Divine Intervention

I stopped going to church 4+ years ago. In December 2004, I decided to contact my pastor. Actually I wanted to speak to him because I needed help with somethin at work.

Anyways, since then he's called me randomly to tell me that he's thinking about me, and that God loves me. Yeah, I expected that, but I don't mind. Until I was 18, this man had watched me grow up, from singing on the choir, to getting caught with a hickie on my neck (i was absolutely terrified of sex) while on a church outing (Don't act like you haven't misbehaved once or twice in your life).

So today, I decided to call him and check in. I had told him that I'd call him "right back". That was a month ago, and I thought it was time for some spiritual cleansing. Ironically, when I called him, he was in the carwash.

I didn't know how to begin, so I told him that I just called to say "hi" and apologize for not returning his call like I said I would. He predictably forgives me, and asks me how I'm doing. The carwash thing really threw me off, because it was dripping with so much irony (no pun intended). This caused me to lose focus. As a result, the conversation was short and filled with standard questions and standard answers (How are you? I'm fine. How's school? It's good...) Then he says, "Do you have something to eat?" Umm... *blink blink* I wasn't prepared for that one. That wasn't on my list of standard-questions-to-expect-from-your-pastor-when-you-haven't-been-to-church-for-4-years. How did he know my fridge was almost on empty (save the half a lemon and leftovers my mom brought me when I told her that I was hungry last night). I had to act fast. So I regrouped and told him that I have some left over oxtail from the night before. He pauses, chuckles and then says "oh wonderful". Whew.

We hang up the phone, I and can't stop thinking about that last question. It sounded like a genuine concern about my well being. Did my voice give away that I was just forced to quit (semi-fired) from one job, while the other reduced my hours to 2 (yeah two) per week and the third one is ending in 2 weeks? Was it because I called at a time that most people should be at school or at work, making it apparent that I'm lonely, slightly depressed, and possibly bored? Not that I don't think my pastor is genuine, but it was just how he said it that really touched my heart.

I'm listening to Foregin Exchange and didnt realize it until just now when I heard the chorus "I gotta feeling that we're gonna be alriiiiiigggghhhhtttt. Everything's gonna be alright!"

Yeah. Everything is gonna be alright.