by Darrel Bird
Part 5
Dianna got up Saturday morning and showered. She then went into her bedroom to pray. As she prayed, the Holy Spirit spoke to her again. “Ask Joe to church, then you are to give him the house.” This time the Holy Spirit spoke more plainly that ever before. Most of the time it was just prompting and impressions. This time it was as if he was speaking to her through her own thought patterns. She had experienced his presence enough to know that it was for real.
She prayed, “Lord, am I reading you right?” He said nothing, but she knew what it was he had said. She also knew that it was her choice whether or not to obey. She thought about her relationship with God, and how he had been with her, comforting her through the rough time of the divorce.
The shock had been almost unbearable when her husband had just up and said, “I want a divorce.” He had told her one morning at breakfast, just like that. She had known that something was wrong -- her intuition had told her that. But his words, coming out of the blue, had devastated her. She had found out later that he was two-timing her big time, and she had gone into endless days of dark depression. She would pray and get some relief and comfort, but the depression weighted on her every waking moment. Finally, she had fallen on her knees and cried out to God. She had committed her life completely to him that day.
Now he was asking her to do something big, and to take a step that took real faith. She said, “Yes, Lord.” Moreover, when she said it she felt a powerful blessing flow through her body, and she felt a sense of peace like she had never known before.
She called Joe that evening to ask him if he would be willing to meet her early Sunday morning instead and attend church with her.
Joe hesitated, and then said, “Sure, I would like to attend a church service.” He felt he needed a church service, because his faith seemed to be at low ebb.
Dianna rested most of the day. She glanced at the back yard through the sliding glass door, and decided to go out and pull the weeds that had popped up. She worked steadily until the yard and flowerbeds were clear. Then she walked back into the kitchen to fix a simple dinner of tuna sandwiches. She felt good from doing the weeding. Weeds irritated her.
About nine o’clock the next morning the doorbell rang, and she thought, Oh, that will be Joe. She had almost forgotten he was coming. She opened the door to a clean-shaven, rather tall man with craggy features. He had warm, piercing brown eyes and auburn hair.
“You must be Joe,” said Dianna. Joe nodded his head. “Won’t you come in? It’s still early and we can get acquainted before church.”
“Sure,” Joe said, and he stepped in and looked around.
Dianna motioned him to take a seat, and Joe sat down. He had on clean jeans and tennis shoes. His shoes looked as if they had seen better days, but they were clean. Dianna guessed that he must weigh about 180. His hair was graying at the temples, and he had a serious look about him. They made small talk a while, and Dianna asked about Jena. Joe’s eyes clouded with worry. He looked as though he was used to worrying. He didn’t say much, but he had a sad look about him.
At 10:15, Dianna announced that they should leave, and she invited Joe to follow her car with his van. When they went inside the church, several people came up and shook hands. Dianna introduced Joe, and explained their connection to each one. By the time they had to find seats, she had explained Joe about fifteen times.
They finally took a seat in one of the middle pews next to the isle. The service went at its usual pace, and then the pastor preached a sermon from Revelation about losing one’s first love. Joe listened to the pastor intently, and Dianna could tell that Joe was taking the sermon seriously.
As the pastor ended the sermon, he invited those who wished to, to come forward and pray or to kneel where they were and pray.
“Would you like to go up, Joe?” Dianna asked gently. Joe looked at her and nodded his head.
“Would you go up with me?” he asked.
“Yes, I’ll go,” said Dianna, and they walked to the front of the church. They knelt on the platform steps before the altar.
Joe bowed his head and just knelt there for some time. Soon his shoulders began to shake. He was weeping, and Dianna sensed a load of love and frustration as Joe Blankenship poured his heart out to his God. Dianna put her hand on Joe’s shoulder and prayed for him, Jena, and their family. She thanked God that he would use her to bless these people that were so in need of a little peace and contentment. Dianna knew in her heart that God was answering prayers that day.
They knelt at the altar for about forty-five minutes, and when they looked around, the sanctuary was empty. Everyone had gone except the pastor, who had shut himself in his office. Joe appeared to be at peace, and Dianna could tell it was a peace that was a long time in coming.
On their way to the parking lot Dianna asked Joe to come home with her for lunch; she had something she wanted to talk to him about. Joe agreed and she got in her car and drove home, with Joe following in his van.
They had a light lunch of soup and sandwiches, and then retired to the living room.
Dianna looked at Joe and said, “Joe, I don’t want you to take offense, but I have another house besides this one, and God has instructed me to give it to you.”
Joe looked up at her sharply.
“I can’t take that, Dianna,” Joe stated flatly.
She said, “Are you going to let pride deprive you of a house and me of the blessing God would have me have, Joe? Well, if you do, be sure to tell that to God the next time you pray.”
Joe look frustrated. “But a house, Dianna? Surely you don’t mean that! Perhaps you misunderstood?” he said.
“But I do,” she said, “and no, I did not misunderstand. Look, Joe, this is not a matter of feeling sorry for you. I know God will take care of you. And it’s not some ploy to control you. There will never be anything said by me about it in future, to you or anyone else.”
She told Joe about her life and about the divorce. She explained her present relationship with God, and her love of following Him.
When she finished, Joe sat there thinking a while, then said, “I see.” Then he said, “Dianna, I will not let you control me or have any kind of hold on me.”
“Deal!” She smiled and stuck out her hand. Joe reached out hesitantly and shook her hand. He didn’t know what to say. Joe Blankenship left Dianna Lozano’s house that Sunday afternoon in a daze.
Dianna called Jena later that afternoon and told her what she had done, and asked her to hurry down so they could renew their friendship. Jena Blankenship got off the phone shocked, and she, too, spent that Sunday afternoon in a daze.
Dianna Lozano spent that Sunday afternoon feeling more blessed than she ever had at any time in her life.
Part 6
The following Friday, Joe pulled up to the beautiful house on Creswell Road, and just sat and looked at it. The deed was in the glove box of the van, and the Blankenships had a home of their own!
He put Boomer in the fenced backyard and started unloading the trailer, which had some of their furniture, dishes, and enough foodstuffs for them to get by for a few days.
That night he knelt in the living room to pray. He let his mind run over the events of the past couple of weeks: the van; his job, which it turned out he had a knack for; and the house. Joe Blankenship would never again doubt his God.
Two days later, around noon, Jena pulled up in the old Chevy. She jumped out and ran into Joe’s arms and kissed him feverishly.
The kids ran up and hugged him, then went exploring. They found Boomer in the back yard and started running around on the grass with Boomer chasing them. The children laughed delightedly, and the dog ran round and round the yard, barking and wagging his tail ferociously. The children were home with their beloved Boomer.
Joe and Jena stood together, just staring at the house in amazement -- a home of their own. They were a
family again. Neither of them could believe it.
Jena stood on her tiptoes, kissed Joe again, and said, “I love you, Joe Blankenship.”
“I love you, Jena Blankenship,” he replied.
The End