It shocked Ivi last week that the Pastor knew all these people by name. It had to be 300+ people in attendance the last two Sundays, and they attended the 10:00AM service. The church had two more services at 8:00AM and 12:30PM. Ivi didn't see how the pastor kept up.
Pastor Marshall smiled. "Glad you were blessed by God's words, Adele! Now it's up to us, as His children, to take heed to it." Pastor Marshall said and then looked over at Ivi. The smile she wore was still there, but it was something in her eye that caught Ivi off guard. Like the pastor was trying to figure out something about her.
Instantly, Ivi started to fidget with nervousness. She slightly lowered her eyes, while twiddling her fingers together. Ivi heard Ms. Adele clear her throat, her subtle way of chastisement. Ivi lifted her eyes to meet the woman's and stopped her finger wringing, but was still nervous. She didn't know why the look the woman gave her unnerved her so.
Adele cleared her throat again. "I'm sorry, Pastor. Let me formally introduce you two. This is Ivi Nance. Ivi, this is our shepherd leader here at God's House of Prayer, Pastor Sheryl Marshall."
"Welcome to GHOP. Pleasure to meet you formally, young lady." Pastor Marshall said extending her hands.
Ivi sneakily wiped the sweat from her palm along her dress before shaking the woman's hand. "Hi." Ivi said small.
Since Ivi offered nothing else, Ms. Adele quickly jumped in. "Ivi just moved here from Okaloosa County and will be staying with me for a while." Ivi was glad Ms. Adele left out the part about her just coming out of jail. She doubted the pastor would want her there anymore if she knew.
Adele had been a member of the church for almost 25 years, so Pastor Marshall was familiar with her outreach work for young people, especially young ladies. Unbeknownst to Ivi, the pastor had a gift for seeing things in the spiritual eye.
She looked back at Ivi, attentively. Ivi could feel sweat forming in certain crevices of her body. "Well, since you'll be here for a while, I hope you get involved in at least one of the many activities we have here at the church."
Adele interjected. "Yes. I planned on bringing Ivi to some of the young adult functions, starting next week. And the choir too. I hear her humming around the house sometimes. She has a lovely voice." Ms. Adele said, throwing Ivi for a loop.
Ivi wasn't much of a people person, so she wasn't keen on participating in any extra curricular activities with others. And singing? That was definitely a no-no. She sung in the choir once when she was around 8 years old and the kids were so mean to her, she never did it again. No, singing in the choir was NOT gonna happen.
"I'll see how my work schedule looks and go from there." Ivi responded, politely. She had just started working last week at a local hardware store. She wasn't too fond of the job itself, but it was legal money and the people who worked there didn't get on her nerves, so she was cool.
Pastor Marshall nodded, squinting her eyes more at Ivi. It was then that Ivi noticed that the woman hadn't released her hand yet. It was coupled tightly between both of hers. Ivi went to remove her hand from the lady's grasp, but for whatever reason, the woman wouldn't let her go. It's like the pastor was ignoring Ivi's subliminal request to be set free.
"Adele I remember when all of your kids use to practically run the youth department around here. Nakia was over the dance ministry, Tucker was our top junior usher, and that Travis the Third? Boy he could play you under a bench on the piano. Sing you under one too!" Pastor Marshall chuckled. "How are they?"
"They're all wonderful. I plan on getting them back into church more too. Since they're grown now, they don't go as much, but they need God in their lives. Plus, I want my grand baby brought up in the way just like his father, aunt, and uncle were." Ms. Adele said adamantly.
