“I can see you’re busy, I’ll go mingle with some people,” Joseph said. “See if I can find your folks. I just wanted you to know I was here.”
She was grinning so hard she couldn’t kiss him back when he planted his lips on hers a second time. Charity closed the door and fell against it. She pretended to fan herself.
“That’s him?” April asked. “He’s fine. We gotta talk.”
Charity laughed.
Iesha agreed. “He is fine, Cherry.”
As if this were a mock wedding, Charity and April escorted Iesha out to the family and living room, where the party was being held. Traci and Mercedes greeted Iesha. Charity was glad that they were acting civilized. She waved back at Sharon and Joseph as she passed them. She noticed how happy Terrence looked as he eagerly waited for Iesha to be brought to him. He winked at Charity as she turned to stand beside them. Charity surveyed the crowd of people, looked over at how happy Iesha seemed, and fought back her tears. This was a moment she wouldn’t have wanted to miss for the world.
Chapter 32
Some time later…
CHARITY THOUGHT SHE WOULD NEVER get used to living in a different state. Although she missed her family, friends, and church, she was enjoying her new life.
“Momma.” Xavier leaned over and whispered to her, “I know what this says.” He held up the church bulletin for her to see.
“I bet you do,” she said, lowering the folded program in his hand. “Let’s read this later, we should be listening to Daddy preach.”
“Okay, but it says ‘The Good-ness of God Min-i-stries,’ ” he enunciated.
“Good job. Let’s see if you can listen as well as you can read.”
Charity sat proudly in the first pew encouraging her husband by nodding her head when he made eye contact with her. Joseph was preaching his heart out about Jonah being in the belly of a fish. “But he prayed. I said, he prayed,” he sang climatically. “I’m telling you, church, you could be one night away from your miracle. Keep praying, keep praying. He slept in the fish’s belly on the first night, slept in the fish’s belly on the second night, and slept in its belly on the third night, but early, ear-ly, I said early the next morning, he found himself on the sandy shore of freedom. Your situation might look impossible right now, but if you keep on praying, God will answer.”
Charity was glad to see the small congregation receiving him. They were saying, “Amen” and urging him to “preach, Pastor, preach.” She looked around and noticed that their families were enjoying this just as much as she was. An outsider would have thought he was Mama Lorraine and Mr. Brown’s son the way they were beaming. Even his parents wore a smile brighter than the sunlight shining through the stained-glass windows. When Iesha and Terrence weren’t fighting with Sha-Lai and Raquan over their new baby daughter, Tyesha, they were paying attention. Sharon and her fiancé, Tyree, had made it, as did April. The icing on the cake was the card Emmitt sent to her by Mama Lorraine, blessing her marriage. The letter he’d enclosed told her that he’d always love her, which reminded her of the gentleman he was when they first married. She almost laughed out loud when she remembered the part where he wrote he’d try hard not to ask Xavier any personal questions about her during their visits. She prayed silently that God would take care of him and bless him with a deserving wife.
Then, she directed her attention back to her husband when she heard him ending his sermon. He likened his two-year imprisonment to being in a fish’s belly and how God used the situations to change both his and Jonah’s heart. “Before I take my seat, I just want you to know that if God can do it for me, I know,” he sang, “He can do it for you.”
Charity, along with the whole church, was up on her feet, applauding him. The church’s trustee placed a glass of water on the podium for him. He winked at his wife as he sipped from the glass. He gave an altar call and six people received their salvation; and three joined the church. Pastor King approached the podium so that he could install Joseph as the new pastor of the church.
“Well, church,” Pastor King said. “I believe Kentucky is in for a revival.” The church applauded. “Pastor Nelson, you be encouraged. You’re going to do well up here in the mountains.” He turned to the church. “I hear it gets cold up here in these parts. Y’all make sure to take care of your pastor. Help keep him warm.” He looked at Joseph again. “You’ll do well as long as you keep the fire of the Holy Spirit burning in your spirit. The Lord has given you a very fine first lady, Charity, my daughter in Christ. And He’s given you a fine church to shepherd. I’m excited for you. You’re going to do well.” Pastor King performed the traditions of the installation services and went to his seat.
