Practicing What You Preach

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  He pounded the lectern. “Did you hear what I just said? I said we are blessed! And I don’t care what anyone tries to tell you. I don’t care how many letters he or she has after his or her name. I don’t care how many degrees they may have. I don’t care how many fancy cars they own. I don’t even care if they have their own jet or not. I don’t care what anyone tries to tell you, from this day forward, nobody, nobody, nobody can curse what God has blessed! Nobody can curse what God has blessed!”

  The congregation erupted into shouts and praise.

  “When God blesses you, no devil in hell can prevail against you,” Pastor Landris said. “Jesus said, ‘Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ You are the church. Not some building. You are the church. Oh, the devil might get in your head and whisper things to try and get you to use your tongue to curse yourself. But once you take hold of this revelation, the revelation that if God be for you then who can be against you? Once you get this, no one, no one, no one can snatch you from the blessings God has for you. Blessings delayed are not blessings denied. That’s why I keep telling you to put a watch over your mouth. Watch the words you allow to come out of your mouth because your words spoken over your life have power. Life and death are in the power of the tongue.”

  Pastor Landris paced a few times as he wound down. “Generational curses, generational curses, generational curses. It’s time-out for generational curses! However your mother was, whatever your daddy did or didn’t do, you are the redeemed! You have been bought with a price, you have been emancipated. You have been set free! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! Recognize what you’re doing to keep these generational curses going, and then repent.”

  He began to nod vigorously. “Yes, that’s what I said. Repent. And repent means to turn around, to head in a different direction. Repent and stop this nonsense! God has better for you. I say God has better for you. But you have to choose the better. Why do you want to wallow in the way things have been instead of walk in what God has prepared for you? You need to head in a different direction. If you don’t, you’re going to miss out on God’s blessings. And you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself. You can’t blame Mama, you can’t blame Daddy, you can’t blame sister, brother, spouse, cousin, or your friend. You can’t even blame the devil. If your life is not working to the fullness of God’s blessing, look in the mirror and have a nice little chat with that person who’s looking back at you.”

  Pastor Landris walked down the stairs from where he was speaking. “If you’ve messed up, repent and go in a different direction. I know some of you think what you’ve done is so bad that not even God can forgive you. God not only can but He will forgive you. I know some of you think God can’t fix whatever you’ve messed up, but we serve an awesome and an incredible God. Jesus, the name above all names. Don’t sell God short. Don’t underestimate our God. God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you can ever ask or think. But you have to get things right with God. And if you have wronged anyone, go and make it right with that person. Don’t let Satan keep you in that ball of confusion. God’s grace is sufficient. It’s time to break your curse. It’s time to break free of generational curses. Your children and your children’s children deserve better. You deserve better! Step out on God’s Word and watch God as He takes you to higher heights.”

  Sasha was certain God was speaking to her. She had been married to a good man. Now she needed to make things right. She knew Marcus was involved with another woman now. She wasn’t sure how serious they had really become, but she knew how devoted to God Marcus was. He knew the scriptures. She was ready to admit she had been wrong to push for that divorce. She had been wrong to listen to others when she should have been praying and listening to God. She wanted a better life for herself and her daughter. Marcus had loved her without condition before. He had wanted to reconcile and work through their differences, whatever those differences were, whatever they needed to do to fix them. Marcus had wanted to save their marriage and he had told her so unashamedly.

  “Whatever we need to do to be a family,” he had said, “I’ll do that. I’ll do it.”

  She had spurned him, laughed in his face, made fun of him, and enjoyed seeing him almost beg her to give them a chance.

  Now she needed to know, did they still have a chance? Did Marcus still want his family back? God hated divorce. She now wanted to make things right.

  Chapter 46

  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

  —Luke 6:31

  Angela had gone by the hospital to see Arletha every day for the past four days. Arletha had not regained consciousness in all of that time. Angela didn’t stay long. It wasn’t as if she had anything she could say to her as she lay there. She had mostly gone because she realized Arletha really didn’t have anyone who cared.

  The day after Arletha’s surgery, Angela and Brent had gone to Arletha’s house to look through her things. They had wanted to find someone to call to let know what was going on. They found no address book, no names or phone numbers written anywhere. Not inside the phone book, not on slips of paper, nothing. Arletha didn’t have an answering machine, so they couldn’t replay messages to find a lead on anyone who might have called her in the past. Arletha didn’t appear to have a soul in the world who cared whether she lived or died. At least, there was no evidence of such a person.

  Going through a stack of things on a bottom shelf in a curio cabinet, Brent found a book that looked like a church directory. It was a year old. He flipped through it and saw that Arletha had been an usher there. He showed the directory to Angela.

  “Let’s call the church,” she said. Using her cell phone, she called the church’s office, telling the person who answered her name and why she was calling. The woman told her she did know Arletha Brown, but that as far as they knew, she had left their church after years of being a faithful member. She didn’t know what church Arletha was attending now. When Angela asked her at least to let the pastor know what was going on, she was shocked by the woman’s response.

