Chapter Twenty Six

Twenty Six

Three Weeks Later

Paine Harbor – Grace Cottage

The time in California was starting to seem like a distant memory. Filled with amazing reconnections, a couple of days laying in the sun in Laguna Beach and making several stops for Double-Double burgers at the greatly missed In-N-Out Burger as well as enjoying great quantities Mexican food, all three Grace's were rejuvenated. Soon reality set in and they found their California time coming to a conclusion.

They'd arrived back home just as a major winter storm set in. Even the locals were surprised by the ferocity and relentlessness of this storm. Mrs. Gourmand dropped by Grace Coffee House to welcome Demetrius home and commented, “I've been here for longer than I can remember, and this is the storm of a lifetime!” All Demetrius could do was think back to how warm the sun had felt in SoCal. In an effort to remember the warmth of the ocean breezes, he was blasting Beach Boys music over the speakers at Grace Coffee House.

As the storm raged on, Sandy wisely holed up in the warmth and safety of her little home at Grace Cottage. The fireplace was burning twenty-four seven and Oliver was starting to wonder how much longer the cord of red oak firewood was going to hold out. The new coffee maker they’d brought back from California was working overtime as the young couple endured their first major north Atlantic winter event. 

The nature of Sandy's business made it easy for her to dedicate a few hours per day managing orders and shipments from the comforts of her tiny loft office while sipping coffee and staying in her beloved Hello Kitty faux-fur lined slippers. Even Oliver had begun to schedule less in personal face-to-face appointments, instead doing as many as possible via the phone. 

“With weather like this,” Sandy said while sipping a steaming hot latte her hubby had just made, “I may never leave this cottage again.”

Oliver smiled in agreement.

The winds grew in power and violence taking with them some of the already scarce trees that had managed to live on the island. At three o'clock, as the sky was growing dark, the electricity went out across the village. Because of the nature of Sandy's business and the fact the movie studio had done everything possible to make the Grace's adjustment easier, they were one of the few homes with a backup diesel generator. It had kicked on within seconds of the power outage keeping Grace Cottage ablaze with light.

“Oh man!” Sandy said looking out the window towards the harbor. “Oliver! Come look at this!” He ran up the stairs and together they gazed across the village to the harbor. The gale force winds were causing real havoc in the docks. The entire fishing fleet had wisely chosen to stay in port realizing instinctively the danger and foolhardiness of putting out to sea in such a storm.  As Oliver and Sandy looked across the harbor they realized the Wet One had broken loose from its tie downs and was adrift in the harbor. Oliver grabbed his binoculars and focused as best he could on the out of control fishing boat.

“It doesn't look like anyone is on it, thank God!” he exclaimed.

“Are you sure?” she asked with mounting concern.

Scanning across the deck, hoping against hope that he was right, Oliver wasn't able to discern with certainty the boat was empty. “I sure hope so,” he replied. As he was about to put down the binoculars something grabbed his attention in the lower part of his view. He studied it carefully. “Oh, no. No, no, no! This is not good!” he said in shock.

“What?” Sandy asked as she reached out for the binoculars and placed them to her eyes. She quickly adjusted them for her eyes and said in dismay, “What is he thinking?” Yelling as if she could be heard across the distance, she screamed,  “Get out of there!” 

Through the binoculars it was clear to Oliver and Sandy their friend Ricky Böndunum had decided to take a small powerboat out to the Wet One to try to bring it back to dock without it causing damage to itself or any of the other boats docked there. Being alone on the storm tossed sea he was in grave danger. They watched powerlessly as Ricky fought against the surging tides to get the little boat lined up with the much larger fishing vessel. Twice, the Grace's cried out in alarm as they thought that Ricky was about to be tossed into the raging waters. They took small comfort in the life-vest he was wearing. 

“That vest will do very little good if he gets tossed in! The hypothermia will kick in before any rescue could be made!” Oliver said sadly. Turning he looked to Sandy who was now on her iPhone. 

“Demetrius, it's Sandy. Listen, listen carefully.” She quickly filled him in on what she and Oliver could see from their home. “We need to pray. Right now. Jesus, we ask right now for you to protect and save Ricky from harm! We speak life and strength to him in this moment!”

“Yes, Lord, do a miracle!” Oliver chimed in.

Demetrius looked at Andi and immediately knew what to do. Grabbing his heaviest coat and hat, he raced out the door of the Coffee House and ran the short distance to the docks. Standing breathless on the dock, he could see Ricky fighting to gain control of the little boat. Repeatedly, the larger vessel would violently smash against the tiny powerboat. Ricky's boat was in serious danger of simply being overrun by the Wet One.

Oliver and Sandy could see Demetrius standing on the dock. Calling into the phone, they said, “Andi, what is he doing?”

She quietly said, “He's doing God’s work. Believe.”

