by Donna Poole
Barb had been aimlessly driving the backroads since before daybreak when she spotted it, a small white church on the corner of two dirt roads. On impulse she pulled into the parking lot and sat there looking at it. Its windows were open to the late summer’s cooler breezes, and she could hear children singing.
“I want to go in there and see the kids.” Startled, Barb looked in the backseat. Nikki was awake.
“You’ve never been to church, honey. You probably wouldn’t like it. Children have to sit still and be quiet in church.”
“Those kids aren’t being quiet. They’re singing. I want to go in the church with the kids!” Nikki’s voice sounded close to tears.
Sighing, Barb grabbed a tissue and scrubbed the tear streaks off her own face. Oh, why not let her have something she wants. I have to tell her later today that her daddy isn’t coming back this time; the younger woman won. And I’m going to have to find a job and a new place to live. Her whole world is about to turn upside down. I wish I had someone to talk to about this. I didn’t realize until it was too late what a good job Ed did of isolating me from everyone.
“Please, Mommy! I want to go!”
“Okay, Nikki, we’ll go inside, but you have to be quiet.”
Nikki was already unhooking the belts to her car seat and wiggling out. Too late Barb remembered she’d grabbed Nikki from her bed still in her pajamas and put her in the car.
“Wait! Nikki, we can’t go. You’re wearing your pajamas!”
But Nikki ran down the sidewalk and was standing at the front door of the church. At least she’s too little to open that door!
Barb scooped her up; Nikki started crying, and an older man opened the door and smiled at them.
Sobbing, Nikki reached out her arms for him. “I want to go to church but I can’t because I’m wearing my pajamas!”
The old man patted her back. “There, there. We don’t mind if little three-year-old girls come to church in their pajamas.”
Nikki sniffed. “I’m four.”
He chuckled. “Four years old in pajamas is just fine too.” He smiled at Barb. “Welcome, ma’am.”
He put Nikki down, and Barb took her hand and sat in an empty pew near the back. The children were still singing.
The choir director who looked like a college student turned and smiled at the congregation. “For our last song today, we’re going to sing an old Sunday school song. No one knows who wrote it, and it’s more like a chant than a song. The kids have a lot of fun with it. I hope you like it.”
Nikki ran into the aisle and headed for the platform.
“Nikki!” Barb hissed, “Come back here.”
“I want to sing with the kids.”
The choir director smiled. “It’s okay. We always have room for one more.”
Barb slunk down in her pew. She could feel the red creeping up her neck and face and the tears pressing against her eyes.
This was the 1980s. Nikki didn’t seem to care that all the other little girls were wearing ruffles and bows, and she had on wrinkled pajamas with a missing button. The little girl standing next to her on the platform didn’t seem to mind either. She smiled at Nikki and took her hand. Nikki didn’t know a word of the song, but she grinned at the people in the pews, and Barb noticed most of them smiled back at her. The kids sang and chanted,
Oh Soldier, Oh O Soldier,
Grab your bible; follow me.
I’m in the Lords infantry.
If I die on the combat zone,
Wrap Me up and send me home.
Lay my Bible across my chest.
Tell my Lord I did my best.
Oh Soldier, Oh O Soldier,
Grab your Bibles; follow me.
I’m in the Lords Infantry.
Lay my Bible across my chest.
Tell my Lord I did my best.
And then it was over. Except it wasn’t. When the last piano note died away, Nikki stepped forward from the group. She put her hand over her heart and shouted, “Lay my Bible across my chest and tell my MOMMY I did my best.”
The chuckles in the pews turned into applause when Nikki bowed right, left, and center. Finally, the little show stealer skipped down from the platform, once again holding the hand of her new friend.
The little girl whispered to Barb, “I’m Amy. We have children’s church now. Can Nikki come with me?”
Barb nodded. Nikki? When did you two have time to exchange names?
She hoped her little girl would behave in whatever this children’s church was, but the man who stood up to preach soon captured her thoughts. “Perhaps you came today feeling unloved and without hope,” he said. “I’m here to tell you God loves you, and Jesus died not only to give you hope for this life, but to give you hope for heaven.”
When the service ended Barb still had no idea where she could find a job or where she’d live, but she knew something she hadn’t known when she and Nikki came inside. She knew she was a sinner who desperately needed saving. She knew Jesus had died so her sins could be forgiven, and she knew she was God’s child and on her way to heaven.
The piano played softly and Barb sat in the pew.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into the smiling face of a woman about her age. “Hi. I’m Natalie. We’re having a potluck downstairs. Would you like to stay?”
“I didn’t bring anything!”
“Don’t worry about that! We always have way too much food.”
Barb hesitated only a moment. “Okay. But I’ll have to find Nikki first.”
Natalie laughed. “She’s with Amy, my daughter. They were the first two through the food line, and they’re eating already, so it’s a good thing you said yes. I taught children’s church today, and your daughter was an absolute delight. I hope you’ll come back again. Our girls are already friends, and I have a feeling we could be too.”
Tears once again filled Barb’s eyes. “I’m not sure you’d want me for a friend. I come with a lot of baggage.”
Natalie sighed. “I’ve got plenty of my own luggage, but I’m learning to let Jesus carry it. Maybe we could work on that together if you keep coming to church here.”
Barb didn’t say anything. They’d reached the food line when Nikki grabbed her around the knees. She looked down at her little girl’s smiling face now covered with what looked like chocolate cake.
“Mommy! We have to come here every Sunday! I have lots of friends. This place is the best! Okay?”
“We’ll see, Nikki.”
Nikki hugged Amy. “When Mommy says ‘we’ll see’ it means yes. I’ll see you every week! And we’ll be best friends forever!”
Amy said, “Mommy, can I wear my pajamas to church next Sunday?”
Natalie chuckled. “We’ll see.”
Amy sighed. “Nikki, when my mommy says ‘we’ll see’ it usually means no.”
The two girls marched off chanting, “Lay my Bible across my chest, and tell my mommy I did my best!”
Natalie and Barb grinned at each other.
“Kids make friends so quickly, don’t they?” Natalie asked.
Barb nodded. “I’m glad Nikki has a friend. She’s going to need one. She’s facing a really hard time she doesn’t know anything about.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
The End
***
These blogs are now available in book form on Amazon:
Backroad Ramblings Volume One: Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter
Backroad Ramblings Volume Two: Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter
Backroad Ramblings Volume Three: Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter
Backroad Ramblings Volume Four: Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter
