Marcus Redding Works Security

Mr. Johnson said good night and walked out the door. Marcus slowly closed it behind him. He stood at the door for a moment, looking at the doorknob, thinking. He heard junebugs buzzing outside. He turned off the porch light. He thought, “What have I gotten us into?” He took a deep breath and turned around and walked back to the kitchen table.

Lauren was leaning back, eyes closed, feet propped up on a chair. Marcus took hold of her right foot and gently pressed around her ankle. A little swollen. He sat down and said, “Well, that was interesting.” Keeping her eyes closed, Lauren said knowingly, “You’re not talking about my ankles, are you?”

She opened her eyes. She sat up and looked at Marcus. “What do you think about what he said about giving us the ranch?” Her tone sounded desperate. “I’m thinking about it.” Marcus saw a difficult conversation coming. Lauren went on, “This is a problem Marcus. He told us this ranch could be ours. I mean, that’s nice and I understand about Grandpa Sam and all that, but he doesn’t know us! We don’t know him! We don’t know if this is even going to work out for even a little while! I thought this was going to be a job, a place for us to get started, but he wants us to be the heirs to his kingdom. I don’t know about raising a family out here. There are no neighbors, the church is small, I might be able to handle the books and all that, but you’ve got the hard job working outside all the time. I don’t know about this.”

By now tears welled up in her eyes. She went on, “Look at my ankles. Look at my belly. Look at these boxes. I am due in less than two weeks, we haven’t hardly got settled, and now Mr. Johnson wants us to be 21^st century Jolly Ranchers...I don’t want to be trapped out here.” Now she started sobbing. “Oh boy,” thought Marcus, “now what do I say?” He looked at Lauren: red eyes, round belly, swollen ankles, TJC employee identification card still hung around her neck, shaking with her sobs.

Security. That one word came to his mind. That’s what she needs. Then he thought of Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives.” So he stood up and walked to the couch and removed the six boxes that had been stacked there. He found a pillow. He walked back to the kitchen table and took Lauren’s hand. “What are you doing?” she said between sobs. “Come here,” he said, and he pulled her up and led her to the couch. He sat down at one end and put the pillow in his lap. “Lay down,” he said. “What are you doing?” she said, wiping her eyes. “Just lay down.” She sat on the edge of the couch and slowly swung her legs around and laid her head down on the pillow on his lap. He kissed her forehead and ran his finger through her long black hair and they stayed like that for several minutes. Just quiet. No sound except for junebugs and a sniffle or two.

“Lauren.” He just said her name. “What?” she said. And for a fleeting moment she looked up at him like a little girl who needed reassurance. Lauren, who was always confident, always reassuring others. “We are going to be fine. We are going to be just fine. And as far as Mr. Johnson goes…he’s an old sentimental man. He loves this place and doesn’t want to see it split up and sold off. Don’t worry about that. I don’t think he’ll pressure us into it. If he does, I’ll talk to him. Let’s take it one step at a time and see what happens. And these boxes, I’ll ask Mr. Johnson if I can take some time to unpack so you don’t have to. We’ll work it out. One step at a time. We’ll be okay. The Lord has taken care of us up to now, he won’t let us down.”

Lauren took a deep breath. “Okay, I know. You are right. I just want the best for this baby. And for us.” She was quiet for a while, then she looked back up at Marcus. “You know how we haven’t been able to come up with a name? I found one. It’s in 2 Samuel 9:12. Look it up. See if you like it.”

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

Marcus Redding's Future?

So Mr. Johnson was telling Marcus and Lauren that he was showing them kindness to honor Marcus’s grandfather. Just like David and Mephibosheth. That was how he started their dinner table conversation on this, the first night they would spend in their new home. But Mr. Johnson had more to say.

“Three months ago Carl said he was leaving. He’s worked for me longer than you two have been alive. Wasn’t sure what I’d do without him. He’s like my right arm. He runs this place. He’s as much a part of this ranch as the trees and the trails and this house. See, I’m an old man. I never married. I don’t have kids. My nieces and nephews are not interested in this place. They live in Austin and they have bumper stickers on their hybrid cars that say ‘Keep Austin Weird.’” All three of them laughed. “So Carl leaving forced me to think about the future. I didn’t want to just sell this place to whoever. I wanted to pass this place on to someone. To a family. So I started to pray about it. Wasn’t sure really what to do, I just prayed and prayed for wisdom. James 1:5 you know.”

Then he reached into his back pocket and produced a piece of paper. It had lines where it had been folded. It was wrinkled and worn. But from the way he handled it, it seemed to be important. He put it down on the table and smoothed it out and looked at it carefully. Then he looked up and out the window for a while. He ran his hand through his wavy, silver hair. He gestured for Marcus and Lauren to look at the paper. They scooted their chairs over to his side of the table so they could read it.

At the top Mr. Johnson had written, “Honest and hard working Christian couple. Strong work ethic. Organized. Self-starters. Eye for detail.” Under that were two lists. Written in pencil. Each list had five items.

“He has to: be self-disciplined, work within a budget, handle physical labor, take care of livestock, willing to learn all aspects of ranch management. She has to: be a good organizer, relate and communicate well, be a good administrator, have above average computer skills, be a good housekeeper and cook.”

“I was hoping for a couple like this. So Marcus when I heard about your name, well I already knew a lot about you. And Lauren, I know Mr. Condlefur up at TJC so I called him to find out about you. Then it turns out my niece went to school with your mother Ruth. And she couldn’t say enough good things about her.”

He hesitated and looked at Marcus, “This might be a little much right now, you might not think of it this way, and I’m not putting pressure on you with this, but I just wanted you to know what was on my mind. If this works out. If y’all like it here…I’d like to honor the memory of Sam Redding by doing something for his family. This place can be yours someday.”

Marcus and Lauren were stunned. Was this really happening? Were they really in their little apartment a few weeks ago? Had Marcus hit dead end after dead end looking for work? Was this man really offering them steady work for Marcus, part-time work for Lauren so she could stay at home with the baby, and what seemed like a pretty secure future?

