It was a cold January morning and Rev. Weirich was preaching away...the topic actually interested Fred...It was about scars...Rev. Weirich asked everyone who had scars on their body to raise their hand...Hands went up all over the room...and Fred lifted his own, shaking hand...and then everyone put their hands down...Rev. Weirich went on to say, "The physical scars we have on our body speak of God's grace and His wonderful mercy...We can be thankful for those scars...because they show that God in His great love, spared our life...and allowed us to KEEP LIVING!..." He said excitedly..."We can be thankful for the scars of Jesus...because He's alive,...because of His victory over death...His scars talk of his great love for us!...In Isaiah 53:5, it says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."..."He loved each and every one us, that He died on that old rugged cross...and He would have if you were the LAST person on earth..." Rev. Weirich pointed out into the crowd, and for some reason, Fred thought he was pointing right at him...No, it wasn't like the preacher pointed like he did when Fred was a boy,...it was in love and compassion...and Fred's heart started beating rapidly...he didn't know what was going on...and unknown to him, he was under conviction... Rev. Weirich went onto preach, and Fred hung onto every word he said,..."The Lord's scars give us His assurance of salvation...and his DESIRE to see folks saved....."The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."..."The Lord wants you to come to Him young man, young lady...to youngest person in here...to the very oldest...Don't shut Him out...please come to Him today...Don't waste another moment, young man...or whoever it is..."

The congregation stood to their feet and began to sing the wonderful hymn, "At the Cross" by Isaac Watts...

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
'Tis all that I can do.

Frances couldn't help but look up at Fred...he was just standing there, not moving...Something in her MADE her go up to him, she coaxed him outside so they could talk. She knew it was chilly, there was snow on the ground still...but it didn't matter. They went outside anyway ...They could hear the congregation still singing away...

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

"I know it was hard for you...to raise your hand when Rev. Weirich asked all who had scars...I could tell it was hard to do...Your arm was shaking..."

"I was abused as a child...My adopted mother...whipped me...on my chest...my upper arms...my legs..." Fred said and choked back tears... He didn't care if she saw him cry...For some reason it didn't matter to him...

"Don't you see?...Like Rev. Weirich said...your scars show that you're alive, Fred!" Frances felt tears seep out of her eyes..."God loved you so much that He spared your life!...He too was whipped...with a cat-of-nine-tails...He was beaten...spit upon...mocked...They put a robe on him and just that quick...they tore it off of him! He did that for you...and for me...For every single, solitary person in the whole world and just like the Rev. said...He did that and would've done that even if you were the last person on this earth...He has the scars to show for it...Do you KNOW that Man, Fred?..." Frances asked him at last...

He stood there, but she knew his answer..."Would you like to know Him?..." She asked him...

Fred grabbed her hand, and they walked into the church again...they made it to the altar...

"Rev. Weirich...Fred would like to get saved..." Frances smiled up at him..."Could we get one of the men, please?"

"Take him to your father..."

"Yes sir..." Frances said, and they went to her father's pew...

"Frances...you have a Bible, don't you?" Big George smiled..."You can show him, little girl..."

"Oh Pa...I couldn't possibly!"

"Now don't you dare say you can't!" Big George said, putting his arm around his daughter..."You have a Bible...you know how to use it...Go lead your beau to Christ!" He placed a kiss on her forehead...and watched his daughter...and possible future son-in-law go outside and sit down on the church's front steps...Frances explained to Fred that he was a sinner...and Fred sure KNEW that!...She went on to say that the penalty for sin is death...total separation from God in Hell...which is known as the Second Death...

Fred's eyes got wide as he remembered the war and how he watched his army buddy, Jake Henderson die and he told Frances all about it..."I'm sure he went to Hell...I even had a dream about it..." He said shakily...and told her the dream as well...

Frances had tears streaming down her cheeks after he was all finished...at last she said..."Just like he said, for you to find a way not to go there...There is a way not to..."

"Show me..." He said, quietly...Frances did just that...She showed him he was a sinner...the penalty for sin is death...but she also told him this..."Remember what Rev. Weirich said in his sermon? The scars of Jesus show His want and his desire to see folks saved...He wants that for you too, Fred..." Fred was as ready to be saved as a little child would be and so he bowed his head sitting next to Frances on those church steps and asked Jesus Christ into his heart...to have Him take away and forgive him of his sin...and to take him to Heaven when he died...and Fred was saved right then and there...

Frances leaned forward and kissed him..."There's a new name written down in Glory..." She smiled at him...Fred pulled her closer to him, and she layed her head on his chest..."And it's MINE..." He said, as tears seeped out of his eyes...They were happy tears, for he was glad to FINALLY get this taken care of, and no longer have that aweful feeling of deep conviction and his fear of Hell he had been feeling...

