the morning let’s ask my parents’ advice. I’m sure they’ll think of something.”
“Maybe they will!” Emilie said hopefully. Then she looked frightened. “They won’t send us back to the orphanage, will they?”
“I don’t know,” Kate pondered. “I didn’t think of that.”
“I have an idea,” proposed Emilie. “Why don’t you talk to your parents in the morning. If they decide to send us back to the orphanage, give us a signal somehow, and we’ll run.”
Kate thought about that for a minute. “No, that wouldn’t be right,” she said.
Emilie agreed. “I guess not. But what can we do?”
Kate sighed. “In the morning we tell my parents. Then, they make the decision and you do what they say. I can guarantee you that they will only do what’s best for you and Edward. If they say that you need to go back, then you can be sure that’s what is best.”
“Okay,” Emilie agreed, “let’s do it. By the way, why do you and your parents care so much about us, anyhow?”
Kate thought for a moment. “Well, I suppose it’s because we’re Christians. In the Bible it says, ‘As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ That’s Galatians six verse ten. As followers of Christ we’re told to do good to everyone.”
“You know, I would like to be like you and have what your family has. You aren’t the only people that I’ve seen who call themselves Christians. I’ve seen other people, too. They all seem to have something that Edward and I don’t have. I’m not talking about just adults. I’ve seen kids like you, also. I want to follow Christ, too. Could you tell me how to find him?”
So Kate explained that everyone has sinned and offended a holy God, and that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
“God, the creator of the entire universe, sent His son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins,” Kate explained. “All you have to do is repent of your sins, the wrong things you do, and trust Him to save you. In Romans chapter ten, verse ten, it says, ‘For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’ There is nothing you can do, Emilie, except receive Jesus. He already paid the price.”
“I understand,” Emilie whispered. “I want to be saved from my sins.” After she prayed to the Lord confessing her sins and asking to be saved, she looked up and smiled at Kate. “I’m so glad you told me how to be saved,” she said. “I feel so much better! I knew there was something that I didn’t have, that I could see in people who are Christians, but until tonight I didn’t know what it was or how to find it. Then, when you shared Jesus with me, I knew that was what I was looking for. Thank you so much! This is the best thing you could do for me!” Emilie gave Kate a big hug. Kate beamed and hugged her back.
“All I can say is, praise the Lord that He was able to use me!” Kate said a moment later. “…Well, I certainly think this has been enough excitement for one night. I think that we both need to go to sleep now, otherwise we won’t want to get up in the morning.” She got back into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Kate whispered her thanks to the Lord for the opportunity to share Christ with her friend. Worn out with all of the excitement of the night, she was soon fast asleep.
|