Marcus spoke up, “Mr. Johnson, thank you for all this. Thank you. It’s a lot to think about right now, especially with the baby coming and all. Let Lauren and I talk about it and pray about it and we’ll talk with you again. We appreciate it very much.”

“I understand.” He stood up and shook Marcus’s hand and put his arm around Lauren and gave her a side hug. “We’ll talk about it more later. See you at 6 in the morning at my house Marcus.”

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

Marcus Redding's First Day on the Ranch

Monday morning at 7:00 a.m. Marcus stood in the driveway outside his new ranch house. An old pickup truck rolled in. Mr. Johnson was driving. He rolled down the window and gestured to a teenager sitting in the passenger side. “This is Justin. He’s going to be a senior at Brownsboro. He’s been my ranch hand for about a year now. Just started his summer break but he doesn’t get a break out here. Right, son?” He slapped him on the leg. “Yes, sir,” Justin said. Mr. Johnson turned back to Marcus. “Jump in. We’ll show you around.”

Mr. Johnson talked as he drove through the ranch. He had a quiet voice and Marcus had to strain to hear him. “300 acres. Goes back to my great-great grandfather. He was a criminal. Shot a man he thought was stealing his cattle. Johnsons have a temper.” Marcus took a nervous sideways look at Mr. Johnson, who winked at him. “Don’t worry, the Lord has taken care of that. James 1:19-21. I live by those verses, and some others.”

Mr. Johnson went on, “Livestock. You’ll learn how to inoculate, separate the sick, build feed troughs, make sure calves don’t get separated from their mothers. Check fences. Always check fences. We had that windstorm last Friday night. See over there.” Mr. Johnson kept his hands on the wheel and pointed with one finger. Marcus saw where an oak had fallen into a fence. The tree was cut up and the fence had been repaired.

“You’ll run the tractor. Bale hay. Identify and remove exotic plants. Hogs tear up the place. You have to set traps. Shoot the hogs when you can. Doesn’t make much difference though. Maintain the trails and roads. Do some welding. Keep the garden. I’ve got three guest cabins. Every weekend at least one is occupied. You and Lauren will take care of them. Cleaning. Laundry. Maintenance.”

Mr. Johnson paused. “Overwhelmed?” “Yes, sir, just a little.” Mr. Johnson spoke reassuringly, “Justin will help. There’s a couple other boys that help out. I’m 75 years old but I’d like to be around for a while longer. I’ll teach you how to do it all.”

Lauren left TJC that afternoon and drove out to the ranch. Mr. Johnson met her at the office just off from his house. He greeted her courteously and held the door as she walked inside. A lady behind a big desk stood and walked up to them. Mr. Johnson said, “This is Lisa. She’s the dragon lady.” Lisa rolled her eyes. “If I get out of line she brings me back in. She’s been running the office for 25 years and she’s moving on. Everybody’s leaving me. She’ll show you everything. I gave Marcus a chainsaw. He’s out cutting up some trees. I’ll meet both of y’all back at your house at 6:00.”

Lauren was surprised at Lisa’s warmth and friendliness. She took Lauren’s hands in hers and asked about the baby and said she had heard so many good things about Lauren and she was so happy to meet her. Lisa got Lauren a chair and pulled it up behind the desk, “The office is the hub of the ranch. The three key words are: friendly, efficient, and clean. I’ll show you how to process receivables and payables, make changes and updates in the reservations, organize the office, order supplies, keep Mr. Johnson’s schedule, answer the phone, keep up the website, answer email.” They spent a couple hours talking about family and talking about work. Everything sounded good. Lauren was hopeful.

At 6:00 Mr. Johnson met them at their house. They walked inside and sat at the kitchen table. Mr. Johnson set his hat down and ran his fingers through his silver, wavy hair. “Do you know the story of Mephibosheth?” Marcus kind of remembered. Lauren knew it well, “He was Jonathan’s son. Lame in both feet. David wanted to show kindness to him to honor Jonathan’s memory so he gave him his share of Saul’s land and made sure he was always taken care of.”

Mr. Johnson didn’t say anything. He just looked at Marcus and Lauren and smiled. They looked back at him for a while. Then they looked at each other. They got it.

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

Marcus Redding Drives a U-Haul

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.”

Marcus stepped onto the back of the truck. He looked up and grabbed the loop handle. He took one more look at their stuff—it only filled half the truck—and took a deep breath. He jumped off and pulled down the door. It shut with a clang and he pulled over the heavy metal latch. He wiped his hands on his jeans and turned around. A little line of cars waited in the parking lot of their apartment complex: Lauren’s brother Eddie in his pickup, Marcus’s dad in his pickup, and a few others who came out to help them move. Marcus gave them the thumbs-up. He walked around to the front of the truck and jumped in. Just him. Lauren was riding with Eddie. The U-Haul would be a rough ride for her.

So Marcus had time to think as he led the caravan from the middle of Tyler to the ranch in Henderson County. They decided to go for it. Actually Marcus had decided. There was a point last week where Lauren sat down on the couch, propped up her swollen feet, and declared, “I’m at 33 weeks, hormonal, emotional, and tired. This is up to you, Marcus. Either way I’m with you.” He trusted her for clear-minded, common-sense advice. She was just wise and forward thinking. But now it was up to him. The biggest decision he’d made in the few years they’d been married.

So he prayed: “God, which way should we go? Should I take this job and move out to the ranch? Should I wait for something more certain? How do I know what is best for my family?” His prayers were more questions than anything. But they always ended with, “Your will be done.” And it wasn’t just a punctuation mark, he really meant it.

He went around seeking counsel. His dad said, “There are no guarantees here buddy. Mr. Johnson has a good reputation. But there are no guarantees. Faith in God is the only guarantee.” He asked their preacher who said, “Think of God’s will as a pipe, there are a number of things that can flow your way that fit in that pipe, and all of them may be within his will.” He asked Lauren’s mom, the genetic source of Lauren’s wisdom. She took Marcus’s hands in hers and said, “In my life and in the lives of the Christians I know, I’ve learned this: sometimes God shows you three or four doors and lets you choose. Pray and decide. God will take care of you!”

