buddy Bill pegged that kind of thinking.”
Jed frowned. “Bill?”
“That way madness lies; let me shun that.’”
“Shakespeare, right?”
When Ken nodded at Dobin, Andy groaned and disappearedbehind the camera again. But Jed could hear him mutter, “I
hate
Shakespeare.”
“Shakespeare’s good, but I’ve got a better one.” Ken stretched his legs out in front of him. “‘When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty; you will not drown! When you walk through the fire … you will not be burned up, the flames will not consume you.’”
“Now that’s cool!” Dobin pounded out his enthusiasm on the back of his chair. “Who wrote that?”
“God—” Jed caught Ken’s surprised glance—“supposedly. Through a prophet. Guy named Isaiah.”
“Isaiah 43:2 to be exact. Very good, Jed. I’m impressed.”
Jed’s lip curled. “Don’t be. I’ve got a brain that doesn’t let go of much of anything I’ve memorized. No matter how long ago I memorized it.”
“It’s not bad to have the Bible stuck in your brain.”
“So you say.”
For a second Jed thought he might have offended the big man, but Ken just smiled. “Know what else I say?” He turned to Dobin. “life is more than being out for yourself, brother. A lot more.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a worn photo. Jed had seen it a number of times—it was a great shot of Ken and his wife, Amy, with their two boys. He held it out to Dobin. “Take a look.”
“I’ve seen your family, Kenny”
“I know, but look anyway. ’Cuz
that’s
what life is about, Dob. Love. And legacy. And reaching out to pass on truth.”
“So you think you got a corner on truth?”
Ken’s smiled. “Nah, man. I don’t.” He took the photo and slid it back into his pocket. “But God does. And I know that as sure as I know my own name.”
Jed couldn’t help it. He had to ask. “What if you’re wrong?”
Ken pinned him with a stare, and slight apprehension slithered through Jed. Sure, Jed was athletic and fairly well built, but this guy had arms like tree trunks. He could break Jed in half if he wanted to.
Instead, the firefighter just shrugged. “I don’t believe I am. But just for argument’s sake, let’s say I might be. So okay, I’ve spent my life following what God says. Raised my kids to love God and trust Him. Helped others when I could.” He eyed Jed and Dobin. “You tell me, who’s the real loser? Someone who lives life with integrity, who knows true joy and love and has added good to the world, or someone who’s just out for himself?”
He had a point. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But prayer? Come on, Ken. You live in the real world. How can you think it changes anything?”
“I don’t
think
, son. I know.” Ken tapped his fingers over his heart. “In here. And so will you one day”
Jed stiffened. “Don’t count on it.”
Ken stood, reaching out to lay one of those big hands on Jed’s shoulder. “I don’t count on anything, but God and my brethren.” He eyed Jed, that small smile on his face. “Neither one has ever let me down.”
Jed wished he could say the same.
“Get down, Benny! Pull the blanket over you!”
Ken’s bellow brought Jed’s attention back to the drama unfolding in front of him. He glanced at Andy. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure—” Andy shifted the camera on his shoulder—“but I think they’re getting ready to break the windo—”
The shattering of glass split the air, and Jed watched Ken knock the window glass out of the way, then vault inside. In seconds, he was leaning out the window, passing the boy, wrapped in the blanket, to another firefighter. The man hurried the bundled boy past Jed and Andy to one of the waiting ambulances.
“Come on, Ken … get outta there … ”
As if he heard Jed’s muttered urging, Ken looked up. His gaze met Jed’s, and a grin broke through the black smudges
Jed frowned. “Bill?”
“That way madness lies; let me shun that.’”
“Shakespeare, right?”
When Ken nodded at Dobin, Andy groaned and disappearedbehind the camera again. But Jed could hear him mutter, “I
hate
Shakespeare.”
“Shakespeare’s good, but I’ve got a better one.” Ken stretched his legs out in front of him. “‘When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty; you will not drown! When you walk through the fire … you will not be burned up, the flames will not consume you.’”
“Now that’s cool!” Dobin pounded out his enthusiasm on the back of his chair. “Who wrote that?”
“God—” Jed caught Ken’s surprised glance—“supposedly. Through a prophet. Guy named Isaiah.”
“Isaiah 43:2 to be exact. Very good, Jed. I’m impressed.”
Jed’s lip curled. “Don’t be. I’ve got a brain that doesn’t let go of much of anything I’ve memorized. No matter how long ago I memorized it.”
“It’s not bad to have the Bible stuck in your brain.”
“So you say.”
For a second Jed thought he might have offended the big man, but Ken just smiled. “Know what else I say?” He turned to Dobin. “life is more than being out for yourself, brother. A lot more.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a worn photo. Jed had seen it a number of times—it was a great shot of Ken and his wife, Amy, with their two boys. He held it out to Dobin. “Take a look.”
“I’ve seen your family, Kenny”
“I know, but look anyway. ’Cuz
that’s
what life is about, Dob. Love. And legacy. And reaching out to pass on truth.”
“So you think you got a corner on truth?”
Ken’s smiled. “Nah, man. I don’t.” He took the photo and slid it back into his pocket. “But God does. And I know that as sure as I know my own name.”
Jed couldn’t help it. He had to ask. “What if you’re wrong?”
Ken pinned him with a stare, and slight apprehension slithered through Jed. Sure, Jed was athletic and fairly well built, but this guy had arms like tree trunks. He could break Jed in half if he wanted to.
Instead, the firefighter just shrugged. “I don’t believe I am. But just for argument’s sake, let’s say I might be. So okay, I’ve spent my life following what God says. Raised my kids to love God and trust Him. Helped others when I could.” He eyed Jed and Dobin. “You tell me, who’s the real loser? Someone who lives life with integrity, who knows true joy and love and has added good to the world, or someone who’s just out for himself?”
He had a point. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But prayer? Come on, Ken. You live in the real world. How can you think it changes anything?”
“I don’t
think
, son. I know.” Ken tapped his fingers over his heart. “In here. And so will you one day”
Jed stiffened. “Don’t count on it.”
Ken stood, reaching out to lay one of those big hands on Jed’s shoulder. “I don’t count on anything, but God and my brethren.” He eyed Jed, that small smile on his face. “Neither one has ever let me down.”
Jed wished he could say the same.
“Get down, Benny! Pull the blanket over you!”
Ken’s bellow brought Jed’s attention back to the drama unfolding in front of him. He glanced at Andy. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure—” Andy shifted the camera on his shoulder—“but I think they’re getting ready to break the windo—”
The shattering of glass split the air, and Jed watched Ken knock the window glass out of the way, then vault inside. In seconds, he was leaning out the window, passing the boy, wrapped in the blanket, to another firefighter. The man hurried the bundled boy past Jed and Andy to one of the waiting ambulances.
“Come on, Ken … get outta there … ”
As if he heard Jed’s muttered urging, Ken looked up. His gaze met Jed’s, and a grin broke through the black smudges
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