A Million Blessings Read online

  Her words hurt, but he brushed them off as best he could. God was not going to let him down. He could feel it.

  “If playing the lottery is your way of getting us out of the hole you’ve put us in, we’re in more trouble than I wanted to believe. I think it’s best that I go stay with my parents and the kids and give you some time to figure out what you want from us and what you’re willing to give. We can’t build a future for our family on a lottery scheme. We don’t even believe in the lottery.”

  Andrew glanced at his watch. “Turn on the television,” he said.

  When she just rolled her eyes, he reached on the far-side nightstand, picked up the remote, and turned it on himself. “They should be announcing the lottery results in a few minutes. Believe with me.”

  “I believe you’ve lost your mind,” she said. “That’s what I believe.”

  He pulled the two lottery tickets out of his pocket and handed them to her. “You hold the tickets,” he said. “I’m too nervous.”

  Grudgingly, she took the tickets and sat down next to him on the bed. “I don’t believe I’m doing this,” she said. “Pastor McCorry would fall out of the pulpit if he knew his assistant pastor was at home waiting for the lottery numbers to be announced, rather than at church teaching his Bible study class.”

  Pulling her close, Andrew chuckled. “There was no way I could teach tonight. I’m too anxious about the lottery results.”

  “How much is the lottery for this week anyway?” Sandra asked.

  “Not much,” he said. “About twenty million.”

  She laughed out loud. “Sounds like a lot to me.”

  He laughed, too. “It’s a lot to us but not for the lottery. It’s not like it’s one of those hundred million dollar weeks when everybody plays. This is an average-sized jackpot.”

  She peered up at him. “You know, it bothers me that you know so much about the lottery. Something tells me this isn’t the first time you’ve played.”

  “Watch the television,” he said. “They’re about to call the numbers.”

  She did as she was told. “Here,” she said to him. “You hold one and I’ll hold one.”

  He took his. His heart began to sink as the announcer read the numbers. He hadn’t won. He glanced over at Sandra, and from the look on her face he gathered she hadn’t, either. He couldn’t believe it. He’d been so sure God was going to come through for him.

  “We’ll just play the numbers again next week,” he said. “We can’t give up now. I really believe in these numbers.” When his wife didn’t respond, he looked down at her and saw she was crying. Her tears broke his heart. “I’m sorry, Sandra,” he said. “I’ll fix this. I promise I will.”

  Sandra began shaking her head, and then she began to laugh. Andrew wondered if her disappointment had made her delirious. He grew uneasy as her laughter grew and she threw herself at him. “We won, Andrew,” she said. “We won the lottery!”

  Chapter 4

  “We won,” Sandra screamed, wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck. “We won.” She hopped up from the bed, pulling him with her. “We’re rich,” she said, dancing him around the room. “We’re rich.”

  Andrew stopped dancing, forcing her to stop, and looked down into her eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t let you down,” he said. “I told you.”

  She pressed a hand against his cheek. She loved her six-foot chocolate drop, warts and all. “I know you did, baby, and you came through for me and this family. I never should have doubted you.”

  He turned her hand over and kissed her palm. “You never should have doubted God,” he said. “When a door closes, He opens a window. We just have to look for it.”

  “It really is a gift from God, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “You bet it is,” Andrew confirmed. “Man couldn’t do this. I couldn’t do this. God had to do it.”

  Sandra lifted her arms heavenward. “I’m so happy I could shout it to the world.” She reached for the phone on the nightstand. “I have to call Momma and Daddy. They won’t believe it. Then we have to call Pastor McCorry and Vickie.” She glanced back at her husband. “You know we’re going to have to tithe this money, don’t you?”

  Andrew grabbed her hand before she could dial and forced the phone back on the cradle. She looked up at him. “What are you doing?”

  He sat on the side of the bed and pulled her down with him. “Think about it, Sandra. What are you going to tell your parents? What are you going to tell Pastor and Vickie?”

  “I’m going to tell them God blessed us to win the lottery.”

