A Story

Chase smiled brightly as he shook hands with John and Petra, a married couple who were friendly with Peter and Miranda. In fact, many member of the church seemed to hold a high respect for the pair of them. Not that they weren't some pretty amazing people, quite the opposite. However, Chase saw something else in the way that they greeted the couple. Still, neither of them seemed to think themselves more important than anyone else, and spent a lot of time talking to people in the church and praying with people who were struggling.

Eventually the service started—only a fashionable twelve minutes late—and everyone began clapping and singing along as the worship team preformed Thank You Lord, an upbeat and catchy tune that Chase suspected was at least a little intended to help wake people up and ignite their spirit. Still, it was both effective and more than a little fun to jump in, singing along to the bouncy tune.

After they finished the first song, the worship had them greet their neighbors, which was a little odd, as most already had done so that morning. As such, most people did a round around the seats, hugging and shaking hands with pretty much anyone they came across. Chase couldn't help but be pleased that he was commonly greeted and hugged by many of the members of the church, as if his seat had always existed for him and him only, and he'd just recently come to inhabit the spot.

Thinking back over the time in his head, he realized he'd been a part of the church for five months now, but it already seemed more logical and at home than his old church ever had. It was just a sense of belonging, either. Here he could feel his sense of spirit and his determination be refilled after the world had seemed to do its best to beat him down throughout the week. And this week had certainly its attempt on his spirit. Unable to shake the woman from his thoughts, Chase began to softly pray for Justine.

His prayer wasn't really a set of proper words or even a clear understanding of what he wanted to ask God for. Rather he simply lifted the complicated issue of Justine up to his heavenly father, asking that God reveal the path forward for him. After all, that's what he should've been doing in the first place. His sense of shame and embarrassment renewed in his personal failure. He was supposed to be carrying the spirit of the everlasting God within him at all times, and had so easily failed to turn to God with his greatest problem.

Shaking himself slightly, Chase joined in with the next song as the band began to play again. He had to admit that he was starting to feel a bit better. His hangover had largely subsided, but even beyond that, a growing weight centered around Justine had been taking home in his chest, dragging him down into the earth. Now though, even though the weight certainly hadn't vanished, it was no longer causing him to sink into the earth as if it were quicksand.

After the worship came to a close, Pastor William stood and delivered a small set of announcements before the collection plate was passed around. Having already been blessed with more cash than he could've wanted after his recent deals, Chase dropped his donation in the plate as it came down his row. He always felt a little concerned about his method of donation, even though he acknowledged it was likely something that was all in his head.

Chase never marked the envelopes he used, and didn't write checks to the church. The reason was a little complicated though. He knew that after the year came to a close, those who had given and donated were given a statement they might use as a write-off on their taxes the next year. However, Chase personally disapproved of this, feeling that it could effect the whole idea of a tithe. After all, if you used your donations as a write-off, and you were in the right tax bracket, you essentially made that money back through the government tax system. To Chase, this seemed to undermine the whole idea of tithing in the first place.

However, the other side of that was that if he put cash straight into the collection plate, he felt as if others might feel he was trying to show off, or even call them out by his methods. This entire process flashed through his mind every single time the collect was taken at church, and had ever since he was eighteen. In all reality, Chase figured the likelihood of anyone else paying this much attention to him or thinking of things like he did was slim to none. Still, that didn't stop his mind from spinning around the problem each week. It made a moment that should've been a grateful giving to the LORD a tense mental struggle.

Chase sighed, leaning back in his seat, and thinking somberly that humanity had to find a way to complicate almost everything.

However, when William began his sermon, Chase felt his concerns and miniature panics vanish from his mind. The pastor spoke at length about relationships and—as occasionally happened—Chase was forced to wonder if God hadn't decided to deliver a sermon that he specifically needed to listen to.

"Patience is not a virtue that is manly willed, amen?"

"Amen," Chase responded softly, along with several other members of the congregation.

Patience certainly had been the word when it came to Justine. He was sure that there was a person beneath all her hostility that he genuinely wanted to befriend. But how did you deal with someone so hostile? Patience. Still, it could be a trying practice when applied in life.

"It can be really hard to be patient with the guy who cuts you off on the highway, can't it?"

A few chuckles echoed throughout the room, and Chase smiled, thinking of the tire he'd lost on the way to the service that morning. He really hadn't been a shining example of patience at all, had he?

Pastor William continued with his sermon and by the time he was closing in prayer, Chase had to admit that he was feeling much better than he had that morning. Sure, his breakfast with Justine hadn't been as great a success as he'd hoped. Still, perhaps it had opened a door, just a little. Besides, ultimately this was all in God's hands; so Chase decided he would make his best effort not to stress about it.