  “I’ll tell him. But quite frankly, she hasn’t been here in a while. As far as we’re concerned, she’s no longer a member. I’m sure he won’t bother to call you back about it.”

  Angela couldn’t believe how cold that had sounded. Her heart went out to Arletha. What must it feel like to live a life where no one cares about you? What must it feel like not to have anyone when you need people praying and caring the most? Yes, it’s likely that the life Arletha lived had caused this. But as Christians, weren’t we called to love those who don’t necessarily love us back? Aren’t we to reach out and show God’s love to others, people in this world, in order to win them to Christ? If we only do good to those who return it to us, what is the reward for that? Angela thought.

  Yes, Arletha could have been nicer to her. And did Angela believe it was possible that Arletha Brown could be her long-lost grandmother? Yes, she believed it was possible, even though she had told Brent differently. She wasn’t concentrating on that now. This was a human being who might not have treated people right, but that was no excuse for them to return the favor.

  Angela heard the words her great-grandmother often spoke. “We must learn to love even the unlovable, reach the unreachable. Words come a dime a dozen. But a person’s action, now that shows what they’re really saying. Baby, always be true to who God has called you to be.”

  So Angela went to visit Arletha, hearing the words of Jesus each time she stepped into her room. “When I was sick, you visited me.” She didn’t consider what she was doing for Arletha as much as she considered it was being done unto the Lord. She resigned herself that if she was going to do a thing, she would do it as Colossians 3:23 instructed: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men,” realizing that verse twenty-four held a promise. “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of t
he inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

  On the fifth day, Arletha opened her eyes. Angela alerted a nurse. A doctor came in and checked her. There appeared to be no brain damage. The following day, Arletha was moved out of ICU to a regular room. Three days later, Arletha was well enough to speak at length.

  “Why are you here?” Arletha asked as soon as Angela sat down next to her bed.

  “Just checking on you,” Angela said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to be sure you’re okay.”

  “I told you I’m not who you think I am,” Arletha said, pushing her body back into her stacked pillows.

  “I know.”

  She looked into Angela’s eyes. “So why come here? I wake up, and you’re here.”

  Angela smiled. “Whether you are who I thought and wished you would be or not, you still need someone to care. You still need someone to check on you.”

  Arletha turned away. “How did you know I was here?”

  “I was the one who found you. Well, actually it was me and my friend Melissa. We were the ones who called for help.”

  Arletha turned back toward her. “Don’t get me wrong. I thank you. Lord knows, I thank you. But what were you doing at my house in the first place?”

  “I came to see you. It was the strangest thing. You were so strong on my mind and my heart. I believe it was God making sure you were all right.”

  Without any warning, Arletha began to cry. Angela stood up.

  “Are you all right?” Angela asked. “Do I need to get the nurse for you?”

  Arletha shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” She smiled and touched Angela’s hand. “Sit, sit,” she said slowly. “I’m okay.”

  Angela sat back down.

  “That night, I wasn’t feeling well. My head felt differently than it had ever felt before in my life. I went to the kitchen to get some water. I felt something strange taking place.” Arletha slowly shook her head as she spoke. “I didn’t have time to pray a long prayer. All my religiosity, my grandstand stance went right out the door. All I could say was, ‘Lord, save me,’ because at that moment, I knew something awful was happening. And it occurred to me that I wasn’t sure if I died right then that I would go to Heaven.”

  Angela stood up and handed Arletha the tissue box and a cup of water.

  Arletha dabbed her eyes, took a sip of water, and continued. “I realized I had been trying to live so righteous, thinking that my works alone were enough to save me. At that precise moment, I knew I had come up short. That if I died right then and I had to be judged on my works instead of on what Jesus had done on the cross, I would not make it into Heaven. In those few precious seconds, I confessed Jesus as Lord, acknowledged that I believed Jesus had died on the cross and that God had raised Him from the dead, and I asked Jesus to come into my heart. Just as I finished, I heard a pop in the back of my head, and all I could say was, ‘Lord, save me.’ That’s the last thing I remember until I opened my eyes in a strange place and saw someone looking down at me.”

  “That was me,” Angela said. “I’ve come by every day since you were admitted to check on you. I was happy when you opened your eyes. I went and got the nurse.”

  “So you’re the person who was here every day? One of the nurses said she thought my granddaughter had been here. I told her she was mistaken since I don’t have a granddaughter. She kept insisting that I did, as though my mind wasn’t fully functioning.”

  “Please forgive me for that. I said I was a relative so the hospital would keep me informed about your condition. I also signed for your medical care because we couldn’t find anything stating you had insurance. I was afraid they might try and move you.”

  “You did all of that for me?” Arletha asked, wiping her eyes.

  “Yes.” Angela leaned forward. “And it’s not because I believe you’re my grandmother. You needed help, and I just wanted to help you.”

  “Well,” she said, struggling to swallow, “I do have health insurance.”

  Angela smiled with a sign of relief. “That’s good. Oh, and I have your purse. It’s locked inside my car trunk. I took it from your house the night you were brought here.”

