Chapter Twenty Five

Twenty Five

Grace Cottage

Late afternoon in mid January

The weeks passed quickly as the calendar shifted from one year into the next. Winter had kicked in with a relentlessness that could not be ignored. Demetrius had some familiarity with dealing with the cold having lived most recently in Colorado, but the exiled Californians were genuinely dismayed about their absolute inexperience with the brutal cold of a northern Atlantic winter.

“Oliver,” Sandy said softly while sipping a steaming hot cup of decaf coffee in the late afternoon wrapped up on the living room sofa in two thick blankets. “I've been thinking about something.”

“Oh boy. The pregnant woman has been thinking. Great,” He replied in a teasing manner. “And what have you been thinking about?”

“Careful, Mister!” she warned. “I am the mother of your three children. You'd better be good to me!'

“Yes, Mommy Dearest,” Oliver said in sarcastic but light-hearted tones. “Your wish is my command.”

“Any who,” she paused taking another sip. “I've been thinking maybe we could take a week off from work and get out of the cold and go home to California! I'm missing home so much. And, as you know, my pregnancy is going really well. But in a couple of months the doctor won't let me travel. So...”

Looking intently at Sandy, Oliver smiled. “That is a great idea! I could give the studio an update on my progress, plus we could reconnect with our friends! I wonder what airfare would cost?”

“Funny you should ask,” Sandy said triumphantly, grabbing her MacBook Pro. “AirTransit has a special going right now. We can get a flight to LAX for less than $300 round-trip.” Pulling up a web browser she urged Oliver to move over closer on the couch so he could see. Pointing her finger, she said, “Look! We could fly out next Thursday morning and return a week later. They've got seats. We can book it now. I don't know how long the special lasts, but...”

“Let's do it. I'll grab my credit card.”

“No need, I've got mine right here!”

Immediately after receiving their confirmation email, Oliver said, “Hey, what about my brother? Do you think he'd want to come too?”

“Call him and ask.”

While the phone was making the connection, Oliver shook his head in wonder. “I can't believe we are doing this! This is going to be... Oh, hey bro! How are you?”

“Good. Thanks. Everything okay with you two?” Demetrius replied.

“Yeah,” Oliver said excitedly. “Hey man, I've got a question for you!”

“Hoo boy. I hear it in your voice. What are you trying to get me into now? Remember the timeshare you were convinced we should buy together?” Demetrius said laughingly. “And thank God you listened to me – because six months later they went bankrupt!”

“Yeah, yeah... rub it in. I can always count on you to remind me of my stupid ideas!”

“C'mon,” Demetrius laughed. “I was just messing with your head! So, what's your question?”

Putting Demetrius on the speaker phone, Oliver said, “Sandy and I are going home to SoCal next Thursday for a week, we need to get out of the cold weather and see some familiar faces, you want to go with us?” 

“Oh man.” Demetrius replied wishfully, his mind immediately filled with a thousand reasons why he shouldn’t go. “Man, oh man. I don't know.”

“C'mon you know you want to go!” Sandy shouted nearly loud enough for Demetrius to hear without use of the phone. “Plus we got a great deal on airfare.”

“Yeah, I know I want to go. But... who'd run the coffee house?” The wheels in Demetrius head were spinning. Ever since they'd arrived at Paine Harbor he'd been extremely hard at work getting Grace Coffee House up and running, plus facilitating a great many divine conversation. Without really knowing it, he was tired, and the thought of a week in sunny Southern California was quite attractive.

“Demetrius, between Sarah covering the afternoons and Saturday's, couldn't you ask Andi to help? She's there nearly all the time anyway.” Sandy suggested.

“And, given it's winter and the fact that you told me the other day you've noticed people aren't coming out as much because of the weather, you could have some special “winter hours” while you are gone!” Oliver proposed.

“Winter hours?” Demetrius considered. “I like that regardless of if I go or not. I tell you what. I'll make a couple of calls and get back to you in a few minutes.”

Less than thirty minutes later, the entire Grace family – Oliver, Sandy and Demetrius were booked for a week of vacation to be with their beloved friends in Southern California.

Grace Coffee House

The Following Wednesday

“Go!” Andi encouraged. “We've got this!”

“Seriously, we aren't idiots. Go!” Sarah chided. “You adults worry about everything.”

Upon hearing about Demetrius' plans to join his brother and sister-in-law in a SoCal vacation, Greta Sharp asked her daughter if she could do something to help too. “Those dear people have helped so many people in such a short time, it's the least I can do to help out at the coffee shop while they are gone!” 

When Demetrius was informed about this, he pulled her aside and said, “Greta, I'll pay you, you won't work for free!”

“Please. Demetrius. I don't care about the money. Let me do this. Okay?”

“Really?”

“Demetrius, when my mom says stuff like that, she means it, and you can argue all you want, but she will have her way. You might as well just accept it!” Sarah smiled knowingly.

“Now, get out of here. Your flight is early in the morning. We've got this! You can call us exactly once per day. No more!” Andi teased with a look that said she meant business.

“Okay, I get it.” Demetrius said as he shuffled towards the door looking around his beloved coffee house as if he'd never see it again. “I'll bring you all burgers from In-N-Out. You'll love them!”

“Never heard of them!” Greta said, “Now get out!”

Andi escorted Demetrius to the door of his coffee shop. Giving him a hug, she quietly encouraged him that everything would be okay. Meeting her eyes with his, she softly said, “You just be sure to come back, okay?” She leaned in close and gave him the softest kiss on his cheek and shoved him out the door.

Demetrius walked towards his apartment with his heart on fire.

