Goodness and Mercy

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  Darius nodded. “She’s a good-looking woman, no doubt about that. One word of advice from one who knows: make sure you find out everything about each other up front. Not that I’m trying to insinuate anything or act like I’m some kind of an expert on relationships, although me and my wife have been married eight years now. Believe it or not, we’re still learning stuff about each other. What I generally tell any couple at the dating stage is to ask each other about things that you should know about their past. That’s usually the very thing that will come back and destroy a good relationship later. It can literally tear a promising relationship to shreds. And all of that could be avoided if people would just find out stuff at the beginning.”

  “Okay,” Zachary said, glancing between Darius and Gabrielle as he tried to figure out what exactly was going on. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

  “Well, look, it was good seeing you”—he nodded to Gabrielle—“and nice meeting you,” he said to Zachary. “Welcome to our loving church family. People here really are close, and they really do care. If you need help, all you need do is to tell a few people in the congregation, and I guarantee you, they will spread the word like wildfire.” He smiled at Gabrielle. “Am I right or am I right?” He then tilted his head toward Gabrielle before throwing a grin Zachary’s way, giving him a solid handshake in the process.

  When Gabrielle and Zachary reached his car, he opened the door for her, then closed it. After he got in and she’d put on her seat belt, Zachary turned toward her before buckling his own belt. “Okay, so would you like to tell me what that was all about?”

  “What?”

  “Darius. What’s up with that guy?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s married to one of the members in the dance ministry. I’ve met him a few times. In truth, I don’t know what his problem is.”

  “I know that he’s married, but that boy has some serious interest in you,” Zachary said. “Serious interest.”

  Slightly embarrassed by what he’d just said, she dropped her head quickly, then looked back up at Zachary. “What makes you say something like that?”

  “Trust me, men know these things. Homeboy has all the signs.”

  “Well, I hope you know that I’m not the least bit interested in him. I don’t mess with married men. And even if he wasn’t married, he wouldn’t be my type,” Gabrielle said.

  Zachary fastened his seat belt, then cranked the car. He looked over at her and grinned. “And what exactly is your type?”

  She could feel her face heat up from her blushing. She only hoped he wasn’t able to tell.

  Zachary smiled, then raised and lowered his eyebrows successively several times. “All right now,” he said. “Looks like I just might have a chance with you after all.”

  She tilted her head slightly as she continued to grin. “I didn’t say anything,” she said.

  “Yeah.” He put the car in reverse and started backing out of the parking space as he looked backward, his hand touching her headrest. “But that smile on your face,” he said looking at her as he put the car in drive, “is absolutely priceless. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  Chapter 29

  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

  —Ecclesiastes 3:1

  Gabrielle and Zachary went to eat, then to see a movie. They had a wonderful time Sunday, in spite of any damper others may have tried to place early on in the day.

  “So, I see you’re about to lose your house shortly,” Zachary said as they sat in her den talking.

  “Who told you that?” she asked a tad too defensively.

  He frowned. “The sign . . . in your front yard? I saw it when I picked you up this morning, and again when I brought you home this afternoon.” He bent his head down to get a better read of her face. “The ‘for sale’ sign in your yard.”

  “Oh, yeah. The sign.” She laughed nervously, then tried to quickly rein herself back in. “That’s why the sign is out there. To let people know the house is for sale.”

  “It’s a beautiful house. I like it.”

  “Would you like to buy it?” She chuckled. “It’s available, for the right price.”

  “No, I just bought a house. Although I haven’t had time to move in properly and get situated. But I did buy one. And there are boxes everywhere waiting to be unpacked and things put in their proper places. I’ll get to it eventually. There’s only so much time in a day, and only so much a person can get done in that allotted time. I am a true subscriber of not sweating the small stuff unless it’s absolutely essential that you sweat. Like when I work out. I love a good sweat then,” he said.

  “Do you work out a lot?”

  “Yes.”

  “And to think, I just thought you naturally came that way,” Gabrielle said, having noticed the size of his biceps through his white shirt when he’d taken off his suit jacket.

  “Our bodies are the temple of God. It’s wonderful getting a new building, but I’m a firm believer in keeping up the one you have. That means exercising and eating right.”

  “Okay, now you’re starting to sound like a doctor,” Gabrielle said.

  Zachary smiled. “What’s wrong with doctors? Do you have something against doctors?”

  “No, of course not. I love doctors. I’m just saying, they’re the ones who usually advocate eating right and taking care of your body. But from the looks of many of them, they definitely aren’t practicing what they preach.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I know quite a few doctors who will tell you to do one thing while they’re over there abusing their bodies just like their patients. That’s a classic case of do as I say and not as I do. But I actually believe and do what I say should be done. Life is too short to play.”

  “So, you don’t like to play?”

  “Of course I like to play.” Zachary leaned away from her. “Why would you ask me something like that?”

