“Actually, the three people who told me ‘bout it told it a lot different than ya just did. They all said he was just tryin’ ta make ya feel welcome, since this was yer first time at the church. He wasn’t askin’ ya on a date. He was askin’ ya to join the group fer some fun tonight.
“And, by the way, I knew it was Mason. His last name is Errington. And, yer right. He is too old for the college class. He just comes sometimes to help out with the leadership responsibilities and stuff. He’s in his last year of medical school. He’s workin’ t’ward bein’ a doctor, ya know, fer kids. A pediatrician. His mom and dad had twin babies die about ten years ago. It broke their hearts. Mason wants to help babies who are fightin’ ta survive from bein’ sick.”
“So he’s gonna be a doctor, huh? Well, whooptie-doo! Probably thinks he’s better than everybody else. I was probably his charity case for the day.”
“Awesome Beauty Truesdale, those unkind words aren’t worthy of ya. He’s a wonderful young man, with a compassionate heart and worthy goals. Ya treated him shamefully, and embarrassed yerself in front ‘o all those people outside the classroom.”
“Well, nobody has to worry about it anymore now, do they, since today was the first and last time I’ll be going to church here. As soon as I get a job this week, I’m outa here, and Open Door of Faith won’t be embarrassed by me ever again.” With these last words, Awsty speeded up her steps and left Grammy in the dust. She arrived at the apartment a full ten minutes before her grandmother. While she waited for Grammy to catch up and unlock the door, two thoughts kept rolling around in her head.
First, was she really too rough on Mason? Maybe she could have been a little nicer. But, he just kept pushing it. She just wanted to be left alone, and he should have done that.
Second, now that she thought about it, he was kind of cute. Tall. He must be over six feet. Blond hair. She liked his blond hair. Great smile. No dimple, like Pastor Greg, but he did have some seriously blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes. And, there was something about the way he looked down at her and tipped his head slightly while talking to her. Yep, he was a cutie all right. He just should have backed off earlier.
On the very heels of these thoughts about Mason, she looked down at herself. Suddenly she felt very embarrassed over her appearance. She felt soiled and dirty looking. She reached a hand up to her hair and smoothed it down even flatter on her skull. which left greasy marks on her fingers. Swiping them across the right side of her short black skirt, she just re-iterated to herself, “He was just making me his charity case today. I’m not anybody’s charity case!”
When Grammy unlocked the door to let them both in, Awsty slipped quickly into her bedroom. This had been an exhausting morning. She thought maybe after they ate lunch, she’d lie down and take a nap. She slipped into the only pants she had, a pair of jeans, then went to the kitchen to help Grammy set the table and finish the meal. She felt like all her movements were underwater slow motion. She was tired. Yeah, she definitely needed a nap.
After eating and cleaning dishes, Awsty thanked Grammy for the meal, then slipped off to her room. She didn’t even remember lying down. Out, like the proverbial light.
Chapter 12
On those Sunday mornings that Pastor Greg taught from the pulpit, the remainder of his day was pretty much ordered. While Senior Pastor Johnston had always shared with his elders that Bible teaching on Sunday mornings invigorated him, Greg found that at the end of a morning of preaching two services, the remainder of that Lord’s Day he was running on physical-, mental-, and emotional fumes.
More often than not, after either dropping by a fast foods drive-thru on his way home for something quick, or half-heartedly eating leftovers from his refrigerator, he would change his clothes, and park himself in his comfortable recliner. Although he might watch a portion of a football game, or at least a few plays, he was normally so exhausted after preaching two sermons that he would lay his head back and that would be the last of any conscious moments he experienced until well after dark in the evening, at which time he’d schlep to the kitchen and eat a bowl of cereal, sometimes with toast, sometimes without. Shortly thereafter, Greg would retire to his bedroom, where he’d dress for bed, brush his teeth, then barely have enough strength to crawl into bed. After audibly saying goodnight to his late wife, Delane, he’d turn over and sink right back into a slumbering unconsciousness. He never dreamed as a kid that thirty would feel so old.