A few weeks later...

"Mr. Gruber..."

"Yes, son?"

"I'll just come right out and say it...You and I both know I love your daughter...and I..."

"I know...you're asking me for her hand...I was wondering when you were going to..."

"So...is that a yes?..." Fred asked.

"Of course!...If you hadn't asked,...I'd have to knock some sense into you, boy..." Big George said, slapping Fred on the shoulder and started laughing...Fred looked shocked, but then soon he loosened up and laughed with him...

"Thank you, sir..." Fred smiled...

"You're quite welcome, son...and I know you'll make a fine husband for my little girl...I've a great deal of respect for and faith in you..."

"Thank you, sir..."

"Now, why are you calling me sir?...You'll be my son-in-law soon enough...that is...when you ask her and you get all the details settled...Call me, George!"

"Yes sir...uh...I mean...George...Wh-what do you think would be a good date?...Of course, I need to get a house and things ready first..."

"How does three months from now...In April, sound?...Get out all the money you have in your pocket right now..."

Fred reached into his trouser pocket..."All I have is a dollar...that's certainly not enough..."

"Oh pish posh!...You can make it up to me later!..." Big George said, snatching up the dollar from the younger man..."What plot of land do you want?"

Without any hesistation, Fred suggested none other than the place where they first met...when she, just a girl of 16...and himself...a young man of 24...

"I really wanted her to wait until she was 18, but what can one month hurt?"

"Thank you, George!"

"Now why are you just standing there and thanking me?...Go show my daughter y'alls land!"

"I will!..." Fred said, jumping into his buckboard and rode off..."THANKS AGAIN, GEORGE!" Fred yelled over his shoulder.

"BE CAREFUL, BOY!...BEFORE YOU KILL YOURSELF!" Big George yelled after him...

Fred rushed over to the Gruber's place and he saw Frances outside chipping ice off of the well...so she could manage to get a few blocks to melt for water...

"FRANCES!" He yelled...

She dropped what she was doing and ran to meet him...

"Fred...What on earth is the matter?"

"Nothing's wrong! Its all good! Everything's wonderful! Just wonderful!...Look, I want you to come with me...I know its chilly out...but I want you to come with me...I have something to show you!"

He helped her up into his buckboard and they rode off...To a place with snow covered pine trees...dozens of them...the ground was completely covered with glittery, white snow...and the small creek was frozen solid...He got out and helped her down, took her hand and ran into the midst of the forest...

"Why did you take me here?" Frances asked, smiling...

"Frances...you know I love you..."

"Yes, I do Fred...Now, WHY did you take me here?" She laughed...

"Because,...I wanted this...to be...the perfect spot..." He said, with his chest heaving, as he ws trying to catch his breath.

"Perfect for what?"

"To do this..." He said, getting down on his knee, in the cold snow...it didn't matter to him at all..."Frances Katherine Gruber...Will you marry this stubborn old boy?"

"Of course I will..." She smiled...and wrapped her arms around his neck...He kissed her...and she kissed him back..."And by the way, I'm just as stubborn as you are!"

"And THIS spot...this very spot where we're standing...is going to be..." Fred went on...

"Is going to be what?" She smiled up at him...

"Our home. OUR home, Frances!...I bought this land from your Pa today...ALL of it, and its ALL ours, Frances!...I knew that first day I met you here...this is where we'd live...if anything would happen between us...and it sure did." He smiled...

Tears seeped out of her twinkling brown eyes at the thought of something so romantic and sweet...

A/N: The sermon "Why We Can Be Thankful For Scars" is a sermon by my own pastor...He preached it one Sunday morning...Just like in this chapter...he asked the congregation if they would raise their hand, all who has scars...Hands went up all over the room...Including mine...The sermon REALLY hit home for me and was very encouraging and was from where I got the idea and inspiration for this very story. :)

I got the idea of Fred getting saved by this quote from Frances..."Some people believe in God a little more than others and others believe in him a little less...and if we accept Christ as our Saviour, when we die, we will go to Heaven and be with Him..." IDK if I agree totally on the first part...but the second part...there is always that hope that SHE accepted Christ as her Saviour...Also, in real life, Fred was a Lutheran, and he turned Catholic without any coaxing from Frances, and he even went to Rev. Weirich and asked for Catholic instructions...

The house and land Fred mentions is now my house (He built the house by himself in the 1920's...and his full name is stenciled into our garage door, which he also built)...and part of our yard and our neighbor's yard...I can walk a few feet away from my house, and stand right where Fred and Frances met...:) I remember reading (from my grandpa's little book her wrote of stories and such of our family) that Fred bought the property for just $1!