Authors: Mimi Jefferson

The Bride Experiment (7 page)

BOOK: The Bride Experiment

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“They pray for each other and hold each other accountable for living set apart lives for Christ,” Lila said. “Each week, they have accountability meetings. For instance, if they watched a questionable program or had sexually immoral conversations, they have to report that to the group.”

“They are also not allowed to ask a woman on a date until they have tested her,” Joan said, staring intently at Lila.

“Tested her?” Janet asked. “How so?”

Joan repeated what she overheard from one of the older ladies in church. “First of all, they pray and ask God's guidance about a wife. If they notice someone of interest, they have to watch her first. Some men even talk to the godly people around her, like her pastor, friends, and the other people in ministry with her. They want to make sure she is just not pretending to be a godly woman but
is
a godly woman. They compare her character to what the Bible says about a godly woman.”

Janet looked impressed. “Wow! Lila, how did you snag him, and what's his name, anyway?”

Lila blurted out, “Kenneth Harrison.”

Joan and Tisha turned toward each other in disbelief. Kenneth Harrison's baritone voice led them into the Spirit every Sunday morning as he opened the church in prayer. It didn't matter that church started fifteen minutes late, or that Sister So-and-So was singing off-key, or that the air conditioner was broken in the middle of the summerânone of that mattered when Kenneth walked to the podium.

He was slim, spoke well, and all of his prayers were permeated with the Word of God. He didn't mind showing his emotions. Some Sunday mornings as he prayed, he would start crying as he thanked Jesus for His goodness.

He was the assistant principal at a local elementary school, where he was committed to molding young boys into strong Christian men. Each week, he had dozens of boys bussed to Miller Street Church for the church's Youth Ministry meeting.

“A few weeks ago, after Wife Prep class, Minister Makita asked me to stay,” Lila said. “She told me that a young man from the church had come in asking about me a few times over the course of several weeks. I begged her to tell me who, but she wouldn't. She seemed really happy for me, so I stopped bugging her, even though I wanted to shake her until it came out.

“Right after I left Minister Makita that day, I went to the church's day care to pick up Jasmine. Kenneth was there, and he was reading a Bible story to the handful of children who were still there. Jasmine was right in front and completely engaged in the story. Well, instead of interrupting, I sat in the back, my mind racing with what Minister Makita had just told me.”

Tisha blurted out, “Hold on! I got to go pee and can't hold it anymore. Don't say a word until I get back.” She ran down the hall.

Joan shuffled around in her seat before getting up to get a glass of water. She was too involved in her thoughts to ask her friends if they needed something. Kenneth was the finest Christian man she had ever seen. He was the complete package. Once, he asked Joan for her phone number when they were working on a project for Minster Makita. Joan had gotten so excited, thinking maybe he was interested in her. But the only time Kenneth called was when he needed to get some information about something church related. He never tried to make the conversation last any longer than necessary. Joan was devastated.

Tisha returned and Lila started again. “Well, the teenage girls who usually work in the day care started talking and giggling. Then they went and got the remaining children and took them to another part of the day care, leaving me, Jasmine, and Kenneth alone.”

Tisha prodded, “That's when you knew it was him?”

“That's when I knew Kenneth had arranged for Minister Makita to hold me up, and for the day care workers to take the other children away,” Lila answered.

“Well, what happened next?” Janet asked, patting her oversized stomach.

“Next?” Lila paused. “Next he asked if he could take me to lunch. Girls, I could have screamed, âThank you, Jesus!' We've been hanging out pretty regularly for two weeks.”

Tisha stood up. “Two weeks! How dare you hold on to this kind of information.”

“I know, I know. It's just that if things didn't work out, I didn't want to get my hopes up,” Lila pleaded.

“And now?” Joan questioned, rejoining the ladies on the sofa.

“Well, it's too late, my hopes are up. Kenneth is wonderful and everything I could want in a husband,” Lila paused. “Everything God wants me to have in a husband. I'm telling you now because tonight he asked me to meet his parents.”

Tisha started jumping up and down. “I'm going to be in a wedding! I'm going to be in a wedding!”

“You see why I didn't tell you?” Lila laughed. “Kenneth hasn't asked me to marry him.”

“He hasn't asked you
yet,”
Janet said. “Jerome told me he knew right away I would be his wife. Men know right away if they are going to make you a wife. Meeting the parents? Girl, that means you are in.”

Janet waddled up and gave Lila a hug. “I'm so happy for you.” Tisha joined the hug. Joan looked around first. Sensing no way to flee, she joined the hug too.

As Joan embraced her friends, her mind wandered to the day Minister Makita announced she was launching a new ministry: Wife Preparation class. She said the women would search and study the scriptures and learn what God said about being a wife. In addition to Bible Study, they would have homemaking and money management classes. They would get training on raising godly children and having a vision for their families.