Pasadena, California

The Following Sunday

“I'm sure many of you have noticed,” Pastor Carlos said with a smile. “But we've have some very dear people with us this morning. Oliver and Sandy Grace, as well as our good friend Demetrius Grace are here today all the way from Paine Harbor, Maine. Would the three of you join me up here on the stage? Let's give them a big welcome!”

As the Grace's awkwardly made their way to the platform, the congregation of smiling faces applauded with great enthusiasm. Many had tracked their adventures via Facebook and Twitter, but to actually see them back home again was a genuine delight. Pastor Carlos and the Grace's gave one another warm hugs.

“Welcome home.”

“Thanks, Carlos,” Oliver replied. “It feels really, really good to be here. We've missed this place more than we realized. It's good to be home, at least for a week!”

“Tell us about what God has been doing in your lives since you left us last fall?”

Sandy replied, rubbing her now obviously pregnant belly, “Well...” The laughter rang out across the church at the simplicity of what she'd said. “What you may not know is we've been given triplets. That's right three little Graces are growing right here, right now!” The conversation about the babies went on for a couple of minutes with all of the usual details. But then it turned serious. 

“Oliver, what has happened in Paine Harbor spiritually?” Pastor Carlos asked.

The three Grace's looked at one another with sobriety. “Where to begin?” came Oliver's hesitant reply. “Paine Harbor was ripe for revival and apparently, so were we! We found brokenness, pain, anger, abuse, and religion without power. But Holy Spirit has hit Paine Harbor powerfully. We've never seen anything like it.”

Sandy interrupted. “We had prayed God would use us, but never expected to see the results we are witnessing. And the beautiful thing is it is effortless. It's Him, not us. Believe me.”

“In fact,” Demetrius spoke for the first time, “that is the amazing thing. He keeps bringing people across our paths, Holy Spirit shows up and the next thing you know, revival is breaking out. I went there to get over of my grief over my wife April's death, and He has met me with such grace! I am so busy running my new coffee shop and ministering to the people who walk in the door, I simply don't have the time or the need to grieve! He has healed my wound. Do I miss April? Of course! I think about her everyday. But each day I see God at work, and this makes it a bit easier. I'm learning life has such meaning and purpose that I simply have to move forward in faith and joy!”

For the next 35 minutes, each of the Grace's shared powerful stories of God's work in Paine Harbor. At some point, Pastor Carlos realized he didn't need to preach. He'd expected to do a quick catch-up interview and then begin his sermon. But he soon saw Holy Spirit was preaching more effectively than anything he'd planned.

None present would forget this gathering. Moving from joyous laughter into poignant tears and back to laugher again proved His Presence was moving amongst the people. More than one married couple that’d been arguing on the drive to church, reached out in love and forgiveness towards their spouse. One of Pastor's biggest critics began to weep such deep and gut wrenching tears of repentance that several of the people near him offered him tissues and hugs. Kimmy, the worship leader sensed she needed to move to the keyboard and begin to play spontaneous songs of worship in the background as the Grace's continued to share their incredible stories.

“The Holy Spirit wants to do the same thing here in SoCal that He is doing right now in Paine Harbor! Let Him have His way!” Oliver encouraged. “Open your hearts in new ways. We didn't know what we were missing, so I believe His love caused us to get out of our comfort zone in order to advance in His kingdom! Don't let the old define the new work He desires to do! Give up on the past and move straight ahead into your destiny!”

“Go on!” Pastor Carlos encouraged.

Sandy spoke up, “We love this church. You've made a huge contribution to our lives. But...” She looked around the room filled with hundreds of hungry people and with tears streaming down her face she continued. “But, I say this with great love for you and with gentleness I sense Holy Spirit is saying this: Turn back to Me. I am your First Love! Turn away from dependence upon man-made programs and turn to Me! Let me do in your lives what I want to do! Repent of self-sufficiency and let Holy Spirit fill your lives again!”

As she concluded her words, Pastor Carlos fell to his knees.  His sobs began quietly and soon erupted into shameless expressions of genuine repentance. Soon his wife Pastor Deborah joined him. Over the next few minutes hundreds of people throughout the building were being brought to life by the loving conviction of Holy Spirit, found themselves having divine face-to-face encounters with the Living God and were being restored to their true destiny as passionate lovers of Christ. 

The Holy Spirit moved freely about the room gently touching people in various ways. Regardless of the particular reasons for repentance, each person was enveloped in love and acceptance. No one felt condemnation or shame, for this repentance created joy and freedom. As in Paine Harbor, a spirit of joy soon took over the room. Sounds of worship and praise began to emerge in the mouths of the people, not because a human worship leader was directing, but because they were following the leading of Holy Spirit. There was no need for an altar call and no need for an offering for God was at work.

Standing in the middle of the row about two-thirds of the way towards the back with her arms outstretched wide in exuberant worship was a young woman named Joy. Suddenly and without warning Joy screamed at the top of her lungs. It wasn't a scream of fear; rather it was one of incredible delight, much like the surprise one feels at an unexpected reunion with a loved one. Her scream shifted to laughter. It wasn't a nice quiet polite laugh, rather she was laughing from the belly. Her laugh simply took over and didn't care a bit about the opinions of those around. It was infectious. Soon others began to giggle. Spreading like the wildfire does when the Santa Ana winds are blowing across the dry brush and chaparral in the mountains above Pasadena, the laughter took over the room.

There are those who would mock and disapprove of this kind of behavior amongst Christians. They'd criticize this as being emotionalism or the result of a form of mob mentality. But they weren't part of what was occurring in Pasadena. They were somewhere else that day having a nice, safe and comfortable church meeting congratulating each other for having such proper doctrines. Those gathered in Pasadena would describe this as the day everything changed. It was a day of destiny and a time of rapid transition. Revival will not be denied, and no one who has tasted of its glory would try.