The Fullness of Time

By James Altier

Lukas Kincaid is a man who seemingly has everything but, in reality, has nothing. He is an empty vessel. One winter night, as he leaves a company party, his car skids out of control resulting in a life-threatening accident. While at death’s door, he is miraculously transported to a mystical realm where he meets a specter known only as Messenger who tells him he has failed in his life’s purpose. He is given a second chance to set things right. Because of his spiritual transformation, he sheds the trappings of his former life and embarks on a quest to discover God’s plan. As he journeys, he serves in a variety of charitable ministries, and encounters and influences many different people whose lives are eternally changed. It’s a story of redemption, renewal, and divine appointments testifying to the transformative power of God in Christ (with a few surprises along the way!).

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973697213

James Altier

James Altier is a retired Technical Manuals Editor who worked for the federal government for 35 years. He holds two college degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Carson-Newman University, Jefferson City, TN and Master of Science in Administration (emphasis in Behavioral Science), George Washington University, Washington, D.C. He became a Christian early in life and, as an adult, has served extensively in churches in the fields of Church Music and Bible Teaching. As a life-long student of the Bible, coupled with his education and experience, James is uniquely qualified regarding human relationships in general and Christian relationships in particular. In this, his first book, he explores these relationships as they overlap each other and intersect in the form of divine appointments that impact lives for eternity. James and his wife, Carolinda, reside in Shepherdstown, WV and are members of New Life Community Church in Inwood, WV.

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Copyright © 2020 James Altier.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible,

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-9722-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9723-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9721-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020913193

WestBow Press rev. date: 08/07/2020

Dedication

To my wife, Carolinda, the love of my life who inspires me daily to be a better person.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank my wife and life’s companion, Carolinda, who not only encouraged the writing of this book, but also served as my sounding board as she patiently listened to my ramblings during the writing process. I also thank my daughter, Jennifer, a wonderful writer in her own right, for the labor of love that she provided in the review, editing, and critical analysis during the drafting process. I would be remiss if I did not include the numerous pastors, teachers, and spiritual mentors over the years that poured into me the amazing love of God in Christ and guided me in my own personal spiritual journey. Finally, I thank God in the person of his Holy Spirit for providing the idea and inspiration for the book, something I never dreamed I would ever be able do.

Prologue

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

—2 Timothy 4: 6-8 (NIV)

When Lukas Kincaid died, his soul took flight through a miasma of light and something that looked like clouds. He had no temporal body or physical senses, no feeling, no heart or heartbeat. He had no eyes, but could see everything clearly, and no ears, but heard beautiful sounds—the music of the spheres perhaps? Unlike his first out-of-body experience, which had him tumbling, turning, and jerking this way and that, this was happening at light speed, but floating gently at the same time. He had no feeling in the physical sense, no pain, but no pleasure in a worldly sense either. But somehow, he was filled with unspeakable joy! There was also peace like he had never known before. It was not the absence of struggle or conflict, but more like a total understanding that this was how human existence was intended to be before sin made its presence known in the heart of man. No more sorrow and pain; no more guilt and shame. The last time, he was afraid. He didn’t comprehend what was happening or where he was going. This time he knew everything. It was like all the knowledge stored in Heaven’s library was suddenly poured into his essence, and all the difficult questions were answered, and wonder of wonders, it all made perfect sense! It was as if God’s grand plan was laid out before him, and his only response was, Yes, I see! Of course!

Contents

Part 1   The End

1     The Beginning of the End

2     Best Laid Plans

3     The Messenger

4     The Awakening

5     The Reckoning

6     Vivian’s Secret

7     Decisions

8     Denouement

Part 2   The Beginning

1     The Quest

2     Danville

3     A Secret No More

4     Meg

5     Old and New Friends

6     Moments of Truth

7     The Beginning of Wisdom

8     What Must I Do?

9     The Seven Questions

10   Failure to Communicate

11   Renaissance

12   Resolution

PART 1

The End

There is a path before each person that seems right,

But it ends in death.

—Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)

One

The Beginning of the End

Nationally renowned real estate magnate, Lukas Kincaid, sat in one of the many overstuffed leather chairs in his upscale country club. He and his business partners were celebrating their most recent conquest—a multimillion-dollar deal that would replace a couple blocks of low-income apartments with luxury condominiums and a high-end hotel. As he loosened his tie and shed the jacket of his Armani suit, he felt underwhelmed by, for what was a long time, the thrill of closing the deal. The company he led had made billions over the brief time it existed and, at the relatively young age of forty-eight, he had amassed a fortune. His face had appeared in numerous financial magazines. He was the man every other man wanted to be—rich, successful, and influential. He surveyed the room as he listened to the raucous chatter and good-natured banter of his subordinates. He swirled his glass of bourbon, listening to the ice cubes clink against the sides of the glass all the while wondering why he didn’t feel more festive. Like Alexander the Great, he wondered if his melancholy was because he had no more worlds to conquer. He pondered the idea of running for President; the prospect brought a slight smile to his face.

One of his colleagues, noticing the lack of enthusiasm on his boss’s part, wandered over hoping to inject some excitement into the situation. He took a seat next to Lukas who failed to notice him.

How’s it going, Boss?

Come on, Brad, Lukas said, somewhat irritated. You know I don’t like it when you guys call me that.

Yeah, I know, but—

Then, why do you do it?

I don’t know. You just look a little down. Kinda not like you, especially since we just crushed it on this last deal. Lucas had to admit he was right. He wasn’t even sure why he wasn’t more satisfied with things, not just this victory, but everything in general.

Neither one said anything for a few moments. Brad began to feel nervous, so to break the silence, he said, Well, can I get you anything? Another drink, perhaps. Bourbon, right?

No thanks, Lucas said. I’ll tell you what though. He turned in his chair to look at Brad. If you’ll get me a Macanudo from the bar, I’ll smoke it in honor of our success today just to please you.

Brad lit up like a Roman candle. You got it! he said, and hurried off to fulfill his mission.

Lucas smiled and shook his head slightly, returning to his solitude.

Lucas Kincaid was a phenom, no question about it. He was the consummate wheeler-dealer who was both admired and feared by all who knew him. Although he started out his career playing by the rules, he learned quickly that to win, he couldn’t always let ethics get in the way of closing the deal. As a result, over the years, he had acquired a legacy of human carnage in the form of destroyed lives. He took over properties and closed them to raise up high-priced condominiums and sterile shopping malls, the kind that appeal to the masses. There were rumors that some of the people he ruined were so devastated that they took their own lives. It’s not that he was a heartless creep, he wasn’t. It was just that, in his lofty position, he wasn’t touched by the misery he caused because he was removed from it. The dirty work was carried out by his lieutenants and other low-level employees in his company. It was like a WWII bombardier who dropped tons of bombs—from thousands of feet in the air—on the people in towns below. It wasn’t personal. He didn’t know them; he didn’t even see them. All the bombardier was able to see through his targeting scope was the flashes of light from the exploding bombs. The fact that each flash probably killed countless numbers of human beings didn’t register.

He was generally pleased with the success of his company, but he became increasingly aware that, in spite of the money and prestige, there was something missing in his life. He had become cynical about the loyalty of the men and women comprising his executive team. While it was true that they were well qualified and good at what they did, it became obvious that they were, for the most part, sycophants constantly offering insincere expressions of admiration designed to curry favor.

Lukas started out well in life. He was born into a middle-class family, his father a blue-collar worker, his mother a teacher. He was an average student in public school, but did very well in college, earning a degree in business management. His parents were active members in a local protestant church, and Lukas responded favorably to the religious instruction he received while there. One summer, he attended a Christian Youth Camp for a week, and after hearing the preaching at chapel each evening, he was convinced that he needed to invite Christ into his life to forgive his sins. He made that decision, and was baptized at age twelve in his home church. For a while, he even considered becoming a full-time minister. However, when he left home for college and got involved with campus life and other fields of study, the thought of going into the ministry faded. He eventually accepted a position in an established real estate firm, where he quickly made a good impression. Advancement came quickly, as did the knowledge of the business, and soon he was able to strike out on his own. He founded his own business, which in the intervening years, became an empire.