  He didn’t say anything, just looked at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You’re going to tell Pastor ‘Lottery means Hell’ McCorry that God blessed us to win the lottery? I don’t think so.”

  Sandra slumped back against her husband. “I see your point,” she said, a dark cloud trying to push away her happiness. “They wouldn’t understand.”

  “No, they wouldn’t,” Andrew said. “That’s why we have to keep this to ourselves.”

  “That’s going to be impossible, Andrew. We’re going to have to claim the lottery winnings.” She covered her face with her hands. “And they’re going to put our pictures in the paper. Everybody’s going to know and we’ll be kicked out of the church. What are we going to do?”

  “We’re not getting kicked out of the church,” he said. “The first thing we need to do is talk to an attorney about our options. I’m sure there’s a way we can collect our winnings and keep our identities hidden.”

  “I hope so,” Sandra said, some of her glee fading. “God really wants us to have this money, doesn’t he, Andrew?”

  Andrew pulled her close. “Of course he does. We needed it and he opened a window to give it to us. All we have to do is use it the right way.”

  “We’re going to tithe it,” Sandra said. “The church could use the money and there are some other ministries I’d like to bless.”

  Andrew kissed her forehead. “You have a good heart, babe. That’s why God knew He could trust us with the winnings. We’ll use it to build His kingdom. I think it’s time for us to start thinking about starting our own church.”

  She looked up at him, her joy returning. “Are you serious, Andrew?”

  He nodded. “Dead serious. It’s always been our prayer to have our own church. Well, there’s nothing stopping us now. We can use this money to serve our congregation. That’s what God wants.”

  Sandra hugged her husband’s side. “Oh, Andrew, I can’t believe this is happening. A few hours ago, we were on the verge of bankruptcy or worse, and now we’re millionaires getting ready to start a church. I can’t believe it.”

  “Believe it,” he said. “God works in mysterious ways.”

  Sandra pushed away the uneasiness she felt at her husband’s words. While she was on board with using the money for good, something about God providing it did not set well with her. “What are we going to tell folks when we start doing all these things? They’re going to wonder about the money.”

  Andrew hugged her close. “I’ve been thinking about that,” he said. “We’ll tell them that a long lost relative of mine left it to me.”

  She peered up at him. “Everybody knows you’re an orphan, Andrew, and that you don’t have any family.”

  He shrugged. “That’s all the better. We’ll be as surprised as anybody. Folks will be happy for us and will praise God for providing a way out of no way. They’ll believe us. Why shouldn’t they?”

  Sandra knew there was something hypocritical in lying about a blessing, but she didn’t see any other way for them. “I guess we’ve got everything covered then,” she said. “All we need now is a lawyer who’ll help us claim the winnings without anyone knowing who we are.”

  Andrew pressed her down on the bed. “We’ll talk to the lawyers tomorrow. Tonight I want to celebrate. Since the kids are at the grandparents’, Mommy and Daddy have play time.”

  Sandra giggled.
“You’re so crazy.”

  His face sober, he said, “Crazy about you.” He wiped a finger down her cheek. “I love you, Sandra, and I love our family. I’m sorry for the pain I put you through. I promise you and I promise God that I won’t ever do that to us again. I know He’s giving me yet another chance, and I’m not going to blow it. This is a new start for us. We’ve been blessed and we’re going to be a blessing to others. We’re going to walk in faith and believe the promise of God for our ministry. Today is the beginning of a new journey for us. We’re not looking back.”

  Sandra felt the tears roll down her cheeks. This was the man she married. Not only had God blessed them with money, He’d given her back her husband. She pulled Andrew down to her. Kissing him, she said, “Let the celebration begin.”

  Chapter 5

  Sandra’s head was still spinning when she and Andrew pulled into her parents’ driveway after leaving the attorney’s office on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. When Andrew turned off the engine, she said, “Is this real, Andrew?”