Last Thursday, Lauren came home from work and he said, “Let’s go.” And she said, “Where?” And he said, “Let’s take the job.” And she didn’t hesitate, “All right, let’s go.”

He thought about these things as he turned west off the Loop onto 31. These thoughts fed a feeling he had never felt before. A mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Adventure. “Look at it as an adventure with God.” That’s what Eddie said. “You do something new, God provides the divine care, you respond with faith.”

Marcus was cursed (or blessed?) with a melancholy personality. He was introverted. He thought. He reflected. So as he rolled down 31 past the old Goodyear plant he remembered: fishing with Grandpa Sam, playing Little League, the squeal of tires, Bruce’s mom’s white handkerchief, the dark years, seeing Lauren in the computer lab, their wedding, their apartment, how he lost his job and found out Lauren was pregnant on the same day.

An adventure with God.

Time for the next chapter.

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

Marcus Redding Makes a List

“Where would we live?” That was Lauren’s question. She was almost eight months pregnant and thinking “home.” Marcus had no questions. He was eight months unemployed and thinking “job.” Before, Marcus was hesitant and Lauren was excited. Now they had reversed roles.

Mr. Johnson wanted Marcus to be his right hand man. He would show Marcus how to run his ranch. Lauren, sharp as a tack when it came to numbers, would have part-time work keeping his books. They could live in the 1500 square-foot ranch house on his property out in Henderson County close to Larue. Steady work for Marcus, Lauren could stay at home, they’d have a nice place to live in the country. It sounded like a Joseph-Potiphar situation, minus the slavery and Potiphar’s wife. Mr. Johnson never married.

But Lauren had questions. “We’re putting all our eggs in Mr. Johnson’s basket. How do we know his business will keep going strong? What do we know about his character? Larue is way out there. I’ll have the baby in a month or so. The timing is inconvenient.”

She wasn’t protesting as much as thinking out loud. Marcus knew in the back of his mind he should be cautious but he was ready to get to work. He countered her concern, “Or is the timing perfect? We could get all moved in in just a couple weeks and be all ready for the baby.”

Marcus saw a green light, but Lauren saw yellow. “There’s the sentimentality factor here. Mr. Johnson’s connection with your grandfather. I wonder if that will keep us from making a clear decision.” Now Marcus was getting frustrated. He stopped and looked at Lauren. She raised her eyebrows and looked right back at him as if to say, “I have a point, don’t I?” Marcus took a deep breath. He went over to the printer and got out a clean sheet of paper. He got a pen out of the drawer in the kitchen and sat down at the table. He drew a line down the middle of the paper.

On one side he wrote “pros” and they made a list: start making money now, get settled before the baby is born, house instead of apartment, long term place to live, Lauren can stay at home, Lauren has part time work, we can work together (Lauren said, “Is that a pro or a con?”)

On the other side he wrote “cons”: isolated, farther from family and stores, etc., is there a good church out there?, long-term stability of job, Marcus has to learn something new, don’t really know Mr. Johnson, snakes (Lauren hated snakes.)

It turned out to be a symmetrical list: seven items on each side. They looked at the paper for a while hoping it would make the decision for them.

Marcus broke the silence. “What scripture can help us here?” Lauren thought for a second. Then she said, “James 1.” She looked it up and read it out loud, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

Marcus said, “Well that’s me. I lack wisdom.” He took another deep breath and said, with some resolve, “Let’s pray about it for one week. In the meantime we’ll get advice from people we trust: your mom, my dad, people at church. One week from today we’ll meet right back here and make a decision.”

Lauren was proud of Marcus. She said, “Okay, let’s pray now.” And they did.

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

Marcus Redding Makes A Man Cry On His Pancakes

“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death

and will cover a multitude of sins.”

James 5:19-20

“That’s all he would tell me. ‘Meet me there tomorrow morning at 8:00.’” Marcus was recounting the surprising turn of events at the barber shop yesterday morning. Lauren was shaking her head in wonder. “This may be the answer to our prayers Marcus.” She took his hand and put it on her now-obviously pregnant belly. “Just what the three of us need.” Marcus was both doubtful and hopeful. But he didn’t express either one to Lauren. He didn’t want to get her hopes up and he didn’t want to let her know how uncertain he was about the whole thing. So he just said, “I’ll talk to him.”

Marcus stepped inside The Shed at 7:55. It smelled of sausage and coffee and cigarette smoke. It was the middle of the breakfast rush. He didn’t know what Mr. Johnson looked like so he just stood by the door for a minute until a girl walked up, wiping her hands on a white apron. “Are you Marcus Redding?” “Yeah.” “Mr. Johnson’s here. Follow me.” She took him into the non-smoking section and they had to twist their way through a mass of diners until they got to a table for two right in the middle of the room.

There was seated a man in his late seventies or early eighties, lean and tall, with a weather-worn face and calloused hands. He didn’t stand out from anyone else except for his full head of unusually wavy sliver hair. Marcus reached out to shake his hand and Mr. Johnson stood up. Courteously and quietly, he said he was glad to meet Marcus and invited him to sit down. But Mr. Johnson kept looking at Marcus as if he was expecting a reaction. Marcus noticed on the table in front of him was a plate of pancakes covered with pecans. A little dish of strawberry jelly sat nearby. Marcus was so surprised that he kept his eyes on the food while he said, “This is what my grandpa used to make for me every Saturday morning. Pecan pancakes. With strawberry jelly.”

When he looked up, he could see Mr. Johnson had tears in his eyes. He blinked and a tear rolled down his cheek. He sniffed and got out a handkerchief and blew his nose. Then he chuckled. “Well, let’s give thanks.” Mr. Johnson led a short prayer for the food. “Eat up, Marcus. Enjoy.” He had a surprisingly quiet voice, Marcus had to strain to hear him among the clatter of plates and silverware. “Thank you…sir” Marcus stammered, still not sure about the whole situation, “But…” Mr. Johnson interrupted him, “How did I know that your grandfather made you pecan pancakes with strawberry jelly? Can I tell you a story?” Marcus nodded. “Okay, you eat and I’ll talk.”

