All My Tomorrows Read online

  Donna accepted the Bible with a reverent look in her eyes. As she opened it and flipped pages, she said, “I’ve never had a Bible in my hands before.”

  Ken and Molly looked at each other in amazement.

  “Each evening before bedtime, your mama and I read the Bible together and have a time of prayer. We’ll start early tonight because we want to show you what the Bible says about being born again.”

  “All right, Papa. And I want to thank both of you for giving me this Bible.”

  “You’re so welcome, sweetie,” said Molly. “We’ll sit down here on the sofa. You can sit between us.”

  When they were settled, each with a Bible in their hand, Ken said, “Let me show you first about Jesus giving us an example in offering thanks to God for our food before we eat.”

  “All right.”

  “Let’s go to Matthew 15.”

  Molly helped Donna find the page in her new Bible, then opened her own Bible to the same place.

  “Jesus is about to feed a big crowd, Donna,” said Ken. “Look in verse 36. See where it says He gave thanks?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “All right. Let’s go to Matthew chapter 26.” This time, Donna turned to the chapter on her own.

  Ken met the girl’s gaze. “In this passage, Jesus is about to eat with His disciples. Look at verse 27. ‘And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying Drink ye all of it.’ See that?”

  “Yes.”

  “There are many other places I could show you where He did the same thing, but I think you can see that Jesus set the example.”

  “He sure did.”

  “Good. Well, let’s go now to John 3, where we find Jesus talking about being born again.”

  Molly took Donna’s Bible and turned it to the chapter Ken had just mentioned. Donna smiled. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart. You’ll learn the books of the Bible in short order, I promise.”

  “I sure want to.”

  Ken explained to Donna that the man named Nicodemus in the passage was a deeply religious man but lost. Knowing this, Jesus told him what he needed to do to go to heaven when he died. They followed as Ken read it aloud:

  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

  Ken looked at Donna, who was obviously perplexed. “You’re probably wondering the same thing Nicodemus did. How can a person go back into their mother’s womb and be born a second time? Right?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, it’s not as hard to understand as it seems. The key to understanding it is there in verse 6, where Jesus makes it clear that there are two kinds of birth. See? ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ So there is a fleshly birth and there is a spiritual birth. I think you can see that the fleshly birth is your physical birth, when your mother gave birth to you.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “But there is also a spiritual birth, which must come after your physical birth, or you can’t go to heaven. And the reason for that is because every human being comes into this world spiritually dead. And God will not allow anything dead into heaven. Let me show you about that. Let’s go back to the book of Genesis.”

  Molly helped Donna find Genesis 1. Ken quickly pointed out the creation work God did in the early part of the chapter, then showed her that the great eternal triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—said in verse 26: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

  He emphasized the “our” to show the three persons in the Godhead, then showed her in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that man, being made in God’s image, began as a triune being: body, soul, and spirit. He then pointed out from John 4:24 that God must be worshiped in spirit and in truth, but if man has no spirit, he cannot know God nor truly worship Him.

  Ken then took Donna to Genesis 2:15 where God put Adam in the garden of Eden, and that He said to Adam in the next two verses, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

  “Donna,” said Ken, “notice God warned Adam that he would die the very day he disobeyed and ate of the forbidden fruit. See that?”

  “Yes, Papa.”

  “All right, let’s look at another passage.”

  Ken then took her to Genesis 3 where Satan beguiled Eve and tricked her into eating the forbidden fruit; then Adam came along after Satan had slithered away, and when Eve gave him fruit from the same tree, he ate it too. He then took Donna to verse 24 where God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden, and on into chapter 4 to let her see that Adam and Eve started their family outside of the garden.

  “Now, Donna, let me ask you something.”

  “Yes, Papa?”

  “Didn’t God say that Adam would die the very day he ate of the forbidden fruit?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did God bury Adam that day?”

  “No.”

  “Adam was physically alive, wasn’t he?”

  “Mm-hhm.”

  “But you see, honey, since God means what He says, Adam died that very day—not physically, but spiritually. So he became a depraved being of only body and soul, but no spirit. He was dead spiritually—separated from God, who cannot be known or worshiped except in spirit. Does that make sense to you?”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “Good. Now, the Bible is very clear on exactly what a spiritually dead sinner must do to be born again. Let me show you.”

  Ken took Donna back to the gospel of John, and this time, showed her in chapter 1 verse 12 that spiritually dead sinners must become the children of God. They are not the children of God just because they are born into God’s world. They are His creation, but in order to become His children, they must be born again. He pointed out that verse 12 said people are born again by receiving Jesus.

  Donna listened intently as Ken read to her from Ephesians 3:17 that she must receive Jesus into her heart. He went on to show her Scriptures that said the lost, spiritually dead sinner must repent of his or her sin as they call on Jesus to save them and receive Him into their heart as their personal Saviour.

  Then letting her think on that, he took her to passages that dealt with heaven and hell, God’s definition of sin, Jesus shedding His blood and dying on the cross of Calvary, and why He had to do that in order to provide salvation for lost sinners.

