Joanna put her head in her hands and began to weep. Mitch and Carolyn jumped up to comfort her, thanking her not just for today, but for what she had done that night. She looked exhausted, but quickly began to recover. A breeze swept through the garden and chimes softly sang. The clouds moved past the sun and the summer warmth returned with a passion.

Joanna looked up at them and wanly smiled. “Thank you, but please stop fussing over me. I’m fine.”

She reached into a bucket of gardening tools that sat next to her, found a pair of clippers, walked to the edge of the garden, and selected a brilliant white rose.

“Please take this. I want the two of you to have it. I ask only that when you arrive home, you turn to Luke 23:34 in your Bible and place it between those pages forevermore. It’s a symbol of innocence and purity, and it’s meant as a reminder that love is truth and will always conquer darkness.

“What I’m about to tell you is the part of the story you will probably find incomprehensible, upsetting, and possibly even reprehensible. That’s because it’s the complete opposite of what most cultures believe and what you have been taught your entire life. All I ask is that you keep an open mind and ask God to guide you to an answer. If you choose to accept it, then perhaps this rose will provide you with the courage and wisdom to share this story with others.”

A few moments later, Joanna seemed restored to the vibrant woman who had greeted them earlier that morning. Her green eyes had regained their sparkle and the color had returned to her cheeks. She smiled mischievously, and then reached behind her head to release the ribbon that held her ponytail in place, shaking her head like a schoolgirl to reveal her magnificent mane of pure white hair.

Now she spoke with the excitement and alacrity of someone with very good news to share.

“I know this will be hard to accept, especially for you, Mitch … and yet I believe it is absolutely true. As I said, it will throw into doubt everything you’ve ever been taught. But as I alluded to before, this is not something you can understand when viewing from a human or a conventional mind.

“Please try to look at what I am about to tell you from God’s point of view. God sees from the inside out and He understands with perfect truth. He loves from the heart, not the flesh. And only God truly knows what is inside a man’s heart. He can see all of the good and all of the bad.”

Mitch suspected he knew where she was going, and Joanna was certainly right about one thing. He didn’t like it.