Joseph took the microphone to give the benediction. “Before I close the service, I want to thank my wife, Mrs. Charity Nelson.” She smiled and gave him a look that only he could translate. “Stand up, honey. Let everybody know who you are.” Charity stood up and shyly waved. “Ain’t she fine? Make me wanna sop her up with a biscuit.” The church laughed. “I would also like to thank my parents and my family for coming today. Momma, y’all stand so the church can see you. I thank the Browns, my in-laws, for being here. Pastor King, thank you so much. I want to thank my friends, Brother Jay Allen and Eric Hankins. Ya’ll stand. Church, these are brothers that God also turned around in prison. Give God a hand-clap of praise. Bless you, bros. Last but not least, I want to thank the late Chaplain Nesbit, the former pastor of this church and my everlasting friend, for not giving up on me. If it weren’t for him allowing God to use him, this would have never been made possible.” When his voice started to crack, he went into the benediction. “Now to Him who is able to keep us from falling, bless us all with grace, peace, mercy. Amen.”
Reading Group Guide
Prologue
“I’m ready…” Joseph declared impatiently to the chaplain—and to God. When have you experienced that sense of I’m-
ready-what’s-the-holdup during your waiting times with God? What kind of emotions rush through you? What Scriptures encourage, restrain, or challenge you? Why do you think God gives prophecies and visions—only to make us wait for their fulfillment?
Chapter 1
Charity was told that an all-black counseling center wasn’t necessary—that the world has enough separation and segregation. What do you think—pros and cons? What are the values of racially (or ethnically) specialized services? What are the risks?
Chapter 2
“Where in the Bible does it say we can’t buy bootleg tapes?” In response, Iesha quotes, “Thou shalt not steal.” How would you respond? How do you reconcile decisions such as Mama Lorraine’s with your faith?
Chapter 3
Does Emmitt sound like an abusive husband? What kind of behavior do you characterize as abusive between spouses? Does your definition encompass physical, emotional, and psychological abuse? Why or why not? What faithful response should the Christian church (and/or believing spouse) have to an abusive marriage?
Chapter 4
Charity’s pastor talked about times of transition and change. In terms of women in leadership and the privilege of age versus youth in leadership, how does your church handle change? Why? How do you handle differences of opinion on such issues with your church leadership?
Chapter 5
Mama Lorraine called a sort of family meeting to discuss issues raised by her earlier conversation with Iesha. How does your family handle conflict—or issues with the potential for sparking conflict? Was the Brown family discussion an example of healthy and effective conflict resolution? Why or why not?
Chapter 6
Loneliness is a burden for all of us at some time or another. Brother Lee found some comfort in his work; Joseph recommends fellowship with the believers—but admits to himself that the fellowship was hardly a cure-all in his own lonely life. How do you deal with loneliness in your own journey? What comforts you? What chases away at least part of the lonely feeling?
Chapter 7
> “Thy maker is thine husband…” What does that text in Isaiah 54 mean to you as a woman? How has the meaning changed if you have made the transition(s) from single woman to parent and/or spouse?
Chapter 8
“I don’t want to talk Bible right now,” Charity told her friend. “I just want to be straight up.” Can you empathize with that feeling? Why or why not? In what ways do church, Scripture, and religion prevent us from being real—in good ways and in not-so-good ways?
Chapter 9
How were you disciplined as a child? How do you (or would you) discipline children of your own? How does Scripture guide you? How do social and cultural values influence you? How do you distinguish between effective discipline and abuse (neither of which is always physical)?
Chapter 10
Iesha is awed by the sense of being given a second chance. When has God given you one? What does it mean to you to serve a Lord who has been called the God of second chances?
Chapter 11
Joseph reads Charity’s article and sees her photo—and senses that God has chosen her for his wife. His friends think he’s crazy. What about you? The author clearly affirms such divine methods. (Charity’s pastor had a similar experience with his wife.) Do you think God really works that way? Why or why not? How would you feel about identifying your life partner in that way—and why?
Chapter 12
Harmony’s particular flavor of faith is a bit unorthodox. Terrence particularly challenges the appropriateness of Christians consulting horoscopes. How do you feel about such issues and why? How do you relate to others whose views differ from yours?
Chapter 13
Emmitt’s relationship with his mother is unhealthy, agreed? How have the relationships between mothers and sons been particularly significant in the black family? What is your experience with mother-son relationships, whether as a mother, as a sibling, or as an in-law? What mother-son models does Scripture offer us, and what insights can we gain from them?
Chapter 14
If you received a letter from an inmate such as Charity’s from Joseph, what would be your reaction? How would you respond, if at all? Why?