Joan and Tisha couldn't join the class because it was a six-month commitment, and with their work in the bakery, they wouldn't have time. But Joan wondered if that was what had attracted Kenneth to Lila, and why wouldn't it? A woman who had made the commitment to the extensive schedule Minister Makita had proposed for the classâand the personal one-on-one sessions the minister had planned to have with the womenâhad to be showing all the single men that she was committed to being a wife. Joan could have slapped herself. She could have figured out how to rearrange her schedule to get into the class. Every Christian man in Houston was probably trying to marry a woman from Minister Makita's Wife Preparation class.

After the group hug, Lila started to gather her things so she could meet Kenneth. Before she walked out the door, Lila nervously looked back. “Would one of you pray for me?”

Joan was glad when Janet stepped up to do it. “I know what you're feeling right now.” Janet grabbed Lila's hand. “I remember when Jerome asked me to meet his family. It was such an exciting time.”

The ladies held hands in a circle as Janet prayed. “Dear Heavenly Father, Creator of heaven and earth, Lord, how we thank you. We thank you for sending Jesus to pay for our sins. We thank you that we have received Jesus' death as payment for our sins, and therefore when we die, we will spend eternity with you in heaven.

“We thank you for giving us what we need, instead of what we deserve. We thank you for friends and family. We thank you for homes, food, your mercy, and your grace. We thank you for your guidance and the security you provide. Lord, we pray for Lila. Lord, we have watched this woman grow under your attentive care. We thank you for her changed life. We pray, Lord, that you would guide her as she meets Kenneth's parents. Allow her to be calm and free from anxiousness, knowing that she is fearfully and wonderfully made in you. If it is your will for these two to become one, Lord, we pray that you would make that clear. Please give them insight, Father, and direction, in Jesus' name we pray.”

After one more group hug, Lila left with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Joan looked at Tisha, and Tisha looked at Joanâeach knowing what the other was thinking. Bible Study would have to wait. There was no time to waste. Joan dashed to the computer in her home office. Tisha jogged to the sofa and yanked her laptop out of its protective case. They needed to go online and register for Minister Makita's next Wife Preparation class.

Chapter 9

Joan rushed to Minister Makita's office. The last thing she wanted to do was be late. Makita insisted on meeting face-to-face with everyone who applied for the Wife Preparation class. It was only a matter of time before the minister would be telling Joan how pleased she was that she decided to join the class. She probably called her in early because she wanted Joan to take an active role in the class, helping the other single women along. She had only completed her application that Saturday and Minister Makita called her in for a meeting the following Monday evening.

Joan had only been at Miller Street Church for a short while, but everybody knew she was one of Makita's favorite people. Joan had grown quickly and soon started teaching New Members Orientation classes and Women's Bible Studies. When Minister Makita had to have an unplanned surgery in the midst of a women's conference, where she was the keynote speaker, instead of using a more tenured member of the church, she chose Joan. People were surprised, until they heard Joan deliver an outstanding Bible lesson. From that point on, people in the church started to look at Joan in a different light.

Minister Makita was one of the most influential people in Houston, but that's not what Joan admired about her. Joan admired how she could make the scriptures come alive. Minister Makita didn't preach so that people could be happy; she preached so they could be changed. Joan was only one of the women whom Minister Makita's teaching had impacted in such a huge way. She had throngs of faithful Christian women who looked to her for guidance.

Joan walked into Makita's opened office door and tapped on the door. Makita looked up from a stack of papers, then asked Joan to close the door behind her.

As Joan closed the door, she tried to ignore the worry she saw on Makita's face. She had expected Makita to greet her with a smile, like she usually did, but Makita looked troubled. Surely there wasn't anything wrong with her application. She had spent hours on it, inserting relevant scripture and interesting stories about herself. Besides, Makita loved her, Joan reassured herself as she sat down in the chair across from Minister Makita.

“Hello, my dear,” Makita greeted Joan in her deep Southern accent.

Joan nodded, wondering why Makita still hadn't smiled.

“Do you have any idea why I summoned you here today?”

Joan's mind started to race. If this wasn't about the Wife Preparation class, what could it be about?

“No, I guess I don't.” Joan shrugged her shoulders.

Makita shuffled through the papers on her desk. “I received your application.”

Joan looked alarmed. “Yes, I completed it on Saturday. Is there something wrong? I could do it over.”

Makita looked over Joan's paperwork again. “Joan, you are the best Bible teacher I have come across in years. I look across the room when you are teaching and everybody seems engaged and actively learning.” Makita shook her head. “And that three-part lesson you did on the Book of Ruth, it was wonderful.” Makita laughed. “Pastor Benjy kept the CD in our car for two weeks. He was delighted a teacher of your magnitude had been discipled through our ministry.”

