A chalk outline was all that remained at the crime scene. The ambulance workers loaded the body into the back of the vehicle, its taillights dancing and flickering through the exhaust, and Grissom flashed one last camera shot of the scene now that the body was gone. It was still only four o'clock in the morning, and his shift was up. He thought he'd eat breakfast and then maybe go home and catch a few hours sleep before work started back up again. Who knew? he might even call in sick, but he just smirked to himself as he put his camera in the car and got in. That would be an unlikely scenario. His job needed him too much. but lately, it had been taking a toll on him, and as he pulled out onto the road and began to look for a good breakfast spot he mused everything over. Sure, he was helpful at work and loved his job, but cleaning up after so many killings gets old after a while. he was curious if everyone could smell the death on his clothes, or not. Sniffing in the air he shook his head and wondered if he had grown so accustomed to death that he couldn't tell anymore. Several closed places were behind him now as he collected his thoughts. Then just as he decided to try something different he spotted a restaurant that was open.
His car pulled itself into a vacant spot, and the doors locked when he got out. Distant shrill sound from sirens were not a bother because he had mentally clocked out and muttered that Sara or someone else could get this one, if it actually was another crimescene. It might have only been a fire anyway. Stretching, he proceeded inside and found a table. By now his eyelids were getting heavy and the controlled temprature of the building wasn't helping matters. He stared down at a picture of a pancake with butter on top for an unknown amount of time before he heard the waitresses second time at asking him if he was ready to order. Then he spotted a poster of a steaming cup of coffee over her shoulder and quickly spoke up. "Yes, ma'am I'll have a cup of coffee please...and if I could just have another minute I'll order when I get the coffee. Thanks." He felt his face turn a little red as she smiled and walked away. "A cup of coffee, coming right up." she said in a friendly way with a sort of chime to her voice. When she came back with the coffee he had woken up some and coherently made a decision on a couple of pancakes and some hashbrowns. There was hardly anyone else around at this time in the morning, and so he got his order quickly, which he liked. By now the coffee was kicking in and he tried to wolf down the pancakes so he could get home and go to bed. For a moment though, after he had finished he sat and rested while he continued to think and finish his coffee. What was it like to die? After being around so many homicides he still hadn't reached any conclusions. Sometimes the world was just a cold voidness where you were all alone. Like an animal trapped in a dark desert with a predator lurking behind every scrawny cactus for miles. And that, with only the lizards, tumbleweeds, and birds for friends. He looked up from the dark liquid he was stirring around into the face of the kind waitress. "Is there anything else you'd like?" He couldn't help but smile a bit in spite of the weird uneasiness he felt from her demeanor.
She was a pretty woman, though. Well, actually now that he got a better look at her face, maybe she was just an average looker, but she had such a happy attitude, she seemed prettier from it. "I don't think I'll have anything else. Thanks." He said, dabbing his lips with the napkin. The stubborn syrup on them was bothersome. 'Mind if I sit down?' he shook his head and said he didn't mind, and as she sat down continued, "There probably won't be many more customers for a few minutes and I thought I'd say hello." Grissom smiled at her. 'Intriguing.' He thought. 'Havn't I seen you before? You're a police officer in the crime lab I think." She asked. 'Oh yes, I've seen you making a press release on tv before!" She almost squealed with delight, and Grissom laughed. 'Yes.. " Grissom was a bit flattered, not expecting anyone to recognize him from being on the occasional press release on the news.
he wasn't one much for publicity anyway.
"I'm Janie." She introduced herself. "I'm Grissom." he said. "Well, it's nice meeting you Investigator." Not sure what to address him as. He smiled again and just nodded, and she continued talking. "It must be real exciting being a police officer."
"Well, my job is interesting, to me anyhow, but many wouldn't say exciteing I'd guess." He said with a chuckle. "You probaly see alot of terrible things." her smile waned some as if in midthought of the horrors Grissom had to look at. "It's a part of the job. You get used to it after a while."
