Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!
And, umm… it just gets weirder.
So, as we do most Sundays, we went to church. You know, putting on some nice clothes, piling into the car, going in and shaking hands and hugging old ladies, you know, that kind of thing. And we did all the stand up sit down sing and chant kind of stuff, you know, the churchy stuff. But then the pastor got up and started his sermon.
He said he was going to step down for a few weeks for reflection. And then he said that he experienced something this week that completely threw him for a loop. And he made the sermon about keeping an open mind, but not so open that your brain falls out.
That’s pretty funny.
But I think I know what he’s talking about.
He told us the assistant pastor would take his place for that time, and that he was fine, just needed some time to study and reflect.
After church I of course went up to him and asked him whether I was the reason he was stepping down for a while. He must have seen the worry in my face because he took me into his office. He sat down behind his desk, and I sat in front of it.
“Lily,” he said, “I can tell you that I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. In fact, I called up a few pastor friends and they told me they’d never heard of that either. A couple actually refused to believe it at all. But, there it is, and you have a… flower of unknown origin… to show for it.” He sighed. “My faith is fine, but… I’m not sure where this fits into it.” He learned forward. “Lily, we’re taught from the day we become a Christian that God has power, and manifests it through Jesus. We’re taught to pray, and expect answers to prayer… we’re taught that anything’s possible with God…” He leaned back again. “We’re not really taught to expect him to speak quite that directly,” he said. “Some other sects expect that… well… more than mine.”
“You do think it was God?”
“I do,” he said, with a hint of wonder in his voice. “Everything I’ve ever learned says he doesn’t behave that way, and yet… there it is. I just… need some time to reflect on it. To talk with some of my fellow pastors. Maybe my bishop. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them who you are.”
I wasn’t really worried about that, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless.
“Lily,” he said, “you’re clearly a very special girl. I’ve never met anyone like you, and,” he darkly chuckled, “I don’t think I ever will again. Whatever your gifts are, be thankful for them. You were given them for a reason.”
He got up and gave me a quick “side-hug” (he’s a nice man) and I went back to my family, who was waiting for me.
Sabby just looked at me questioningly.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I think I broke him.”
I haven’t seen Sabby laugh that hard in a while. She was still chuckling as we headed to the car. And the chocolate pancakes were delicious as always.
This afternoon, I went to Jack’s birthday party. It wasn’t a raucous affair, but there was me and Grace and his family, and a few of his workmates and classmates. They had cake and ice cream and his family bought him a car too!!! That’s nice of them. It’s not a fancy car but it’s nice enough, and he really appreciated it. They also gave him a subscription to one of those learning websites. I guess there was hint there, heh.
We didn’t get any time alone but that’s not the point of a party anyway, and Grace had a great time, with chocolate smeared all over her face and a huge grin. That’s a girl after my own heart!
I did give him a big birthday kiss. I think it lasted a bit too long. His workmates started cat-calling, his classmates seemed a bit uncomfortable, and his parents started clearing their throats and tapping their feet. WORTH IT!!!
I go back to class tomorrow. I wonder what this week will bring.
Foreshadowing? How should I know???
Hahaha!!!