Marcus Redding’s Mother-In-Law

“Lauren…are you home?” Marcus noticed her car in the parking lot but she wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room. He walked down the hall, “Lauren?” He peeked into the bedroom and saw her curled up on the bed, still with her work clothes on, her long blond hair all messed up. She was crying. Half-worried, half-puzzled Marcus sat on the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. “Lauren, what’s wrong?” She sniffed and sat up. He grabbed her a couple Kleenex and she wiped her eyes. She sat still, looking down at the wet Kleenex in her hands. After a minute she looked up at Marcus, “I feel so bad for her. She’s so lonely.”

Her mom’s name was Ruth. Her dad’s name was Cal. He was in pharmaceutical sales—a “drug rep”—and he traveled a lot. Since Cal had a good paying job, Ruth could stay home with the kids, something she always dreamed of. One day he came home and said he would be gone for a couple weeks. He never came back. Ruth later found out he met a pretty young nurse at a doctor’s office in Plano.

Ruth was 28. Lauren was 7. Eddie was 10. She had to go to work. They hired her to wait tables at Cracker Barrel. Ruth worked hard, she was smart, and people liked her. She worked her way up to manager. She tried to fix her schedule so she could get home before the kids got home from school. It didn’t always work that way, but she tried.

Early on she decided that whatever else she lost, she was not going to lose her children to the world. With God’s help she would raise Lauren and Eddie with rock-solid faith. So every day, without exception, she talked to them about the Bible. Every day, without exception, she prayed for them and with them. Every Sunday, without exception, they went to worship services and stayed close to their brothers and sisters in Christ. In this way, both kids grew up devoted to the Lord, full of God’s word, full of love for God and others.

But great faith doesn’t make a hard life easy. Ruth struggled. Money was tight. They scraped by. She got so tired. Working. Looking after the kids. Taking care of the house. All on her own. And like every woman Ruth longed for attention and affection. Single men (and some married men) flirted with her at the restaurant. But she had decided long ago she would not even consider a relationship until the kids were grown. The hardest thing was seeing happy young families at church with loving and involved fathers. The first scripture Lauren every learned by heart was the one her mother always quoted, usually at about 10:30 at night when she tucked the kids into bed. It was John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This afternoon Lauren had been on the phone with her mom. Ruth started to cry as she talked about some of her regular customers, an older couple that had been married fifty years. They celebrated their anniversary last week with a bunch of family and grandkids. Lauren felt for her mom but she wanted to help her be strong. “Mom…mom…John 16:33.” Ruth took a deep breath and recited the verse, word for word, with a few sobs for punctuation. “Thanks for talking to me, honey. I feel better.” Lauren hung up the phone just before Marcus walked in.

Marcus sat on the bed a while. Then he picked up the phone and dialed Ruth’s number. She picked up after two rings. “Ruth, it’s Marcus. If it wasn’t for you raising Lauren to be faithful, I would be lost.”

Marcus Redding Loses His Temper

Marcus hollered to his co-worker on the forklift, “Steve, can you bring out another pallet of peanuts?” Steve nodded and brought out a full pallet from the back. Marcus stacked three big boxes on the dolly and wheeled them to the truck. He didn’t see Steve nod to two other guys who were already hiding inside the truck. While Marcus was bent over loading the boxes, they jumped up and sprayed Marcus with silly string. Surprised, Marcus jumped up and banged his head hard on one of the shelves in the truck. It almost knocked him out. He was dizzy and seeing stars and a goose egg was coming up just at the top of his forehead. Corey walked up to him and said, “Oh, man I’m sorry.” Marcus reacted. He lunged at Corey and shoved him, calling him a bad name. Steve pulled Marcus back, “Whoa, whoa, whoa…it was just a joke…cool down.” Marcus jerked himself away and walked off. Corey went to the office and made Marcus an ice pack. He came out and found Marcus sitting on a stack of boxes in a corner. Again, he told Marcus he was sorry. Marcus just took the ice pack and looked away.

