No Weapon Formed (Boaz Brown)

by Stimpson, Michelle

  I had to make a stop at the natural food store. Somehow, I had managed to run out of raw almonds, which had become a favorite staple of Stelson’s lunch bucket. He’d texted me earlier that day to ask if maybe they’d fallen out of his bag. Funny how a man who’d previously raised his nose to unprocessed almonds had grown accustomed to the crunchy, slightly sweet treats.

  After the women’s fellowship, I dashed into the market, poured a pound of almonds into one of the plastic sacks, and checked out so I could get to Stelson’s office before the lunch hour ended.

  True to his word, Stelson had asked Cooper to take on more of the out-of-town presentations so he could slow down after he caught up on the work he’d missed. I think Cooper was so happy to have the old Stelson back, he would have done just about anything to appease him.

  Cooper wasn’t the only one.

  “Hi, Helen. Stelson’s in, right?”

  “Sure is. Where’s the little one?”

  “At Mom’s Day Out. Gives me a break every week.”

  “Yes.” Helen chuckled. “They can be a handful.”

  I knocked on Stelson’s door.

  “Come in.”

  Opening the door slowly, I thrust my arm through the space and dangled the bag of almonds.

  “Yes!” he cried, clapping.

  Joy at hearing my husband’s squeal spread through me as I walked into his office, giggling like a school girl. “I hope you’ll enjoy these.”

  “Thanks, babe. You didn’t have to go the extra mile.” He stood, leaned over the desk and kissed me.

  “You’re worth it.”

  He nabbed a handful from the bag and threw them into his mouth.

  The pile of papers and two lit monitors on his desk attested to what must have been an enormous amount of work. “Chop-chop. I’ll let you get back to business.”

  I sashayed away, knowing he was watching my backside.

  “Shondra,” he said as I held the doorknob.

  “The almonds? Was that all?”

  “Yep.”

  “Oh. I thought maybe you were trying to get lucky.”

  A deep laugh rumbled from my throat. “Mmmm. I don’t believe in luck. I believe in makin’ it happen.” I slipped out the door knowing I’d put a little something on his mind; a reason to get home early.

  Daddy had left me three long messages, all saying the same thing. He had some books he wanted to run by me, to make sure they were okay for Seth.

  Thankfully, Jonathan had convinced my father via a 3-way-call that it was okay to let Seth be a kid and get grounded in his own identity before we threw on the other social layers.

  “His identity is forming now,” my father had argued.

  Again, I realized he had a point. My studies in education confirmed that much of children’s personalities were ingrained before they ever started school. “Daddy, we want you to take part in building Seth’s self-esteem. We just don’t want you to tear down other people in the process.”

  I supposed the books were the product of that conversation. When I got to Daddy’s house, he took Zoe from me and sang to her, “PawPaw’s got some books for you, PawPaw’s got some books for you.”

  I put my father’s prepared meals in the freezer and followed him to the den, where Seth was already on the floor, sitting next to two piles of colorful children’s books. “Ooooh! PawPaw! Look at this man’s face!”

  My son held up a book with a picture of Dizzy Gillespie’s puffed up cheeks.

  “Yes, sirree. He was a great musician. Not just an entertainer, a musician. Big difference. Everybody loved him.”

  “He looks funny.” Seth held a finger to his lips and tried to inflate his cheeks like Mr. Gillespie’s.

  Laughter gurgled from Zoe’s mouth; she found Seth’s face extremely funny. Her eyes closed to near slits, laughing at him. Seth took a deep breath and made the face again. Zoe snickered harder.

  Daddy put her on the ground so she could explore Seth and the mysterious cheeks more.

  Daddy and I stood side by side, looking down at the kids.

  Lord, please don’t let Seth pass out trying to keep this girl happy.

  “You look just like him!” Daddy encouraged Seth. “Maybe you could take saxophone lessons after you finish with Mrs. Gambrell.”

  A quick glance at the titles and pictures showed books mostly by and about African-Americans, with big yellow and white stickers from Half-Price Books.

  There were a few about post office stamps, which Daddy probably got for himself as much as Seth.

  “You like the books?” Daddy asked.

  “Yes. These are great. Thank you,” I said, my eyes still on the children.

  “Yeah. I had a coupon. I got a few white people books, too, you know. For balance.”

  “Balance is good.” I nodded, knowing this was as close as I was going to get to an admission of error from my father.

  He crossed his arms on his chest. “That Seth is smart, you know?”

  “Yep.”

  “And Zoe’s gonna be right behind him.”

  “She sure is,” I said. “I’m glad you got the books, Daddy.”

  He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Me, too.”

  Epilogue

  Six months later

  Father, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for victory in Him. Stelson has been symptom-free for two months. Daddy’s behaving, for the most part, though I really need to make sure we’re on the same page about what we consider cusswords in our household. He thinks we’re raising Seth to be soft. I ask that You bring us to another understanding, as now Zoe thinks the world of her grandfather, too.

  Why did You do that, Lord? Why did You make grandparents so special to grandkids and vice versa?

