Authors: CJ Simpson
Kat accepted the
card and nodded her head. “I may need this sooner than later,” she said.
“Remember, God
is always on your side,” Pastor Cullen reminded. “Always have faith. When
you’re feeling out of sorts, remember what I said. Invite God into your life
and share your struggles with Him. You might be surprised at how He can help
you.”
“Thank you.” Kat
looked at her pastor gratefully. “I don’t know why I didn’t come to you
sooner.”
“It may not have
been the right time until now. I have a feeling that the Lord had something to
do with you coming here.” Pastor Cullen’s eyes twinkled. “He may have spoken to
you in your heart.”
“All right,
then. I will definitely think about what you’ve told me.” Kat smiled. “Now, I
need to run. I’m supposed to meet up with the ladies from the Crafts group this
afternoon so we’ll be ready for next week’s bible school.”
“Ah, yes. It’s
that time again, isn’t it?” Pastor Cullen said. “I know all of our volunteers
are looking forward to it.”
“Okay, then.”
Kat stood up from her chair. Pastor Cullen got up as well and walked Kat to the
main entrance.
“Stay strong,
okay? I’m here for you.” Pastor Cullen encouraged. He held Kat’s hands briefly
before saying good bye.
When Kat drove
away, Pastor Cullen returned to his office and swiveled in his chair for a long
time, stunned by what Kat had confided to him. He reflected on her amazing
ability to remain strong and courageous, especially where her child was
concerned. She had been through so much yet she was always willing to help
others.
Finally, Pastor Cullen
turned off his computer, straightened the papers on his desk, and decided to
call it a day. He needed to go to the sanctuary to pray for Kat before he
headed home.
Kat looked at
the clock in her kitchen. She had one hour before she and Tyler had to be at
vacation bible school. Tonight was the first night and she was excited. “Tyler,
dinner’s ready,” she called.
“Okay, Mommy.”
Tyler yelled from his room.
Kat had just
finished setting her kitchen table with silverware when her cell phone rang.
She crossed the kitchen to where her phone lay in the charger. The caller ID
revealed that it was Dottie from the Black Belt Academy calling.
“Hello?” she
answered.
“Kat? Dottie Rodriguez.”
“Hi Dottie, how
are you?”
“Just dandy.
Listen up,” she boomed. “I’ve got a big group signed up for the self-defense class.
I’m just calling to see if you can make it tomorrow morning. Saturday’s out. I
can’t get anybody to cover for me at my other job and I’ve got other
commitments for the rest of this month.”
“Wow. Uh—I guess
I—actually, I can make it.”
Dottie said,
“It’ll be from ten to twelve. I’m sorry about the short notice, but this works
for the other ladies.”
“Not a problem.
It works for me too.” Mentally, she reminded herself to call Rhonda to see if
she would be available to watch Tyler.
“Good deal. You
can pay when you get here, okay?” She paused for a moment as if she remembered
she had something else to add. “Oh, and wear loose fitting clothes, like a tee
shirt and sweatpants.”
“Okay, will do.”
Kat promised.
“And another
thing. I won’t be teaching the Tiny Tigers class this week as we’re short
staffed at my other job, but Mr. Henley will be there, okay?”
“Oh, that
reminds me! Tyler has vacation bible school this week. So does Eli. The boys
won’t be in class this week.” Kat said.
“No problem. You
got any questions, give me a call. Otherwise, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Sounds like a
plan.”
As Kat replaced
the phone into the charger, Tyler came bounding into the kitchen. “Who was on
the phone, Mommy?”
“That was Miss Dottie.”
She answered.
“Oh. What did
she say?”
“She called to
tell me about a class for mommies.”
“A class for
mommies?” Tyler giggled. “That’s silly!”
Kat tousled
Tyler’s hair and motioned for him to take his seat at the dinner table. When
they were both seated, Kat decided she would try something new. She took
Tyler’s hand into her own and told him to close his eyes.
“Dear God, thank
you for this food that we are about to eat tonight. Thank you for the loving
people we have in our lives. Thank you for the all of the children we will see
tonight and thank you for giving me such a wonderful little boy. Amen.”
Tyler looked at
his mother. “Why did you do that, Mommy?”
“I thought it
would be nice to thank God for everything we have.”
“That’s a good
idea, Mommy.” Tyler smiled at her. Kat looked at her handsome little boy and
was reminded again of how lucky she was to have him in her life.
After they
finished eating, Tyler helped Kat clear the table. When he went off to brush
his teeth, Kat did the same and changed her clothes. All team leaders and their
helpers were given themed t-shirts at orientation to wear to class during the
week. The vacation bible school theme this year was The Big Apple Adventure,
‘Where Faith and Life Connect’.
Is it
coincidence,
she
wondered
, that perhaps I will dig deeper into my faith this week as I face
the past events of my life?
As she tied the laces of her sneakers, Tyler sprinted
into her room.
“I’m ready to
go, Mommy!” he piped.
“Me too!” Kat
said. She stepped into her closet to retrieve a light sweater that she
sometimes used when she felt chilled. When she emerged a moment later, she said
to Tyler, “Let’s go on an adventure!”
When Kat and
Tyler arrived at Piney Grove Baptist Church, there were parents and volunteers
milling around, exchanging pleasantries. An air of excitement could be felt
among the people. When Tyler got out of the car, he spied his Sunday school
teacher standing in the parking lot next to her car. He ran up to her and threw
his arms around her waist.
“Well, hello
there, you two!” Blair laughed as Kat smiled at her. Blair looked down at Tyler
and lightly pinched his nose.
“Can we go to
our classroom now?” Tyler piped, jumping up and down.
