He used this humor to convey that our bodies are likened to tottering tents, but he got serious about “the eternal weight of glory” awaiting us. “We will exchange our tents for mansions, bodies fit for all eternity. And what will we do with our incorruptible bodies? We will reign with the One who rose from the dead on that first Easter morning. We will be involved in God’s ongoing creative activity—a team effort with eternal significance and productivity.” Pastor Donovan looked right at George and the team seated in the back pew as he delivered this last sentence. A glimmer of hope spanned the entire sanctuary. Eternity was in their hearts.
* * * * *
Payne handed his wife the CD of his Easter sermon when the kids and he returned home after church. He was concerned about her state of being and thought that what he said might be medicine for her soul. She laid the disc on the dresser, and then laid her body on the bed.
As Ashley isolated herself from the world, Payne and Anne marched forward on the road of transformation set before them. They could not dawdle until she accepted the reality of Anne’s pregnancy. There were decisions to make and strategies to execute.
The team, including Anne, met at SarkiSystems to go over the plan. (Doug stayed home with his mom and enjoyed the delivered pizza.) George explained that Anne would perform her normal routines and graduate from high school. Then, before she began to show, she would go away until it was time to give birth. Forming quote signs with his fingers, he indicated that, when asked, they would say that “Anne is studying abroad” and that “she is expanding her horizon.”
George announced to Anne, “You will be going to Israel incognito and on a mission. No one but the team will know what is happening in your womb. While you are in the Holy Land, you will visit various sites. We will film your journey and make a documentary of your pilgrimage.”
George then addressed Pastor Donovan. “Let me reassure you that your daughter and the baby will be well protected and cared for the entire time. She will eat well, sleep well, and receive regular prenatal checkups. And you will receive regular updates.”
Maxwell queried, “What is the purpose of capturing her trip on film?”
“I’m glad you asked this, Maxwell. Through the use of technology, we will be able to show the world that Jesus has indeed returned. We will, in the fullness of time, broadcast worldwide a documentary of the events that have already taken place—the acquisition of the cord and the implantation of the embryo—along with the events that have yet to take place—the pilgrimage of our ‘Virgin Mary’ and the birth of our Coming King.” Then George avowed that when their efforts were presented, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
At the moment, Pastor Donovan was not interested in every knee and every tongue, just his wife’s. He knew that Anne’s pregnancy and now trip formed Ashley’s curse, not confession. He would pastor the congregation, but he would do so without his helpmate, for she walked on her own pilgrimage, a crusade into the castle of despair.
4
Pastor Donovan acknowledged his daughter and the other graduates on Graduation Sunday. He congratulated each one by name and said a little prayer for them. For Anne, he thanked God that “Anne is going to study abroad” and that “she will be expanding her horizon.”
The next day Anne boarded a plane to Israel. Before she checked her bags, Payne looked her in her eyes, and with tears in his, he said, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” With these words from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he let go of his little girl—and then returned home to hold tightly his wife.
He entered the summer as he would any uncharted waters, unprecedented events that would test his faith and patience. He prayed for wisdom and strength. His daughter was far away, out of his control—as was his wife. And there was Doug, missing his mom and sister. Wasting no time to set sail into the unknown, Doug asked after the breakfast prayer, “What if she has a girl?”
Perplexed initially, then annoyed, Payne looked at his son, and then he stared at the cold cereal in the bowl. It’s the first day of summer and I already miss Anne, and I miss Ashley’s world-famous waffles. Bracing for the storms lurking on the horizon, he resolved not to focus on the rough waters. He would not be like Peter when he took his eyes off Jesus in the midst of the storm. But this would not be easy. He felt himself begin to sink when Doug bellowed, “Or, what if she has twins?”
* * * * *
What if? Doubt entered Pastor Donovan. What if the plan did not work? What if this was not God’s plan? What if something happened to Anne? When he was just about to spiral down into the place where Ashley resided, the phone rang.
“Hi, Dad.”
Payne heard tiredness, but more importantly, joy in Anne’s voice as she shared her first report. “The flight went well. I thought that maybe I felt the baby’s first kick, but realized it was only air turbulence.” The conversation was short because she needed to rest. He could use some rest, too.
He cuddled next to Ashley and whispered, “Anne just called. She sounded good.” With this said, he fell asleep with his left arm wrapped around his perfectly still wife, unaware that her eyes remained wide open.
The phone did not ring at the Donovan’s home for the rest of the week. Friends were giving them space. Parishioners were off vacationing or making plans to do so. Telemarketers were honoring the do-not-call list. The deafening silence of no long-distance call from Anne caused Payne to more than once check that the phone still worked. Why hasn’t she called? Is she okay? How long will it be between calls? Can I call her? Questions began to pile up, again. Finally, the phone rang. After a brief pause, a man, obviously reading a script, had an offer that could change his life. So much for honorable salesmen.
Anne called two weeks later. “Dad, so much has happened. I’m sorry that I have not called. We have been so busy, going from one place to the next. But my evening is free. I’m so glad we have a chance to talk.”
For the next hour, Pastor Donovan listened as Anne talked about her trip. He smiled as her innocent smile beamed over the phone. She explained that George arranged for her to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, making various stops along the way. Her time in and around Nazareth proved to be a memorable start to her pilgrimage. She visited various sites that commemorated Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary. Without pausing, Anne transitioned to describing the sense of awe she felt as she walked on the land that Jesus did as a boy growing up. She envisioned Him playing with His friends and working in His father’s workshop. The terrain of His neighborhood aroused nostalgia in Anne. The earthiness of Jesus captivated her.
Anne shared about the team’s day trip to Cana. She reassured her dad that she did not drink any wine. As a teetotaler and expectant mother, Anne was neither tempted nor vexed by the local merchants’ persistent mission to have visitors imbibe history. The excursion caused Anne to reflect on the unique mother-son relationship that Mary and Jesus navigated—and one that they, too, would soon navigate.
She went into detail about how she read and then reflected on the first miracle performed by Jesus. She shared how she had pondered, as she sat outside the church built upon the remains of the house believed to be where Jesus turned the water into wine, Why is Joseph not mentioned? Was he an absent father like so many are today? Was he dead? Anne confessed that she could not help but think about her own situation. Where is the father of my baby? Who is the father? God? George? Is there a father? Am I carrying a mere product of SarkiSystems? Determined not to wallow in this paternal