Sandy cried out in alarm. “Look!” she yelled pointing across the harbor as a massive wave was forming and headed directly at the Wet One and Ricky.

It was at this moment when Sandy cried out, that Demetrius did so as well. But his cry was different. He confidently said to the rushing winds and thrashing waters, “Be still. In Jesus name, I command you to be still!” Demetrius only said it once, putting his growing faith in the power of the resurrected Christ to intervene in Paine Harbor like he’d done on the Sea of Galilee two thousand years earlier.

Ricky had just lined up his powerboat with the Wet One and was about to climb up the rope ladder when he looked across the deck and saw the massive wall of water approaching. With his many years of being on the waters, he knew a wave of this magnitude hitting the side of the Wet One could only have one result: A capsized vessel. He was in serious trouble.

“Oh God! I need your help!” he cried out in panic.

Then the unexplainable happened. Less than 75 yards away from creating utter devastation, the wave suddenly and simply lost its thrust and flattened out. Demetrius saw it happen from the dock. Oliver and Sandy watched it from their hillside home. And Ricky, closest of all, couldn't believe his eyes. By the time the wave hit the Wet One it was not much more than a ripple. A miraculous intervention had occurred. Waves don't do what this one did. One moment it was filled with rage, violence, power and incredible force and the next moment it is peaceful, impotent and posing no threat.

Ricky looked up to the sky and saw the sun breaking through a rapidly expanding hole in the clouds directly above his head. Within five minutes, the sky was ablaze with the glory of a winter sun, the snow and rain had stopped completely and birds were emerging from hiding places and were singing their songs of praise. Ten minutes later, Ricky tied up the Wet One to its berth without incident. When he got off the boat, Demetrius greeting him with a warm hug said, “You look like you could use a cup of coffee.”

Andi put the phone to her ear speaking to Sandy and Oliver, “How about the two of you joining us down here in a few minutes?” Oliver and Sandy put down their now cold lattes and picked up their shoes in preparation of leaving.

Grace Coffee House was surprisingly full of members of the Paine Harbor community, including a significant number of fishermen who'd witnessed what they were calling “the miracle of the wave”. The place was abuzz and noisy as each one told what they'd seen to the others. There was a genuine sense of wonder along with considerable confusion as to how such a thing had occurred. 

Demetrius has quietly walked back with Ricky and immediately jumped behind the counter to relieve Sarah from barista duties. While he ground espresso, pulled shots and steamed milk, he quietly considered what he'd just experienced. “Where did that come from? How did I get the faith to say what I said?” he secretly wondered. “How is it even possible?” came his wordless questioning.

“All things,” Andi said softly placing her hand on Demetrius' shoulder. “All things are possible to them who believe.”

Their eyes met. Demetrius gazing into her eyes asking a million questions at once, but saying nothing. “Demetrius, you received a download of faith which was appropriate for the moment. And you responded in obedience,” she explained.

“But...” he began to say and then immediately grew silent, overwhelmed by circumstances.

“Shhh!” she hushed him. “Now isn't the time for answers, it's time for God's people to worship for what just occurred.” Turning to Sarah she suggested she step to the piano and begin to play. Sarah smiled and walked to the piano anticipating something wonderful was about to occur. Adjusting the seat, she listened for a moment and began to play a song of praise instrumentally. The power of the chords and melodies filled the room with beauty and awe. All gathered recognized they weren't alone. He was present.

As voices of faith rose in praise to the God of the Miraculous, Demetrius remained quiet at his station. Tears had formed in his eyes, and his heart was beating hard in his chest. He was aware of what was going on around him, but his mind and spirit were elsewhere. Deep inside his soul he knew what had occurred on the dock was way beyond his ability to grasp; yet he quietly marveled at the simple power and beauty of what God had done through his faith and words. 

“God, I know what happened is possible, but...” pausing he searched for the words as he prayed silently, “it never occurred to me I'd see it happen and I'd play a part in something like this. I don't even know what to say.” In these quiet moments as he stood alongside his much loved espresso machine, Demetrius was being shaken and challenged to see things with fresh eyes. “More is possible, isn't it?” he questioned. “Wow.” Pulling two shots of his latest espresso blend, he poured them into his favorite mug, added some hot water and sat down on the stool behind the counter. Wiping his eyes of the tears running down his face, he took a sip of the steaming hot richness and shook his head from side to side in joy and wonder.

Andi stepped to his side, and motioning to the people lost in worship she said, “It's beautiful, isn't it?”

Pulled out of his reverie, he looked at Andi and then surveyed the room in recognition of this special and historic moment, smiling he responded, “Incredible. Beyond my wildest dreams. Way more than I dared dream when we opened this place just a few months ago.”

The two friends smiled at this realization. They watched the miracle continue, Demetrius sipping on his drink as it cooled. He quietly slipped his arm around Andi’s waist. She didn’t pull away.