Maleek
"Alright mom, i heard you the first two times." I run my hands through my face and try not to stress out. Mom is yelling at me through the phone, telling me how her rent is due and how she thought she was going to get evicted. These are the problems that you deal with when your an only child and want to take care of your mother.
"Maleek im sorry. i dont want to put pressure on you son but i cant stand the idea of not knowing where im going to be tomorrow." She says with her voice becoming weary.
"Mom, matthew 6:34 remember? Dont be anxious about tomorrow" I say to her while putting her on speaker and placing my phone on the table across from my bed. One of the things i was best at was reciting verses. When i first Got in my faith it was the only thing i really did to start myself off sometimes i find myself just randomly saying them.
I hear her take a deep breath out and calm herself down. The company has been doing quite well, thats undeniable but if i wanted to keep this success up i would have to keep expanding and growing my company, that costs a lot.
"Thank you son, I needed that." My mother is a woman of God. In fact one of the best women of God in my eyes, she is the prime example of how a christian woman should be in my eyes. Kind, Respectful,Loving, Modest... My mother always sets the standard or at least she use to.
She constantly helps me with my faith and since this area of New York isn't that religiously diverse you may only meet a few Christians and even at that, they arent true Christians. I always attract Lukewarm's and I'm sick of it.
"Am i going to see you today at church mom? They are having a mid week service tonight at 6:00-8:00." I say while picking up my phone and going to the bathroom , i pick up my toothbrush and squeeze some tooth paste on it and proceed to brush.
"What day is it again?" She says
"Its friday, remember i sent you that post card? They give em out every month."
Temple of Grace church opened up a few years back and me and my mother were one of the firsts in the building, At first she forced me to go with her. I couldn't have cared less at the time, i was all about my business and trying to make it as big as possible, meanwhile the main ingredient for success was right in front of me the whole time, God. The church had printed out these invites years ago and had sent them out once every month, it really got some people in their feelings but the seed needed to be planted.
I remember some people even egged the church door because we kept sending them these invites for the church, others just threw corny insults at us but it never made us stop. We never really ended up reprinting these letters because of costs and we had done so many originally, we just thought we would keep sending them out.
"Dang, i cant be there today i promised i would take ace for the day. Im so sorry Maleek can you tell the church i cant make it?" I let out a loud sigh, Mom has been slipping back a lot with her faith. She doesn't trust God as much as she once did and she is constantly stressing about her and ace, so much so that she is always with him and can barely come to church anymore.
"If you sigh like that one more time im gonna make it for a different reason you hear me boy? Whats wrong with you maleek? What the hell you want me to do?" She blurts out. I finish brushing my teeth and use the mouthwash, I spit it out and look straight to the phone.
"Why are you talking like that? The old mom would have never even thought to speak like that and you know that." I said in a annoyed voice.
"Im sorry... the old mom?"
"Yes. ever since you started taking care of Ace... You know what nevermind, this is childish, i have to Go."
"Dont you dare hang up this phone Maleek Davis."
"Im going to church, if you want to meet me there then please do, if not holla at ace for me and dont call my line until im back. Goodbye mom." i quickly cut the phone and now i am looking at myself in the mirror i close my eyes for a second. Just to get a slight bit of relief.
I wash my face and get dressed in a basic loose white t-shirt, Gold chain and a pair of plain black trousers. I put on my shoes and line up my beard a bit, gotta always keep this beard nice and clean. I shake off any negative thoughts and do some deep breaths before i go. Mom is expecting me to pay another months rent' i got my own rent, i gotta pay these employee's and my car insurance needs to be renewed. God i dont know how you gonna do it but you cant leave me hanging here. Not when you brought me this far. I finally grab my bible and my car keys and get going.
*
"Maleek! whats going on boss?" I see a few of my church friends walk up to the door and welcome me in. These men are like my family, and this church is honestly my safe space. I greet them all and we all chat for a few minutes before i hear a familiar voice coming into the hall.
"Big boss! whats happening man."
"Joel! how's things brother." I dap him up and check his outfit out.
"whats going on here, am i at church or another business meeting? Brother thinks he is steve harvey or something?" I say laughing as i check out his salmon suit paired with classic church shoes. The guys around me are rolling in laughter as Joel rolls his eyes and starts to join us in laughter.
Me and Joel have been friends ever since i can remember, we have always just been together we were born in the same hospital 2 beds across from each other and well we have been like brothers ever since.
"aight aight, you got jokes huh gym boy? looks like you just came from doing a session"
"My bad brother next time imma bring my yellow suit and Jesus shoes, i guess i missed the memo. Not that im complaining" He cackles and i ask him
"seriously man who you tryna show out for?" I query.
