Authors: Al Lacy
“Everything’s going well, Cassandra. Just think, you’ve now been invited to the Holton mansion by Greg, with his father’s approval. I think it’s so marvelous that Greg wants to bring you to his father right away.” She giggled. “One day soon, Cassandra, Greg will ask you to marry him.”
A tingling ran through her body. Looking at herself in the mirror, she said, “Won’t that be some moment when Greg proposes?” She popped her hands together. “Oh, I can only imagine what it’s going to be like to be married to a very wealthy young man, who will one day be even wealthier by the time his father grows old and dies! And it will be mine, as well!”
She smiled at her reflection again.
When she stepped out of the front door onto the porch, the chilly mountain breeze greeted her. She ran her gaze toward the high peaks to the west and marveled that they were still covered with snow. Aunt Mabel had told her that when it was raining down here in Central City it was snowing above thirteen thousand
feet, so the highest peaks never lost their snow, even in the middle of the summer. When the breezes came down from the snowcapped peaks in the evening or at night, they were quite cool, even after a very hot day.
She sat down in her aunt’s rocker, laid her head back, and closed her eyes. “And just think, Cassandra, you’re going to live in this beautiful mountain country for the rest of your life as the wife of wealthy Mr. Greg Holton, who will one day own that rich coal mine!”
Early on Monday morning July 18, Dr. Dane and Tharyn Logan drove away from the stable in Central City in the special carriage the doctor had rented to carry Nelda Cox as comfortably as possible to Denver.
They drove to the Cox home, and when Eric and Dr. Dane had carefully laid Nelda on the flat, padded place in the center of the carriage, Tharyn sat on the seat beside her to watch over her on the trip.
Dr. Dane and Eric climbed onto the carriage seat and with the reins in hand, Dr. Dane put the team of horses in motion.
As they were heading east, winding through canyons and gradually lowering in altitude toward the Mile High City, Eric said, “Dr. Logan, it sure was nice of Chief Brockman and his wife to invite me to stay at their house along with you and Tharyn.”
“They’re nice people, Eric. I’m sure when they received my telegram confirming that you will be their guest, it made them very happy.”
Eric nodded. “I’m really looking forward to meeting them. Especially the chief. I remember years ago of hearing about the mysterious man they called the Stranger who roamed the West helping people in trouble and catching outlaws and turning them over to the law. And then to learn from you on the way to church yesterday that
he was also a gospel preacher, that was really something.”
Dr. Dane chuckled. “He’s quite a man, Eric.”
“I believe that.”
The carriage hit a bump that Dr. Dane hadn’t noticed in the road. He looked over his shoulder. “Are you all right, Nelda?”
“Yes, Doctor. This padded section I’m on absorbed most of the bump.”
“Good. I’m sorry. I just didn’t see it in time to slow down or avoid it.”
“It’s all right. I barely felt it.”
They rode on in silence for a few minutes; then Eric said, “Back to this man who is now known as Chief United States Marshal John Brockman, Doctor.…”
“Yes?”
“I remember hearing about the medallions the size of a silver dollar that he used to give to people he helped. The medallions had something inscribed on them about a stranger from a far land. Do you know anything about them?”
“Yes. He and Breanna told me about them one time when I was staying in their home. Each medallion had a portion of a verse of Scripture on it. It was centered with a five-point star and around the circular edge, it said in large capital letters, THE STRANGER THAT SHALL COME FROM A FAR LAND. Then in small letters it gave the Scripture reference: Deuteronomy 29:22.”
“Hmm. So Chief Brockman apparently came to America from some distant country.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what country it was?”
“No. I understand that Breanna is the only person besides the chief who knows, and she keeps it to herself. Even their children don’t know.”
“I see. I also remember that when the Stranger helped people who were in trouble, he often gave them large sums of money.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know where he got his money? Why he had a seemingly unlimited supply of it?”
“No. People in Denver told me that the Stranger never revealed anything about where he got his money. That and the far country he’s from remain mysteries. But I’ll tell you this: You’ve never met a man like him.”
“I can believe that, all right. Like I said, I’m really looking forward to meeting him.”
It was almost three o’clock in the afternoon when Dr. Dane pulled the carriage up to the front entrance of Mile High Hospital in Denver.