Mr. Johnson told Marcus how he grew up between Moore Station and Fincastle out in Henderson County. How he was the oldest child in a family of five. How his father was an alcoholic and his sweet mother held the family together, taking them to worship services every Sunday and Wednesday. How he liked going to church and reading the Bible and he was baptized during his first year in high school. But then his father was killed in a farm accident and he took it hard. He started to drink and dropped out of school and went to work at the canning plant. And that’s where he met Sam Redding who took a liking to him and helped him clean up his life. Sam got him a better job at a filling station in Athens and they went to worship services together every Wednesday and Sunday. Eventually Sam moved on and Mr. Johnson started the Johnson-Child convenience stores. But he always stayed in touch with Sam through the years. And Sam always told him about his grandkids. And that’s how he knew about the pecan pancakes. “So when I heard your name was Redding, I thought of your grandfather and how he helped me. I suppose its time to return the favor.”

They talked for the next hour about returning the favor. Marcus couldn’t wait to tell Lauren.

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

Marcus Redding Has a Lead

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

She was in the middle of a haircut when he walked in. Three other men read magazines as they waited their turn. There were no empty chairs but he was too anxious to sit anyway. He stood by the door and Stephanie the barber talked to him while she worked.

“Hi Marcus. My friend Nancy came in the other day. She works at the Johnson-Child gas station in Chandler.” Marcus remembered Nancy. He delivered to that store every Wednesday for the last couple years. Stephanie went on, “We went to high school together. So whenever she comes in we talk about old friends. She told me that Mr. Johnson, the owner of the store, came in the other day and said that Carl Burns had to move to North Carolina to help his wife look after her mom. Carl was Mr. Johnson’s right hand man, worked for him since he graduated high school, ran his ranch for him and kept his books and helped him build up the business. Do you know how many stores Mr. Johnson has?” Marcus recognized the Johnson-Child name, “Yeah, they have, what, 20 or 30 stores in East Texas right?” Stephanie kept talking as she switched on the hair clippers, “So Mr. Johnson was telling Nancy how he needed someone to take Carl’s place. He wanted someone young and reliable that he could train.” She paused and looked up at Marcus, who was now feeling a little uncomfortable as the other four men in the barber shop were looking at him.

Marcus was quick with an answer, “That’s not the job for me.” Stephanie switched off the clippers and picked up her scissors and kept working as she talked, “So when Nancy was telling me this story I remembered you were looking for a job and I told her about you. I said, ‘there’s this kid that comes in, tattoos up and down his arms, but super-nice kid, he’s looking for a job.’ And Nancy’s eyes light up and she says, ‘Are you talking about Marcus Redding? He used to work for Colby’s Wholesale. I haven’t seen him for months. Used to come in every Wednesday. He was such a nice kid that I even called his boss one time and complimented him.’ So that’s a coincidence, don’t you think?”

This was a little overwhelming. Marcus just repeated, “That’s not the job for me.” Stephanie kept right on snipping, “Why don’t you talk to Nancy and get Mr. Johnson’s number? Can’t hurt to try.”

“I don’t think so. Thanks for thinking of me, though. I appreciate it.” Marcus had already dismissed the whole idea and he was halfway out the door when one of the old men waiting for a haircut said, “Wait a minute, son. Just wait a minute there.” And he got out his iPhone. As he was looking down and running his finger over the screen he said, “I go to church with Mr. Johnson. I’ve got his number right here.” He tapped the screen and held the phone to his ear and winked at Stephanie. He looked at Marcus, “Just stay right there.” He paused a few seconds, “Hey, Arnie. It’s Jim. Say, I heard Carl Burns was leaving you…” There was a pause during which he gestured to Marcus as if to say, “Stay right there.” “Look, I’m at the barber shop here and there’s a kid here you ought to talk to. He’s got a good reputation. His name is…what’s your last name son?” Marcus told him. The man repeated it into the phone, “Redding.”

And the old man held the phone out for Marcus, who looked around and laughed and said, “This is crazy.” The old man just sat there with the phone held out. Marcus took a deep breath and took the phone. He said, “This is Marcus Redding.” Mr. Johnson didn’t say anything for a while. Marcus wondered if he was still there. “Hello?” Marcus asked. Finally Mr. Johnson spoke, very slowly, as if he was surprised by something, “Are you kin to Sam Redding?” “Yes, sir. Sam was my grandfather.” A long pause.

“You know where The Shed is, in Edom?” “Yes, sir.”

“Meet me there tomorrow morning at 8:00.”

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

Marcus Redding Has A Long Day

Lauren got home about 5:30 and there was no sign of Marcus. His truck wasn’t in the parking lot. He hadn’t called her or left a text message all day. He didn’t leave a note on the kitchen table. She knew this was the day he was taking Evelyn to the doctor. But that was six hours ago.

Marcus heard his cell phone ring but he couldn’t get it. He was under a sink in a tiny bathroom just off the guest room in Evelyn’s house. He was wet from his collar to his belt. His hands were dirty and so was the ivory-colored tile on the bathroom floor, tools scattered on the floor. Marcus knew it was Lauren calling. He regretted not calling her sooner. Maybe she could have helped him out of this mess! At least distracted Evelyn who kept hovering over him and asking if he had everything fixed yet. “Almost got it!” Marcus said. “Just clean up after yourself,” she grumbled and plodded back into the living room clutching her walker.

Finally he did finish. He cleaned up the best he could and slipped into the living room. He wanted to say a quick goodbye but Evelyn asked if Marcus could take her back to the doctor next week for a blood test. “I’ll give you a call,” he said as he backed out the door. While walking out to his truck he checked his cell phone and noticed he had missed two calls. One was from Lauren. He called her. She answered with, “How was your day?” Marcus had to laugh, “I’ll tell you about it when I get home.”