"Has being around dead bodies ever made you wonder what it would be like to die?" she asked. "I was actually thinking about that on the way here from work." He said, a coldchill ran up his spine. What was going on? Weird coincidence he thought. "What do you think about death?' He asked, curious as to her views on the subject. "Well, I'm not afraid to die, if that's what you mean." She seemed genuine enough, and Grissom belived her. There was a peace about her he couldn't explain. 'Why's that?" "Well...I actually will never die." She said. "Huh?" He looked puzzled now. "...Never going to die? Hows that...you're not a vampire are you?" He joked. "Oh, no." She laughed. "I have eternal life. I have Jesus living inside of me." Grissom could almost have fallen out of the booth he sat in. He didn't even know what to say. Was this woman crazy or something? But she continued, sensing that he was bafffled. "Jesus says in the Bible that, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever beliveth in Him should not perish but have Everlasting Life.' God has given me Everlasting Life because I've trusted in His Son, Jesus, to save me." Grissom understood some now. "oh, so your a Roman Catholic." "No, I'm a follower of Christ. Most people say Christian." She answered.
"Well, there pretty much similar right?" Grissom thought outloud. "They are a little, but catholicism is mostly based off of tradition, and works that won't satisfy, like other religions; but Christians follow what God's Word teaches, and rely on God's Grace instead of their own works for salvation. He wants a relationship with us, and to fill us with His Peace."
Grissom felt bothered by the way she disrespected all the world's religions as if she was some know-it-all. He wasn't sure if he belived in a particular religion, but he didn't want to offend anyone. "Many people claimed to be agnostic or atheist because of the science we have nowadays." he challanged, not sure exactly where he stood. She sat back and smiled, "Do you mean the same science that can't forecast the weather accurately?" Grissom couldn't help but laugh a little knowing what she said was true to a large extent. "Well, we have come a long way though." "Sure, and everyone has faith in something. Science or whatever. If you can belive the first verse in the bible though, you can belive anything else in it. Genesis 1:1 says, 'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.' " That didn't seem too difficult to give a chance. "If you can belive that God created the world we live in it's not hard to belive anything else the Bible says. Jesus said to be as a child and have childlike faith." Grissom decided to hear her out, and he'd reject anything he didn't like later. Sometimes a crimescene could be deceptive at first glance. He secretly felt himself as somewhat of a philosopher, and knew that the way to truth often led at times down the strangest alleyways.
Besides, science couldn't answer the important questions in life anyway. Scientists weren't exactly sure where we came from. Even if they did, what was the point of life, was it some cold impersonal universe of vanity, where all there is is to go after the latest fashions and reproduce? Evolution had no explanation for death either. Why do people die? If no organism were smart enough after billions of years of work, to keep itself alive, then the best thing for everyone was to wipe the slate clean with a nuclear eraser and get a fresh start at trying.
Her way of thinking was strange, and different but also interesting. "Could you go into more detail?" He asked. "Sure." She said. "I'll tell you about how I became a 'believer.' I was always a good girl striveing for acceptance from family, friends, teachers, God, or anyone else. I would pretend to be whatever I knew made other people happy, because I thought that this would help me gain peace inside. I came to realize that I couldn't please everyone all the time. Especially God. He has a Standard of perfection that I would never measure up to. In reality I was just a cameleon, pretentding to be what I was not, and ended up being a lie. I lived in fear of rejection, and couldn't be satisfied with anything about myself. Then a friend showed me in The Bible that Jesus loved me anyway. He had already lived the perfect life that I never could. Then He died on the cross to pay for all of my sins and so that I could be at peace. Now I feel completely different, and free from fear or guilt. Jesus has accepted me, and anyone who will trust in Him for Salvation."
This all sounded nice, but Grissom had to think it over more.
