In honor of Father's Day, I decided it was appropriate to spend part of this newsletter focusing on the Father of us all.  With the exception of Joshua's appearances, God doesn't typically speak in words in the stories that can be found on this site.  He speaks through events, He speaks through His creation, and He speaks through His children to His children.  But I like to think that, as to us in our real lives, He whispers to the characters.  So for the heck of it and because it gives me the warm fuzzies, I lifted some passages from JABB stories and then wrote what I think God whispered to those characters.  It was also a good excuse to be a little spoilery.  ;-)



From "Origins":

Sitting beside him on the couch, Cora placed the wooden box Andrew had retrieved on Vincent's lap.

"These are things I kept to remind me of the time I spent with your father," she explained.

"You... you loved my father?"  Vincent peered into his mother's eyes.

Cora sighed.  "More than life, Vincent."

"I always worried... maybe... there was violence..."

Father bowed his head.  In Vincent's struggle with his identity, he'd faced his own violent streak bravely.  But he knew how his son thought.  He knew how Catherine had struggled to get him to trust himself.  He had always been so afraid he'd hurt her or lose control.  And he had wondered if it was that violence and tenuous hold on sanity that had led to his birth.  But in four words, Cora had put that tormenting theory of Vincent's parentage to rest forever.

Catherine rubbed Vincent's back as he began to cry tears of relief.

And God said... "You were created in love, Vincent.  Both on Earth and in Heaven.  And you were and are loved always."


From "Tale as Old as Time":

Entering the main entryway to retrieve the car keys, Andrew at first didn't notice that something new had appeared on a side table.  It was only after he had retrieved the keys and was headed back out to the garage that he saw it... a white rose.  The angel smiled and looked up.  "Very nice.  Very beautiful.  Very funny.  But it still doesn't settle the question, Father.  So am I the Beast or Beauty?"  There was no answer but then Andrew hadn't really expected one.  He chuckled and, after admiring the rose for a moment more, exited the house.

With no one to witness it except for the One who placed the rose there... a single white petal turned a vibrant red.

And God said... "And when the last petal changes...  I'll be there.  I am so, so proud of you, Andrew."


From "Home for Christmas":

Blurry eyed, Max made his way to a seldom used road.  He just wanted to drive, drive without stopping, drive without having to look out for other drivers.  His truck picked up speed as he went.  Out of no where, a deer darted into his path.  The man swerved to miss it and, in doing so, drove off the road.

Max had the thought that maybe he should just let go, let the car slam into a tree.  End it all.  At the same instant, he saw the ornament Andrew had made him, hanging from the bough of the tree JenniAnn had given him.  As soon as he glimpsed them, he had a vision.  He saw his truck, the cab smashed into the trunk of a tree.  Andrew was running towards it, crying.  Then JenniAnn was there, trying to pry the devastated man away from the truck.  To the side, Rose was clinging to Adam and weeping.

His own scream and mechanical shrieking nearly deafened Max as he yanked the steering wheel and slammed the breaks.  The truck halted.  Its driver opened the door and fell onto the ground.  Rolling onto his back, Max stared up at the night sky and the stars.

"Help me," he cried as his hands closed around his shark's tooth necklace.  "Help me, Father.  You... You got me home and I... I thank You for that b-but it's no home.  I can't... can't go back."

Somewhere deep inside of him, Max heard the command: drive.  Getting back into his truck, he maneuvered it onto the road again.

And God said... "It was never, ever my will that you be alone, son.  Drive.  You have a home.  Go there.  And maybe, you know, don't drive when you're upset.  You could get hurt.  And I don't want you to get hurt, Max.  I love you.  Thank you for wearing your seat belt.  Seat belts are good."


From "Chava":

"When you get to be my age and the kids have grown and left... you miss it."

JenniAnn half-smiled and for a moment turned away from her friend.

He hugged her.  "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you should have.  It was sweet.  I'm just..."  JenniAnn trailed off, concluding with an ambivalent shrug.

Rabbi Yakov smiled encouragingly.  "Now, now.  I know you haven't forgotten all those scripture classes you took, young lady.  Abram and Sarai.  Issac and Rebekah.  Manoah and his wife.  Your own scriptures speak of Zechariah and Elizabeth, don't they?"

Touched, the sometimes-theologian nodded.  "I know... but with all due respect... those couplings were all both humans... and, uh... had relations."

"Yes.  But nothing is hopeless with God, Psyche.  Listen to an old man... you were born to be a mother and you will be."

And God said...  "Well done, Yakov!  What he said, JenniAnn!  I've always loved that guy.  Just give Me... and Belle... a little more than nine months...  Also, I'm going to need you and Andrew to make a trip to Ireland in a few years... Avi will be waiting."


From "Abide With Me":

Once the doors were locked, Andrew pulled himself together enough to return to a parking spot then lurched forward, his head resting on the wheel as his breathing grew erratic.

JenniAnn rubbed his back.  "Andrew... try to...  love, you can't breath very well hunched over like that."

Andrew sat back up, flopping against the driver's seat.  "I lost her...  Not losing you," he murmured.

"Andrew... you won't lose me."  JenniAnn leaned over and kissed his forehead then settled back into her seat, peering intensely at him as she tried to decide what to do.

Slowly, everything came back into focus for Andrew and he felt less like he was being choked.  He turned to his friend and stroked her face. 

And God said... "I love you.  I love you.  I love you.  I'm with you, Andrew.  I'm always with you.  You'll get through this because, even though you don't feel like it right now, you are the strong, hope-filled, love-filled angel I created you to be.  And you will never be alone."

I think I'll stop there cause that lil feature made me feel good so I wouldn't mind doing it again.  Thus, I don't wanna run through all the stories just now.  So... this newsletter is dedicated to John for sharing the truth of God the Father's love on TBAA.  When he spoke of the Father's care and love it warmed and encouraged so many.  May John have a blessed Father's Day in the Home of the Father of us all.

JABB TOC

JABB 386

(Photo Credits: The photographs used on this page are from Touched by an Angel and owned by CBS Productions, Caroline Productions, and Moon Water Productions. They are not being used to seek profit.)