An hour later Marcus was sitting on the couch in their apartment eating Lauren’s spicy rigatoni and between bites telling her the epic saga of his day. They had arrived over an hour early at the doctor’s office and Marcus, at Evelyn’s request, spent most of the time scouring the waiting room for the February issue of “Better Homes and Gardens.” Then a nurse called him to the window and asked if he was her grandson. He said he was just a friend from church. The nurse explained Evelyn often came in for “unexplained back pain” and would he come back to see the doctor along with Evelyn. It would sure help Dr. Lemos if he could speak to someone “clear-minded” on Evelyn’s behalf.

At this point in the story Lauren interjected a scripture, “help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” Marcus was quick to reply, “I had plenty of practice today.”

Marcus continued his tale. After a bizarre conversation with Evelyn and the doctor in which Marcus served as both translator and referee, he had to stop by the pharmacy to pick up her prescription. But the computer had her date of birth wrong. The technician asked for her accurate date of birth. Evelyn didn’t want to tell anyone what year she was born. The technician said, “Ma’am we can’t give you your prescription without that information.” Finally Marcus persuaded Evelyn just to write down her date of birth on a slip of paper and pass it to the girl, but then she couldn’t find her glasses and when she finally did she couldn’t find a pen.

Lauren chimed in again, “help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil...” Marcus took a deep breath and went on.

Finally they got home and he got Evelyn to her chair. But her back hurt and she needed to take her pills. However, the sticker on the bottle clearly said, “TAKE WITH FOOD.” So Marcus went to the kitchen to get something but Evelyn said there was nothing there she wanted to eat. She sent him to Whataburger to get a vanilla shake. A large vanilla shake. With those big red straws, not those puny little clear straws. Lauren was laughing now. Marcus couldn’t go on. “Then the sink was another two hour episode I’d rather not relive.”

One last time Lauren quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:14,“help the weak, be patient with them all...”

Marcus had finished his dinner and was idly playing with his phone when he remembered he had missed another call. He opened his cell phone and checked the list. He didn’t recognize the number. He called. A lady answered.

Marcus said, “Hi, this is Marcus Redding, I missed a call from this number.” The lady said, “Hi Marcus. It’s Stephanie. Your barber. I’ve got a job lead for you.”

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

Marcus Redding Passes Notes in Church

Everyone filed back into the auditorium after Wednesday evening classes were over. The services always finished with one of the deacons reading a list of announcements before they had one last song and prayer. Marcus was half paying attention through most of it: a workday on Saturday at the church building to do some spring cleaning, one lady’s cousin was going in for a biopsy on a tumor, one of the teenagers was looking for some help with an Eagle Scout project, a truck from the children’s home would be stopping by this week to pick up winter clothes.

Marcus let his mind drift to the Winter Olympics until he felt Lauren squeeze his hand. He looked over at her. She pointed with her eyes to the front of the auditorium as if to say, “Pay attention.” The deacon was explaining that Evelyn Smith needed a ride to and from a doctor’s appointment on Friday. Marcus looked back at Lauren with a puzzled expression as if to say, “What about it?” Lauren leaned over and whispered, “What are you doing on Friday?” Marcus leaned over and whispered back, “I can’t. I’m looking for a job.”

Lauren grabbed a little pencil from in front of her and rifled through her Bible to find a stray sheet of paper. She scribbled something and passed it to Marcus. It was a scripture reference. One that he knew without looking it up: James 1:27.

The announcements continued. Marcus picked up his own little pencil and wrote his own scripture reference right under Lauren’s: 2 Thessalonians 3:10. She knew that one. So she smiled and wrote a few words under Marcus’s scripture reference, “but you are willing to work.” She underlined the word “you” one time and the word “willing” three times. Marcus sighed. He couldn’t argue with that.

After the last prayer Marcus spoke to the deacon who gave announcements and said he would give Evelyn a ride on Friday. He tried to appear happy, but it was hard.

Marcus went into the church office to get a directory to look up Evelyn’s number. He stepped outside to call her on his cell phone. When Evelyn answered she was coughing and Marcus had to speak loudly and repeat himself three times until she understood who he was and why he was calling. After a few minutes he figured out her appointment was at 11:30 a.m. at the Olympic Plaza. She didn’t know when she’d be done. Marcus was thinking, “Great, right in the middle of the day. This day is lost.”

Marcus got directions to her house. “Don’t be late,” she told him, “I’m never late.” Marcus just said, “Yes, ma’am.” Evelyn went on, “And do you do plumbing? I’ve got a leaky faucet and I don’t want to pay a guy to come out. The last time I called the plumber he was here for 15 minutes and he charged $700. Can you imagine that? Seven…hundred…dollars! I told him what I thought about that. I told him he could…”

Marcus interrupted, “Yes ma’am, I can fix your faucet. I’ll look at it after we get back from your appointment.”

Evelyn wasn’t done, “Now remember, be there at 10:00 so we can get there early. And make sure your car is clean.” She had more to say. All Marcus could say was, “Yes, ma’am. Yes, ma’am.” By the end of their conversation Evelyn didn’t sound any happier than at the beginning. And Marcus wasn’t either.

When he finally got off the phone and stepped back inside, Marcus’s dad and Lauren a few others thanked him for volunteering. Lauren squeezed his hand and said, “I’m proud of you.”

Marcus knew he was doing the right thing, but he wondered what he was getting himself into.

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

Marcus Redding Waits

“So are my prayers doing any good? I mean, it’s been four months now. The baby is due in June. Here it’s March already.” Marcus heard tires squeal outside and his eyes darted to the window. He sat for a minute looking at the traffic going by on the Loop. Finally he took a deep breath, “It’s not supposed to be this way. Lauren is a rock star at her job and I had a job in a warehouse. I lost that job, now I can’t find anything at all.”

Last Sunday evening Marcus had approached their preacher, John Humble, and said he wanted to sit down and talk with him. So here they were on Tuesday morning. Marcus sat on the couch, work boots laced up, hair cut short, hands in his jacket. John sat across from Marcus in a comfy chair. His Bible was perched on a corner of his desk, a yellow legal pad stuffed in the middle.

“So what do you pray for?” John got to the heart of the matter.