  Arletha shrugged as she shook her head. “My card’s not in my purse,” she said.

  “Yeah, I know. I looked.”

  Arletha motioned for more water. Angela got up and poured her some. “I suppose since you have my purse and the keys to my house, you’ve been snooping around my place trying to find out whether I told you the truth or not,” Arletha said. She tried putting the cup on the tray after she sipped a few more times, but her hand shook.

  Angela took the cup and set it down. “No, I haven’t been snooping around for anything like that. But I did go back to your house to see if there was anyone we could call and let know you were in the hospital,” Angela said.

  “I don’t have anybody.”

  “Yeah, I kind of figured that out.”

  Arletha looked away. “Sad, huh?”

  “What?”

  “That I’ve lived all of these years and have no one who cares what happens to me one way or the other.” Arletha turned back toward Angela. “I want to thank you for stopping by that night. If it weren’t for you, I”—she placed her hand to her mouth—“I wouldn’t have this chance to right some wrongs I’ve made in my life.”

  “Arletha, we’re all only human. We’ve all made mistakes. Sometimes we get it right. Sometimes we miss it altogether. We just need to ask God to forgive us and work at doing better the next time. That’s what my pastor, Pastor Landris, teaches us.”

  Arletha nodded. She pointed to Angela’s abdomen. “Are you expecting?”

  Angela looked down at her abdomen and beamed as she touched it. “Yes.”

  “Why did you come to my house to see me that night?”

  Angela reached into her purse. “Honestly, I wanted to bring this little journal my great-grandmother had written. Great-granny was the best. I would love for you to read some of what she wrote.” She held up the journal. “My great-granny was so wise, so funny, and so on point about life. People didn’t always appreciate her words of wisdom. Sometimes, her tongue could cut sharp. For some reason, I guess I was hoping maybe you would appreciate them. Also, I heard you came to my wedding. You signed my guest book. I know what you said about us not being related, but I would still like for us to possibly be friends. That’s if you don’t mind,” Angela said.

  Angela didn’t bring up that the birth date written inside that journal matched what she had discovered, first from Brent and later from Arletha’s own driver’s license.

  “Of course. I’d like to be friends. You may have saved my life. It’s because of your being obedient to our loving and merciful God and His leading you to my house that I have been granted a second chance at life. Another opportunity to get it right. But I’m not sure you were correct in thinking I would want to read your great-grandmother’s personal thoughts.”

  “Well, I’ll leave the journal here in case you get bored and just want something to do.” Angela laid it down on the bedside table. “Great-granny had this secret family recipe for German chocolate cake people used to go nuts over. She wouldn’t tell anyone her secret.” Angela started for the door. “She put her recipe in that notebook.” Angela turned back to Arletha when she reached the door. “If it’s all right with you, I’d still like to come by and visit while you’re here. We’re still family, related by the blood of Jesus.”

  Arletha nodded. “I’d like that just fine.”

  Angela smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Angela opened the door.

  Just as Angela was about to walk out, Arletha said, “Double the vanilla extract and make sure the icing is cool before you add the chopped pecans.” Arletha was attempting to reach the journal. She was still weak and straining to get to it.

  Angela quickly walked back over to Arletha’s bedside and handed the journal to her. “What did you just say?” Angela asked as she
gazed at Arletha.

  “Double the vanilla extract to two teaspoons and make sure the icing is cool before you add the cup of chopped pecans,” Arletha repeated as she ran her hand over the front of the journal.

  Angela sat down slowly beside her. “How would you happen to know that?” Tears rolled down her face.

  “That’s how my mother made her German chocolate cake,” Arletha said as she began to cry as well. She rubbed her hand over the cover of the journal, then hugged it.

  Angela placed her hand over her mouth to hold in any sound that might try to escape on its own. With her other hand, she touched Arletha’s hand, which lay on the bed.

  Arletha grabbed Angela’s hand and squeezed it. “Please forgive me,” she said.

  Angela stood up as she nodded.

  “I’ve asked God to forgive me. The night I collapsed, I asked Jesus to come into my life and save me. God has given me a second chance. My life needs to count for something now. You’ve shown me the love of God. You’ve treated me better than I have you. I’ve lived a life not so pleasing or a testament to God’s love. I need to do better. I want to do better. Whatever time I have left on this earth, I want God to get the glory. Not I, but the Christ who lives in me.”

  “But why? Why didn’t you tell me the truth from the beginning?”

  “I wanted the Arletha that everybody knew from my past to be gone. I worked all of my life to make it as though that old creature that had disappointed and hurt so many no longer existed. Because of the way I lived my life as a teenager, my mother told me once that she was sorry I had ever been born. She then said if I couldn’t abide by her rules, to leave her house. I saw to it that her desires were done. I left and made it as though I had never been born.”

  Angela shook her head in disagreement. “That’s not the person I knew. She was loving and patient and kind. But Great-granny did write in that journal that she was sorry for a lot of things she’d said and done. Many things she wished she could take back or redo completely. As I said, we’re all human and we all make mistakes. She was human.”