by JR Thompson
Slowly, Steve raised his eyes to meet Titus’s again and shook his head.
“That means if you would have died while ago when I hit you with that 2x4, you’d have gone to Hell.”
Steve began to tremble. “I need to get saved. I don’t want to go to Hell.”
Titus dropped to his knees, bowed his head, and closed his eyes. “God, Thou art worthy of our praise! Thou hast given me an amazing opportunity here. A chance to see someone born into Thine family! I have never led anyone to Thee before and I fear I will fail Thee. Father, please grant me the right words and help me not to stumble. I don’t even have my Bible here to guide me. Oh Lord, please be with us now. I ask these things in the name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.”
Titus raised his head back up and as he did, Steve knelt on the ground next to him. “Whatever it is you’ve got, man… I want it. Tell me how to get saved! I want to have a personal relationship with God. A real one.”
Steve was no longer the only one with tears in his eyes. “Do you believe Jesus died for you and He’s now up in Heaven with His Father?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know you’re a sinner and you’re on your way to Hell?”
“I know I am, but how do I get saved?” Steve asked anxiously.
“All you have to do is talk to God then. Just bow your head, close your eyes, and tell him you know you’re a sinner and want to be saved. The Bible says all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you believe the Bible, it’s plain and simple.”
Steve dropped his chin and shut his eyes. “Dear God,” is all he managed to spit out before trembling and tears overtook him. “Oh… oh God… what a mess I’ve made. I’m always mad. Always ready to… kill somebody. I hate people… even when there’s no reason to.” His sobbing lightened a little and his words became clearer. “I knew I wasn’t saved, God, and I wasn’t even good at pretending. I know I’m a sinner and I don’t deserve to come to Heaven. I know where I deserve to go and, God, I don’t want to go there. Please come into my heart and save me so I can come up there with You when I die.” The sobbing became more intense again. “I love you, God. Thank You for saving me. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”
Titus initiated the hug this time and there was no awkwardness about it whatsoever. He wrapped his arms around his new brother in Christ and the two cried and laughed together as if they had been life-long friends.
Upon separating, they found Brock standing behind them appearing more confused than a chameleon trapped in a bag of skittles. “What occurrence did I miss?”
“Steve just—” Titus broke into a new bout of tears, stood, and gave Brock a bear hug.
“I got saved!” Steve exclaimed as the tears streamed down his face.
The three spent several minutes praising God for His greatness. Then, out of nowhere, a lightbulb went off in Steve’s head. “Uh… where’s my sister?”
Titus told him how angry she had gotten about the fight and about how she stormed off saying she didn’t know if she could handle being in a relationship with someone who didn’t know how to be longsuffering or to turn the other cheek.
“Let’s go see her. Maybe I can help straighten things out,” Steve volunteered.
“I don’t know, man. She’s pretty angry right now.”
“Come on. She’ll listen to me. She’s got a soft heart. I’m sure she was scared, but when she finds out you led me to the Lord… buddy, you have no idea! That sister of mine loves Jesus so much she’s gonna be ecstatic and there’s no way she’ll be upset with you.”
Titus grinned. “You sure?”
“Absolutely! If I’m wrong, you can whack me upside the head with that board again.”
Brock laughed. “Nobody’s gonna hit anybody with a board again. But you two are released to depart. I’m about ready to wrap things up for the day anyhow.”
Steve and Titus chatted and laughed all the way to Steve’s house.
Ericka came running out on the porch as soon as the truck pulled in. “STEVE? I’m so glad you’re okay! I’ve been praying and praying for you!” she yelled. Then she saw Titus. “What is he doing here?”
“We have something exciting to tell you,” Titus announced with joy radiating through his face.
“I don’t want to hear it. You can leave now,” Ericka fussed.
“Ericka, I know you’re upset, but—”
“Titus, I already made it clear you can leave now and I meant it.”
Steve decided it was time for a little bit of intervention. “Ericka, what Titus is trying to tell you is—”
While he was in mid-sentence, Ericka turned and ran back inside.
Steve was furious. “Who does she suppose she is talkin’ to me like that? I’ll show her a thing or two!”
“NO!” Titus raised his voice. “Steve! Don’t do it! Don’t let your temper get the best of you. You just got saved, man. You’re different now.”
Steve glared at the house and then back at Titus. “What do you mean, I’m different?”
“You’re saved. You’re God’s child now. He doesn’t want you letting that anger control you. He wants you to live for Him.”
“So what am I supposed to do? Just let her walk away like that while I’m talking to her?”
“Yep,” Titus nodded. “She’ll come around.”
“What if she doesn’t? What if she won’t offer you another chance?”
“If it’s in God’s will, she’ll come around. If it’s not in His will, well… I don’t know. We’ll have to trust Him.”
Steve and Titus stood in silence for a few minutes, both secretly hoping Ericka would wander back outside on her own. When she didn’t, Titus slowly got down on his knees, bowed his head, and closed his eyes again. “God, I know Thou art the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I know the devil’s gonna fight me because of what just happened down at the work site. But I also know Thou art much stronger than that ole serpent. Father, wilt Thou please show Thy servant what I need to do to prove my love to Ericka? To show her I’m the right guy? God, I’m willing to accept Thy will, whatever it is. Please direct my paths. I ask this now in the name of Thy Son, the One who died for me. Amen.”
