A Million Blessings Read online

  Sandra nodded. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Her father cleared his throat. “I want you both to know how proud I am of you and what you’re doing here in this church. It was something to see you help those people with their mortgages and rent. So many churches want to pray and do nothing else. I’m glad Showers of Blessings is different.”

  Sandra shot a quick glance at her mother, but the older woman’s face told her nothing.

  “Your blessing means a lot, Dad,” Andrew said. “It always has.”

  “It’s no secret that I didn’t approve of you in the beginning, Andrew,” he said. “I thought I saw too much of myself in you, too much recklessness. I’m happy to say I was wrong. You’ve been a good husband to my girl and a good father to my grandchildren. And now you’re going to be a great pastor to the congregation God gives you.”

  Andrew reached for Sandra’s hand and squeezed it. “I couldn’t do it without your daughter by my side. I’m a better man with her. I’ve always known that.”

  Grady winked. “We’re both lucky when it comes to wives,” he said, smiling at his wife. “I got myself a winner, too.”

  Sandra’s mother waved off the compliment.

  “It’s true,” Grady said to Ida. “I just wish I had been as good a husband to you as the boy here has been to our girl. I’m sorry for the years I wasted.”

  Ida blinked back tears. “A marriage is for better or worse,” she said. “We’ve had our share of worse but we’ve had more than our share of better. I’m happy with the deal.”

  “So am I,” Grady said.

  “We should celebrate,” Sandra said.

  “Celebrate what?” Ida asked.

  “Our happy marriages. We don’t ever want to take them for granted.”

  “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Andrew said, standing. “Why don’t we go out for dinner? Those refreshments didn’t do the job for me.”

  “Me either,” Grady said, standing as well.

  “I could eat a little something,” Ida said. “And those kids are probably hungry from all that running around.”

  “They aren’t the only ones,” Sandra said. “Let’s get them so we can head out.”

  “I’ll round up the kids,” Sandra’s father said.

  “I need to stop by my office for a quick minute,” Andrew said. “I’ll meet you all at the entrance.”

  With that, Andrew left for his office and Sandra’s dad headed off in search of his grandkids. Sandra was left with her mother.

  “Dad said he was proud of us, Mom,” she said, “but you haven’t said anything.”

  “I’ve said what I need to say, Sandra. Nothing has changed.”

  “But can’t you see what we’re doing here?”

  Her mother shook her head. “What I see is a church built on a rocky foundation. I just hope you don’t face a strong wind.”

  Chapter 13

  “Are you sure I look okay?” Sandra asked her husband when they stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor of the WTAL building that housed the studio for the local CBS affiliate. She wore a cap sleeve cornflower blue Maria Pinto dress identical to the one Michelle Obama had worn to the third presidential debate. In fact, the closet of their new house would be filled with Michelle originals. Clothes were top among the things she’d splurged on since they’d gotten their windfall.

  Andrew brushed a kiss against her cheek. “When it comes to First Ladies, Michelle Obama’s got nothing on you.”

  Sandra frowned. “Be serious, Andrew,” she said.

  “I am serious,” he said. “You look wonderful. That color is going to show up well on television.”

  Sandra wanted to believe her husband’s words but she began to second-guess herself and him. Had her arms been in better condition, she could have worn that sleeveless navy blue and white polka-dotted Lanvin Resort dress identical to the one Michelle had worn to that D. C. elementary school the other day. She’d start working out with a personal trainer as soon as they moved into the new house. She already had him lined up. She’d have her Michelle Obama arms in no time.

  She and Andrew followed the long hallway to the receptionist’s desk. “We’re the Goodens,” he told the young woman sitting behind the desk.

  “Good morning,” she said, standing. “We were expecting you. I’ll take you to the green room where the other guests are waiting.”

  Sandra caught her husband’s eye, mouthed “green room,” and shook her head. He grinned at her.

  They followed the receptionist through a set of glass double doors, down another hallway that opened to a lounge where a continental breakfast had been prepared. Sandra’s eyed roamed from the delicious-looking pastries to the other couple in the room. She swallowed hard. It was Pastor McCorry and Vickie. Before she could say anything, the young receptionist was making introductions.

  “We already know each other,” Pastor McCorry said, cutting the young girl off. “In fact, we’re old friends.”

  The young girl smiled. “Well, it shouldn’t be long before they call you in for makeup. Enjoy the breakfast and let me know if I can get you anything else.”

  “Everything’s fine,” Pastor McCorry said, answering for them all.