  “You appear to be somewhat intense. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean in a bad way. Like when you said you didn’t date anyone for five years because of college. That’s rather intense. And you seem to know a lot about the Bible even though you said you haven’t been able to attend church often over the years. You’ll talk on the phone with me, but you’re conscientious enough to not talk too late, so that you’re ready for work the next day. You’re interested and seem serious about taking care of and maintaining your body, and not just talking about doing it. Intense, serious, and dedicated. Not a lot of play. And not a bad thing by any means.”

  “But I also understand and appreciate balance,” Zachary said, straightening his body up so he was back to being closer to her. “The third chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes speaks about time. How there’s a time to everything under the sun. The problem with most people is that we want to do everything all at once. And that’s not always practical, let alone scientifically possible. In the first verse, it says, ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.’ But people are so impatient. We need to understand there are seasons to our lives. And even things that happen that we feel have no purpose actually do. That’s why I don’t discount or dismiss anything in my life. Things happen, but there is a purpose that can be gleaned from it, if we would learn to trust in that, and see it.

  “Things don’t always happen when we’d like,” he continued. “But there’s even something we can get out of that. It’s about appreciating the journey even more, sometimes, than reaching the destination. Everything that has happened in our lives has a useful purpose. Useful to God in Heaven, who I truly believe has placed a watch over us. And that’s why, when bad things happen in my life, I take comfort in knowing that God is not asleep on the job. I know God has a plan for my life, and He can and will use whatever happens and use it for good.”

  “That was beautiful. Now, where can I buy your book?” Gabrielle said.

  Zachary began to smile as he gazed into her eyes. “What?”
>
  “What you just said, I know you have to have a book with that in it,” she teased. “I should write down what you just said. Like what you said about the journey versus the destination. I’m in the journey stage of something right now. I know what I believe the destination will look like when I get there. But the journey has been interesting, to say the least. It hasn’t always felt good, God knows it hasn’t. And had I been asked my opinion on how things should be done, believe me, this definitely wouldn’t be the way I would have chosen to do it.”

  Zachary started laughing. “Okay, you’re preaching to the choir,” he said. “Let the church say, ‘Amen,’ ” he said, mocking what many preachers say when they preach.

  “Amen,” Gabrielle repeated the callback.

  Zachary continued to chuckle. “Let the church say, ‘Amen again.’ ”

  “Amen again,” Gabrielle said, laughing along with him.

  He pulled his laughter under control. “But honestly, isn’t it wonderful to know that whatever is happening in our lives right now, God knows and He cares? And that this is not the end of the book. That it’s one chapter, possibly even only a small scene?” Zachary said in a serious tone.

  “Yes. And even more wonderful to know that God already knows the ending, so He doesn’t get all bent out of shape about the trials and tribulations we face,” Gabrielle said. “It becomes part of our story when we tell others how we got over. It’s worth the cost of admission.”

  Zachary shook his head. “What are you over there saying, Miss Gabrielle?” He bit down on his bottom lip to try to keep from smiling so much. Gabrielle. He loved saying her name.

  “You know when you go to a show or certain places, and they charge a cover price for you to get in? Then, when you get in, you might discover what you’re getting was not worth what you paid. Well, what you just said, and the way God works—what it ends up costing us, what we might have to give up, to pay in the process—in the end, just to watch God work it out is worth the cost of admission.”

  “Okay, maybe I need to find out when your book is coming out so I can be the first one in line to get my copy,” Zachary said.

  Standing at the door when he was ready to leave, Zachary touched Gabrielle under her chin and lifted her head higher. “Don’t you let any of this stuff get you down, okay? I don’t know everything that’s going on with you. I just hope you feel comfortable enough to talk to me if you ever need to. I’m a great listener. And even though you may not realize it, I’m starting to feel something for you. I only hope you’ll allow the two of us to get to know each better because you seem to have a tendency to pull back from people.”

  “And how would you know that?”

  “I know. You allow people to get but so close to you even though they think they’re a lot closer. You erect walls, firewalls, like on computers, to keep people out. I just hope you’ll allow me past your firewall. Gabrielle, I believe in you. And I believe in you I’ve found a good thing.”

  “A good thing?”

  “Yes. There’s a scripture that states that a man who finds a wife finds a good thing.”

  “But you don’t know me that well. In fact, you really don’t know much of anything about me. You don’t know about my past. You don’t know my hopes for the future. You don’t even know the troubles I’m going through right this minute as you stand here acting like you know so much about me,” Gabrielle said.

  He nodded with a smile. “You’re right. That’s why I hope to get to know you. But I will tell you what I do know. I do know you have a good heart. I know you’re a woman after God’s own heart. That’s what matters to me right now. Whatever else I need to know about you will come in its own time. And you know what? We’ll deal with it the way the Bible advocates. But let me tell you this: none of us is perfect. Yes, we strive for perfection, but none of us has arrived. None of us has wholly clean hands, and that includes me. So while you’re beating yourself up about whatever, keep that in mind, okay? If you have things right with God, what difference does it make what others think? And only you know if what concerns you is right with God.”