27: Hypocrite
All evening Titus tried to figure out the right way to win back his angel’s trust. I remember Mom teaching me that Bible verse… oh, what was it? Somethin’ about putting God first?... Oh yeah! That’s it. Somethin’ about if I seek God first, He’ll add the other things into my life that I’m desiring. Hmm… Okay… so in order to get Ericka back, instead of pursuing her, I have to develop a closer relationship with the Lord, and then God’ll bring her crawlin’ back to me.
Reaching under his bed, Titus pulled out a notebook and a pen. I have to come up with a plan, he told himself. Seek God. Seek God... How do I do that exactly? He wrote a number one on his paper. Well… God already saved me, so I have previously sought God… No, I have to take action. I have to draw closer to Him somehow. I’m already going to church. I never miss any of the services. I pray. Man, this is hard. But I want Ericka to approve of me. I have to seek God. Beside of the number one, he quickly scribbled down “pray more.”
It took him about half an hour, but Titus finally managed to jot down several ideas. He needed to spend more time in prayer, to start studying his Bible, to incorporate singing praises into his daily routine, and to tell more people about God’s love. It’s a tall order, but if it’ll help me get Ericka back, it’s worth it!
“Wow!” Titus heard Victoria exclaim from the living room. “I don’t believe it.”
Since he had finished his list anyway, Titus got off of his bed and scurried out to see what was going on. The news had just reported the cause of the fire at Collin’s Shoes was indeed arson. As usual, no details were being provided other than that an investigation was underway.
“What’s arson?” Scottie asked.
“It means you burned the building down on purpose, you little pipsqueak.” Titus snapped.
“Are you not tired of getting your behind busted for lying?”
Scottie turned to his mom, waiting for her to jump to his defense; she didn’t say a word. Scottie got up off of the couch and stormed to his room without giving Titus any response whatsoever.
“You know he did it, right?” Titus asked.
“I hope not,” Victoria spoke softly. “I earnestly hope not.”
Titus excused himself so he could return to his room for some Bible reading. The faster he put his plan into place, the faster God might grant His petition.
Taking the Bible off of his dresser, he stretched himself out on his bed and decided to flip it open to wherever it landed.
Joshua 17, he said to himself. “There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan. There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of He-lek—”
Titus closed his Bible. Study my Bible? Maybe I should scratch that off my list! That’s about as boring as all get out. Why do I care who got what lot? How is that supposed to teach me anything?
He pulled out his notebook and perused his list. Prayer. Now that’s something I can do. “Gracious Master, Mighty God, The Great I Am, The Rock in Which I Hide, oh I come before Thee now to praise Thee for creating me, to honor Thee for saving me, to magnify Thy name for the many blessings Thou hast bestowed upon me.”
Titus paused for a moment and his mind began to wander. Why do I speak like that when I pray? That’s not how I speak. I thought prayer was talking to God. Why do I keep saying ‘thee,’ and ‘thou,’ and ‘thine?’ I don’t know how I got started doin’ that. Maybe that’s how I heard somebody pray when I was little. Oh yeah! I’m supposed to be praying right now.
“Sorry about that Almighty Father. I have decided to seek Thee with mine whole heart. I want to grow closer to Thee than I’ve ever been before.”
Should I tell Him how much I really want to be close with Ericka too? Nah, not right now. Right now I’m supposed to drawing close to Him. I have to seek Him first if I want Him to bring Ericka back to me.
“Will Thou please help me grow closer to Thee?”
I’m doing it again. Why can’t I quit saying ‘thee’ and ‘thou?’ I’m getting on my own nerves with this.
“God, okay, let’s be real. I’ve been fake for a long time. I like to sound eloquent when I pray. I need to learn how to actually speak to Thee… I mean… to You. Please provide some guidance here, Father. I know practice makes perfect, but I don’t spend much time truly talking to Thee… I mean to You — not just the two of us. Usually when I pray it’s only when I have an audience and as much as I hate to admit it, I kind of show off when I pray.”
Before he could say another word, Scottie interrupted, “Hypocrite! Hypocrite! Titus is a hypocrite!”
Titus’s eyes popped open to find Scottie standing next to his bed. “Get outta here! I was praying!”
“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re a hypocrite!”
“That was between God and me.”
“It’s not my fault you left your door unlocked. And I didn’t make you pray out loud. That was your choice.”
“VICTORIA!” Titus shouted. “If you don’t want this kid to be thrown through a wall, you might wanna come get him outta my room!”
Victoria came down the hall and yelled at Scottie to leave Titus alone. She apologized for the intrusion before closing and locking the door behind her and Scottie as they left the room.
Titus got down on his knees. “God, I’m sorry about that. That little brat gets on my nerves sometimes. Do you ever get tired of the people You created? I mean, seriously, doesn’t he get on Your nerves too?”
