Tierra walked into the church and hung her jacket in the hallway coatroom before pushing open the white double doors that led to the sanctuary. As she made her way down the center aisle she noticed there were a few people already kneeling in prayer in front of their pews. She slid into a row about mid-way down, and quietly knelt down and spoke to God.
“LORD, I thank you for your grace, mercy and for allowing me to see another day. Ok. I know it’s been a long time since I’ve come to you in any other way other than rage. I know I’ve said some real bad things about you. I know I blamed you for what happened to me. I said you didn’t care for me, but Lord, I’ve come to see I was wrong. I understand now, that sometimes-bad things do happen to good people. It’s life. It’s cruel, it hurts, and yes it’s unfair. But as bad as it is, there is plenty of good. Father, you’ve met me on so many occasions, when I didn’t even know you were there. You’ve been leading me back to you, calling me ever so quietly, just a mere whisper. I finally heard you the day when Qu tricked me to coming in here. I guess that was you, and then you sent my mother to bring me back. Now I come on my own, at least to pray. I don’t know if I’m on the road you want for me, Lord. My career is a success, but that’s all I have. I have nothing else, no one to even share my success with. I know I’ve turned away plenty of men out of my anger and fear of getting hurt, after what happened to me. I was never promiscuous as some women have been after dealing with my same pain. LORD, I need you to help heal my heart, heal my wounds my fears. Please heal the parts of me that those men damaged, and tried to destroy. Help me to see that all men are not here to cause hurt. Some are kind and gentle. Oh, and since I’ve never really dated before can you help me to see the true nature of a man, at least his heart, his intentions? Can you help guide me to the man you have for me? I need to learn to trust, to forgive myself, to trust myself, to trust you, and rely on you. Can you help me to trust you… to hear you? I thank you for never giving up on me. I thank you for a second chance. I thank you for your son and through him I ask these things of you. Amen
She stayed knelt down for a while and just meditated before she stood up. She turned her attention towards the pulpit for a moment before walking to the back of the sanctuary.
“It’s nice you see you came back, and inside this time,” a female voice said.
Tierra recognized her from the first time she came to the church.
“Yes, I guess you were right. He did,” she pointed to the sky. “Trick me, that is… and I’m so glad he did,” she smiled, grabbed her jacket out of the coatroom and headed out the door.
The sun was going down over the tops of the buildings and the sky was a bright orangish red color. It was a beautiful sight, even though it was beginning to rain. ‘You can’t rain on my parade,’ she thought, and she walked down the church steps with a new outlook on her life. For the first time it was a positive one.