Chapter 15
What do you do when your past comes knocking on your door? How does your faith or Scripture guide you?
Chapter 16
“Even when you didn’t get what you were expecting, you’re satisfied with what you got,” the mailroom employee marveled to Joseph. Could the same be said of you? Why or why not? What spiritual quality or character trait is required to reach that level of satisfaction?
Chapter 17
This chapter might be titled, “Adventures in Dating”… Iesha and Wallace, Iesha and Terrence, Charity and Michael, and then Mr. Wright. What kind of adventures have you had? How has faith in God affected those adventures?
Chapter 18
Charity struggles with decisions concerning dancing, especially to secular or worldly music. More than once in the novel, the question of “balance” arises. How do you achieve the balance of being “in the world but not of it”? How do you test your own spirit’s vulnerability to the spirits around you?
Chapter 19
“The weapon forged against me is the instrument formed for me,” the minister declares. How have you experienced that scriptural (and spiritual) dynamic in your life? In other words, what weapons forged by your enemies have become (or might still become) tools or instruments used for good—your own or others’?
Chapter 20
Has a guy ever said to you, in one way or another, “God told me you’re the one”? How did you (or would you) react? Consider Iesha’s cautious response: “What do you do when God hasn’t spoken to the other person?” In general, how cautious are you about accepting other people’s pronouncement of God’s will or vision for your life? Why?
Chapter 21
How important do you think the respective families are to a couple’s relationship? How do you balance the scriptural “leave and cleave” principle (see Genesis 2:24) with the truism that you don’t just marry each other; you marry each other’s family?
Chapter 22
Scripture does say that God will never tempt us beyond what we can handle. It seems reasonable to extend that principle to the concept of God won’t burden us beyond what we can bear. However, don’t we all have days when, like Charity, we feel like this is too much? How do you handle days like that? How do you minister to others who are having such days?
Chapter 23
Suicide. Has it ever touched you? In what way(s)? What motivates people to attempt it? How do family and friends respond? How do you think God responds? How can we minister to one another in the church—when suicide is contemplated, threatened, attempted, or accomplished?
Chapter 24
Iesha raises the issue of needing more time with Terrence—time to explore other aspects of who they are in terms of children, background, careers. He responds, in effect, by saying, “None of those things are relevant when God is involved.” Do you agree or disagree—why and to what extent?
Chapter 25
Funerals are occasions that evoke complex emotions and a range of reactions. How does your experience of a funeral differ depending on how the relationship you, the family, or the deceased have had with God? How does your faith help you navigate the complicated maze of grief—publicly and privately?
Chapter 26
When God observed in Genesis 2 that it wasn’t good for the first human being to be alone—that the man needed a suitable helper (in KJV, “help meet”)—God wasn’t only thinking about a marriage partner. We all need help from other human beings sometimes (see Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). What kind of support system do you have? How willing are you to admit that you need their help? Why?
Chapter 27
“She did not want to be like this but she didn’t know how to act otherwise.” Iesha’s inner struggle is reminiscent of Paul’s (see Romans 7:15-25). When have you experienced that same wrestling? How do you achieve victory in the struggle?
Chapter 28
Charity prayed long and hard for a restored marriage. Now it seems her prayer has been answered. What do you think? What would you say—and why?
Chapter 29
“I don’t have to be no more than who I am made to be.” “We’re Christians learning to live as humans.” What do you make of those statements? What do you think they mean? What might one or both mean to you?
Chapter 30
How have you experienced the difference between claiming a thing in faith—and actually receiving it? What does that difference say about the nature of our faith claims? To put it another way, if there wasn’t a difference, does that suggest that we are taking God’s answer to our prayers for granted? Why or why not?
Chapter 31
In just one week, Charity received one proposal, one semi-
proposal, and met a man she thinks she could fall in love with. How would you discern which apparently open door to walk through? Is there only one right door—or might God’s hand be present in each of those situations? Why or why not?
Chapter 32
“Keep praying,” Joseph exhorted the congregation. What are you praying on? How is God answering that prayer? What encourages you to keep on praying?
Reading Groups for
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OUR PURPOSE IS SIMPLE
* To honor the Lord with what we read—and have a good time doing it!
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* To offer readers fresh, contemporary, and entertaining yet scripturally sound fiction and nonfiction by talented Christian authors.
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