Marcus Redding's Gift of the Magi

“Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:1

Marcus was in the warehouse today, unloading a truck full of candy bars and Grandma’s cookies. So at first he didn’t hear the call over the intercom for him to come to the front office. Ron heard it and caught Marcus the next time he drove by. “They’re calling you to the office.” Marcus gulped. He had only been called into the front office during the work day two times since he started at Colby’s Wholesale. Once to do some paperwork after a teenage driver got in a fender bender with him while he was making deliveries. The other time was when a Valero store manager called to compliment Marcus on his work. But he couldn’t think of any reason why he was being called in now. Unless the smaller orders and fewer deliveries had something to do with it. He was the low man on the totem pole. He jumped off the forklift. Ron jumped on so he could finish the unloading. He turned to watch his buddy walk to the office. Ron sighed and started the forklift.

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29

That same morning Dr. Lemke came into Lauren’s office. She had never spoken to the president during her workday, much less had the president come to her office to speak to her. But the conference that weekend had gone so well and it had so enhanced TJC’s reputation in the community, that he wanted to thank her in person. Lauren planned and organized the East Texas Technology Summit. It was a showcase of TJC’s technology applications in the fields of health care, education, and small-business development. Hospital administrators, superintendents, and local business leaders attended. Everyone was thoroughly impressed that TJC students received a high level of technology training but they were even more impressed by the organization of the conference and the keynote address Lauren presented Saturday morning. She was flattered and honored by the president’s visit, but as big a deal as that was, something more important was on her mind. As soon as the president left her office she got out her cell phone and opened the calendar. She kept counting the last few days of the month. Over and over again. She stopped by CVS on the way home.

She beat Marcus home by at least a half hour. She didn’t even change her clothes. She just waited for him at the kitchen table. When she heard him coming up the steps she met him at the door. “I’ve got some news,” she said, excited, but composed. “I’ve got some news too,” he said, disappointed but calm.

They were both taken aback, not expecting the other to have news. She could see his news wasn’t good, but that made her all the more anxious to tell him her news. He could see that her news was good, and that made him all the more anxious to hear it. Marcus smiled a puzzled smile, “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. I’m going to count to three. When I say ‘three’ you tell me your news in just a few words and at the same time I’ll tell you my news in just a few words. Okay?” She looked at him for a long while. Somehow she knew what he was going to say. And somehow she knew that he knew what she was going to say. Two years flashed through her mind in two milliseconds. She took two steps forward and kissed his cheek. She stepped back. Quietly she said, “Okay.” Marcus said, “Onetwothree.”

He said, “I lost my job”
She said, “We’re having a baby”

More about Marcus Redding’s journey of faith next week.