Benjamin was overwhelmed with so much joy and relief, that his sorrow lifted at his bride-to-be words. He pulled her closer and they embraced as he stroked her hair and pulled one side behind her ear and spoke directly into it.
“Thank you for not giving up on me babe.” Camille crying looked into his
eyes.
“I’ll never give up on us we weren’t built to break.”
That night they made an emergency call to Dr. Whitney who came over and
counselled the couple. Benjamin was able to open up about his sense of guilt and obligation. Talking about it aloud made his chest expand, lungs open, and he was not only able to inhale but he exhaled.
Later that evening when Camille was home, she got on her knees and said a prayer on behalf of her groom.
“Lord, thank you for Benjamin, that I get the privilege of calling him my future husband. You have spoken over us, changed us, and blessed us. You thrill us, Lord, with all you have done. We will forever sing for joy because of what you have done in our lives (Psalm. 92:4)! Thank you for how You have worked in
us. Thank you for giving us another opportunity to trust You more. You are so worthy. You are so sovereign.
“The enemy tried to destroy him with grief and guilt, thank you father for saying NOT SO!
“I am thankful for how you have used Benjamin in my life. Because of His faith in You and his decision to walk in your magnificent light, I am encouraged to follow him hard after You. Thank you for his determination to grow and to seek You with his life. I’m more than willing to trust him with our future family. Give Him strength today, Lord. Give him the wife he needs in me. In Jesus’s name Amen!”
***
Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin George Adams stood at the entrance of Liberty’s opulent, fellowship banquet hall receiving their guests as they entered to celebrate their nuptials.
Benjamin was having a hard time focusing on greeting the guests because Camille looked more beautiful than ever. When the doors of the sanctuary had opened to Kirk Franklin’s “Now Behold the Lamb,” his bride was the truth and light of his life.
Over the last two weeks, she had been more than a help to him, their family, and friends. As usual with their group, obstacles were always coming their way. Karen and Mr. James had a meeting that went completely left and Camille had to ask her father to leave her office before things got out of hand.
Paige’s pregnancy was becoming worse while Kevin’s campaign demands picked up. Kevin was stressed because of the baby’s potential health issues and that Paige was unhappy with his choice of Tamala Sykes being on his staff. Benjamin exercised his right to plead the fifth on that topic.
Dawn and Autumn, introduced boyfriends that had Frankie and the rest of the adults doing double takes. Then there was his mom and Gregory Steele, getting too close after Mrs. Carol’s death. Nonetheless, his girl was by his side every day for grief counseling, all while holding down their family, friends, and her business.
As the reception line came to an end, he was able to guide his bride to their table and help her take a seat. He leaned over and gave her a movie-ending kiss on the lips, and inwardly thanked the man above for finding his good thing.
Author Notes
I am thrilled to have presented After Church to you. I hope that one of the characters resonated with you. For me, a little bit of myself is in each one of them. Like everyone else, situations occur in my life, some that come with pressure and I’m up against the wall. It is during those times that I have to decide, will I allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me? Or will I go with my emotions and barrel over anyone or anything that threatens my peace? My answer is—we all fall short of the Glory of God from time to time. It’s important that we not dwell in our shortcomings but press toward the prize of a higher calling in Christ Jesus.
It is imperative that we move forward from past hurt, and not let our failures rule our future. The character, Mrs. Carol Steele, could not move forward from the loss of her daughter, Lauren. She loved Lauren and refused to heal from her grief. Her grief manifested in her angry actions against others and vicious words she spurred to the innocent. Mrs. Carol was depressed and never recovered.
Depression is real, it must be treated, and the patients suffering from it must do the work to become better. This is a personal testimony of mine. I’m not ashamed to say, I have a therapist along with prayer and the Word of God. Don’t let your loved one suffer, know the signs and help them.
It is my prayer that you were inspired and entertained by the characters of The Greatest Love Series. I would love to hear from you, see my contact information below. Until we read again, I pray that you are blessed.
Genevieve
Coming Next
Dawn and Autumn: Finding Him!
The Greatest Love Series Books
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4 Pre-order for Only - http://amzn.to/29Kb14X
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Please visit the following sites for more information on the following:
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hives/basics/definition/CON-20031634
Dating and Domestic Violence
Love is Respect
Call 1-866-331-9474, chat at loveisrespect.org or text “loveis” to 22522, any time, 24/7/365
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Book Club Questions
1. Do you think Paige and Kevin married to soon?
2. Do you think Tamala will succeed in her quest to get Kevin?
3. What do you think of the sudden closeness of Mother Ellen and
Lauren's Father?
4. Do you think Shayla will ever get over Frankie and let him and
Karen be in peace?
5. Do you think Paige and Kevin will have a healthy baby? Will Kevin's mother ever accept Paige? If not, how will it affect their marriage?
6. Do you think the deaths of Lauren and Mrs. Carol will continue to haunt Ben?
7. Do you think Karen will ever be able to forgive her father for not being a part of her life?
8. Do you think Kevin and Paige will find out that their mothers loved the same man?
9. Do think Dawn's relationship is abusive? What do you think will be the outcome?
10. How do you think the family reacted to Autumn dating outside of her race?
After Church: Walking Worthy....After the Benediction! (The Greatest Love Series Book 2) Page 13