Tonight, however, was somewhat different. After crawling in bed, he never did say goodnight to Delane. His thoughts had been sidetracked off and on since first service with the “goth girl,” the name with which he had dubbed Awsty.
Even now, Greg was embarrassed for her… not by her… but for her. Why would anyone in the world dress like that?! Did she actually think it made her attractive?! That hair of hers looked so greasy you could fry chicken in it! And, those black claw fingernails… were those actually hers, or were they those stick-on things? Ugly! Really ugly! And what’s up with that ear thing she had going on? I can’t imagine that a young woman would cut a hole in her ear like that and stretch it until you could poke a big medallion in it! Oh, yeah… the spiked dog collar. The only redeeming thing about that is that it accentuated her long slender neck. And, the final assault… those knee-high laced up black boots. Not only were they so high they made her walk funny, but they made her look like a… well, let’s just say they made her look cheap! I can’t understand why her grandmother would let her go out like that, and especially to church! That girl needs prayer. Lots and lots of prayer!
Having mentally dissected every aspect of her appearance, Greg decided that he’d start praying for her.
“Lord, although I don’t know much about her, I do know that girl needs You. I can’t remember her first name, but You know her, all about her. Please begin working in her heart. Holy Spirit, woo her to Yourself. And, I’m going to thank you right now for what You’re going to do in her life. In Your Name I pray. Amen.”
Within fifteen seconds of his proffered “Amen,” Pastor Greg was asleep, dreaming of a young gothic-attired woman walking up the center aisle of his church. She wasn’t listening to his Bible teaching. She had her arms raised to heaven, and was begging the congregation to tell her in simple terms how to become a Christian. She stopped at each row of pews, working her way to the pulpit. She would beg anyone in that row to tell her about Jesus, but each row of parishioners would in unison turn their backs to her and say nothing. Row by row, she worked her way to the front, all the time the pastor, Greg himself, was teaching Bible truths, and totally ignoring the girl’s pleas to the church congregation. By the time she reached the front of the worship center, and raised her arms and eyes to Pastor Greg, pleading that he’d tell her about Jesus, Greg had decided he’d had enough of her off-putting emotional displays. Intending to tell her what she wanted to know so he could get back to his prepared sermon, he tried to open his mouth, but it was as though his lips were glued together with a super glue agent. He tried to part his lips to speak. Nothing came out but mumbling. The gothic girl kept begging him, finally throwing herself down at the altar, bowing her head and hopelessly crying, because no one cared enough to show her the path to Christ. When her cries arose to a startling decibel, four ushers came forward and grabbed her, one at each arm, one at each leg, and literally carried her back the length of the worship center, tossed her out, then closed the doors and latched them shut. Not sure what to do, Greg just continued his sermon through glued together lips. Lots and lots of mumbling. All the while, the congregation as one would periodically shake their heads no, while in unison saying, “Amen.” The whole thing made no sense, as dreams often don’t. Or did it?!
Fitfully waking up multiple times throughout, Greg’s whole night was one big nightmare.
*****
Mason had spent the afternoon with his nose buried in his medical textbooks. But, his thoughts kept being sidetracked by images of that strange and frightening girl who came
to Sunday school class that morning.
He mentally analyzed (as he was prone to do) every aspect of her attire, starting from her black slicked-down hair to her platform shoes with the red laces up the back.
While she had a black greasy-looking hairdo, it was the way it laid down that caught his attention this morning. She chose to split the oily strands in front of- and behind her ears. It almost gave them the appearance of flaps… airplane flaps. And, because her skin was so pale, whether from natural coloring or makeup, it made the “flaps” look even whiter, hence larger. And, he wasn’t unequivocally certain, but it looked like the part, almost exactly down the middle, was red, or auburn at least an inch or so up from her scalp. Did she do that on purpose so that it would match the red laces up the back of those hideous shoes?! Speaking of which, those things were so awkwardly high that they made her back arch weird, and her gait was indescribably strange. It was the non-knee-bending stride of someone with no knee joints. If she continued to adorn herself in footwear like that, she was definitely going to pay the price in the not-too-distant future. Orthopedists in town… get ready!
