304 AD
Nicholas spent several days between his fishing fleet and his estate in Patara, mainly to evade the eyes and ears of the authorities. On his return, as he approached the forum, he noticed something wrong. Usually, his nose would pick up the smells of roasting meats and boiling stews, but today, smoke permeated the air. A large bonfire meant another execution by fire. He pressed through the crowds to see the unfortunate soul. Through the billowing smoke he couldn’t make out who was chained to the stake. An older man sank to his knees at the base of the bonfire and sobbed, “Please! Even now you can save yourself. Just pray to Caesar! They can put the fire out.”
A familiar voice answered from the fire, choking on the smoke, “I cannot... Christus is my life... I pray you will understand... Father... I love you...”
Nicholas felt his throat tighten as he recognized Eudora’s voice. His heart beat hard against his chest. He wanted to run to the fire and set her free, but his feet wouldn’t move. He knew if he could undo her chains, he would only prolong her death. And he could not bring himself to join her in the flames. Soon, her coughing ceased and no sound came from the fire but the crackling of the flames. Silently, he prayed that she had already passed on into the arms of Christus. There, she would be beyond suffering and fear. Tears flowed down his cheeks.
As he drifted home, he found a letter waiting for him under the door. He unrolled it and read: “Dearest Nicholas, I love you more than I can say, and I would wait a lifetime to be together with you. But as I prayed about it, I realized that my waiting was not so much for you, but for my father, and avoiding his anger. He will never come to faith in Christus without someone telling him, and so I have resolved to be the one. I understand that I do this at the risk of my life, but my love for Christus drives me to it. My love for my father also moves me, not wanting him to miss out on eternal life, and my love for you, that you would not be joined to a woman whose love for Christus is too little that she would not speak of him. Pray that father will receive the good news and that someday soon we can be married. But if not, I know that one day we will see each other in the presence of Christus, brother and sister in him, and so all will be well. Love, Eudora.”
Nicholas dragged himself inside his door and collapsed, sobbing on the floor.
Nicholas spent several days between his fishing fleet and his estate in Patara, mainly to evade the eyes and ears of the authorities. On his return, as he approached the forum, he noticed something wrong. Usually, his nose would pick up the smells of roasting meats and boiling stews, but today, smoke permeated the air. A large bonfire meant another execution by fire. He pressed through the crowds to see the unfortunate soul. Through the billowing smoke he couldn’t make out who was chained to the stake. An older man sank to his knees at the base of the bonfire and sobbed, “Please! Even now you can save yourself. Just pray to Caesar! They can put the fire out.”
A familiar voice answered from the fire, choking on the smoke, “I cannot... Christus is my life... I pray you will understand... Father... I love you...”
Nicholas felt his throat tighten as he recognized Eudora’s voice. His heart beat hard against his chest. He wanted to run to the fire and set her free, but his feet wouldn’t move. He knew if he could undo her chains, he would only prolong her death. And he could not bring himself to join her in the flames. Soon, her coughing ceased and no sound came from the fire but the crackling of the flames. Silently, he prayed that she had already passed on into the arms of Christus. There, she would be beyond suffering and fear. Tears flowed down his cheeks.
As he drifted home, he found a letter waiting for him under the door. He unrolled it and read: “Dearest Nicholas, I love you more than I can say, and I would wait a lifetime to be together with you. But as I prayed about it, I realized that my waiting was not so much for you, but for my father, and avoiding his anger. He will never come to faith in Christus without someone telling him, and so I have resolved to be the one. I understand that I do this at the risk of my life, but my love for Christus drives me to it. My love for my father also moves me, not wanting him to miss out on eternal life, and my love for you, that you would not be joined to a woman whose love for Christus is too little that she would not speak of him. Pray that father will receive the good news and that someday soon we can be married. But if not, I know that one day we will see each other in the presence of Christus, brother and sister in him, and so all will be well. Love, Eudora.”
Nicholas dragged himself inside his door and collapsed, sobbing on the floor.
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