Chapter 1: Lunch at the Marina

Tony and Lorna sat at a sunlit table, seagulls squawking in the background. Daisy arrived, her bright smile lighting up the marina like the sun. They hugged, ordered fish and chips, and settled in.

Daisy leaned forward. “So, Tony, Lorna, you know how Jesus heals?”

Lorna nodded, quick as usual. Tony sipped his coffee, looking puzzled. “Yeah, well, sort of,” he said, scratching his head.

Daisy chuckled. “Let’s make it simple. Imagine Jesus is here, right now. Someone sick asks Him, ‘Lord, if You will, You can heal me.’ What would He say?”

Lorna chimed in. “He’d say, ‘I will.’ Right?”

Daisy pointed at her. “Exactly. Jesus never said, ‘I won’t.’ Not once.”

Tony frowned. “But what if…you know, He has a different plan?”

Daisy laughed. “Tony, mate, Jesus never says, ‘I’ll get back to you.’ He’s not an answering machine.”

Lorna smirked. “Tony, just admit you’re slow. Daisy’s talking sense.”

Tony sighed. “Yeah, but…” He shrugged, still unsure.

They laughed, their friendship easy, even with the heavy stuff on the table.

Chapter 2: Tony’s Struggle

Daisy continued, eyes bright with conviction. “Tony, think about the leper in Luke. He was full of leprosy, like a walking disease. No doctor, no hope. But he found Jesus.”

Tony squinted. “Full of it? That’s worse than just having it, right?”

Daisy nodded. “Exactly. Like your garage, Tony—full to bursting.”

Lorna burst out laughing. “Oh, he understands ‘full’ all right.”

Tony grinned sheepishly. “Okay, okay. So, the guy’s in bad shape.”

Daisy went on. “The leper says, ‘Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.’ And what does Jesus do? He touches him.”

Tony looked surprised. “He touched him? Even though he was…”

Daisy nodded. “Yep. No hesitation. No ‘Hang on, let me think about it.’ Just ‘I will. Be clean.’”

Lorna patted Tony’s arm. “See, simple. You’re getting it.”

Tony still looked doubtful. “But does it work like that now?”

Daisy smiled. “Tony, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He doesn’t change. No fancy terms, no hoops to jump through.”

Tony scratched his chin. “But people still get sick. How’s that fit?”

Daisy leaned back, sipping her water. “Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.”

Chapter 3: Lorna’s Lightbulb Moment

Lorna jumped in, eyes sparkling. “So, Daisy, it’s like…there’s no ‘if’ with Jesus, right?”

Daisy clapped her hands. “Exactly, Lorna! You’re spot on. It’s never ‘if.’ It’s ‘I will.’”

Tony looked at Lorna. “How do you get it so fast?”

Lorna shrugged. “I listen, Tony. And I don’t overthink it.”

Daisy laughed. “Tony, you’re like a computer that needs a reboot. You’re stuck on old programming.”

Tony chuckled. “Maybe I need a software update.”

Lorna poked him. “Or just hit ‘accept terms and conditions.’”

Daisy smiled. “You’ve found the will of God when you see Jesus say, ‘I will.’ He’s not holding back. He’s not moody.”

Tony nodded slowly. “Yeah, okay. I think I see it now.”

Daisy looked at him. “No ‘ifs,’ Tony. Just believe He says, ‘I will.’”

Chapter 4: Tony’s Aha Moment

The sun was now high, and their plates were almost empty. Tony leaned back, deep in thought.

“So, Daisy, it’s about knowing He’s willing, not just able?”

Daisy nodded. “Bingo, Tony! You’d trust a chef who’s both willing and able to cook, right?”

Tony grinned. “Especially if the food’s good.”

Lorna rolled her eyes. “Tony, it’s not about fish and chips.”

Daisy continued, “Look, people think God’s up there flipping coins, deciding who gets healed. But that’s not Jesus.”

Tony sat up straighter. “So, if He healed the leper, He’d heal me, too?”

Daisy nodded. “If He said ‘I will’ then, He says it now. No favourites, no exceptions.”

Tony looked thoughtful. “No ‘I’ll think about it.’ Just ‘I will.’”

Daisy smiled. “Now you’re talking!”

Lorna patted Tony’s back. “Finally, we’ve got him.”

Chapter 5: A New Understanding

Tony stared out at the water, a new peace settling on him. “So it’s not about earning it?”

Daisy shook her head. “Nope. It’s not about jumping through hoops. Just believing He’s as willing as He’s able.”

Lorna smiled. “Tony, you’re slow, but you get there.”

Tony laughed. “Yeah, like a slow cooker. Takes time, but worth it.”

Daisy chuckled. “Tony, God’s not waiting on you to be perfect. He’s just waiting for you to believe.”

Tony grinned. “Got it. No more ‘ifs.’ Just trust.”

Daisy finished her drink. “That’s the spirit. So next time you wonder about healing, remember, Jesus never says, ‘I won’t.’ He says, ‘I will.’”

Tony raised his glass. “To healing, no ‘ifs.’”

Lorna raised hers. “And to Tony, finally catching up.”

They all laughed, the sun warm on their faces, friendship and newfound faith binding them closer.