Although, when analyzing her hair in relationship to the shoes, he had jumped from head to feet, he returned his visual remembrances back up to continue from top to bottom.
That cut and stretched earlobe thing was almost more distressing than any other aspect of her being. Earlobes had been designed by the Lord, and although he really couldn’t say why they were shaped exactly the way they were, he felt pretty certain that God had shaped them as He did for a purpose, not for mutilating like she had that one ear.
Mason knew there were procedures that could restore earlobes to their original shape and size. He’d just read about that a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty costly, but was a really quick fix. Which journal had he been reading about that in? He would go back and research that more. Why, he didn’t know. That wasn’t an area of medicine that interested him at all. But, if she returned to church, and someday ever wanted to undo this tragic mistake, maybe the Lord would give him the opportunity of sharing this info with her.
Although Mason continued his analysis in its entirety, he realized he needed to return to his text reading. So much to learn and so little time, it seemed, to take it all in!
However, Mason being Mason required that he first spend some time in prayer for this young woman, who by her very appearance and demeanor, needed prayer and non-judgmental friendship. There may be no opportunity again to reach out to her, but he could definitely pray for her.
Pushing himself up off his chair, Mason knelt next to his desk, and softly, but audibly, brought a lost young woman before His Lord.
“Lord Jesus, where do I begin… When Awsty showed up in Sunday school class this morning, my heart kept flipping back and forth. First it was condemnation that anyone would dress in such a trashy way to come to Your House, then I felt like she was so lost spiritually, how would she know how to dress to come dine at Your Table and fellowship with your friends.
“Jesus, I probably won’t see her again. I’ll be going back to the Singles class next Sunday, so our paths probably won’t cross again. But, you know where she is at all times.
“Lord, You love Awsty and died to pay the penalty for her sins. I don’t know if she even knows this, but she needs to. Please work in her heart. Soften her and bring seed-planters to her that will share what You’ve done for her. Make her hungry to know You.
“I saw how several of the college kids looked at her this morning. There was judgment in their glances. And, I am one of the offenders. I suppose she could read the shock in my face, as I made judgment on the way she looked. Forgive me. Remind me that I am no better, in fact, I’m worse. Because knowing You like I do, I have no excuse.
“Save her, Lord, because You’re the only one Who can!
“Oh, please work in the hearts of the college kids. If it’s Your Will, let Awsty come back next week. And let the group welcome her, no matter how hard she fights it.
“Oh, one last thing about Awsty…”
That “one last thing” turned into almost thirty more minutes of laying Awsty Truesdale before the Throne in prayer.
Mason had poured out his heart for a young woman he didn’t even know, and by the end of that time, when he stood from his prayer position, he realized he was emotionally and physically exhausted. Walking over to the inviting bed, he plopped down on its edge and literally dropped over in repose. The last thought he had was that he could afford to just close his eyes and rest for fifteen or twenty minutes.
Normally Mason would spend quite some time daily in prayer for Geneva, his two-year official girlfriend. She was beautiful, well-educated, and a local nurse practitioner. She spoke well, and was gracious in all situations. Now there was an ‘awesome beauty!’ He was hoping that by this next summer, after graduation, she would say yes to his proposal, and they would begin planning a future together. The time just wasn’t quite right yet. But, yes, he would truly be marrying an ‘awesome beauty.’
“Thank you for my beautiful Geneva, Lord.” That was his entire prayer that day for Geneva, the woman he intended to spend his life with. With that statement, he drifted to sleep. There were no dreams or nightmares that intruded on his rest. He slept soundly for several hours that afternoon.
Chapter 13
Monday morning came too soon. Awsty had laid awake a good portion of the night trying to figure out how to attack the morning’s schedule. By the time she looked over at the alarm clock, she still had no clue how to begin. Eight-seventeen a.m. She was just as confused as she had been when she finally gave up thinking the night before and tried to sleep.