It was shortly afterward that he met his wife, Vivian, at a friend’s wedding. She was a socialite from a well-to-do family. Vivian was a shrewd—as well as beautiful—young woman. She had already heard about Lukas Kincaid from her bride-friend and determined almost right away that he was a man who could take her as high as her lofty ambitions went. She was desired by many men, and could have had any one she wanted, but she saw something special in Lukas, and she was determined to marry him. Some years after they married, and Lukas’ business began to take off in a major way, Vivian rose even higher in the social ranks, and she took to the role like a fish to water. Because of her high-society connections, Lukas frequently remarked that his wife was his most effective resource when it came to securing the right contacts for the business, so much so that he put her on the payroll as a chief advisor, which allowed her to amass her own fortune. She was even able to acquire a sizable cache of stock shares in the company. Her Achilles Heel, however, was her ruthlessness in dealing with those she thought stood in her way, on anything. It was nothing overt, mind you. It was more insidious in nature. She could kill you with kindness on the one hand while stabbing you in the back with the other. It was said behind her back that she had no soul. In essence, she was a vacuous vessel whose entire existence was defined by the idols of money, prestige, and power. She worshipped at their altars. The problem is that idolatry is often mistaken for love. When it is found to be void of truth and substance, as it was in Lukas’ and Vivian’s marriage, the principals realize that what was thought to be love was only a sad necessity of dependence to maintain the façade of the power couple that every other couple wanted to be.

Lukas’ and Vivian’s union produced one child, a son they named Russell. In retrospect, this was far and away their biggest failure. He died a tragic death in his early twenties. Addicted to heroin, he took one-too-many doses.

Russell was a stereotypical wastrel if there ever was one. As a child, he was overly indulged in every way, not because he was especially loved, but because he wasn’t. His mother was devoid of maternal nurturing skills, and his father was so busy building his business, he might as well have been an absentee dad. He was raised by a series of nannies who tried mightily to bring some degree of normalcy to the boy’s life, but were frequently rebuffed by one or both parents. As a result, each nanny would eventually leave out of frustration only to be followed by another, then another, etc., until Russell no longer needed one. By this time, his parents realized that he was out of control. Of course, they each blamed the other for not being a good parent. Their solution was to shuffle him off to boarding school, which in reality, was like throwing gasoline on a fire. He was always in trouble, and was eventually expelled and sent home, only to be recycled to another school—from which he was also eventually expelled— repeating the pathetic cycle until the boarding school options were completely exhausted. His father tried to get him jobs, but Russell had started drinking heavily and experimenting with other drugs. He lost job after job, until it became apparent that he would probably never be able to hold one.

In an ironic twist of fate—and unknown to both his parents—the one thing he managed to do right was to conceive a son. Through a friend, he met and fell in love with a young woman who was far below him in social standing, but frankly, was a far superior human being in all other respects. When she became pregnant, Russell wanted to do the right thing by marrying her but, by that time, he was in the grip of his heroin addiction, and died before he could fulfill that promise. To her credit, the young woman, who was estranged from her only living relative— her father—accepted the challenge of single parenthood. She did the best she could to raise her son, whom she named Mitchell, hoping that he would grow up be someone who would accomplish something worthwhile in the world.

Lukas finished his drink and took a few final puffs on his Macanudo. He looked at his watch. Realizing it was far later than he had planned to stay, he rose, collected himself, and began making his rounds shaking hands, congratulating his team on another successful acquisition. After several pats on the back, and the obligatory words of praise from his team members, he laughed and said, Okay boys, that’s quite enough. It’s late, and you’re making it hard for me to leave. Stay as long as you like—or even until they evict you—but I will expect to see you all on Monday morning, sober and ready for work. This has been a great day, but there are more dragons to slay and victories to be won, so keep your foot on the gas. And with that, I bid you good night.

Lukas walked out of the club into the cold January air, and handed his parking ticket to the valet. He shivered, noticing that a fine mist was falling. Putting his hands into the pockets of his wool overcoat, he turned to the valet who had just finished calling for the car to be brought around and said, I wasn’t expecting this drizzle. You think it will freeze on the road?