Am I truthfully praying now? No, I believe I’m just speculating. Sure, I used God’s name, but I’m not speaking with the Lord. Maybe I should try the whole Bible reading thing again. I’m too upset to pray.
Titus flipped his Bible open again — this time it landed on Matthew 5:22. Titus read it out loud. “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment—”
He closed his Bible. “God, that’s not fair! You know good and well that I have a cause! He interrupted my prayer! He’s incessantly getting in the way. Forever causing trouble. He’s a spoiled brat! It’s not that I choose to be angry with him for no reason. He drives me up the wall!”
Oh, my! That time I really was talkin’ to God. But was that being disrespectful? This seeking God first thing is gonna be harder than I ever would have dreamed.
28: Another Chance
Three months passed without Titus seeing even the remotest signs of forgiveness from Ericka. She acted as if she hated him… or maybe like she was hurt. Every time he saw her at church, she did everything she could to show him the I-detest-everything-about-you look.
But that was old news. Not that he had retreated effortlessly. He was still seeking God and waiting for a miracle, but he had to move on with his life and Saturday was one of those important moving-on kinds of days.
Rachel Byrd had gotten herself all made up for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Her makeup was beautiful, she had gotten her hair done, she was wearing a cute dress, and Titus couldn’t help but notice how her smile lit up the yard. All of their hard work had paid off.
“It’s time, friends!” Pastor O’Malley announced. “If you folks wouldn’t mind, please pay attention. I’m going to have the new director of Laborers for God say a few words… Brock?”
Brock had Victoria help him write his speech. Well, truth be known, he wrote it, but he knew the majority of the crowd wouldn’t understand his choice of vocabulary, so Victoria helped him tone it down a notch. “Hi everybody. I count it a great pleasure to be here this afternoon. Farmington has been going through some serious trials for quite some time and I’m thankful God has allowed this ministry to step up and make a difference. We have faced some hardships, but God has brought us through each and every one of them. Here in a moment, we’re going to cut the ribbon and allow Rachel Byrd and her family to enter their new home. Before I do that, I’d like to ask Rachel and her children to come up here with me for a moment.”
Rachel smiled nervously as she slowly approached the front. Her two daughters wasted no time — they made a mad dash toward the front of the crowd. Her son, on the other hand, was a different story. At four years old, Carson didn’t understand what was going on. He cried and yelled “No!” while trying to move backward as Rachel attempted to gently pull him toward the front without creating a scene. “No, Mommy! No!”
The audience laughed as Rachel picked him up, tears and all, and joined Brock and her daughters in front of the yellow ribbon.
“Would you like to say anything?” Brock asked.
“How could I ever express my thanks to such a wonderful group of people? This house looks gorgeous and I haven’t even seen the inside yet. It’s like a dream come true!” Rachel sniffled a couple of times and tried to keep her emotions under control. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to my family. I don’t want to bore you all with our story, but we’ve been through…” she sniffled again, “we’ve been through things I hope none of you ever have to experience.”
Shaking like a leaf Rachel continued, “But today… today my children and I have hope for a brighter future. We owe that to Laborers for God.”
Rachel took a step backward and Brock motioned Titus to the front. “Folks, I promise we’re going to get to the ribbon cutting here in a moment, but before we do that, I want to recognize this young man formally. Titus, at the age of seventeen, has been my right-hand man on this job. He has poured his heart and soul into this place and I could not have gotten the job done without him. Titus isn’t much of a public speaker, but I did ask him to make one final a
nnouncement for us before we cut the ribbon.”
Titus grinned and his face turned a light shade of red as he faced the crowd. “If you all will glance over your right shoulders, you will see a moving truck over there. Ms. Byrd has been so excited about this house, that she already has all—” Titus stopped speaking mid-sentence. That’s because his eyes caught sight of her. Ericka was in the crowd. She had come to the ceremony and was hanging onto his every word. Titus would never have expected that. Wow, God’s answering my prayer! I’ve been seeking Him and there’s my angel!
Brock tapped him on the shoulder. “You okay?”
“Oh, sorry about that folks… as I was saying, Ms. Byrd already has all of her things packed up. After she and her family have had an opportunity to explore the house—” he stopped when his eyes met Ericka’s again. She was so beautiful. So perfect. Brock tapped his shoulder. “Sorry, folks. As I was saying, we would appreciate it if as many people as possible could help us CAREFULLY move her new belongings inside.”
Again, the crowd cheered, while Rachel bawled like a baby.
“Rachel,” Brock announced, “It’s time!” He picked up a giant pair of scissors. He held one handle and asked Rachel to take the other.
Her smile seemed to swallow her tears as they ran freely down her cheeks. Those emotions couldn’t be held back any longer. “Breathe,” Rachel told herself out loud. “Breathe.”
“On three,” Brock called.
Rachel laughed out loud. “Somebody pinch me. This has to be a dream,” she exclaimed as the tears continued to flow.
“ONE!” the crowd called…“TWO!”… “THREE!”
Together, Brock and Rachel brought the two handles together and the ribbon fell to the ground surrounded by an eruption of applause and whistles.
Brock encouraged Rachel to take her children inside to explore the house on their own. No one else would come in until she gave the word.