“Soon, very
soon.” Blair replied. In her early 60s, Blair Campbell was a striking woman,
with stylish blond hair and blue eyes. She had lost her husband to cardiac
arrest the year before and being around children had helped her to cope with
her loss. Blair was one of the most unselfish women Kat ever met. She was
blessed to have her as her son’s teacher.
“How are you,
Kat?” Blair asked.
“I am just fine.
How about you?”
“Marvelous.” She
drawled, pretending to fluff her hair that made Kat laugh. “I’ll go ahead and
take Tyler with me so you can get your classroom ready. That okay with you?”
“That’s
perfect.” Kat answered. She turned toward Tyler and bent down to give him a
bear hug. “Be good for Miss Blair, okay?”
“I will, Mommy.”
Tyler gave her a hug in return. Kat made her way through the crowd of people to
the Fellowship Hall entrance.
Once inside, she
observed the boisterous activity taking place. Parents and children walked
around, admiring the decorations of The Big Apple Adventure theme. On one wall,
there were cardboard cutouts of street signs, indicating what direction
students needed to take to find their classrooms. Adjacent to the wall was a
registration table with a backdrop scene of the New York Harbor.
Kat waved to the
volunteers manning the table as she walked around the opposite side of the
room, where ‘Midtown Snacks’ was located. The kitchen had been transformed to resemble
Midtown and Kat could hear excited chatter as she approached. She picked up her
pace and was almost at the Dutch door to greet her fellow parishioners when she
collided hard into someone.
Kat was about to
lose her balance when she felt a pair of strong arms grip her shoulders,
steadying her on her feet. When she stepped back and looked up at the man
standing before her, she gasped in horror. For a fleeting moment, she had a
flashback of the night she was attacked.
“I—I’m sorry.”
The man’s jaw fell when he saw her expression. He held up his hands in apology
and stared disbelievingly at Kat as though he recognized her from somewhere.
Kat quickly
recovered and shrugged her shoulders. “No, it’s okay. Uh, I really should pay
more attention to where I’m going.” She looked at him warily, feeling very
uncomfortable with what just transpired.
The man
continued to look at her strangely, making Kat nervous. She apologized again
and turned away, heading down the hall to where her Crafts classroom was.
When Kat entered
her room, she stopped for a brief moment and breathed a deep sigh of relief.
It’s
okay, it’s not a big deal
, she comforted herself
. Get a grip already, it
was just an accident.
She made a mental note to find the man later so that
she could apologize for acting like such an idiot.
Kat headed to
the front of her classroom where there was a small table. She set her purse on
it and draped her sweater over the chair sitting behind it. On the table was a
note from Pastor Cullen, welcoming her to bible school. He wrote that one of
her helpers came down with food poisoning the night before and would not be
coming in that week.
Poor Elsie
,
Kat empathized. I hope she feels better soon. As she began taking crafts out of
a box she’d brought a few days ago, she wondered how she would compensate for
the shortage of helpers. She needed all the help she could get, especially when
the little ones came to her class. Many of them did not have the dexterity
required to make crafts and required one-on-one help. As she pondered this, she
heard a knock on the door.
She looked up to
see the man she crashed into earlier standing in the doorway. He was tall,
handsome, and had on the same uniform she did. He wore a nervous smile on his
face. “I just wanted to apologize for acting like such a dork back there.” He
motioned toward the hallway and hung his head. “Are you Kat?” he asked.
“Yes, I am.” She
gave him a wan smile.
“Daniel
Stevens.” The man strode up to her and stuck his arm out. “I really am sorry.”
His eyes showed sincere regret and Kat immediately felt at ease.
Shaking his
hand, Kat responded, “I am too. I didn’t mean to act like such a dork, either.”
They both stared at each other for a moment, then broke into laughter.
“Does this mean
we’re on speaking terms now?” he quipped.
Kat grinned.
“Yes, we are.” She began sorting her crafts in preparation for her first class,
which was due to begin in one hour. “So, you’re a volunteer here?” she prodded.
Daniel
explained, “Yes. Uh, from what I understand, one of your helpers fell ill at
the last minute. Pastor Cullen called me and asked if I would be willing to
come in and help.” He added quickly, “If that’s all right with you, of course.”
Kat could see
Daniel was a little worried, so she forced herself to sound enthusiastic. “Absolutely,
it is!”
“Whew.” He
pretended to wipe his forehead. Both of them laughed.
“I don’t think
I’ve ever seen you around before.” Kat said.
“I’m pretty new
to the area, actually.” Daniel explained. “Moved here about six months ago.”
“Oh, yeah? Where
from?” she inquired.
“Charltonville.”
“Really? Me
too!” Kat exclaimed. “But I’ve been living here in Lakesboro for the last six
years.” The expression on her face darkened.
“You must really
like it here.” Daniel said, noting the frown on Kat’s face. “It’s a beautiful
area.”
“Yes, it is. I
enjoy the small-town atmosphere. It’s a great place to raise kids and everybody
pretty much knows everybody around here.”
“Is that a good
thing?” he hesitated.
Kat laughed. “I
think it is. Although, sometimes I have to watch what I say in front of
people.”
“And watch where
you’re going.” Daniel teased.
“Hey!”
Daniel smiled at
her and looked around the room. There were three long tables arranged in a
horseshoe fashion. The walls had been decorated with photographs of various
points of interest in New York City. “Okay. So, now that you’ve agreed to let
me help you, put me to work. He rubbed his hands together. “What can I do?”
Although the
pastor had already explained the basics of vacation bible school to Daniel, she
briefly highlighted its importance, that it was a form of religious education,
an extension of Sunday school. The program was designed specifically for
children to connect spiritually to God so that they may share God’s love with
others. She told him that their church holds the week-long evening program
during the middle of June as statistics showed that turnout was much higher at
that time.