  He leaned down and gave her a quick hug. “I’ll call you later. Okay?”

  She nodded.

  After he left, she slowly closed the door and wiped away an unexpected tear that had made its way down her cheek.

  Chapter 30

  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

  —Ecclesiastes 3:4

  Johnnie Mae called Gabrielle Sunday night. It was a little after nine.

  “I hope you’ll forgive me for calling you this late,” Johnnie Mae said.

  “Oh, you’re fine. I’m not one of those who goes to bed with the chickens,” Gabrielle said. “Service was so great today. Pastor Landris’s sermon hit home for me: ‘Being not conformed to this world but being transformed by the renewing of our minds.’ I’m still in the renewing process, but I’m further along than when I started,” Gabrielle said. She didn’t bother to mention the cool reception she’d experienced from some, no doubt because of the gossip Johnnie Mae had told her was circulating throughout the congregation. “And how are you and your family?”

  “Doing great. In fact, we’re all doing great here. My mother’s staying with us this week. With her Alzheimer’s, she has her good days and her bad. But we’re hanging in there, making the best of it.” She paused. “Okay, so let me get to why I called. Remember I told you about an e-mail I’d received looking for someone to do housecleaning work?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I sent the person an e-mail, telling her I had the perfect person for her. She called me, and I just got off the phone with her. I told her all about you, and she wants to meet with you tomorrow morning, possibly starting work tomorrow. She was impressed with my high recommendation of you.”

  “Thank you,” Gabrielle said with excitement, although her mind was already working on how she would get to the interview, and then to this place of work, should she get the job and be asked to start tomorrow.

  “Now, I know you’re having car problems. We have a car here you’re welcome to use until things straighten out for you. No one’s using it right now. In fact, we have to crank it periodically just to ensure the battery doesn’t run down. It’s nothing fancy, mind you. My sister used to drive it. But it runs, and it will get you where you need to go.”

  “Are you serious? Of course I’d love to use it! Thank you so much! Oh, thank you! Man, God is so awesome! He’s so awesome!”

  “Oh, God is certainly that and so much more,” Johnnie Mae said. “Now, I can bring the car to you tonight so you’ll have it in the morning to get to your interview on time. She wants to meet you at eight AM "

  “I hate having you coming out so late. But yes, yes, I’m here. Oh, thank you!”

  “I’ll bring the name of the person and the address. I’ll see you in a little bit,” Johnnie Mae said with a smile in her voice.

  Johnnie Mae and Pastor Landris came to Gabrielle’s house. Pastor Landris drove the gray Corsica to Gabrielle’s. Johnnie Mae drove her black Chrysler 300 C. Giving Gabrielle the key, Johnnie Mae told her that the insurance card was in the glove compartment along with the vehicle registration, in case she needed it.

  After Johnnie Mae and Pastor Landris left, Gabrielle put on a CD and began to dance around the room, giving God praises for His goodness and His faithfulness. She laughed as she thought, Who would have ever believed I would be praising God about acquiring a Corsica, on loan no less, so I could apply for a job to clean somebody else’s house?

  “Lord, you are good, and your mercy endureth forever!” Gabrielle sang one of Israel & New Breed’s songs taken directly from Psalm 106:1.

  But there she was, thanking God and dancing as though she were auditioning for the lead role in a major production paying thousands of dollars a night.

  Fatima called after Gabrielle finished her praise time. Gabrielle answered the phone with such joy in her voice. She couldn
’t wait to tell Fatima what had happened so far. And even though she hadn’t interviewed for the job yet, she felt she was going to get it.

  “How’s your mother?” Gabrielle asked before forging into how God was moving in her life.

  “She died,” Fatima said solemnly. “They just called us in and allowed us to be there with her. She died peacefully. All of us were in the room.” Fatima broke down and began to cry. Gabrielle tried to think of words to comfort her, but all she knew to do in that moment—then and there—was to pray aloud for her friend and her friend’s family.

  Chapter 31

  Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

  —Proverbs 3:27

  Gabrielle arrived an hour early for her interview. Ms. Daniels, the person she was scheduled to see, was impressed to see Gabrielle sitting there when she walked in at seven-thirty. The company was an employment agency used by those who desired a reliable way to hire screened people to clean and take care of their homes. Prospective employees were subject to various things such as a drug test and a criminal background check, which were done at the office and with instant results. References also carried a lot of weight in their hiring decision.

  Gabrielle was so excited when she was told she got the job. She was even more excited to learn that her pay would be much higher than it had been with her previous employer, though nowhere close to what she’d garnered at her job before that. With this job, her salary would be paid by the owner of the home. The employment agency received a finder’s fee for their services from the employer. Gabrielle liked that because it meant she wouldn’t lose any of her money to them. The employment agency’s clients were thrilled to pay it because of the caliber of employees they consistently delivered, matching skills and personalities of the employees with the personalities that the prospective employer desired and requested—a fact the company not only publicized but prided itself on.