When Lauren got home he was lying on the couch with a fresh ice pack on his forehead. “Marcus Redding what happened to you?!” Marcus didn’t say anything at first. She sat down on the other end of the couch and spoke to him again, more gently this time, “Marcus, what happened?” He took off the ice pack. She raised her eyebrows. After a while he explained. Now it was Lauren’s turn not to say anything. The room was quiet for a minute or two. Marcus broke the silence, “I overreacted…I’m embarrassed…what is that scripture you told me about last week…from James…quick to listen…slow to speak…” Lauren helped him out, “Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.” “Yeah, that one,” Marcus sighed, “And I’m supposed to be a Christian…a good example.” Lauren put her hand on his leg, “Just apologize tomorrow…first thing…and move on.” Marcus nodded and laid the ice pack back on his head. He prayed silently and confessed the sin of losing his temper.

Corey came in the door at 7:55 and Marcus was right there to meet him. “I’m sorry, Corey. I overreacted. Sorry. Let me buy you lunch today.” He held out his hand. Corey didn’t hesitate. He shook Marcus’s hand, “That’s all right man. That’s all right. You banging your head was my fault. Are you all right?” Marcus waved his hand, “I’m fine. Let me take you to El Lugar for lunch.” “You don’t have to do that,” Corey protested. Marcus turned and grabbed a dolly and said over his shoulder, “Twelve o’clock, El Lugar.”

Over the loud music and lunchtime conversation, they ordered their quesadillas and found a seat. They talked about sports and work as they waited for their food. The girl called for #47 and Marcus went up to the counter. But right as Marcus was about to turn in his number and pick up the tray, a teenage kid came up and grabbed their food and started to take it to another seat. Marcus said, “I think you got my food there buddy.” The kid looked at Marcus, then walked right by him and set the two plates on his own table. Marcus was more puzzled than upset. He went over to the guy and said again, “I think you got my food.” This time the kid ignored him. Now Marcus was upset. He was about to raise his voice when he remembered Lauren’s voice, “slow to speak, slow to anger.” So before he made a fool of himself for the second time in two days he turned around and went back to the counter, showing the girl the receipt, and the plastic #47 she gave him. The girl smiled and said she would take care of it.

Marcus followed her back to the kid’s table. When they got there, the kid was using sign language.

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

Marcus Redding Falls Asleep

He said goodbye to his folks and put his guitar back into the case. It was 10:00 so he turned on ESPN. He watched SportsCenter with Lauren every Sunday night before they went to bed. He propped up on one end of the couch with his feet toward the middle. She propped up on the other end of the couch with her feet toward the middle. They watched football highlights (the punter hit the scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium…again!), the baseball highlights (Rangers won, Mariners lost), and talked about the upcoming week during commercials. They usually turned off the TV and went to bed right after the Top Ten Plays of the Week.

But this time Marcus didn’t make it to 10:45, he nodded off to sleep around 10:30. Lauren got up and turned off the TV. She got tomorrow’s lunch ready for Marcus and dropped a SHMILY note into the brown paper bag. As she brushed her teeth she turned off all the lights, except the lamp on the table next to the couch where Marcus was asleep. She moved a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer so Marcus could have his work clothes ready in the morning. As she was stuffing socks and T-shirts into the dryer something fell out of Marcus’s work pants and clanged on the tile floor, landing in the little space between the washer and the dryer. She couldn’t reach in to pick it up so she had to shove the washer over a few inches. When she looked down she smiled.

It was a small metal-rimmed picture frame, maybe a couple inches square, with thick plastic on both sides. She picked it up and turned it over a couple times in her hands. On one side was a little photo of 15 year old Marcus and his dad at Lake Padden. They were soaking wet and they had their arms around each other, big smiles on their faces. On the other side was a little photo of Marcus and her in front of a waterfall at a park in Arkansas. They had backpacks on and walking sticks in their hands. She squeezed it in her hand and started the dryer.