  I know You know what You’re doing, even if I don’t get it. I really don’t get why you’ve got me teaching a segment in the women’s Bible study on not-so-real scriptures. Me, teaching people the Word of God? Who knew? I guess You did!

  I’m going back to work next month. Thank You for the help system from such an unexpected source—well, unexpected to me, but not to You. Between Momma Miller and Miss Hattie, both of my kids will probably gain ten pounds.

  I’m thankful for the opportunity to bless these ladies financially, too.

  Father, in all of the things that have transpired over this last year, the good…the very best thing—next to learning to forgive my husband so the enemy can’t strike from the inside—has been reconnecting with You.

  My prayer, Lord, is that You keep me. Like David said in Psalm 119:10. Do not let me stray from Your commands. I want 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 to be my testimony. You are faithful to do it.

  And while You are at it, keep my husband, too. Keep our family under the shadow of Your wings, where no weapon formed against us will ever, EVER prosper.

  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

  Possible Discussion Questions

  1. LaShondra and Stelson discuss “the black talk”. LaShondra feels it’s necessary to prepare Seth for the specific challenges he may face as an African-American. Stelson doesn’t want to pour the fear of man into his children’s hearts. Do you agree more with LaShondra or Stelson? Why?

  2. Have you had a black talk, an overweight talk, a girl talk, a disability talk, or any such kind of discrimination talk with a child? Did one of your parents have this kind of talk with you? Is this a talk that needs to happen? If so, when?

  3. LaShondra says she can’t stay home with her kids because they will drive her crazy. Which do you think is easier—being a full-time mom or a full-time employee?

  4. LaShondra didn’t have time to take care of her broken toe. Though the injury was minor, it was a major issue for Stelson, who insisted that she go to the doctor. Do you ever skimp on taking care of yourself due to work or other obligations?

  5. LaShondra admits to herself that she cannot successfully balance home and work, yet she makes the decision to keep trying. Can you relate to her struggle? Do you think it is possible to ju
ggle commitments as a wife, mother, and career woman while nurturing your physical and spiritual health all in the same season? If so, how? If not, what area(s) tend to suffer?

  6. Peaches mentioned that Stelson could just as easily leave his job. Do you think it’s a godly arrangement for able-bodied men to be stay-at-home dads while wives work outside of the home?

  7. LaShondra almost left Baby Zoe in the car. This was a major turning point for her. Have you ever done (or almost done) something tragic that marked a turning point in your life?

  8. Do you think the incident at the movie theater was racially motivated? What are your thoughts about what happened to this couple after shopping at a local Walmart (see link below)? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/21/virginia-parents-walmart-biracial-daughters_n_3313143.html

  9. In her first full week off from work, LaShondra reactivates her prayer life and discovers that she has resentment in her heart. How does your prayer life affect you?

  10. LaShondra makes out a list of fears that kept her from fully surrendering to God. What would your list look like?

  11. LaShondra has to consciously decide not to let herself slip into a cynical, anti-white mode while at the picnic with church members. She wonders if everyone is secretly fighting a battle. Do you think everyone is fighting a secret battle? Have you had to fight secret battles?

  12. LaShondra’s father reminded her of the Cheerios commercial portraying a biracial child with an African-American father and caucasian mother (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYofm5d5Xdw). What was your reaction when you first saw the commercial?

  13. As LaShondra discovered, Lyme disease is a hotly debated topic in the medical community. There are even allegations that the disease originated as a government experiment with biological warfare, since it was only “discovered” in the late 1970s despite the fact that deer and ticks have inhabited the continent for centuries. Are you suspicious of the relationship between doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and government? Why or why not?

  14. Jonathan expressed his opinions about black women, particularly those raised in the south by fathers just like his own. He says he likes a woman with “bite”, but not if she bites him. Do you agree or disagree with Jonathan’s perspective?

  15. Peaches fussed at LaShondra because LaShondra called Peaches before calling on God. Whom do you call first for answers?

  16. Stelson’s attitude change was brought on by extreme physical pain. Do you think LaShondra should have been able to overlook his sharp comments under the circumstances? Are you quick to overlook people’s ugly words when you know they are suffering physically, emotionally, or spiritually?

  17. The older women at LaShondra’s table tell her that in order to pray for Stelson’s healing, Stelson may need to be clean from sin first. Do you agree or disagree? LaShondra had to “shut them out” in order to keep her faith in tact. Have you ever had to stop listening to someone’s advice because you realized they were usually wrong?

  18. LaShondra was surprised when Minister Windham prayed for Stelson on the spot. Do you usually pray for people immediately or later when they ask? Have there been times when you said you would pray for someone but didn’t? How can we be more faithful to pray for others?

  19. After Stelson’s headaches begin to subside, LaShondra doesn’t tell Stelson the truth about her lingering hurt feelings. Instead, she goes into self-preservation mode and tries to limit her vulnerability. Are there times when you need to cover yourself, or does doing so taint a relationship?

  20. LaShondra feels better knowing that if push ever came to shove in her marriage, she and the kids would be okay because she would have her own income. Do you think it’s important for a woman to keep herself in a position to support herself and her children financially without a man’s help? If you are a SAHM, are you ever concerned about what would happen if your husband’s income disappeared?

