Bent by the wind and hiding from life, the ice clung to the face of Jered as she crossed the dark Michigan Avenue in hopes of shelter. A lone figure stood in her blurred path. Lifting her glasses, now fogged blind, she viewed a person staring at her with loving contempt, as if there could be such a thing. She put a bookmark where her thoughts had been. The mission was one of selfish hope that some pharmaceutical offering would free, for at least a moment, the pain of her friend, now laying and dying in an ally nearby. She halted, as best she could on black ice-capped with a dusting of cryovacked snow, hoping to find space past this haunting figure. It was to no avail. This visage hauntingly moved adjacent to her right side. Afraid to make eye contact and swerving as far as possible to IT without looking as if she were rejecting it.

IT spoke firmly, even commanding, "Jered!"

Jered, as she continued her fearful flight to an un-yet seen shelter, IT moved closer and commanded a hearing with an extra call, "Jered!"

Jered, now surefooted and glasses drained of fog, turned to IT, eyes humbled, now peering at ITs coat.

Startled, Jered's heart cowered in fear recognizing ITs coat was her friend's coat. This thing had stolen her friend's hearth, hope, and home, leaving death in ITs wake. Anger resurrected her purpose. 

With a lunging voice, she demanded, "Give me that coat you thief!"

"Fear not my friend. All is well." was its senseless retort.

"Here me" Jered screamed, "I want my friend's coat. There on the sleeve is the tear from jumping the fence last week. I know it is her coat. Hand it over!" 

The figure grew closer and whispered, "My mission is over. Yours has just begun."

With this, Jered stumbled back, slipped, and fell not so gracefully. As Jered looked up she spied her friend's face tucked behind the most superb of smile. Never had her friend looked so well. Then a bitter wind whipped through Jered's soul. She wasn't protected from such things and I expect you wouldn't be either.

"Jered!" her friend continued. "Your love was sufficient."

Then, taking off her coat, she handed it to Jered, saying, "Remember, what I have is yours. All I have is a wish for you to be warm from the inside out. Be warm."

The sun was now peeking over the horizan requiring a disociative observation. Then, Jered, almost robotically, received the coat as her friend disappeared in a blast of glittering snow separating their realities. Jered's heart leapt from fear to rest.

She knew not to continue her quest. 

She knew to cry.

Weeks later, had you chosen to peer into her new life, you would have had a hard time recognizing her face. It offered a new heart, full of hope. Her friend had left a little book in one pocket. There was only one part marked. Jered had looked. It was graffitied with a "Yes! Yes! Yes! He is the LIGHT!"  It surrounded this phrase.

"Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'"  

You can find these words yourself in your book, if you have one. It is found in the Bible, in the Gospel of John chapter 8 verse 12.