She went back out into the kitchen and sat at their kitchen/card table, set the little picture frame next to her computer, and opened up her laptop. She typed Marcus a note…

“I found this when I was doing the laundry last night. I didn’t know you still carried it around, but it reminded me how much I love you. I love this picture of you and your dad after your baptism. It reminds me of how you were buried with Jesus into death and raised to walk in a new life. And I love the picture of you and me at the waterfall. It reminds me of how Jesus said ‘they are no longer two but one.’ The fact that you carry it around shows that you love God and you love me.

Marcus, you always give me credit for helping you regain your faith. But all I did was turn you around and point you back to Jesus. You took the first steps. God saw you a long way off and ran and embraced you and kissed you. You have a good and honest heart. I’m so happy to be your wife. I’m so proud of you. I love you, Marcus.”

She printed out the letter and took it over to the couch where he was sleeping, half-snoring by now. She left the note on his stomach and put the picture frame on top of it. She kissed his forehead and went to bed.

When Lauren got up in the morning Marcus had already gone to work. He left a note on the counter that said, “James 5:19-20. I love you.”

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

Marcus Redding Sings

David Redding was sitting on a bench in the foyer. He looked at the time on his cell phone. 8:15! Sunday evening services were over at 7:00, but there were still three or four groups of people talking in the foyer. It didn’t bother David at all. He remembered Acts 2:44, “All who believed were together…”

Marcus and Lauren were talking with Armando and Terry Lilly. They had a lot in common, both young couples that really wanted to do God’s will. David was glad his son had friends in the church. He’d seen it over and over again. Kids who grew up in the church but didn’t form any real close friendships with other Christians…they fell away when they went to college and had trouble getting back.

Armando had to get up early for work so they said goodbye. Marcus told his dad and mom that he didn’t bring his guitar, but if they still wanted to hear his song they could come by the apartment and have a bite to eat, only he and Lauren would have to stop by the store and pick up a few groceries first. David said that was fine, he’d have to stay a while to lock up anyway, meet them at the apartment in a little while.

Lauren picked up milk and eggs and paper towels. Marcus got a frozen pizza (supreme) to share with his folks. As they drove back to the apartment Lauren turned and looked at her husband, “You still haven’t let me hear this song of yours, Mr. Shy Artist.” “More like Mr. Wannabe Artist,” he replied. “There hasn’t been anything to hear. It’s a work in progress.” Lauren looked back out the window, “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

Marcus liked to play the guitar and he liked to sing, but he was always a little embarrassed about it. He knew music. Tunes just came to him. But he struggled with lyrics and he was hesitant to let people hear him sing, even his mom and dad, even Lauren. He was always worried his songs would sounds silly, too poetic, overdone.

But his dad knew all that and wanted to encourage Marcus to work on songwriting, a positive way to spend his time. It would be easier to fall back into his old ways if he wasn’t busy doing good things.

“Let’s hear it buddy.” His dad sat on the couch across from Marcus who sat on the floor with his guitar. “Okay, but don’t laugh.” First he played the chord progression without singing. Then he went through the tune again, this time picking out the individual notes, still without singing. Lauren sliced up the pizza and handed it to Marcus’s parents on paper plates. “He’s good, isn’t he?...there’s tea on the kitchen counter,” she spoke quietly so as not to interrupt Marcus.

When he finished playing through the second time, he said “Cirrus Highway,” and sang these lyrics:

Little brick house, big backyard, “Come on dad, let’s go outside”
Gray clouds roll in, starts to rain, they run and hide
Sun breaks through, the clouds burn off, “let’s go play”
They toss the ball back and forth, underneath the cirrus highway

Chorus:

Horizons dissolve/distress disappears
Cruising along the cirrus highway
Gravity’s gone/no more fears
Riding high on a cirrus highway

Another house, big gray bars, no place to play
Clouds roll in, thunder rolls, storms today
It’s dark and getting darker, no light, no day
Can’t see through to the cirrus highway

Number 203 on the door, coffee steaming in my cup
She walks in, let’s go outside, before the sun comes up
It’s bright and getting brighter, look to the west
Thin clouds on high, on high, cirrus highway at its best

He strummed the last chord and the room went quiet. A small round of applause. Lauren asked him, “Where did you get the idea for those lyrics?”

Marcus said, “1 Thessalonians 4:17.”

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