As they were dismissed, Chase got up and walked out of the building behind Peter and Miranda. The couple were stopped every few feet and Peter would sometimes stop and pray with someone for a little while, often with Miranda's hand on his shoulder for support. It was really interesting to watch the pair of them together. They were so in tune with one another that they could've been telepathically communicating for all Chase could tell.

Granted, he was sure that he never saw the hardest moments of their relationship, but the fact was that they seemed to be a perfectly happy couple and very pleased with one another. Perhaps the thing he appreciated was that they both seemed to support each other, without seeming incomplete by themselves. They didn't follow the old cliché of "completing" each other. Rather, they enhanced and enriched the other persons through their relationship and dynamic.

"God bless you two," said Beatrice, a small elderly woman with a soft voice. "You can't imagine how much help it is."

"It's no trouble," said Miranda, smiling kindly. "We'll talk to you on Wednesday, alright?"

"Take care dear," said Beatrice, turning and picking her purse up from its chair.

Chase, Peter, and Miranda made their way back to the car and Peter head towards the city aiming for the restaurant he'd mentioned on their way to the service. Chase had a sudden thought that struck him as they began to merge onto the highway. Back when Chase had first come to the church, Peter had prayed for him and for the first time in a very long while, Chase had been able to sleep that night. At the time, he'd attributed it to God healing him of his sleeplessness, which it obviously was on some level. However, the thing that stuck in his mind was Peter's confidence in the fact that Chase would be healed. He hadn't offer to try or said that he would pray. He had told Chase that he would sleep that night.

"Peter," said Chase, trying not to sound noisy or annoying in his question.

"What's up?" asked Peter, glancing in the side mirror as he changed lanes, joining the faster lane of traffic.

"I was just curious," said Chase, trying to pick his words carefully. "When we first met, you prayed for me because I hadn't been sleeping well. All I mean is… you seemed to know undeniably that I would be healed. How did you… how do you have faith like that?"

Miranda giggled and Peter smiled at Chase through the rear-view mirror. Personally, Chase couldn't see what it was that was so funny. For a moment, he felt his anger and irritation build up within him. However, he was then forcibly reminded of his promise of patience made only moments ago and took a long breath, letting his shoulders relax and the tension flow from him.

"I'm sorry," said Peter, still smiling softly. "It's nothing against you, Chase, I promise. It's merely that your question hits upon a bit of an adventure Miranda and I had a couple years ago now. You see, I'm something of a healer."

"Something of," Miranda muttered. "He's being modest, Chase. Peter healed a number of people who would've been dead or at least crippled without God's work through him."

Peter rolled his eyes, taking Miranda's hand with his before speaking to Chase again.

"I was blessed with an ability to help people who were hurt or sick because God used me for such things. It led us on a long journey cumulating in our stopping a satanic servant with the help of an angel named Lael."

Chase waited five full seconds after Peter had finished his sentence, sure that at any moment he would laugh and claim that he was joking. However, neither Peter nor Miranda claimed such a thing. In fact, if Chase didn't know better, he would've thought they were completely serious. Peter had some ability to heal, ok sure. After all, he'd helped heal Chase's own sleeplessness, hadn't he?

Still, the idea that anyone could do things like… fighting demons alongside angels seemed… unbelievable. Yet, as that thought hit him, Chase almost laughed himself. After all, nothing they were describing was unbiblical. It was documented that the apostles had been capable of healing people and casting out demons. Still, it was hard to believe that the young couple in front of him could have really experienced something so… powerful.

"I'm sorry," said Chase slowly. "I'm not sure I understand you."

"It's alright," said Miranda. "Honestly, we're still not sure we understand everything, even now. It started back early 2018. You see, Peter was walking to our school when he witnessed a car crash and went to help. He was sure that everyone inside was seriously injured and would likely die."

Peter jumped in, continuing the flow of the story as casually as if they were discussing a meeting that had happened last week.

"When I went to the hospital though, they were all making full recoveries and weren't going to suffer any long-term limitations. That was before we found out that my ma, who had been told she would die of cancer, was told that she was actually in remission and would likely be alright."

They continued sharing there story, of traveling to a healer's conference and meeting Lucas Sinclair, who had turned out to be a satanic worshiper who could revive the dead. They talked of going to Chicago and meeting Lael the angel as well as Michael and Jessica Conners, two private detectives who helped and harbored them until Peter was placed in a military hospital. All throughout dinner they explained and talked, answering the unending flood of questions Chase had.

As they concluded their tale, Chase found he had an odd sensation in his throat. How was it that they could have their lives and faith so together that they could preform a service like this, when he couldn't even talk to a girl who was suffering in life?

Peter seemed to sense his despair and placed a kind hand on his shoulder.

"Chase, you have a good heart. God will be with you every step of the way in your journey. After all, it was he who selected it for you."

Chase nodded, feeling only slight assured of his fellow Christian's words.