What could he do?
As Shane sped away in the patrol car with Adam towards the hospital where Emily lay in critical condition - quite possibly on death's doorstep - this was the question that Javier asked himself. Right there, while straddling the rooftop skeleton of the Mitchells' half-built shed, Javier did the only thing that he could think to do. He prayed. He prayed for Emily, a child that he had never even met. He prayed that she would survive; that she and her family would come out of this trauma unscathed.
Feeling utterly and completely helpless, Javier did the one thing that he knew he could do to help - he sent up desperate, pleading prayers to his God.
But sometimes God's answer to a prayer is "no," that He knows better than we do.
When this happened in Emily Mitchell's case, Javier's actions didn't change. He changed his prayer to one of healing for his friend and for the man's family as they began the long process of working through their grief.
A couple of days after Emily's passing, Javier was slowly walking the streets of Albany, talking to his God in his native tongue. He was confused, struggling with why God had ignored his prayers and the prayers of others and taken an innocent child off of the earth when her life - a life that had brought joy to so many people - was just beginning. Why then, had God chosen to end her life so soon, so suddenly?
"She made so many people happy, LORD." Javier declared, pouring his thoughts out in Spanish. "I know that she herself was bright and happy and innocent. Why did you end someone like her?"
So she could stay that way. The thought came to Javier's mind and stayed there, crystal clear and startlingly calm and simple against his tumultuous emotions. So she could remain happy, innocent, and unmarred by pain. There's no tears in Heaven, remember? Now she can be happy forever without really knowing that there is any other way to be.
"But, God, my friends are in so much pain! Don't You understand that?"
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, more thoughts filled his mind as if they had been placed there by the LORD Himself.
You know that Matthew chapter ten says that I know when every sparrow falls and even the number of hairs that are on every head. Of course I see their pain; I may have even been counting their tears. Just as you are father, I am a Father. I am their Father, and I do care for them all very much. You may grieve for them and with them as their friend, but I grieve for their pain as their Father. My grief is very much the same as Adam's.
As for understanding their pain over the death of their child, don't you remember that My own - My only - Child died as well? Don't you know that I watched as My Only-Begotten Son came down from Heaven to Earth, lived a perfect life for thirty-three years, was crucified for the human race that despised Him, and rose from the dead three days later so "that the world through Him might be saved"? Yes, I do understand the pain and grief that they're going through right now - more than you do - but you must remember that I have a plan, a purpose in all of this. Just wait and watch; this is all in my plan for the Mitchell family. Believe Me, things will get better.
Javier smiled softly, because he did believe it. Days went by, weeks, then months. He kept watching, waiting, and - above all - praying for the Mitchells. As he did so, he saw that, little by little, things did, in fact, get better for his friends.
The three remaining Mitchells started sleeping again, eating, functioning, and finally, healing. They began to go entire days without crying for Emily, and then weeks. They began to truly live again. And then came the day when Adam lowered his water bottle onto the table, looked at the four men gathered around his patio table with him, said "Alright, let me tell you why I had you all come out here today," and started passing out pieces of paper that had the word "RESOLUTION" printed across the top.
Alright, I really wasn't sure if I was even going to write this one-shot, because its content feels very personal right now, but I wrote it as much for "my friend" as for myself, and I hope that he can get something out of it, too. As always, reviews are still appreciated. Thanks!:)