Grammy had offered to sit yesterday evening and help her make a plan for the day, but Awsty was still ticked off that she’d been forced to go to that stupid church service. And, the only good that had come from it was that she saw some good dancing, and got to look at that really fine-looking preacher, or pastor, or associate pastor, or whatever it was they called him. She hoped Grammy wouldn’t grill her at the breakfast table about the sermon, because the only thing she remembered was “Jesus wept.” Whether that was a Bible verse, or a general statement Pastor Greg was offering the congregation, she had no idea. And frankly, she didn’t care. Once she got herself a job, she was outa here and Open Door of Faith would never be bothered by her again.
*****
“Good mornin’, Sweetheart.”
“Mornin’, Grammy. I know I’m supposed to look for work today, but I couldn’t seem to get myself out of bed this morning. I knew I felt tired yesterday, but I guess I was more tired than I thought. I can’t believe it’s already after nine o’clock. I planned to be out and searching for a job by no later than nine o’clock.”
Grammy could see that Awsty truly was tired. She had small dark circles under her eyes and her face looked drawn. She suspected that the hard living Awsty had succumbed to had taken its toll on her body, soul, and spirit. Unfortunately, however, she resisted the temptation to tell her she could wait another day or two before starting the job hunt.
“I don’t think that’ll cause any problem today, Sweetheart. It’s a nice day for some walking. Since we’re on a main street, you can walk either direction until you get to the end of the businesses, cross the street, check out the stores on that side of the street, then cross and come back here. Like a big circle. And, I think you’ll find there are plenty of places that are hiring.”
Grammy was evaluating Awsty’s appearance as she spoke, taking mental note of all the details. She had donned a pair of scruffy jeans, one knee with the tiniest hole bursting forth, and the other looked like one swiftly blown breath would create a match. The rest of her clothing choices were the same as yesterday… the black chained long-sleeved top and red laced black “lady of the evening” shoes. She wanted to scream out that no one, and she meant no one, was going to hire her, looking the way she did!
Cautiously, Grammy suggested to Awsty, “Ya have an awful lot of wa
lkin’ ta do today, Awsty, and I can’t help but wonder if yer feet’ll hold up all day in those high heels. I have a pair of ballet shoes in blue that ya might want to wear instead. They’re cute, and I’ve only worn ‘em once. Yer welcome to borrow ‘em, if they fit ya.
Awsty, quickly and abrasively, let Grammy know that her platforms would do just fine, thank you very much.
“Ok, Sweetheart. Is there anythin’ I can help ya with before ya leave this mornin’? We can talk about which stores along the route that we know are hirin’, ‘cause we’ve seen the signs in their windows, and I can maybe help ya out with the kinda stuff they’ll prob’ly ask ya in an interview. Not that I’m an expert or anythin’, but in my lifetime I’ve been through enough job interviews myself, and I remember things ya should and shouldn’t do.”
“Thanks, Grammy, but I know perfectly well how to act in public, and I’m sure job interviews in your day are nothing like they are today, anyhow. Thanks again, but I’m good.”
And so it was that after finishing her breakfast of cereal and toast, brushing her teeth, and finishing her grooming by putting on her dog collar, the unsightly and terrifying-looking young woman briskly walked out the door. Although she did tell her grandmother “Bye,” it was more of an afterthought she threw over her shoulder as she exited the front door.
Standing at her front window, Grammy watched Awsty’s back as she walked out of the apartment complex, turned left and headed off. She quickly ran to her bedroom window, which looked out on the street. From that location, she could watch Awsty for quite a way down the road.
“Lord, I know Ya work miracles all the time, but unless Ya do in this case, that child isn’t gonna ta be hired ta do anythin’ in this town. And maybe, Jesus, that’s not a bad thing. Perhaps it’d be best if she meets a lot ‘o employers that are totally put off by ‘er appearance, and don’t want their businesses ta have anythin’ ta do with ‘er.
“In fact, Lord, that’s exactly what I ask, in Yer Name. Please let her feel total defeat by the end ‘o this day, and make ‘er ready ta listen ta good counsel. And, give me wisdom ta give that counsel, free from pride or anythin’ else, other than the love of ‘er Grammy. After all’s said and done, bring ‘er ta Yer Son, Jesus Christ.”