Just a Click Away

Chapter 36

 It had been two weeks since the ordeal, and while Leslie's outward traces of her nightmare were fading, the emotional damage Jack had caused was still fresh. Greg was still sleeping on the couch at Will and Jenna's, because her nightmares woke her every night, and he knew that she needed him to be there for her.

As he rested on the couch one night, praying that she would be able to get a full night of sleep, he heard her panicked scream fill his ears. Without any hesitation, he opened the door to her room and found her stitting straight up in bed, covered in a cold sweat. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps as he sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "Shhh. Everything's ok. You're safe." Rocking her back and forth like he had done the day he had found her with the monster, he felt her slowly relax against him.

He continued to hold her in silence for a while, and after he knew she was completely calm he spoke. "Was it the same dream that you had before?" She nodded her head against his chest. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" How he ached to be able to take this burden from her.

"Just stay with me until I fall asleep."

Adjusting himself to a more comfortable position on the bed, he felt her lean against his chest. Her breathing was becoming more even, and and he rubbed her back tenderly with one hand. "Would you like me to pray with you?"

"Yes, I would love that."

Bowing his head, he prayed aloud for her. "Dear Father, please help Leslie during this difficult time. You know how badly I want to help her; how much I want to be able to carry this burden for her, but I'm not able to. Please ease her mind and let her sleep. Let this horrible thing that happened fade from her memory. Help her to keep her eyes focused on You through all of this. Thank You for Your care for her. In Jesus' name, Amen."

After a little while, he heard her deep breathing signaling to him that she had drifted off to sleep. Afraid that if he moved he would awaken her and knowing that she depsarately needed sleep, he stayed with her until morning. Feeling it would be less than appropriate to fall asleep with her, he stayed awake praying that she would be able to give this burden over to the Lord and leave it with him.

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The following morning when Leslie began to wake up, she could feel that her head was not resting on her pillow. Opening one eye, she saw that she still had her head on Greg's chest, and he had his arm around her. For a moment she allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of saftey she always experienced in his arms. When she looked up to his face, she saw that he was awake. "Greg, you didn't have to stay with me all night! Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Don't worry about me. You haven't slept in ten days; you needed all the sleep you could get. And believe me, you slept pretty good." He grinned as she watched him wipe a wet spot on his shirt.

She felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she touched her fingers to her mouth. When she felt the moisture at the corner of her lips a feeling of mortification forced her to bite her lip and hang her head in embarrassment. "How humiliating. I'm so sorry," she mumbled.

"It's nothing to worry about; it's really kind of cute if you ask me."

When she looked into his eyes and saw that he looked on her with compassion instead of disgust, she couldn't help but smile. "You are way too good to me, Greg. I really don't deserve a man half as good as you!"

"Nonsense! You deserve so much better." Greg got out of bed and went to get ready for the day.

Getting out of bed, she went into the closet to figure out what to wear. It was Sunday, and she was ready to go to church and experience some sense of normalcy again. The hospital had required her to take a month off from work; they reccommened that she get counselling before going back. Another reason that they wanted her to stay away was that Jack was still recovering from his wounds in the intensive care unit. Mrs. Blevins said that she didn't want her in the same building as the man who had attacked her. She really appreciated the thoughtfulness of her supervisor, but needed more to do to keep her mind away from the memories that plagued it.

After showering and dressing for church, she walked out into the living room. Will and Jenna had already left for church, and she assumed that Greg had left at the same time. To her pleasant surprise, she found him looking sharp in his dark grey suit, and waiting for her by the door. "I thought you would have left already." She gave him a warm smile.

"You can't get rid of me that easily. I'm driving you to church, and I've even let Will know that I won't be working in the youth department today. I'll be sitting with you in the main church service." He grabbed her hand, and led her out into the crisp air.

Leslie couln't help but smile. "Do we need to pick up your mom?"

"Actually, Ashley will be bringing her. Mom absolutely loves her, and Ashley volunteered to stay with her and help her out. My mom loves it, becasue she feels like she has a friend staying with her instead of a nurse."

"You know, I was actually going to suggest Ashley as a caregiver before our little misunderstanding, Adam." She laughed for the first time in what felt like ages, and she had to admit that it felt pretty good.

After Leslie finished teaching Sunday school that morning, she found Greg waiting to walk her to the auditorium. They found a seat toward the middle of the massive room that was full of people milling about. He let her in first and sat next to her on the plush pew. She loved that sitting with him in church felt so natural and so right.

When the pastor stood to preach, he had them turn to 1 Peter 5:7 and he read, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." He walked to the other side of the platform before speaking. "It's such an easy thing to pray that God will take our cares and give us peace, but so many times, we come to the altar with our burdens, and we leave with them still on our hearts."

"The word casting in this verse doesn't mean we offer our problems to God but still hold onto them; thinking that our way to deal with them is somehow better than His. When a person casts their cares on the Lord, he throws those cares on Him with no thought of retrieving them again. God's ways are often past understanding for our small minds, but His ways are always perfect. That is why He is the one best able to handle the trials we face in life."

Hearing the words of the pastor, Leslie felt as if he must know her story and be preaching this message soley for her benefit. She was guilty of asking God to help her, but she had never really given her thoughts and fears completely over to Him. As Greg had pointed out to her, God's love didn't change based on her circumstances. He wanted her to live a victorious life, and at this point, she was her own worst enemy. Tears clouded her vision as she continued to listen to her pastor's encouraging words.

"In a crowd this size, it's safe to assume that someone in here is experiencing difficulties, and I would like to beg you...give them over to God. As the song goes, 'Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.' That is the only way to experience true peace in a storm. Only when God has been given full control can you have peace during the hard times in life."

"I would like to close with one of my favorite passages; Philippians 4:6 and 7. 'Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' You see, God loves us, and he wants us to lean on Him when times get tough. He doesn't want you to be anxious, He wants you to trust Him. When you put your trust in Him, He will give you his perfect peace; a peace that passes our understanding. If you have a care or a worry you are clinging onto right now...give it to the Creator of the universe, leave it with Him, and He will give you His wonderful peace."

Music began to play as the invitation started. With tears in her eyes, Leslie knew that she needed to go to the altar to leave her cares in the mighty hand of God. Greg must have sensed her need, because she felt him lean his head down and his breath tickled her ear as he whispered. "Do you want me to go with you."

When she nodded her head, she saw him slip out of the pew and she followed close beside him. Kneeling together, she began to pray. "Dear Lord, please forgive me for not turning to You with this burden on my heart. I am not able to continue like this any more. I need You, and I need Your strength and Your peace. I am done trying to carry this burden, and I am surrendering it completely to You. Thank you so much for loving me enough to bear my burdens for me. In Jesus' name, Amen." After she finished breathing her prayer of surrender, she felt a calm envelop her. Where there had been fear and turmoil, her heart was now filled with a sweet peace; a peace that passed her understanding.