  Donna shook her head in wonderment. “Papa, Mama, I have heard of Jesus Christ, of course, and that He had died on a cross, but I never knew any of the rest of this.”

  “A lot to think about, isn’t it?” said Molly.

  “Yes, it is.”

  Ken and Molly knew it was wise to let the Holy Spirit do His work in Donna’s heart for the next few days before they would go any further toward trying to lead her to Jesus.

  “Tell you what,” said Ken, “you think on all of this for a couple of days or so, and we’ll talk about it again. If you have any questions in the meantime, you feel free to ask them, okay?”

  “Okay, Papa. Thank you for showing me those things.”

  “Happy to do so, sweetie. Somebody had to help us once, now we want to help you.”

  Later, when Ken and Molly were in their own room preparing for bed, they agreed to keep Donna before the Lord in prayer and to continue to direct her daily in reading more Bible passages on salvation.

  At the Dexter farm outside of Salina, Kansas, Deena Mitchell stood in the kitchen with her
heart pounding and her eyes wide as Rex bolted out the back door and slammed it. Looking at Ralph and Norma, she said, “Why do you let him talk to me like that? I haven’t done anything to him!”

  Ralph raised a palm. “Now, take it easy, Deena. Rex didn’t really mean what he just said.”

  “It sounded like it to me! You heard him. He said he wished you had never brought me home with you.”

  “Rex is just having a hard time sharing us with you, Deena,” said Norma. “He’ll get used to it.”

  “I don’t think so. He wants to make it so miserable for me that I’ll run away. You know what he told me yesterday? He said I’m going to have to learn to milk the cows, and I’m going to have to start working in the barn, cleaning the chicken shed and the pigpen. And he said when he tells me to, I have to do his work—and if I don’t do it, he’ll beat me up. What about that?”

  Ralph shook his head. “That’s just talk. He won’t beat you up.”

  “Sounds like he means it to me,” said Deena, her voice cracking. “I don’t understand what’s happened here, Mr. and Mrs. Dexter. Why do you let Rex treat me like he does? And—and you both treated me so nice when I first came here. But every day, you treat me more like a hired hand than a daughter.”

  Ralph looked at Norma, sighed, and set his steady eyes on Deena. “I might as well tell you, girl: we chose you because you were old enough to do the housework for Norma, as well as the washing and ironing. We’ve put a roof over your head, haven’t we? And we’ve put clothes on your body, haven’t we? And we’ve put food in your stomach, haven’t we?”

  Deena’s lips quivered. “Yes, but—”

  “That’s more than your real parents were willing to do for you. Right?”

  Deena wiped at the tears that were now brimming her eyes, but did not reply.

  Ralph went on. “Let’s have an understanding right now, Deena. In your spare time, you’re going to help both Rex and me do the work in the barn, the chicken house, and the pigpen. And Rex is right. I do want you to learn to milk the cows, so when I need you to do it, you can handle the job. You’ll learn to feed the stock too.”

  The tears were streaming down Deena’s cheeks. “I don’t mind hard work, Mr. Dexter, and I’m willing to do my share. I’ll gladly do as you ask, but … but why do you let Rex treat me like he does; and why aren’t the two of you nice to me like you were when I first came here a few days ago?”

  With that, Deena began to sob.

  Norma moved up and laid a hand on her shoulder. “You’re just upset, Deena. I know everything that happened to you before you came here was enough to do anybody in. You go on up to your room for a while and get a grip on yourself. I’ll let you know when I’m ready for you to do the washing.”

  Deena sniffled again, looked at Norma through her tears, then turned without another word and hurried out of the kitchen.

  When she entered her room, she threw herself on the bed face down, and wept like her heart was going to break in two.

  “Oh, Donna, I miss you so much! I hope things have worked out better for you than they have for me.”

  On Wednesday morning, April 12, the train was nearing Colorado Springs and was on a long curve that allowed Sheriff Clay Bostin to look past his prisoner and see snow-capped Pike’s Peak glistening in the sun.

  Lord, he prayed, Mary will be waiting for the train, not even knowing I’m on it. She’ll have to look the children over by herself, since I’ve got to take Gatlin to the jail. If the child You have chosen for us is on this train, please guide Mary to him or her.

  Soon the train was pulling into the station. Bostin leaned close to his prisoner. “We’ll get off after the other passengers do.”

  Shad Gatlin nodded grimly, his arms aching for their cramped position behind his back.

  When the train stopped and those passengers who were getting off lined up to leave, Gatlin flicked a glance to the rear and saw Bart Caddo in line, facing the rear door. He had no idea what Caddo had in mind to free him, but he knew it was coming.

  In the orphan coaches, the children waited patiently on their seats, knowing they would line up on the depot platform immediately after the passengers in the other coaches had gotten off the train. As they looked out their windows, they saw that the prospective foster parents were in full view as they were being questioned by the Children’s Aid Society sponsors.

  A large number of people were milling about.

  Among the prospective foster parents was Mary Bostin. When Lorinda Radcliff had finished questioning her and she had been approved to pass through the line of orphans when they came out, Mary stepped away. “Lord, I wish Clay was back, but since he’s not, I’ll have to do this alone. Please show me if the child You want us to have is among the orphans.”