  21. At the hospital, Quinn tells Shondra that while Stelson is a brother in Christ, he still has flesh and might do something unthinkable under the wrong circumstances. Do you believe in the adage “never say what you won’t do”?

  22. LaShondra never imagined that she might be a caregiver for Stelson at such an early age. Do you know someone who is a caregiver for a spouse or an aging parent? How has this role changed his/her life?

  23. Throughout the book, LaShondra struggles to maintain her faith despite her close moments with God. How do you handle challenges to your faith? Is there someone who intercedes for you or speaks hope into your life?

  24. LaShondra didn’t speak up with the older women because she was disappointed that they weren’t more mature believers. Later, the Lord teaches her that He can use her with any audience. How do you balance sharing your thoughts with elders who may have unbiblical beliefs?

  25. Stelson was relieved to find people who were also dealing with illnesses. Do you find it helpful or detrimental to connect with others who are experiencing similar trials?

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  If you enjoyed No Weapon Formed,

  You’ll love this excerpt from the novel Stepping Down by Michelle Stimpson

  Chapter 1

  Pastor Mark Wayne Carter, III cast his drooping eyes on the clock ticking away on the wall directly across from his desk. Last year his wife, Sharla, had lowered the clock so that it stared at him while he was sitting in his gold-studded leather executive chair.

  “I know you’re busy doing the Lord’s work, but it would be nice to see you home before the sun goes down sometimes,” she had nagged as she pounded a nail into the wall. She positioned the clock in its new location, then put both hands on her hips. “If you can see the clock, you might actually keep track of how much time you’re spending here in your office.”

  Mark didn’t like to fight with her about his devotion to New Vision Church. The church was his life’s purpose, the reason he’d walked away from his short, but well-paying career as an insurance salesman. This church had given him a sense of accomplishment he’d never experienced in all his months as top-producer at StateWay Insurance.

  More than anything, Mark hoped that New Vision Church would be the reason Jesus said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” to him one day.

  Late Saturday nights came with the territory, which was one reason he hired a very young man as his assistant and semi-mentee. At thirty-eight years old, Mark was no old goat, but he wasn’t bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, either. He needed an assistant to knock on the door every hour or so and make sure Mark hadn’t fallen asleep at the computer.

  A recent graduate of Southern Bible School, Jonathan Lawrence had come with stellar references and an excellent transcript. Mark wasn’t too crazy about seminary kids. Jonathan seemed eager, though, and he had been faithful to his previous mentor. Mark didn’t mind showing a young minister the ropes, so long as he learned quickly and knew how to keep his mouth shut. Jonathan would do, unless he proved otherwise.

  11:45. Mark did the math in his head. It would take him at least another half-hour to finish the outline. An hour to fill it out with scriptures and examples. Ten minutes to get home. In bed by 1:45, to be up again by six and back at the church for first service at 8:00.

  If only the Jenkins’ house dedication hadn’t taken so long and the visit to Mother Morris in the hospital had gone as planned, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. Lord, I’ll do better, Mark prayed silently as he logged into SermonDepot.com to browse for a ready-made message. Briefly, he thought about the problems he’d encountered this week at the church.

  He couldn’t wrap his mind around anything in particular. In a church of almost 1500 in attendance weekly, the issues varied. Blessings, sin, healing, financial prosperity. Any of those topics would do.

  Mark refined his search by checking the “60-minute�
�� and “adult audience” boxes to decrease the number of results. “Lord, show me which one,” he offered briefly, though he wondered if God would actually advise him about this shortcut. His eyes landed on a generic title: Seven Steps to Success, taken from the parable of the sower in Matthew 13.

  Mark clicked on his “Used Sermons” folder to make sure he hadn’t already preached this message. Six years ago, when he and Sharla founded New Vision, he wouldn’t have dreamed of downloading a sermon from the internet. As he realized the growing number of lectures he’d copied from the web, it was hard to imagine how he’d gotten to that point.

  He took a cleansing breath and reminded himself that he wasn’t alone. There were, according to the site’s banner, thousands of paying subscribers—other pastors and preachers, presumably—who utilized the sermons. God’s word is consistent and true. It doesn’t change. No need to reinvent the wheel every Sunday, Mark rationalized as he checked the “use” box and printed the accompanying four-page document.

  His laser printer hummed softly as a display of lights signaled the connection between laptop and printer.

  A soft rapping at the door gave Mark a second wind. He hoisted his smile into place and sat up straight in his chair. “Enter.”

  Jonathan poked his head in the office. “Pastor, you okay in here?”

  “Yes,” Mark said. “Leave if you need to.”

  Jonathan shook his head, “Oh no, sir. I’m in no hurry. I was thinking…you fell asleep in here last Saturday night, so…”

  Mark could only laugh at himself. “Thank you, Jonathan. I’m good. I hit the gym this week. Got more energy.” Mark swiveled his chair around and grabbed the papers from the printer. “About to wrap it up.”