Dr. Dane hopped out of the carriage so he could go inside and find a wheelchair for Nelda. Eric climbed in the rear of the carriage, and with Tharyn’s help, soon had Nelda in a sitting position.
Dr. Dane returned with a hospital attendant who was pushing a wheelchair. Eric and the attendant picked Nelda up and eased her into the wheelchair, and they entered the lobby.
Dr. Dane hurried ahead of the others to the receptionist’s desk. Rosie O’Brien saw him coming and smiled at him as he drew up. “Hello, Dr. Logan. Nice to see you again.”
“You too, Rosie. I have a patient, Mrs.—”
“Nelda Cox,” Rosie finished for him, picking up a sheet of paper. “Dr. Carroll already brought the information to me this morning. You’re doing a hip replacement on her Wednesday morning. We have a private room waiting for her on the second floor just a little ways down the hall from the surgical unit. Room 224.”
Dr. Dane chuckled. “I just love the efficiency around here.”
Rosie saw the redhead move up beside him and smiled at her. “Hello, Tharyn. How are you?”
“Just fine, Rosie. And you?”
“Doing fine.” She looked past the Logans as the attendant brought the wheelchair to a stop. “And this has to be Mr. and Mrs. Cox.”
Dr. Dane quickly introduced the Coxes to Rosie, and then she went to work getting further information beyond what she had on the paper from Dr. Carroll.
When the paperwork was done, Rosie said, “Dr. Logan, I’ll advise Dr. Carroll that you’re here. I’ll just send him up to room 224.”
“All right. Thank you, Rosie.” Dr. Dane turned to the others. “Let’s go.”
As the group moved from the lobby into the hall that led toward the stairs, Eric held on to one of Nelda’s hands and Tharyn held on to the other. When they reached the stairs, the attendant turned the wheelchair around and carefully pulled it up the stairs backwards, one step at a time. Soon they were on the second floor. The attendant stopped at the nurses’ station to inform them that he was taking Mrs. Cox to her assigned room, and a nurse joined the group as they proceeded down the hall.
When they entered room 224, they saw that the covers were already turned down on the bed. The attendant lifted Nelda from the wheelchair and placed her gently on the bed, and the nurse covered her up, doing what she could to make her comfortable.
After the long, bumpy ride from Central City, Nelda was more than happy to settle into her soft hospital bed.
The nurse gave Nelda a drink of cool water, told her to ring the little bell that was on the nightstand if she needed anything, and left the room, saying she would check on her later.
Eric, Tharyn, and Dr. Dane were just gathering around the bed when they heard footsteps in the hall and turned to see Dr. Matt Carroll enter the room.
A smile broke over Dr. Carroll’s face as he focused on the
Logans. “Dr. Dane! Tharyn! It’s so good to see you again!”
“Good to see you again, too,” said Dr. Dane, shaking hands with him.
Tharyn then greeted him and offered her hand. As Dr. Carroll took the small hand into his own, he said, “I sure do miss you around this hospital, Tharyn. It just isn’t the same place without you.”
Dr. Dane chuckled. “Well, you can’t have her back.”
Carroll shook his head. “I was afraid you would say that.”
Dr. Dane then introduced Dr. Carroll to Eric and Nelda Cox.
After Eric and the doctor shook hands, Carroll looked down at Nelda. “Mrs. Cox, I don’t know if you and your husband realize it, but Dr. Logan is the hip replacement expert of the West. I am confident that you will be very happy with his work.”
Eric smiled. “Dr. Logan hasn’t told us that he is the hip replacement expert of the West, Dr. Carroll, but Nelda and I have the utmost confidence in him. We know Nelda is in good hands.”
Dr. Carroll nodded, then turned and winked at Tharyn. “Actually, Mr. and Mrs. Cox, Dr. Logan wouldn’t be so good if he didn’t have the all-time expert surgical nurse of the West to assist him.”
Tharyn blushed as the Coxes and Dr. Dane laughed.
When the laughter subsided, Dr. Dane said to Dr. Carroll, “I have some very good news about Eric and Nelda.”
“Oh?”
“Mm-hmm. Last Tuesday, Tharyn and I had the joy of leading this precious couple to Jesus.”
