Merry Ex-Mas (15 page)

I nodded and waited for a moment, wanting to give her the best answer possible. "It just means that you can't fool God. And you can't turn up your nose or ignore what He wants and what He wants you to do."

In her sigh, I could tell that she still didn't understand. "Sometimes I don't know what God wants from me. I pray, but
…
" She stopped.

"Well, you know this. You know He wants you to do right and not wrong. And you know the difference." A beat. "You don't have to pray to God and ask Him if you should be involved with Bobby or not. You don't need to ask Him should you sin."

"Aunt
…
"

I held up my hand, knowing that she was going to say that she didn't want Bobby. But I wasn't going to waste my time with lies when we both knew the truth. I said, "God wants you to know that you will always get back whatever you put out. Yes, you can always go to God for forgiveness. And He will forgive because He is a mighty and just and merciful and wonderful God. But here's the thing
…
" I stood up and faced all three ladies.

"Here's what you always have to remember. You can always go to God in prayer; He will always meet you there, and He will always forgive you. But know that even forgiven sins have consequences." I let them think about those words and added, "Each one of you is in an interesting situation. And for the most part, you know why you're there, and you know what to do. But you're going to have to pray for strength to do the right thing, pray for answers to your questions, and pray that you will always move forward with wisdom."

I studied their faces as they stared back at me like students in a college lecture hall. They were each calculating my words, adding up how they applied to their lives, their situations.

But that was all they did
—
just listen. It didn't seem like Sheridan, Kendall, nor Asia had any questions. Which was a good thing because I didn't have anything else to say. My work with these ladies was done
…
at least for this day.

Well, not everything was done; there was one thing left to do. I reached for Sheridan's hand; she stood and walked toward me. Then we both reached for Kendall and Asia. We formed a circle of four, holding hands, and without me having to say a word, the ladies bowed their heads.

And there in front of the altar, we raised our petitions to God. We prayed our silent prayers.

Coming June 2014

FOREVER AN EX

"Once again, Victoria Christopher Murray has crafted a compelling, intriguing, and page-turning story that stays with you long after you've finished the book."
--ReShonda Tate Billingsley, author of
A Family Affair

"Murray’s story has the kind of momentum that prompts you to elbow disbelief aside and flip the pages in horrified enjoyment."

--
The Washington Post

Victoria Christopher Murray is the
Essence
bestselling author of over 20 novels, including THE DEAL, THE DANCE, AND THE DEVIL; SCANDALOUS; DESTINY’S DIVAS; and NEVER SAY NEVER. She
has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being a pioneer in African American Fiction. Since 2007, Victoria has won six African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year - Female. Her 2013 NAACP Image Award nomination for Destiny's Divas was her second Image Award nomination.

Victoria splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. You can follow her on Twitter at @VictoriaECM or visit her website at http://www.VictoriaChristopherMurray.com.