The valet rubbed his hands together and looked around at the blacktopped parking area—then at the sky and back at the road—and replied, I don’t know Mr. Kincaid. It’s pretty cold, but I’ve noticed that none of the cars coming and going this evening have had any trouble. It should be okay. In truth, the valet wasn’t a weatherman and had no idea whether it would be okay or not, and didn’t really care. After all, he thought, here’s a guy who’s rich enough to call a limo to take him home, and he’s worried about slick roads. The valet was right, of course, but Lukas didn’t like being driven around. He was a control guy. Besides, he enjoyed driving.

Just as Lukas was looking at his watch again, he heard the familiar muted rumble that his 400 horsepower Jaguar makes when underway. He and Vivian had several cars, but the Jag was the one he preferred over all the others, and he drove it almost exclusively. He was fond of telling his friends that a Jaguar was the kind of car that looks like it’s going a hundred miles per hour standing still! Characteristically, Vivian had mixed emotions about it. She was impressed by the fact that it cost in excess of $80,000, but thought it a car that appealed to those less sophisticated. She much preferred the Rolls-Royce. It was even more expensive, and carried the cache of both sophistication and prestige. Although she occasionally drove herself, out of necessity, unlike her husband, she felt driving oneself was something relegated to the masses and thus beneath her. As a consequence, she had a fulltime chauffeur on staff, who also served as an automotive mechanic.

Lukas gave the valet a generous tip, and slid into the driver’s seat. He took a deep breath as he felt the comfort of the leather and the way the car seemed to envelope him so that he felt part of the car itself. He eschewed the seatbelt as being too restrictive. He shifted into drive and headed home. Now underway, he decided to test the road for slickness, turning the wheel slightly back and forth. Deciding all was okay, he accelerated quickly. It was almost midnight, and he still wanted to close out some post-project details before going to bed, so he pressed down on the accelerator increasing his speed beyond the limit. About 10 minutes into the drive, he rounded a curve at high speed. Just as he was coming out of the turn, he failed to see a deer standing in the road. When he did see it, he stomped on the brake and turned the wheel sharply, causing the car to spin out of control on the now slick road. In a slow-motion type scene, the car was spinning, then tumbling. Lukas was able to see the scenery outside—trees, telephone poles, guard rails, and the road itself—as well as sundry loose items in the car, floating as if suspended, weightless. Then, something or someone that appeared near the passenger seat caught his eye. He couldn’t fully make it out, but it appeared to be the translucent image of a man. In the split second that he saw this apparition, he also heard, or thought he heard, the words, It will be okay.

Then … nothing. No sound, no spinning, no tumbling. Nothing … only silence … and darkness.

Two

Best Laid Plans

Lukas Kincaid lay in a bed in the Intensive Care Unit at Mercy Hospital. Earlier, a passerby came upon his car off the highway, partially wrapped around a tree. Fortunately, the man was a volunteer EMT, so he was able to call for immediate emergency assistance on his CB radio before he grabbed his first-aid kit and hurried over to check on the occupants. He found one passenger slumped over the console with part of his torso lying on the passenger seat. The front windshield was shattered with shards of glass covering most of the interior. The driver-side door was jammed, so the passerby reached through the window to assess Lukas’ condition. He was able to ascertain that the occupant was unconscious, still breathing, but the breaths were sporadic and the injured man was groaning a lot. The most immediate concern was the bleeding from the victim’s head and a wound somewhere else on his body. It was later discovered that a piece of metal, apparently part of the trim holding the windshield in place, had come loose and, with great force, had lodged itself in his chest. The passerby was able to gain access to the car from the passenger side. The door on that side was torn away by the force of the impact. As he was preparing bandages for Lukas’ head and chest wound, he heard the rapidly approaching sirens of the emergency vehicles. Within minutes, firefighters were able to gain sufficient access to remove Lukas from the car. The newly arrived EMTs took over administering first aid from the passerby and initiated additional life-saving measures once they had Lukas secure in the ambulance. The police that arrived on the scene conducted their forensic investigation and interviewed the passerby as the only witness.