"The most high of course. what? he don't like some drip?." He raises an eyebrow and has a weird grin on his face.
"man you a whole trip, how bout that." I hit his shoulder playfully and start to greet the people walking by... its 5:45 so we still have a while before church starts but i always like to get here early just to help out.
"where mama at?" he says as i start walking into the main church, greeting more people, the church is quite full today actually. I turn back to steve harvey and let out a tired sigh.
" She got ace today, man.."
"Dang, again? Thats, what, 3 weeks in a row now? when she coming to church again?" He asks looking a bit concerned. I put my hands in the air and shake my head as a way to say i dont know.. He pats my back and tells me
"You gon' get through this man. God's on your side remember? He got you, he got the bills, he Got ace and mama too. Dont underestimate his power man, he got yall." How in the world did he know about the bills? I call that the power of the holy spirit.
"I appreciate that man." He gives me a hug and a pursed smile and then we start to get the church ready for the service..
"and so if you turn to Matthew 5:28 we can see jesus is telling us that we can no longer look at adultery as only the physical act of fornication but rather Jesus clarifies that adultery begins and is in the... heart."
Pastor troy. One of the most important men in the story of my life man, he was also the pastor of our old church and started this ministry up a few years ago. He never gave up on spreading the word of Christ and never gave up on me. He helped me move closer to God when everything was going on with my family problems and i will forever be grateful for that.
"Oh Yes brothers and sisters... Jesus knew what he was doing when he spoke this huh? He knew y'all was gonna think y'all are off the hook just because you aint going out and having sex, so he made sure to catch y'all out and said them dirty little thoughts you be having... they count"
He gains a bit laughter and applause and then continues.
" for the bible says any man who looks at a woman with lustful intent has in fact committed, what? committed adultery."
the congregation gives him some reactions..
"and in the worse place possible, where is that? the heart. The heart is the gateway to our soul. I want someone to tell me if they have ever heard the verse you reap what you?"
"sow" the church says
"Oh yall not awake i said you reap what you?"
"sow!" they said louder.
"There you are. If our hearts are hateful our souls will reap that and become full of despise, and God hates a tough heart, if not so wouldn't he just let us go to heaven as we are?" Pastor troy begins to move around the podium keeping our attention on him as the crowd cheers on
"You right pastor!"
" preach it"
".. if God loved our hard hearts why would he tell us we must be reborn in order to see his kingdom" I nod my head and take everything in
"Come on now pastor" the woman to the right of me says
"If God loved hard hearts please tell me why he tells us he will remove our old hearts and replace it with a new one? Ezekiel 36:26 its there."
"Yes pastor!"
"So we must be not only willing but prepared and ready to completely surrender our stony adulterous hearts, that decieve us so, and allow God to replace it with a new beating and pure heart, can i get an amen?"
"Amen!" we all say as he walks back to the stand with his bible on it.
"Can we all turn our bibles to the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 6 please.."
"sorry, i cant.. please can you just make an exception" I look to the front door and see none other than Ms Johnson. I knew it! I knew she was a christian! It all makes sense now, with her bible verse and let no crude joking stuff.... She is talking to the usher and it looks like shes asking him to get a seat at the back.
"Woman this is church not a Beyonce concert go sit down in the front please, its the only available seat." She looks at him with sadness and im just tryna figure out why she is causing all this drama in church? I roll my eyes but cant help look over to her and the usher talking. she is wearing a Brown Long sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans with a pair of timberlands. Her hair is in a high tangled bun and she has no makeup on.
"Please dont do this." this pastor is still preaching and the church has all eyes on him
She is finally pushed to the seat almost near the front and she apologieses to people as she turns all attention to herself when she trips over her lace half way to her seat. I cringe a bit then watch her take her seat, she looks so uncomfortable and alone here, she is greeted by the Joel who is on her left and an elderly lady on he right she says hello and then goes right back into her shell. Her face looks nervous, she actually looks like she is about to get sick. The pastor then goes back to preaching
I gave myself a face palm and then walked up to joel beside her. I can see her eyes pop open as she see's me and then she gives an embarrased look and throws her head back a bit, then pretends she didnt even see me.
"bro switch with me" i say to joel. No one should be uncomfortable in church or even scared. i wanted to let her know she is safe in here. Joel switches seats with and me and i sit beside aaliyah. I dont say anything, ive already missed enough of the sermon and now i try to bring my focus back to God...
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God bless.. :)