Jason and Lisa

Jason woke up one morning and felt that this day was going to be big. He couldn’t tell what was going to happen, but knew it was going to be life changing. He got out of bed and went through his daily routine of getting ready for work. The water felt good upon his skin and the coffee was just the right mix of bitterness and cream. He kissed his wife, patted the dog on the head, and climbed into his car. The kids on the corner waved goodbye and he drove off towards the city…the day had begun.

Lisa woke up one morning and felt that this day was going to be her last. She didn’t know how it was going to happen, but knew that it would be life ending. She got out of bed and went through the daily routine of getting ready for work. The water burned her skin and the coffee tasted like mud upon her lips. She lived alone and patted the picture of her late husband on the way out the door. Nobody noticed her leaving and she climbed aboard the empty bus headed downtown…the day had begun.

Jason pulled into the parking garage and positioned the car in a reserved spot on the third floor. He walked into the office with a smile on his face and a jump in his step. His co-workers all greeted him and he responded with a nod and a courteous handshake. The sun was streaming through the office window and Jason settled into his chair to begin his work. He felt that this was going to be a big day and was anxious to find out why.

Lisa tried to take a nap on the bus but the bumps kept waking her up. She gazed longingly at her ring finger wishing that the love of her life was still here. The bus stopped and she got off and began the half-mile trek to the restaurant. The people on the street ignored her and she drew the collar of her jacket close to her neck to avoid the chill that was beginning to seep in. The restaurant was still locked up and she waited outside for the manager to show up. She knew that this was going to be her last day but was anxious to see how it would end.

Jason received a phone call from his boss and was asked to meet the regional managers at lunch. He enjoyed getting together with other people and a lunch date was scheduled for that day. He continued to work, but every now and then he would glance out the window to see the sun sneak across the sky. He was being drawn to something, but couldn’t figure out what.

Lisa paced back and forth outside of the restaurant. Her cell phone rang and she listened to her manager tell her that he was running late and to just use the spare key. She hated when she had to open the building by herself and the idea of just leaving entered her mind. The sun had moved the shadows and she decided that it was time to walk away. This job was not worth the aggravation and besides today was the end…who cares.

Jason headed out around noontime to meet up with the managers at a local restaurant. He was running a little late and picked up his pace in order to make it to the meeting on time.
The streets were packed with people and he found it hard to maneuver through the throng of humanity. He knew that today was going to be a good one…but how?

Lisa turned up the street and headed in the direction of her favorite pub. She didn’t have any time constraints and slowly made her way through the massive amount of people. If she was going to end this failure of a life than she would need some help…the pub was only five minutes away.

Jason looked down at his watch and began to jog a little. He didn’t want to be late and if he could run the last couple blocks then he would make it. His cell phone rang again and he answered it while continuing to run. The empty crosswalk should have been a clue…

Lisa looked up at the bank clock and decided that she would stay at the pub for three hours and then figure out where to end this crazy life. She heard a cell phone ring and turned to see an impeccably dressed man answer the silver contraption. She stopped at the curb in order to wait for the light to turn green. She watched in horror as the man ran out into the street…

Jason was startled by the blaring horn and looked up to see his approaching death. His brain told him to move but his legs were frozen in place. He opened his mouth to scream but it was silenced by a violent push that sent him sprawling across the cold asphalt.

Lisa heard the taxi’s horn and saw that the well-dressed man was about to be hit. Her adrenaline surged and she lunged in the direction of the man…tackling him to the street. She felt a rush of air as the taxi missed her by inches and then her hands collided with the ground with a dramatic clap.

Jason rolled over and ended up face to face with a young woman. Her eyes were sad, lips turned down, and it was evident that her life had taken a turn for the worst. She just stared at him with little emotion emanating from her scarred face. He reached out his hand and introduced himself,

“Hello, I’m Jason”.

She took the hand hesitantly and responded,

“Lisa…my name is Lisa”.

Jason looked at her and noticed that she wore a silver cross around her neck. He smiled and thanked her for saving his life.

Lisa looked at him and noticed that he wore a silver cross around his neck. She frowned as she realized that today could not be her last…it must be her first. She looked Jason in the eyes and thanked him for saving her life as well.

God looked down at Jason and Lisa and smiled.

His children were safe again.