Good to Me (35 page)

“I just wanted to clear the air between us.”

“It’s clear. And I just talked to April for the first time in two weeks.”

“I’m sorry to hear that you and April had a falling-out.”

“Well, there were things you and I both didn’t know.”

“Like?”

“Like, you didn’t know she liked you, and I didn’t know you liked me. Had we known those things from the beginning, the ending
would have been different.” She glanced at her watch. “Uhhh, Minister Adams, I really have to be going. I’m supposed to be
at my sister’s. She is running on nervous energy and I do not want to be cursed out.”

“Okay, I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be leaving at the end of the month, next week.”

“Oh. Where are you going?”

“I’ve been offered a church to pastor in Indiana.”

“Congratulations,” she offered.

“Thank you, I’m very excited. Well, I know you have to go. I’ll leave you with all of my contact information. Hopefully, we
can keep in touch.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I’d feel even better if I could pack you up with me.”

“Sorry, that can’t happen.”

“It could if we married.”

This man doesn’t know when to quit.
The silence was deafening, but she broke through it. “Let me go before you get yourself in some trouble. I’ll see you at
church on Sunday.”

She sped out to her car and over to Iesha’s.
Just last week,
she thought to herself,
I couldn’t get a man, and in one week alone, I’ve gotten one proposal, one semi-proposal, and a man that I could fall in love
with
.
What in the world is going on?

Charity was in her bedroom, between helping Iesha and looking out the door every five minutes to see the guests who were arriving.
The engagement party was due to start in less than an hour and she and Iesha were both nervous.

“How are you going to be the matron of honor and you’re more nervous than Iesha is?” April asked Charity. “Get away from that
door and help her finish getting dressed so I can start with her makeup please.”

“Okay, First Lady.” Charity helped Iesha put on a formal, plum, halter-necked, beaded gown with a faux two-piece fitted bottom.
“Ooooh, Iesha, this color looks good on you. You should get married in this gown.”

Iesha hugged her. “The way y’all acting, it’s like this is the wedding day. Ya’ll making me nervous. Am I doing the right
thing?”

“Do you have peace?”

“Yes, I’m just scared. What if—”

Charity didn’t have to answer because April knew exactly what she was going to say. She quoted 2 Timothy 1:7 in a question,
“For God hath not given us the spirit of what… ?”

Charity and Iesha both answered, “Fear.”

“But, He gave us the Spirit of what?”

“Love, power, and self-control.”

“Amen.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Iesha, get back in the corner so no one will see you.” April and Iesha moved
to an inconspicuous spot and April continued applying her makeup.

“Who is it?” Charity answered the door.

“Delivery for Iesha.”

Charity cracked the door. Terrence had sent his best friend over with a card and a single red rose to give to her.

“Ooooh, that’s sweet. Tell him we said thanks and she’ll be out in about thirty minutes.”

Before she could close the door, Mama Lorraine barged her way in to shoot some pictures. “Oh, Esha, you look so beautiful.
Smile…” She took a picture of them. “I just got through with the men, the kids, and the house. Can I get some pictures
of y’all?”

Mama Lorraine took several pictures. “All of the food is ready. Your aunties are down there preparing the tables. We should
be ready to roll soon. Y’all need to hurry up. People starting to show up.”

“Yes, Momma,” Iesha whined.

They were sure that the knock on the door was their exodus notice.

Charity answered the door. “We’re ready.”

“And you look it, too.”

“Joseph!”

He kissed her softly on the lips. She didn’t protest.

“Hey, Sharon,” Charity greeted. “Your memory is remarkable. I can’t believe you found your way back here.”

“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.”

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?