The eyes of Mile High Hospital’s superintendent widened. “Well, wonderful! I’m always glad to hear of souls being saved and added to the family of God.”
Both Coxes smiled and nodded.
“Eric was baptized in our church on Sunday,” said Dr. Dane, “and Nelda is going to be baptized when she has sufficiently healed from her surgery.”
“Indeed, this
is
good news. I’ve heard much about Pastor Mark Shane, and I know he will be a real blessing to you.”
“He already has been,” said Nelda, “and Eric and I know he will be a greater blessing in the days to come.”
Eric grinned. “For sure. We have so much to learn. And Dr. Logan and his dear wife have been such blessings, too. Not only did they lead us to the Lord, but they have taught us a lot about the Bible.”
“I have no doubt of that.” Dr. Carroll patted Nelda’s hand. “Well, I have to get back to my office. We’ll see that you get the best of care while you’re at Mile High Hospital.”
Nelda smiled up at him. “Thank you, Dr. Carroll, and God bless you.”
When Dr. Carroll was gone, Eric and the Logans sat down in chairs beside Nelda’s bed, and they talked about the Coxes’ newfound salvation. Both Eric and Nelda spoke of the peace they had in their hearts, knowing that their sins had been forgiven and washed away in the blood of God’s Lamb.
Eric said, “Nelda and I have been reading the Bibles you gave us, and we’re learning so much. We’ve been reading through the Gospel of John, as you suggested, and we have a question about what Jesus said about Himself and the Father in the tenth chapter. What did He mean when He said, ‘I and my Father are one’?”
Dr. Dane and Tharyn looked at each other, smiling, then Dr. Dane went to a small table against the wall, where a Bible lay. He picked it up. “You will recall that in our conversation last Tuesday, we made it clear to you that Jesus is eternal, as is the Father and the Holy Spirit. The three make up what the Bible calls the Godhead.”
Eric and Nelda both nodded. “And we believe that,” said Eric, “but what did Jesus mean that He and the Father are one? Does that mean one in purpose or one in agreement?”
“They are that, all right. But much more. Let me say first, that
we human beings will never understand the great and almighty God, who wonderfully, yet mysteriously, is in three persons. He is too far above our finite minds. We believe that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, yet there is only
one
God. We don’t believe it because we understand it. We believe it because God’s Word says so. He wouldn’t be much of a God if His creation could understand Him. Let me show you some Scriptures that declare that God is one in three.”
As Dr. Dane opened his Bible, he said, “I’m going to read you a couple of prophetic verses in the book of Isaiah about Jesus Christ. First, a verse prophesying His virgin birth. Isaiah 7:14. ‘Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’ Do you know what the name Immanuel means?”
Both shook their heads, indicating they did not.
Dr. Dane looked at Tharyn. “Tell them, honey.”
Tharyn smiled. “The name Immanuel means ‘God with us.’ ”
“Right. So, Eric, Nelda, who would this virgin-born child be?”
“He would be God,” said Eric.
“Yes,” said Nelda. “So Jesus is God.”
Dr. Dane nodded. “Right.” He turned a page. “Now, let me read you Isaiah 9:6. ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’ This is the same virgin-born son that is spoken of in Isaiah 7:14.”
“Jesus,” breathed Nelda reverently.
“Correct. Did you notice that this Child, this Son, is the Mighty God?”
“Yes,” said Eric. “Jesus is God.”
“Yes. Did you also notice that in this verse He is said to be the everlasting Father? It’s like He said in John 10:30, ‘I and my Father are one.’ Don’t try to understand it. You can’t. But believe it
because the Word says so. Jesus
is
the Father, yet He is the Son.”
Eric and Nelda looked at each other, marveling.
Dr. Dane flipped back to the New Testament. “Listen to what it says in Hebrews 1. Verse 6 tells us what God the Father said when He brought Jesus into the world. ‘And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.’ I’m sure you know that to worship anyone other than the true God is idolatry.”
“We know that,” said Eric.
Nelda nodded.
“Good,” said Dr. Dane. “Then you will realize that the Father in heaven is saying His only begotten Son is to be worshiped. That means Jesus is God then. Now listen to verse 8, where the Father calls Jesus
God
. ‘But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.’ The Father flat calls His Son God.”
“This is wonderful to hear,” said Nelda.