" Whats the point in being religious if there's nothing left to do?" He asked. 'We have work to do, but the motive is different. I'm not trying to justify myself or appease God. That's impossible." Janie answered. "Then why go to church or read your Bible?" Grissom wondered out loud. "The reason we serve The Lord Jesus Christ is because He is worthy of our best service. Learning His Word helps us to better know Him and serve Him. When you love someone you want to do things for them. It's not based off of trying to earn favor with God, that would be trying to steal God's glory for myself when only He is perfect. My salvation is not dependent upon my works. I serve Him because He's changed me into a clean and better person already. When I do something for God it is because we already have a relationship, and I want to show my appreciation for Him." She responded.
She continued as Grissom thought and tried to clear things up. "God expects perfection because He is Holy. Only God can fufill the perfect standard that He requires in the bible and thats why He came in the form of Jesus Christ. To show us that we must place our Faith solely in His performance and not ourselves. The Bible says, 'For by Grace are ye saved, through Faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the Gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.'" That thought struck Grissom. He finally got it now. "So your saying that Jesus is the only one who can make you perfect." "Yes." She responded, happy he understood. "What about the rest of the world. Everyone else thinks that their fine on their own getting to Heaven, or a perfect nirvana state. Heck, some people don't even belive in a Heaven." She nodded and said, 'Oh, yes I know. They will never be satisfied though. Jesus said that He is the Door to Heaven, and if anyone tries to come up another way that he is a thief and a robber that is trying to steal God's glory." Grissom didn't know if he believed her or not. Nobody had ever told him Jesus said that. 'That statement is in The Gospel of John chapter 13. Grissom, the word Gospel means: Good News. And in the next chapter,14 verse 6 Jesus says, 'I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No man cometh unto The Father but by Me.' Grissom, the Good News of the bible is that Jesus has made The Way for us to get to Heaven. We don't have to be perfect, because we can't but Jesus is God's Son, and He made The Way."
Grissom was still trying to take it all in. "Interesting. So that's what all Christians belive?" he asked. "No. Not everyone who calls himself a Christian is one. Just like any of the other religions." She said. "The difference with Christianity of The Bible is that it's more of a Fellowship with God, than a cold and impersonal works based religion. I have peace in my heart because Jesus lives inside of me."
"How can Jesus live inside of you?" Grissom asked. 'Well, I don't understand exactly, but I trust The Word of God. If I understood everything that was in the Bible God wouldn't be any smarter than I am." She laughed. "We just have to place our Faith in God, and not ourselves; which is the exact opposite of everything this world teaches. Jesus said that He is the bread of life, and living water. If we only ask, He is willing to give us what we need to live spiritually and physically. Trust Christ for yourself and see what He will do.
Grissom thought about it and wondered still how a person could have Christ to live inside. "What do I do then?" "Jesus told a woman once, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die. Believest thou this? Another way that Jesus put it is by claiming to be the Bread of Life, and when you confess to Him in prayer that you believe in Him to save you, it's just like taking Him into yourself. He will give you Everlasting Life so that you can have an abundant life in this world, and in Heaven someday. All Jesus command is that you believe on Him for salvation. it has to be that simple so anyone can be saved. So, in the best way you know how, pray and ask for Jesus to save you from your sin, and thank Him for saving you."
"That all sounds reasonable, but there are some things that I'll have to give up to become a christian." Grissom answered, after a long pause of contemplation. "Have faith in God Grissom. If God is great enough to create the world, and save us from our sins, then He is definitely great enough to take away any harmful desires you have. Listen Grissom, I still have fun and enjoy life since I've become a christian. When God saves someone, there's a change that takes place. Have faith in God and He will make the difference." Jamie said.
He could still hear their conversation echoing in his mind when he drove home. Some of what she said made him angry, but it sounded like the truth. Pretty soon he was tossing his keys on the counter, and as he walked to his bedroom he felt his knees buckle, and he knelt on the floor. "God, you know I don't understand any of this, except that I know I've done wrong in my life, and that Jesus came to save me. i don't know how, but I just want to ask that you save me from my sins. I'm trusting in you for salvation."
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:13
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of The Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of The Son of God."
1st John 5:13