  He chuckled. “Very real,” he said. “We’re rich, Sandra. We’ll never have money problems again. Our kids are provided for and so are your parents. And we have the money to start our own church. God is good.”

  “The lottery is good,” she said.

  Andrew picked up her hand and kissed it. “Same thing.”

  She met his eyes. “I don’t like lying to my parents.”

  “Neither do I, but what choice do we have?”

  She sighed deeply. “I know,” she said, “but I still don’t like it.”

  “Well, I bet your parents will like hearing what we’ve done for them and their grandchildren. I can’t wait to see the look on your dad’s face when we tell him about the horse farm.”

  Sandra smiled. “They’re going to be so excited. Let’s go in and tell them.”

  Wanting to surprise her parents and the children, they rang the bell instead of using their key. Her mother opened the door. She looked between the two of them. “What are you two doing here?” she asked. “We weren’t expecting you.”

  Sandra laughed. She kissed her mother’s cheek and said, “Nothing’s wrong, Momma. In fact, everything is right. Where are Daddy and the kids?”

  Her mother accepted a kiss from Andrew and then closed the door after they were both inside. “Your father took the kids out to Harper Farms so they could go riding. They left early this morning.”

  “And won’t be back until late,” Sandra finished. Her kids had inherited her dad’s love of horses and riding. She’d had that love, too, until her drunken father had put her on a horse too spirited for her and she’d taken a fall, breaking her arm. She pushed the thought aside, not wanting to dampen the joy of the day. Those days were long gone, anyway.

  “Have you two eaten?” her mother asked as they settled themselves in the family room. Her mother took the plush club chair while she and Andrew took the couch.

  “We had a fancy lunch down on Peachtree Street.”

  “What were you doing down there?” her mother asked.

  “We had lunch with an attorney,” Sandra said.

  “An attorney?” her mother asked, her eyes wide. “You two aren’t getting a divorce, are you?”

  Andrew touched his mother-in-law’s knee. “No way,” he told her. “I love your daughter and she loves me. We’ve been through a rough patch lately, but God has opened a door and cleared up all our financial problems.”

  Her mother met her eyes. “What’s happened?” she asked.

  “Well, Mom,” Sandra began. “We met with an attorney this morning who informed us that Andrew has inherited a substantial sum of money, very substantial.”

  Her mother turned to Andrew. “Who left you some money? I thought you didn’t have any family.”

  “I didn’t think I did, either, but apparently there was a distant cousin. Believe me, I’m as surprised as you are. Surprised and blessed. And we’re going to use our blessing to bless others.” He went on to tell her about their plans for a church.

  “That’s wonderful, Andrew,” she said. “You have a good heart. I know you and Sandra will make good use of your money.”

  “It’s our money, Mom,” Andrew corrected. “Mine, Sandra’s, the kids, and yours and Dad’s. It’s ours. We want you to share in it, too. The first thing we want to do is buy you and Dad that horse farm he’s always talking about. We want you two to start looking for it immediately.”

  Ida dabbed at her eyes with her fingers. “You can’t be serious.”

  Sandra sat on the arm of her mother’s chair and pulled her close. “Dead serious,” she said. “We want you and Dad to have everything you’ve always wanted. As soon as the paperwork is finalized, we’ll put a share of the money in an account for you so you can spend it as you see fit. For now, though, we want you and Dad to find that horse farm you want. And I want you to have the house you want. If you find property, we can even build from scratch. Whatever you want.”

  Her mother began to cry. “Oh, Sandra, you don’t have to.”

  Sandra glanced at her husband, tears in her own eyes. Then she said to her mother, “We want to, Mom. You’ve always been there for us. Let us be there for you and Dad. It’s time for you to have what you want.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “There’s nothing to say,” Andrew said. “Just thank God for the blessing. That’s what we’re doing.”

  “Grady is going to be beside himself when he hears this. He’s dreamed of owning a horse farm forever, but it was never anything but a dream. I don’t think he ever imagined it would actually happen.”

