After dinner, Will and Joan sat on the living room couch. "I'm not quite
sure how to start this out," Will said, "so I'll just ask something. Have
you been talking to God recently?" The blunt question was designed to allow
him to use his police training to interpret Joan's response, giving him
some idea of whether something divine was going on.
After initial shock, Joan visibly relaxed and simply said, "Adam told you?" Now Will had his answer. He may never have really believed in God, but the evidence, something he lived his life based on the infallibility of, was too strong to see it any other way. "No," he replied. "Then how do you know?" "I had a weird day."
Will explained what had happened the day Joan was put into the hospital, as well as the conversation he had at lunch a few hours ago. He finished with, "You tell me, is all of this convincing enough for you?" Joan was clearly overwhelmed, but finally rambled out a response. "I was so sure it wasn't real. It couldn't possibly be real. But, every time I did what He asked, things turned out okay. Can there be that many coincidences in just one year? What do you think I should do?"
Will put his arm around his daughter. "Honey, you're growing up. You're becoming your own person, and taking on your own responsibilities. With this kind of decision, I can't make it for you. But, I will tell you what I think. If all this is true, you've been given an incredible privilege, and it would be a shame to throw that away. Whatever choice you make, I'm sure it'll be the right one, and I'll support it." "Thanks, daddy."
That night, Joan again found herself walking through the halls of Arcadia High. As she reached her locker, a voice called out, "Joan." She turned around and saw the cute guy who had been the first to talk to her. "Tried and true look. What's the problem, lack of imagination?" "You see me how you want to see me. You were angry at me before, but now you're just confused, so you're going back to the beginning."
Joan tried to think about that, but then thought better of it. "Whatever. So you're employing other family members now?" God gave a small laugh. "No, that was more of a temporary thing. See, I'd like you to start seeing me again, but to do that you're going to have to show a little faith. Belief without proof. A lot of people consider that a good quality for a person to have."
God walked off, and Joan was left alone to think. Before the previous year, she had her doubts about God, but didn't really question when he started talking to her. When she had found out it may have all been the product of Lyme disease, it had been a big "of course" moment that she had stayed with all summer. Then she made her decision.
"So what's it going to be?" Joan looked up again to see another God, the old woman who looked like Mrs. Landingham from The West Wing. "You know that already," said Joan. "That's right, I do." "My father said you had bigger plans for me. Does that means the assignments are going to get harder?" "If you want them to be hard, they will be. You'd be surprised how much your own thoughts on a particular task influence the ease with which you complete it. Good night, Joan. See you tomorrow."
The End
After initial shock, Joan visibly relaxed and simply said, "Adam told you?" Now Will had his answer. He may never have really believed in God, but the evidence, something he lived his life based on the infallibility of, was too strong to see it any other way. "No," he replied. "Then how do you know?" "I had a weird day."
Will explained what had happened the day Joan was put into the hospital, as well as the conversation he had at lunch a few hours ago. He finished with, "You tell me, is all of this convincing enough for you?" Joan was clearly overwhelmed, but finally rambled out a response. "I was so sure it wasn't real. It couldn't possibly be real. But, every time I did what He asked, things turned out okay. Can there be that many coincidences in just one year? What do you think I should do?"
Will put his arm around his daughter. "Honey, you're growing up. You're becoming your own person, and taking on your own responsibilities. With this kind of decision, I can't make it for you. But, I will tell you what I think. If all this is true, you've been given an incredible privilege, and it would be a shame to throw that away. Whatever choice you make, I'm sure it'll be the right one, and I'll support it." "Thanks, daddy."
That night, Joan again found herself walking through the halls of Arcadia High. As she reached her locker, a voice called out, "Joan." She turned around and saw the cute guy who had been the first to talk to her. "Tried and true look. What's the problem, lack of imagination?" "You see me how you want to see me. You were angry at me before, but now you're just confused, so you're going back to the beginning."
Joan tried to think about that, but then thought better of it. "Whatever. So you're employing other family members now?" God gave a small laugh. "No, that was more of a temporary thing. See, I'd like you to start seeing me again, but to do that you're going to have to show a little faith. Belief without proof. A lot of people consider that a good quality for a person to have."
God walked off, and Joan was left alone to think. Before the previous year, she had her doubts about God, but didn't really question when he started talking to her. When she had found out it may have all been the product of Lyme disease, it had been a big "of course" moment that she had stayed with all summer. Then she made her decision.
"So what's it going to be?" Joan looked up again to see another God, the old woman who looked like Mrs. Landingham from The West Wing. "You know that already," said Joan. "That's right, I do." "My father said you had bigger plans for me. Does that means the assignments are going to get harder?" "If you want them to be hard, they will be. You'd be surprised how much your own thoughts on a particular task influence the ease with which you complete it. Good night, Joan. See you tomorrow."
The End