  Moments later, the children were being brought out of the coaches, and were lining up at the same time that Sheriff Clay Bostin and his prisoner were coming out of their coach.

  Gatlin let his line of sight stray to the children as he and the sheriff stepped down on the platform.

  Bostin looked toward the rear of the train. “Okay, Shad, we’ll head for the cattle car and get our horses.”

  Suddenly Gatlin caught a glimpse of Bart Caddo as he slipped up behind the sheriff, gun in hand. Caddo rammed the muzzle of the revolver tight against Bostin’s backbone and snapped back the hammer. “Take the cuffs off Shad, Sheriff, or I’ll squeeze the trigger and cut your spine in two!”

  A few people close by saw what was happening and looked on in frozen astonishment.

  Bostin’s mouth went dry. He knew better than to try resisting a friend of Gatlin’s with a cocked gun pressed against his back.

  “Okay, okay, just take it easy, fella. There are innocent people all around. Don’t do anything to hurt them.”

  “I won’t if you’ll do as I say.”

  Reluctantly, Bostin unlocked the handcuffs. Gatlin snatched the sheriff’s gun from his holster and looked at the children a few feet away, who were now standing in line, waiting for the procession to begin.

  In the line, Teddy Hansen and Johnny Smith were talking to each other past the girl who stood between them.

  Gatlin set his jaw and looked at Caddo. “Wait right here and keep your gun on the sheriff.” With that, he moved toward the line of children and grabbed Johnny Smith, locking the boy’s neck in the crook of his free arm. Quickly, he cocked the gun and pressed the muzzle to Johnny’s head.

  Bostin’s stomach wrenched. All his senses wound tight. Shad Gatlin possessed a menacing quality like no killer the sheriff had ever encountered before. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill the boy.

  Frozen with fear, Johnny let out a gasp. Teddy and the other children looked on in terror. Men were looking on wide-eyed, women began to scream, and most of the children in the line began to cry.

  The sponsors observed helplessly. A few feet away, Mary Bostin looked on, her blood curdling.

  “You do what I tell you now, kid,” Gatlin said, “or I’ll blow your head off.”

  Johnny’s heart was thundering in his chest. His pulse throbbed and his skin tingled. While Gatlin forced him toward the spot where Caddo and the sheriff stood, he repeatedly gasped for breath.

  While Gatlin and the boy were moving his way, Clay Bostin caught a glimpse of Mary’s white face among the group of prospective foster parents.

  With the gun muzzle pressed against Johnny’s head, Gatlin growled, “Bostin, I’m takin this kid as my hostage. If I so much as see you followin’, I’ll kill ’im. You got that?”

  The muscles in Bostin’s face tightened and the veins stood out in his temples. “Yeah. I got it.”

  Johnny put terror-filled eyes on the helpless, unarmed man with the badge on his chest. Bostin’s emotions were mixed: wrath toward Gatlin and his accomplice, and empathy for the frightened boy.

  The outlaws hurried out of the depot with Gatlin keeping Johnny locked in his arm and the gun muzzle pressed to his head.

  As soon as they pas
sed from view, the sheriff rushed up to the stunned sponsors. “What’s the boy’s name?”

  “Johnny Smith, Sheriff,” said a dry-tongued Dale Radcliff. “He’s twelve years old.”

  “I want you to know that I am going after those outlaws, and I will rescue Johnny.”

  At that moment, Clay saw Mary move up beside him, her face still pale. “Honey,” she said, her throat somewhat constricted, “you’re not going after them by yourself, are you?”

  “I must, sweetheart, for the same reason that I went after Gatlin by myself. I can’t leave just one deputy to watch over the town and the county. My horse is back there in the cattle car that is hitched to the train. I’ll ride to the office, tell Brent and Randy what happened, then go in pursuit of Gatlin and his outlaw friend and rescue the boy.”

  “I heard what Gatlin said about killing the boy if he sees you following.”

  “I’ll be extremely careful, but I must do it, Mary. Gatlin has already proven that he will indeed murder a child. My going to the office first will give the outlaws time to get out of town and head into the mountains.”

  “How do you know they’ll head into the mountains?”

  “Because staying on the flat land north, south, or east would make it too easy to spot them. It’s much easier to make an escape in the mountains.”

  Mary’s brown eyes were clouded with concern. “But can’t you take at least one of the townsmen who have served in your posses when you’ve gone after outlaws? I don’t like to see you go alone.”

  “It’s much easier for one man to keep himself from being seen than two men. I’ll catch those outlaws and rescue the boy. You’re aware that I know these mountains like I know the back of my hand, Mary. I was born and raised in them.” His keen eyes went to his beloved snow-capped Rockies. “Nobody can hide from me up there when I have a mind to find them.”

  He looked at her again. “I’ll lay my plans well and take no unnecessary risks.” He gave her one of those special smiles that always melted her heart. “And besides, I won’t be alone. Jesus said He would never leave me nor forsake me. I can’t have a better companion than Him, can I?”