Marcus was terse, almost angry, “I’m praying that God will let me find work so that Lauren can stay home.”

John leaned forward, “That’s a good prayer. It’s in line with God’s will. We know that God will answer prayers according to his will.”

Marcus had heard that before, “Yeah, I know but…”

John interrupted, “Marcus. Listen. ‘this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.’ That’s 1 John 5:14. Do you believe that?” John looked intently at Marcus.

Marcus looked back at him, his eyes betraying his thoughts, “I do believe it…most of the time.” Marcus gave a half smile and said, “I believe, help my unbelief. That’s Mark 9:24. Do you believe that?”

John laughed, “You can quote scripture too!” The humor reduced the tension. John went on, “God will answer your prayer. But here’s the thing: it says “he hears us.” It doesn’t say when he will answer, it doesn’t say how he will answer. But he will. The main thing is what you do in the meantime.”

Marcus asked the obvious question, “What do I do in the meantime?”

John reached for his Bible and took out the legal pad. He tore out a page and handed it to Marcus. It was a list of seven scriptures. “I looked these up for you today. Read one each day this week. Then we’ll talk about them next week. Okay?”

Marcus nodded, “Okay.”

John went on, “Let’s read #6 right now. Here you go.” John handed Marcus his Bible, open to Lamentations 3:24-33. Marcus read it out loud. “What jumps out at you?” John asked.

Marcus knew the scripture. “It says it is good to wait and good to go through hard times.”

John sympathized, “Not what we usually think, huh? And look at verse 25, ‘the LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.’ Every time you pray you are seeking him. It’s what we do while we wait. These scriptures are not about getting answers. There is no formula for getting what we want, but there are principles that show us how to become what God wants us to be.”

Marcus sat back and looked out the window, “And what does God want me to be?”

John settled back in his chair and looked out the same window. He smiled and quietly said, “A waiter.”

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

Marcus Redding's Snow Day

There was a knock at the door. A single knock. Lauren stirred from her sleep. Another single knock. She fumbled for her cell phone so she could see what time it was. Another knock. Squinting at the cell phone she saw it was 7:42 a.m. Another single knock. “Who in the world would be knocking on their apartment door this early on Saturday morning?” Another knock, but it wasn’t coming from the door. It was the window. But it was a second story window with nothing underneath it. What’s going on? She stumbled in her pajamas to the window in the living room and peeked out of the blinds. The windows were all fogged over. Another knock. Something hit the window! Someone was throwing things at their window!

“Marcus! Come here, I’m scared!” she half-yelled, half-whispered. Where was he? Something else hit the window. She pulled open the blinds and used her pajama sleeves to make a little clear circle. Thwap! Something else hit the window. It was white. It was a snowball.

Snow! Look at the snow! It lined every tree branch! It covered the ground! Must have been six or seven inches deep! Beautiful!

But who was that lunatic down there throwing snowballs at their window? Someone had built two snow people and made two snow angels. Above the two angels, written in the snow was “Marcus and Lauren.” Marcus was the lunatic who woke her up by throwing snowballs at their window. He was motioning for her to come down. She put on some shoes and went out on the porch and told Marcus it was beautiful and thanks for the snow angels but she didn’t want to get cold and wet. He yelled back up at her…yelled, at quarter to eight in the morning, in the middle of a big apartment complex…“Lauren, come on, this hardly ever happens! Come on!” And he just stood and looked at her like, “How can you not come out and play in the snow?”

The sight of him standing there with a crust of snow on his clothes, a ridiculous stocking cap too small for his head, and a big grin on his face was too much for her. She went back in and threw on three layers of clothes, gloves, and a hat. She took the lid off a big plastic storage bin so they could use it as a sled and she went back out on the porch. Marcus had his back turned, making alterations to his snowman, so she scooped up some snow from the edge of the porch and made a snowball. She threw it and it hit the target, right between his shoulder blades. He turned around and looked up. “All right! Come on!”

And they spent the next three hours making more snowmen and more snow angels and sledding down the slope next to their apartment building and then they got into a snowball fight with the neighborhood kids and Marcus chased Lauren and tackled her in the snow (very gently though, she was pregnant you know) and gave her a facewash and they laughed until their ribs hurt and she vowed revenge and then somebody found a sled and they tied it to the back of Marcus’s pickup and he had the kids take turns as he pulled them around the empty church parking lot next door and then the kids moved on to build a snow fort and Marcus and Lauren went for a walk and talked and held gloved hands as they looked at the snow.

They got back to their apartment and stomped the snow off their boots and went inside and peeled off the extra layers of sweaters and jackets. Lauren made hot cocoa. Marcus opened to Ecclesiastes and read a passage out loud…

“Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:9).

He walked over to her in the kitchen and hugged her from behind. “It’s not so vain when I’m with you.”

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

Marcus Redding Uses a Concordance

Marcus was animated. “That’s what God intended men to do. God put Adam to work in the garden. It’s frustrating. I want to work. I’m a good worker. And I want for you to stay home with the kids. That’s the ideal. That’s God’s will. And God says if we ask according to his will then he will answer our prayer, eventually.”

Lauren was realistic. “I can do things from home you know. That Proverbs 31 woman was working all the time. It’s just that all her work revolved around her husband and children. It says, ‘She looks well to the ways of her household.’”

They had this conversation a lot, especially when driving home after services like they were this Sunday evening. “Okay, do me a favor,” Marcus said. “Go to biblegateway.com on your iPhone and do a keyword search for ‘work’ but limit it to Proverbs. Let’s see what it says.”

In about thirty seconds Lauren was tapping through a list of scriptures. She read the relevant results out loud as Marcus was driving…

“Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.”

(Marcus: “Now I just need some land to work.”)

“From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.”

(Lauren: “I bet someone you know will come through for you.”)

“Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.”

(Marcus: “I’m a good worker. I guess I’m a brother to him who builds.”)

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

(Marcus: “See! That’s you! The president of TJC came to your office to thank you for your good work!”)

“Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.”

(Lauren…hand on her abdomen…“the house is already being built.”)