Joan sat up straighter in her seat and took a deep breath. “Makita, you really had me worried. I thought I had done something wrong. Your mood seemed so somber when I walked in.”

“I'm not finished, Joan,” Makita said tersely. Joan sank back into her seat.

“Joan, while you are a great Bible teacher, there are some problems. I should have spoken to you sooner, because, well, now things are worse. And when I printed out your application for the Wife Preparation class, it became apparent that it was time for you and your spiritual mother to have a talk.”

Makita shoved all her papers to the sides of her desk and made a clear path between her and Joan. Joan avoided Makita's intense eyes and stared at a photo above Makita's head.

“Have you heard about Kenneth and Lila?” Makita looked like she wanted a reaction.

Joan started fiddling with her handbag. “Yes, Lila told us all about her and Kenneth.” Makita looked like she wanted something more. “We are all so happy for her,” Joan added.

“Joan, I'm up here.”

Joan put her gaze on Minister Makita. She had not realized she had started to look down while talking about Lila.

Makita continued speaking. “Last week, Tisha taught her first small group meeting. I don't remember seeing you.”

Joan made a point to continue looking up. “James Jr. had a project I was helping him finish.”

“I see,” Makita said suspiciously. “You remember when Sister Felicia criticized your interpretation of scripture in front of the entire class?”

Joan perked up. “Yes, and I quickly corrected her. She had it all wrong. I studied that passage up and down. I don't know who she thoughtâ” Joan abruptly stopped talking.

“Go on, Joan. Finish what you were saying about Sister Felicia.”

“Never mind,” Joan responded as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Let me finish for you, Joan,” Makita said. “What you were about to say is âI don't know who she thought she was talking to. Doesn't she know who I am? I am Joan Dallas. When I teach, there's no need to ask any questions. If you didn't understand, it was because you were not paying attention.'”

Joan said nothing. She only glared back at Minister Makita.

“What you really wanted to say to Sister Felicia was written all over your face that day, as it is today. You can't stand the idea that somebody would criticize you. You were right that day, Sister Felicia did have it wrong. But it was the way that you dealt with the situation that has me concerned. It is the way you respond to anybody when they don't seem to understand who you are.”

“What do you mean?” Joan asked.

“When they don't understand that
you
are Joan Dallas, the queen bee in charge,” Makita explained. “You didn't come hear Tisha teach because . . . Well, what was the point? I mean, she can't teach like you. She couldn't exegete a passage of scripture to the point where it was worth you coming out to listen. As a matter of fact, you never come to small group when new people are teaching. And then the time your best friend was teaching, you couldn't rearrange your schedule. You knew months ahead of time, and poor Tisha, she didn't even realize what was really going on.”

Joan's face was expressionless.

“You see, Tisha is fine as long as she stays in her place. As long as she realizes that Joan is the smart one. Joan is the star. And Joan shines the brightest in every situation. You didn't want to hear Tisha teach because you were scared that maybe she is better than you. Could somebody dare to attempt to dethrone the queen bee?”

Joan remained silent.

“Admit it, Joan, this thing with Lila and Kenneth is making you livid. You sat in my office and just lied to me. You are not at all happy for this couple. You can't believe Lila has a shot at getting married before you. The fact that it is Kenneth is just making it worse. If anybody should be marrying one of Pastor Benjy's bunch, it should be you. Because, after all, Lila does not have anything on you, along with the rest of the single women in the world. Because you are everything a single Christian man would want.

“I could see your desperation all through your answers on the Wife Preparation application. You might as well have said you want to be in the Wife Preparation class because Lila can't possibly get married before you do.

“I am denying you entrance into the Wife Preparation class. Lately you have been hateful, prideful, and hypercritical. No, I do not expect the Wife Preparation class members to be perfect. No one is perfect. But I do expect for them to exhibit a teachable spirit. At one point, you had that, but now you don't. Joan, you are not ready to be anybody's wife.”

Joan had enough. She started gathering her things.

“I hope you take the time and spend it with God to find out what is really going on with you. I would hate for your spiritual growth to stop when you started out so promising. Maybe it's my fault. I used you too early and too often. Maybe that's why you are so high, you can't relate to the âcommon people.'”

“Are we finished?” Joan stood up.

“Joan, I would be more than happy to schedule a few prayer and counseling sessions with you to help you get to the heart of the issue.”

“That won't be necessary,” Joan replied.

“Will I see you Sunday?” Minister Makita asked.

“Probably not.”

“I know this was a lot to take, but love is telling people the truth whether they want to hear it or not. I'll call you in a few days. Maybe we can have lunch.”

“Is that all, Makita?” Joan turned to leave.

“Joan?”

Joan turned around slowly.

“I'm allowing Tisha in the class.”

Joan left without saying another word.

BOOK: The Bride Experiment

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