Page 35 of A Taste of Grace

When I arrivedat church on Sunday morning, I sat in my office and prayed, preparing myself for service. Although the thermostat was set to sixty-eight degrees, I fanned myself with a stack of papers on my desk to cool off. I couldn’t get Grace off my mind.

Every part of me was intrigued by her empathy, meekness, and overall sexiness. I enjoyed our banter and how she pulled emotions from me that I didn’t share with others outside my family. Grace also proved to be an advocate for my girls, challenging me in a good way. I loved that she was the closest I had come in years to finding the woman who would help me notburn in hell for needing a hot and ready body under me every night.

I still couldn’t shake how open my girls were with her. They were often rude to more of my female candidates, but they couldn’t stop talking about what Ms. Grace said or did or how pretty she was or how good she smelled or how smart she was. Although they were young, Hannah and Esther had discerning spirits. My babies were so smitten that I had to tell them to stop talking about Grace long enough to go to sleep so they wouldn’t be tired today. That told me a lot about how genuine and gentle Grace’s spirit was. In less than forty-eight hours, she had become Super Grace.

That was why I wanted to court her.

A tap on my office door pulled me from my reflection. I rose and said another silent prayer to center myself, lifting my hands in surrender to the Lord. When I crossed that threshold, Pastor Stallings would be the center point, not Caleb.

I entered the long hallway from the administrative offices and walked through the corridors until I reached the side entrance to the sanctuary. As praise and worship progressed, I deliberately kept my eyes on the platform, pushing down my disappointment that Grace wasn’t up front with my family.

Everything in me wanted to hunt Grace down and pull her to the empty seat next to Mama. I feared that if I looked behind me, I’d gush over her, alerting everyone I had a grown man crush. Sunday service wasn’t the time or place to show my cards like that.

Was she even there? Only when I ascended to the pulpit did I spot her sitting in the middle with intense eyes that held mine. I gave her a huge smile despite myself. Even from far away, I noticed a barely there blush stain her high cheeks. She was stunning in a shade of purple that symbolized royalty.

I bowed my head, first saying a silent prayer to God, thanking Him for bringing Grace into my life, and another out loud, preparing people for the word I would deliver today. I opened my Bible.

The Holy Spirit instructed me to preach about trust. I moved through three foundational scriptures in Proverbs, Psalms, and Isaiah, building a foundation as the pace of my sermon increased. At some point, I progressed beyond the words on the page into a prophetic realm where words of exhortation entered my spirit. As always, when the Spirit of the Lord overcame me, something like a cloud descended over the sanctuary. I saw the bodies before me, but I no longer focused on their features. In that moment, I had become an instrument that the Spirit spoke through.

“Someone here needs to know they are not alone. God wants you to know that you still have a purpose. Your latter days will be better than your former. No matter what it looks like, you are seen. The Lord hears you, even in your darkest hour. Trust Him with your cares.” I delivered the words as loud wails met my ears from the right, then left, and finally, the middle of the sanctuary.

As the low melody of the organ played, I wiped my brow with my handkerchief and steadied my body on the glass lectern before me.

“If these words mean something to you, come forward. Our prayer team wants to agree with you.” I descended the steps and stood in the front of the church as several members of the prayer team stood on either side of me.

I walked from one side of the sanctuary to the other as dozens of people awaited prayer. I stopped deliberately when I came to Grace. She was even more beautiful up close than she was from a distance. Her soft lips and subtle makeup drew me to her, even in my highly spiritual state. Purity radiated from her as she stood with upturned hands and bowed head. In her momentof surrender, I wanted to protect her, not just as a pastor but as a man.

She has gone through a lot. Don’t hurt this precious vessel.

I heard the words clearly in my spirit. I inched close to her and smelled the freshness of her full hair, taking a big whiff before I turned off my portable mic. I placed my hands behind her neck and leaned down to speak directly into her ear.

“God sees your heart, Grace. He knows how much you’ve sacrificed and lost. You will be recompensed for everything you’ve gone through. This is the beginning of a future your parents showed you in that dream.”

Grace’s head shot up, tears rolling down her cheeks. I quickly wiped a tear with my thumb as she reached for my wrist. Only the pull of the Holy Spirit kept me from embracing her and cradling her like a baby.

Thank you,she mouthed.

“Let me pray for you. Lift your hands.”

She raised her hands to her sides. I placed my hands in hers as tongues left my mouth. Within seconds, she began to speak in tongues, too, the tears rolling down even faster. Something like fire burned through my hands so quickly that I had to remove them from Grace’s. Never had I felt that kind of energy or been stunned like that during an altar call. I stepped back and to collect myself. A female prayer member took my place and put several tissues in Grace’s hands for her to wipe her eyes.

When I turned, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I faced Elder Peyton, the senior elder of the church. As members of the prayer team continued down the row, he pulled me back and to the side. It was rare for him to interrupt me during service, but since he also flowed strongly in the Spirit, I wanted to hear what he had to say. He spoke in tongues for a couple of seconds, then rested his hand on my head as he delivered his message directly into my ear.

“God showed me that the woman in purple is your wife. That surge you felt is how God is going to move in your life, quickly and unexpectedly. You’ve had a connection with her from the moment you met, haven’t you?”

I nodded as he continued.

“People may not understand it, but be obedient. Flow as the Lord instructs you. She is the anchor for your daughters and son.”

Son?

I closed my eyes and silently thanked God for the message delivered through Elder Peyton. As was my habit when others delivered a prophetic message to me, I would dive into the word later and seek additional insights from the Holy Spirit to discern how He wanted me to move.

I regrouped quickly and stepped back into the prayer line as the prayers concluded. The praise team finished ministering, and we closed out the service with calls to salvation and membership after the offering. I wanted to go to my office to decompress after service, but as the shepherd of the flock, I stood in the receiving line after church, greeting parishioners. Since Grace didn’t come forward, I assumed she went home. Hopefully, I would see her later.

After church, Aunt Nita tapped on my office door.

“Today’s sermon was right on time, Pastor.” She hugged me tight, the fragrance of her Chanel No. 5 cologne tingling my nose.

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