  “I know, Mom, but it is happening. Today is a new day for all of us.”

  “I wish Dad were here now so we could tell him,” Andrew said. “I can’t wait to see the expression on his face.”

  “Well, why don’t we drive up and spend the rest of the day with him and kids at Harper’s. We can reserve a room at one of those bed-and-breakfast places and hang out a couple of days.”

  “That’s a great idea, babe,” Andrew said. He turned to Ida. “What do you think, Mom? Are you ready to tell Dad that Christmas came early this year?”

  Chapter 6

  Still on an emotional high from the weekend spent with her family celebrating their newly found riches and looking at horse farms, Sandra had high expectations for her and Andrew’s meeting with Pastor McCorry and Vickie. The older couple were their role models in the faith, so their opinion meant a lot. She listened with a smile on her face as Andrew told them their good news and their plans. When he finished, she turned to the pastoral couple and awaited their congratulations.

  “Have you checked out this relative, Andrew?” Pastor McCorry asked, rubbing his chin. “There are so many scams going around these days. You can never be too careful.”

  Sandra’s smile faded a bit. That wasn’t the response she’d expected.

  “You should consider hiring a private detective to verify everything, including the attorney who contacted you,” the pastor added.

  Andrew cleared his throat. “We’ve done enough checking,” he told them. “The attorney is from a very reputable firm here in Atlanta.”

  Sandra lowered her eyes at her husband’s half truth. She wished they could tell Pastor and Vickie the truth and be accepted, but she knew the older couple were too judgmental and set in their ways to accept their lottery win as a blessing from God. In fact, as she thought about it, she realized Pastor and Vickie were judgmental about everything related to being a Christian. They were always preaching about what you should do and where you shouldn’t go. And some of the stuff they talked about wasn’t even in the Bible. No, they had their own rules and tried to make everybody abide by them. Sandra raised her eyes, met Vickie’s, and smiled. She was glad she and Andrew were starting their own church. They’d be better shepherds than the judgmental McCorry’s.

  “This is a blessing from God, an unexpected blessing, and we’re going to accept it, no
t question it. Isn’t that what you’ve taught us over the years?” she challenged the pastor.

  Pastor McCorry peered at her from over his glasses. “I’ve also taught you to use wisdom. All I’m asking is that you move with caution.”

  “We’re moving in faith,” Andrew said. “You know it’s always been on our hearts to start a church. We’re going to use this money to build God’s kingdom by doing exactly that.”

  “Whoa,” Pastor McCorry said, lifting his right palm toward Andrew. “Money is not a calling to start a church. How do you know this is what God wants you to do at this point in time? I’m your shepherd and He hasn’t let me know any such thing. I don’t think you’re ready,” he said bluntly. “Either of you.”

  Pastor McCorry was being judgmental again, Sandra thought. Who was he to tell them they weren’t ready? “Maybe you’re just jealous,” she muttered before she could stop herself.

  “What did you say?” Vickie demanded.

  Sandra met Vickie’s eyes again. “I said maybe you and Pastor are jealous of the good fortune that has come our way. Maybe you want to be the big Pastor and First Lady with all the little peons bowing at your feet.”

  “Sandra!” Vickie shot up out of her seat. “I can’t believe you’re saying that. You know us better than that.”

  Andrew patted her knee to calm her but she pushed his hand off. “What I know is that nobody in our congregation has as big a house as yours and nobody drives cars as expensive. Why is that?”

  “You’re out of line, Sister Gooden,” Pastor warned.

  Sandra turned her attention to him. “I’m not out of line,” she said. “I’m just telling the truth. Maybe you two don’t want us to have a church. Maybe you’re afraid it’ll be bigger and better than Praise City.”

  “That’s enough, Sandra,” Andrew said. “Pastor and First Lady have a right to their opinions.” Then he said to Pastor McCorry, “I believe God is telling us it’s time to move on and do a new thing. We wish we could have your blessing as we go, but we’ll go without it. We have to follow the path God has for us.”