She was quiet as they pulled into the parking lot of their apartment complex. He parked and took the keys out of the ignition. Still quiet. He turned and looked at her and she was looking out the window. It was raining. The drops of rain made that sound as they spattered on the window. He looked back outside. They sat this way for a good five minutes. It started to get cold. Finally he turned back to her and held her left hand. He could feel the diamond on her wedding ring poking his fingers. “Lauren, we are seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness and praying about this. He’ll add everything else.”

Lauren squeezed his hand but she kept looking out the window. “You’re wrong Marcus. He’s not going to add, he’s going to multiply.”

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

Marcus Redding Hears Another Sound

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

Lauren sent Marcus a text message: “Dr. Pulau 2:15.” Marcus called her back. “Okay, 2:15. Where do I turn off Beckham?” “It’s left off Beckham as you go south, right after the Golden Panda.” “Right, I remember now, see you there, I love you.” “I love you too Marcus.”

But that was later today. Marcus was at work at his new job: Full Time Job-Seeker. He had leads, but they led to dead ends. So he called Colby, his former boss, and asked if he knew anything. Colby sent him to Athens to talk to a guy at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. They needed a guy to monitor conditions in the aquariums and take care of the grounds. If he did well there, he might go for a little training and he could work in the hatchery where they raise bass. It wasn’t ideal in the long term but it would do for now. He liked being outside and he fished the lakes in East Texas all his life. Maybe this would work until he got something long term.

He prayed as he headed back to Tyler on 31, casting his anxieties on the Lord. Anxieties about finding a job, Lauren’s anxieties about work, anxieties about a healthy baby. He finished with “I trust you Lord” and turned on his iPod. He scrolled through to a series on prayer he downloaded from a preacher in Duluth, Minnesota. He listened to a sermon on praying according to God’s will as he cruised back into Tyler, very careful to slow down through Brownsboro. They have a speed trap set up there don’t you know.

He met Lauren in the waiting room at 2:16. He sat down next to her and held her hand. She asked him how the interview went in Athens. He told her the hatchery produces 3 to 4 million Florida largemouth bass fingerlings every year and they need a babysitter. She laughed. Kind of a forced, nervous laugh. Marcus squeezed her hand. “Everything’s okay. I prayed on the way up here.” Lauren gave a half smile and looked down at her abdomen and squeezed his hand in return. What they weren’t talking about was Lauren’s mom who had three miscarriages before Eddie was born. And Lauren was thinking that girls take after their moms. And this was their first baby…

The door opened and the nurse called out, “Lauren Redding.” Marcus stood up and took her hand and they went on back. She was nervous. They took her blood pressure twice. They went over the fundamentals: folic acid, weight gain, emotional changes. Lauren was good about exercise. At lunch she walked around the TJC campus with three other girls. The nurse took them to a room. Lauren jumped up on the table. Marcus jumped up next to her. They waited. They talked about work. It was going well for her, as usual. Today the nursing department was in a teleconference and they lost their connection midway through. They called Lauren. She had it fixed in five minutes. Marcus shook his head in admiration, “Everything you touch turns to gold.”

Dr. Pulau knocked on the door. Pleasant chitchat. He asked questions. Lauren gave the right answers. Then he told her to ease on back and he got out the heart monitor. He warmed the ultrasound jelly in his hands and spread it on her belly. He pressed the wand against her side. He rolled it back and forth. They heard static. After a long thirty seconds, a heartbeat. The doctor looked at them and smiled. Tears.

Marcus squeezed Lauren’s hand. She whispered to him, “Psalm 139.”

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

Marcus Redding Hears a Sound

Some people can’t stand the sound of fingernails on the chalkboard. Marcus Redding can’t stand the sound of a car coming to a screeching stop.

Last Wednesday night he heard that sound. They were coming home from evening Bible study. They had to turn left at the intersection to get into their apartment complex. They got in just under the yellow light. The oncoming traffic was stopped, but there was another car coming up behind them that was not paying attention and had to slam on the brakes. It stopped in time and didn’t hit anybody, but the squealing sound triggered a flashback.

Back on that sunny spring day when Marcus got his driver’s license, cruising down 346 and the setting sun hit him in the face, when he overcorrected and crossed over the yellow line, the other car had only a fraction of a second to put on the brakes, and that was the last sound Marcus heard before they crashed.

When they pulled up to their parking place, Marcus was almost frozen behind the steering wheel. Lauren knew what was going on. She reached over and rubbed his neck, “Come on Marcus, let’s go inside.” “I’m okay,” he lied, “I’m fine.” But he wasn’t fine. He couldn’t sleep. And whenever he did fall asleep he had nightmares. He dreamed Lauren had a wreck. She survived but they lost the baby. Marcus woke up, yelling her name. Startled awake, she saw him sitting up in bed, breathing hard.

Marcus felt helpless. Like his thoughts were controlling him instead of him controlling his thoughts. Lauren wanted him to go to the doctor to get something to help him sleep. She just wanted him to rest and be at peace. It was enough stress being out of work and not being able to find a job, and now this. But pills? Marcus had mixed a few pills with his Jack Daniels back in the dark years. Taking pills to dull his pain would be for him like having a drink. He couldn’t do it. He knew where that would take him.

About an hour later Lauren had drifted off to sleep again, but Marcus was still awake with his thoughts. He slipped out of bed and went out to the living room to turn on the TV. They had left it on PBS and they were doing an in-depth report from Haiti about men who had lost their wives in the earthquake and were left to take care of their children on their own. Poor, without work, traumatized. It put his situation in perspective, but he still hurt.

He got up to make a sandwich. On the way into the kitchen he noticed Lauren had left a Bible open to Psalm 139 on the kitchen table. She did that all the time. Leave him something to read in case he had trouble sleeping. She stuck a yellow post it note on the pages with an arrow that pointed to the title “Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart.” He read the psalm. Part of verse 18 jumped out at him, “I awake, and I am still with you.”