After Lukas arrived at the hospital, he was rushed to surgery where medical personnel fought to save his life. He had suffered serious head injuries, blood loss and internal bleeding, and some broken bones. After nearly dying, doctors managed to stabilize his condition, but his survival and recovery were uncertain. Nurses and medical technicians were busily maneuvering to finish arranging things. Lukas lay still in bed with various tubes and wires leading to an assortment of medical equipment and monitoring devices. The machines of life brought both comfort and dread as they periodically beeped and hummed like an out-of-sync rhythm section. A senior nurse and her young subordinate were taking care of the routine-but-important minutia that accompanies the practice of intensive care. The senior nurse was busy with both hands trying to manipulate a piece of equipment. She looked around for the young nurse and said, Karen, I need your help here. No response. She looked back for the younger nurse who was standing at the foot of the bed staring at the patient’s medical chart, which she held. Karen! she said with more urgency.

Karen, with a look of distain, replied, Do you know who this man is, Brenda?

I don’t care who he is. Right now, he’s a very sick patient who needs our help. Now, get over here, and do your job!

Karen checked her emotions and moved to assist. They continued working without conversing for a few more minutes. When finished, Brenda turned to Karen and said, We need to talk. In the hallway, now! They exit the room.

Brenda said, Okay, Missy. What was that all about?

Our patient is Mr. Lukas Kincaid, the infamous corporate vampire.

So what? Brenda asked, her hands firmly planted on her hips. What does that have to do with you? Or me, for that matter.

Karen became more animated and irritated at Brenda’s tone, and replied, That sorry excuse for a human being; that creep ruined my father’s life! A few years ago, Kincaid’s company bought up an entire city block of buildings, including an apartment building where my father was renting. My father lived there for years, and the owner went out of his way to keep the rent reasonable. Kincaid issued notices to the renters that they would have to vacate their apartments within three months. My dad was living on a small pension and a little Social Security. He had serious health issues that prevented him from holding another job. What was he going to do? And, oh yeah, he had made friends with many of the other tenants. He and a few other renters took a bus over to Kincaid’s office building to try and reason with him, you know. They didn’t even get to see him, the creep! He sent down a couple of his underlings. Their only response was, Sorry, but there’s nothing we can do. And, that was that. Sure, the city relocated a lot of them to another place that was more expensive, a lot less nice, and in a crime-ridden neighborhood. My father did the best he could do. His pride wouldn’t allow him to live with me. He was independent all his life. He held on for about a year. Then, a heart attack took him away, God rest his soul.

Brenda looked at Karen who was now tearing up. She put her arm around her and said, Oh Honey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I can completely understand how you feel about Mr. Kincaid, but you have to try get past your feelings about him. You’re a trained nurse, and whether you or like it, he’s our patient. We took an oath to do everything within our power to help people. That includes the man in that room who is fighting for his life. Now, come on with me down to the break room. Let’s have a cup of coffee. It’s going to be a long night.

It was a long night indeed. Vivian and Lukas’ mother arrived at the hospital while Lukas was in surgery. They waited in the waiting room for two hours, and both were starting to get frustrated. A nurse came out periodically with an update which was only that he was still in surgery, and that the surgeon would be coming out to talk with them soon. Alice, the mother, sat silently in a chair, showing little emotion, but fearful about the news that might come. Lukas’ father had passed a few years earlier. Vivian was nervously pacing. This was not how she anticipated her evening would go. It was already three a.m., and she should be at home getting a good night’s sleep. She looked at Alice and said, I’m going outside for a cigarette. This was a routine that was repeated several times during the vigil.

As she walked down the hall to the elevator—then down to the foyer—she noticed several passing male orderlies and other men casting admiring looks in her direction. She smiled a knowing smile as if to acknowledge to them that she was well aware of what they were thinking. They invariably smiled back. Although she was now middle-aged, she was still strikingly beautiful, and she carried herself with an air of self-assurance that just added to the mystique. She was to men what Homer’s Sirens were to Odysseus. Something else catching her attention was how many people there were in the hospital at such a ridiculous hour. Soon, she was at the door to the outside. As the automatic door slid open, she felt the rush of the late January air, and regretted not wearing her coat. However, the night air was a relief from the stagnant air of the waiting room, and she took a deep breath before lighting up. She coughed a few times as she inhaled, and wondered why she ever took up smoking. She really didn’t like it much, but it was the thing most of her society friends did. When it came to fitting into society, Vivian was with the program. She took a couple more drags