The van pulled into the prison yard in Huntsville, winding around the grounds and stopping just outside the door to the execution chamber. Guards helped Kevin get out of the van. He looked up at the blue sky, thinking what a beautiful day it was. Shackled, he shuffled into the cell block, a row of six cells lined next to one another; one, the visiting cell, curtained with a fine mesh. He was escorted directly into one of the open cells, his shackles were removed, and he was searched again -- and then fingerprinted.

The transportation guards left, and the guards from the Walls unit took over. These guys were veterans of the process, and Kevin immediately felt a difference in how he was treated. No snide comments about murderers, no disdain in their voices when they asked him a question. Kevin was allowed to change out of the stiff white jumpsuit, into "civilian" clothes. He then stood waiting for the warden to come explain the execution process. Kevin maintained his sense of inner peace throughout the explanation. When the warden asked him how he was doing, Kevin told him he was doing just fine. And then to Kevin's great surprise, the warden teared up. There had been no rulings from the courts, the warden explained, so he expected the execution to proceed as planned. Kevin was deeply moved -- he had not been treated with such humanity by a prison staff member in the sixteen years he had been on death row.

When the warden finished, the prison chaplain arrived. Kevin had a long and intimate conversation with the chaplain about the scriptures and the power of God. Around 3:00, Kevin's last meal arrived: astonishing portions of fried pork chops, French fries (with plenty of ketchup,) fried chicken, egg & breakfast patty sandwich, milk and chocolate cake. Accustomed to the small portions served on death row, Kevin had over-ordered. The chaplain helped him out, and together they devoured most of the food. Then the waiting began again.

With several hours until his execution time, Kevin had time for couple more visits and phone calls. His attorney arrived -- with no news regarding the law suit. His spiritual advisor -- whom he had known and prayed with for many years -- arrived and they prayed again together. Then he called his ex-wife, who had traveled to Huntsville to witness his execution so that he would have a friendly face in the audience. He also spoke with his aunt and his Swiss pen pal. Finally, he called home to speak with his 18-year -old son and his step-daughter. Kevin was reluctant to say goodbye. He ended the call with "'till we meet again."

With his final goodbyes completed, Kevin sat back in the cell. He had 15 more minutes until they came for him, 15 more minutes until he would be escorted to the execution chamber. Then a guard came and told Kevin that they were taking him back to Livingston, back to death row.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had issued a stay, and for the moment, Kevin Zimmerman's life had been spared. Most people assume that getting a stay of execution causes elation. Kevin said (as trite as it might sound) that he felt like he'd been hit in the face with a baseball bat, like his life had been sucked right out of him. He was angry and disappointed. He had been ready to go. The stay meant days or weeks or even months more of the misery of life on death row.

Kevin was prepared for that. He was prepared to die. He had made amends with his enemies, reconciled with his ex-wife and reconnected with his son and step-daughter. His Christian faith had deepened; he had asked for, and he believed received, forgiveness from his Lord.

Although Kevin had authorized the filing of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the way he would be put to death -- by lethal injection -- he never expected it would be successful. He had lost enough times in the courts of Texas to know that in death penalty cases, the wins were few and far between. He didn't really want to pursue further appeals, but he believed that he had a Christian obligation to do so. As he saw it, Jesus continued to ask his Father to spare him of his fate up until the end -- and therefore, as a Christian, Kevin had to do the same. But he didn't anticipate how it would feel to get what he asked for.