So he put those two together: the men in Haiti and God’s constant presence. He read Psalm 139 again, not reading it but making it his own prayer, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” Then he read it again and prayed for the men in Haiti, “O Lord, you have searched them and known them!” He prayed their tragedy would cause them to turn to God, since they wouldn’t find that kind of lasting help anywhere else.

And then he realized he needed to do the same thing.

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

Marcus Redding's Last Day At Work

His two weeks’ notice was up. Colby was gone but he wrote him a note thanking him for three years of good work and apologizing that there was no way he could keep him on.

Marcus tried one more time with Ron. He’d prayed for him, helped him reconcile with his mom, they went to the shooting range together, they were friends. After lunch Marcus took a deep breath and said, “Let me come over on Saturday and we’ll read the Bible together.” Ron said, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do man, it’s just not for me.” Ken was close by and heard their little conversation. Ken resented anyone who talked “religion.” As soon as Ron was out of sight Ken came up to Marcus, “Why don’t you leave him alone? You’re always asking to pray for him and stuff. He’s not interested.”

5:30 couldn’t come soon enough. He packed his old stereo that he brought to the warehouse so the guys could listen to music while they worked. He shook everybody’s hand, even Ken’s, and said goodbye. And that was it.

On the way home he stopped by the barber. His hair was long in the back and he figured he ought to have it “neat and clean cut” to give him the maximum chance to find a job. He was a hard worker and he had a heart of gold, but that wasn’t the first thing employers saw. Five or six of them in the past couple weeks had looked at his hair and the tattoos up and down his arms and told him they didn’t have any openings. One night Marcus sat down with the church directory and called every guy that wasn’t retired to ask about jobs. Then he called every guy that was retired to ask about jobs. Nothing.

Just as he was getting up from the barber’s chair, getting his eyes adjusted to his new look in the mirror, his cell phone rang. It was their apartment manager. The cold weather had broken some pipes in their place and their kitchen and living room were flooded. Water was dripping down the walls of the apartment below. It would be a few days before the place would be livable. He hung up and sighed. The barber asked what was wrong.

“What was wrong?” Marcus thought. It was one of those times when two or three things go wrong and one more doesn’t make it any worse. He answered with a shrug of his shoulders, “I lost my job today. I have no leads for work. My buddy won’t read the Bible with me…” He took off his jacket and lifted up his arms. “I have these wicked tattoos that stop people from looking at my resume. And my apartment just flooded. Thank you for the haircut. It looks good.”

The barber laughed. “What’s your name?” He told her. She said, “What kind of work do you do?” He told her.
“I’ll keep my ears open. Give me your cell phone number.” He did.

As he drove into his apartment complex to pick up some clothes he noticed some empty beer cans by the side of the road. It was just trash, but it was enough of a trigger to get him thinking. He needed to cut off those thoughts really fast. He called Lauren. She was in Corpus Christi at a technology seminar all week. Horrible timing.

He told her about his day. She listened. When he was done she told him to wait. He could hear her flipping through the pages of her Bible. After a while she said, “Okay, here you go.” She read Psalm 46:1-3.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

“Marcus…the mountains haven’t fallen into the sea yet.” He chuckled. “Call me if they do, but until then pray and text me every hour until you go to bed, okay?”

“Okay, Lauren.”

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

Marcus Redding’s Solution For Worry

Big changes were on the way.

Lauren worried. Not so much about being a mother. She worried more about Marcus. He didn’t handle change well. He had this reliable job ever since he sobered up. But now between losing the job and the thought of raising a child for the Lord…. She knew Marcus was so serious-minded and good-hearted that he would be stressed out. Stress, change, feeling out of control. That’s what led Marcus to drink. She knew that temptation would always be there. She worried about other things, but she worried about Marcus most of all.

Marcus worried too, but for different reasons. He had faith and he was pretty laid back. He knew he could find a job. Eventually. More than anything he did not want Lauren to worry. He knew she would worry about him finding a job or getting so stressed he would start drinking again. He didn’t want her to worry about working from home to help them make it. He wanted her security. He wanted to keep providing her the stability she never had when she was growing up. Other things bothered him, but he worried about Lauren’s mindset most of all.

But Marcus had come up with a deal. When Lauren worried they would go through a three part procedure: vent, pray, move on. So on Saturday morning when he got back from the shooting range he found Lauren working on her computer at the kitchen table. As soon as he walked in the door she closed the laptop and said, “I’m worried.” He said, “Okay. Vent.”

And she vented. “I so much want to stay home…It’s hard to find jobs…I’ll work from home if I have to…How are you going to find work…I don’t want you to have to work at my uncle’s chicken farm…My life is going to be devoted to our children…I love you so much…I love this baby so much…” The venting session was interrupted by bouts of hormonal pregnant weeping, which panicked Marcus at first. But between sobs and tears Lauren reassured him, “I’m crying because my hormones are out of whack.” Marcus was relieved but wondered if he could look forward to seven or eight months worth of emotional venting sessions.

After an intense 20 minutes, she was done. He hugged her and said they’d be okay, that he would do everything he could, and that he had confidence God would take care of them. Then he did for Lauren what she had done for him so many times. He opened her laptop, clicked on Firefox, opened biblegateway.com, typed in Philippians 4:6-7, and angled the screen so she could read it.

She read it and sighed. Not a resentful sigh but a determined sigh. “Okay,” she said. And Marcus sat down across from her and held her hands. And she started saying the same things all over again, worries and weeping and all. But this time it was a prayer. Pouring her heart out to God. When she was done she squeezed his hands and then Marcus prayed. He thanked God for Lauren and the baby, asked for wisdom, asked for open doors to a job. Then he was quiet for a long time. Lauren opened her eyes and looked at him, “Are you done?” Marcus kept his eyes closed and continued, “God, all we want to do is have a godly family for you. That’s all we want. Please give us what we need to do that. Please. We know you will. We trust you.”

He finished praying and looked up. “Okay?” he said. “Okay,” she said.

“I know one thing for sure, Lauren.” She looked at him funny, “What?”

“I can beat you at Wii Bowling.” She scoffed at him, “Okay, pal, let’s go.”

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