PAID IN FULL

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Note: This story is just one of twenty taken from a novel by JAlexander called “SHIPWRECK”

As I stood in the dimly lit hallway of the “Rest With Us Funeral Home” watching the line of mourners, I, for a brief moment, pictured the person in the all-black casket with pure white linen to be from the Royal Family or a head of state. But it was neither; actually, the person was and looked to someone who didn’t know him to be “just an ordinary man” although you would be hard pressed to find anyone within a two-hundred-mile radius to agree.

You see, William Boyle (little Billy) to his friends was anything but ordinary. In fact, his four-foot ten frame was very deceiving, because to most people who had the honor of having him as a part of their life, he appeared to them as being well over six feet tall. Anyway, as I watched the people coming through the door, I couldn’t help but notice the variety of characters. Everyone wanted to say their goodbyes to the man that had greatly impacted their lives. There were old and young, black and white, tall and short and from the very healthy to those in wheelchairs. Even the local politicians waited their turn.

Billy didn’t have a hard life, at least not until his early thirties. You see, his parents were well to do; actually, they were one of the richest families in the state. David W. Boyle, Billy’s father, inherited his fortune from his father who didn’t come by it honestly. Fortunately, Billy didn’t fit in with the influential crowd. As a matter of fact, if you didn’t know him, you would mistake him for a down-and-out street person. This of course drove his parents crazy and so almost after every meal, his father would lecture him and try to convince him that he needed to keep up a better appearance.

When Billy’s Mother died, the lineup was minimal and sad to say, when his Father left this world, the only ones in attendance were Billy and the Minister and at one point, the cemetery workers stood nearby.

Because of Billy’s lifestyle, he was all but left out of the family will. He was left a small trust fund that provided him with a modest income. With the passing of his parents, Billy felt a great sense of freedom that he could now live his life the way he wanted. The first thing he did was give his life to God. He had been attending a church for many years, but did not tell his parents, because they didn’t need any more reasons to fight with him. Billy accepted an offer to fill the vacant position at the church to be the caretaker/maintenance person. What he lacked in experience, he made up in enthusiasm. A humble man who stayed out of the spotlight, would describe Billy; but if medals were given for all his good deeds, he would have run out of wall space very quickly. Day after day, year after year, he did what every good Christian should do; he followed in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior.

Although Billy’s generosity wasn’t limited to the poor, they were usually the recipients of his giving ways. Kids from the poor side of town would get presents for every occasion: birthdays, Christmas, Easter or doing well in sports or school. Kids weren’t the only ones to receive gifts from Billy; anyone in need was on his list. The town had its share of seniors who lived alone and they found it hard to “just get by” but the monthly numerous gifts made life much more bearable for them. You could call Billy “Robin Hood or Santa Claus,” but you would have a hard time giving him any recognition. He would just deny his role and say that everything comes from God. He would often say that as Christians, we need to look after the less fortunate among us. Billy would also help out the small businessmen who were struggling to keep their doors open.

After about two hours, the line started to thin out, but the funeral home was still full of people wishing to say their goodbyes. Mr. Cranston, the funeral director, announced that the service was about to begin and he said there was a problem because the room where the service was to take place could only accommodate about a quarter of the mourners. Everything turned out okay, because Sam Twingel, the owner of the music store, sent some of his staff to pick up enough speakers to allow the service to be heard in about six of the smaller rooms.

“Ladies and gentleman, I guess I forgot to introduce myself. My name is George Martin and I’m the executor of Billy’s last will and testament. When I was helping him make his final arrangements, he hesitated to tell me how much he owed and how much his estate was worth. Turns out, he owed tens of thousands of dollars in loans from banks, companies and individuals, but had not one cent to settle his estate.”

George got the shock of his life when he started to receive letters from Billy’s creditors and each invoice was marked “Paid in Full.” These are the same words JESUS said as he hung on the cross and looked up to Heaven and uttered the words: “PAID IN FULL.”

John 15:5 – Apart from me, you can do nothing!

BY J. ALEXANDER