Keithe let out a “Morning,” toward a woman who was more than giving him the eye.
With the bow of his head, Keithe took a moment before getting involved in the church activities, and whispered a prayer.
“Lord, once again thank you for traveling mercies. I pray that you remove self and dwell in my heart so that I may hear what thus says The Lord. Amen.”
Peering around the church, Keithe didn’t bother when he didn’t immediately land his eyes on his frat brother, Mike. Knowing his friend was the lead choir director, Mike’s place was, always had been, and always would be behind the organ.
“Good morning, Bethel.” a busty woman who looked to be one of the mothers of the church assumed her duty of bringing attention to the front of the medium-sized room, while standing behind a podium that couldn’t start to hide her rounded hips. “I said, good morning, church,” she said again, wanting to get a better response, while her canary-colored hat bounced on her head.
“Good morning,” Keithe said along with the members and other visitors who had all made their way into Sunday morning’s service.
“We are now going to ask the praise team to come to the front and lead us in this morning’s worship service. Let us give them a hand praise as they make their way up. Amen?” the buxom woman forced from the crowd.
“Amen,” Keithe returned with raised eyebrows as he finally laid down the program that had been cramped in his hand.
“Good morning, church! if the Lord has blessed you, woke you up this morning, and has given you another chance to right the wrongs you’ve made, stand on your feet and help us praise him!” a young lady Keithe had never seen at the church before yelled into the microphone. “I know I might be young, but I want to take it back old school this morning, saints. If you know it, sing it with me.” She prepared the congregation before she sang, “Have you tried Jesus? he’s all right.” She gave the question and answered in song.
With the blessed sound of the young lady’s voice filling the sanctuary, Keithe, like others around him, stood and embraced the entrance of the holy spirit in his heart. Tapping the linoleum floor with his feet (which were covered in $500-plus shoes), Keithe swayed back and forth between the sounds of the spirited jubilee.
“He’s all right,” Keithe sang back, enjoying himself in the Lord. For the moment, Keithe enriched himself in a place where no harm could be done to his heart, his feelings wouldn’t be mangled, and his life was secure. when he went a step further and closed his eyes and raised his hands, Keithe made up his mind to praise his way through his circumstances.
In the midst of another four songs sung by the praise team, the fullness of the Lord came in and swept throughout the church. Before the word had even gotten a chance to be taught in the morning service, people were already renewed in their souls.
One testimony was asked to be given, and, like race-horses, a man, and a woman with a ferocious feathered hot pink hat, battled to be first pick.
The lady won the spot. “Goodness and mercy have guided my way this morning. If it had not been”—she swayed her hands in front of her body, pausing for the effect—“for the Lord on my side, saints, where would I be?
“I give honor to the pastor and the first lady and all to whom honor is due. You all know I travel quite a ways to come to the church on a regular basis. Over highways and byways. Well, this morning an eighteen wheeler almost took the lives of me and my daughter. Being that there were only two lanes, I was in the left-hand lane, making my way around the truck. I know all about blind spots and how to drive around big trucks, being that my daddy is a big rig driver. I make it my purpose in getting away from being on the side of the truck.” She threw out the explanation.
“But right as I got middle ways, the truck started to come over on my side. Remember I said I was on the left-hand side of a two-lane highway?” she looked around the church. “Well, most of that time, there was a guardrail there.” She stopped for a short praise of “Hallelujah!” after four hard stomps to the church’s carpeted aisle, she continued.
“Well, he came over on my side of the road, and all I had time enough to do was call on the name of Jesus. Just as I swerved off of the road, the guardrail was gone, and I was able to land in the grassy median. Hallelujah.” She stopped to think of what could have been, might have been, if it had not been for being covered by the blood.
“I just want to thank the Lord for seeing me and my baby through, because you all could have gotten a bad report on this morning, but I know who Jesus is!” Mike finally made his way to the organ and gave the keys a hard hold. “He is a way maker.” The deep tune penetrated. “A bad report shaker.” Mike’s fingers danced across the keyboard, bringing others to their feet, clapping along with the tune.
After the lady was able to dance in the spirit for a minute or two, she finally settled with a serene composure. “He can bring you out of anything! You all pray for my strength as I continue to grow in the will and the direction God so chooses for my life.”
With the entire church band’s ensemble collaborating, the praise going forth left people on their feet, praising the Lord right along with the sister with the testimony. Not in a rush to settle God’s praise, hand clapping and foot stomping made a tune.
Keithe loved the praise going forth and joined right in until Mike cooled the organ keys down. Before long, the senior pastor of the church made his way to the pulpit, following protocol. Announcements, tithes, offerings, and a and B selections rendered from the choir readied the sermon for the day.
Trying his best to stay focused on the oration that Bethel’s senior pastor began, Keithe fought to get his mind focused on the scripture at hand, but couldn’t help glancing at the young woman who must have had the same problem as he had, as she was squinting over her glasses.
Although still true to his feelings for his wife, Keithe couldn’t help but wonder who the young lady was who kept stealing glances at him from the front of the church. Ever since she had sat down from directing the choir, her full eyes had been one of the main attractions for him. Shaking his head, hoping that it would clear his mind so he could receive more of the word, Keithe stared down at his Bible, searching for the passage.
“Scoot over,” Keithe heard from a familiar voice just as he was about to re-read the scripture for clarification. Moving a foot over, Keithe rolled his eyes at Mike. “’sup, dude? why you didn’t tell ya boy you were coming through?” Brother Mike whispered.
“I see he still talking in third person,” Keithe joked around, whispering back at his friend as they did a silent brotherly handshake. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the organ? sounds like your pastor’s getting ready to gun it.”
Throwing a wave toward the pulpit, Mike rolled his eyes. “Anyway. Yeah, I just wanted to see what was up. You cool? what you doing here?”
“I’m chill. We’ll talk about it after church. I’ll be here for a few days.” Keithe knew it was only because of his seizures, and doctor’s recommendation, that he had the flexibility to take time off from work. He was allowed a lighter workload once his illness started getting the best of him. With all of the ruckus he’d been going through with Michelle, there was no better time to relax than the present.
“That’s what’s up. We were just talking about you Friday night, looking over my pictures at the house,” Mike nonchalantly said while peering around the church. “So this is how it feels to sit out here with you people. Hmm.”
“Dude!