  Sandra resented the way Pastor McCorry had stepped up to speak for the group. He was no longer their leader and it was presumptuous of him to act as though he was. She glanced at Andrew to see if he shared her feelings, but he was smiling.

  “It’s good to see you two,” Andrew said. He extended his hand to Pastor McCorry, who shook it, and then he placed a soft kiss on Vickie’s cheek. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Not that long,” Pastor McCorry said.

  Contrary man, Sandra thought, always had to have the last word. “It seems like it because of all the changes in our lives since we last talked,” she said. She hadn’t embraced either McCorry and wouldn’t. Their lack of support for Showers of Blessings still stung.

  Vickie caught her eye. “We’ve heard a lot about your ministry,” the older woman said. “It seems you’re off to a good start. You have some strong folks on your leadership team.”

  Sandra flinched at the dig. Their leadership team had come from Praise City, the McCorry’s church.

  “They wanted to come with us, Pastor,” Andrew explained. “We needed help and they were the best folks we knew.”

  Pastor McCorry nodded. “I’m not surprised. In fact, I expected some folks to follow you, and I was right. You’re a charismatic guy, Andrew. I never doubted your ability, just your timing.”

  “They believe in the ministry God has given us and believe God wants them to be a part of it.”

  “Believing doesn’t make it the right time,” Vickie said.

  Pastor McCorry shook his head. “Now’s not the time for that, Vickie,” he told his wife. Then he looked at Andrew and Sandra. “We didn’t think your leaving Praise City was the right thing to do at the time, but now that you’ve done it, we only want the best for you and your members. I’ve been hearing nothing but good things.”

  Sandra wondered who’d been reporting back to the McCorrys. She’d have to talk to their leadership team about where their loyalties lay.

  “Everything that I’m putting in place at Showers of Blessings, I learned from you,” Andrew said. “My pulpit is open to you anytime you want to join us.”

  “Thanks,” Pastor McCorry said. “I may take you up on that.”

  Sandra knew that statement for the cop-out it was. Pastor McCorry was never going to step foot in Showers of Blessings.

  “It’s a standing offer,” Andrew said. Then he turned to Sandra and asked, “Do you want some coffee or a pastry or something?” he asked. When she shook her head, he asked the same question of Vickie.

  “Thanks, but I’m fine,” Vickie said.

  “I’d like a cup of coffee,” Pastor McCorry said. “Why don’t you ladies take a seat while we get our coffee.”

  Sandra reluctantly followed Vickie to a table. When they were seated, Vi
ckie said, “Your new house looks like it’s going to be gorgeous.”

  And it’s going to be twice as large as yours, Sandra said to herself. “Thank you,” she said. “We wanted to get a place that would grow with us and the ministry. You know how that is.”

  Vickie nodded. “I do. How are you dealing with challenges of being First Lady?”

  Sandra gave a false smile. “So far, it’s been nothing but rewarding. Andrew and I are closer than ever and that makes it easy.” Even if the job had been killing her, she would never admit it to Vickie for fear the woman would use the information against her somewhere down the line.

  “Enjoy it while it lasts,” Vickie said. “The challenges will come. I can promise you that. If you need an ear, I’ve got one to give you.”

  Sandra thought she heard sincerity in Vickie’s voice, but she couldn’t be sure. “Even though you don’t believe in what Andrew and I are doing?”

  Vickie glanced toward the men chatting near the pastry table. “Pastor is right. It’s a done deal now, and we all want good things to come from it.”

  Sandra still wasn’t sure she could trust Vickie, but the old saying “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” came to mind. “We’re having a home blessing ceremony a couple of weeks after we move in. Why don’t you and Pastor join us? We’d love to have you.” As an added bonus, Sandra would get to rub Vickie’s nose in the grandness of the place.

  “I don’t see why not,” Vickie said. “I’ll call you later in the week and we can coordinate our schedules.”

  Sandra nodded. She couldn’t wait for Vickie to see how the Lord had elevated her and Andrew. They and Showers of Blessings were new news while Praise City was old school, old news. She welcomed the contrast in the two churches viewers were certain to see when the television show aired.

  Chapter 14

  Six months later

  Andrew paced in front of his desk in his church office. His day had started badly and gotten worse. What was he going to do? His financial situation was nowhere near as dire as it had been before he’d won the lottery, but it was pretty bad. How could he have lost so much money so fast? He wiped his hand down his face.

  “Okay,” he told himself, “don’t panic. You can fix this.”

  First things first. He had to find five hundred thousand dollars to pay his debt to his bookie. He had the money, but he didn’t have easy access to it because it was in a trust for his boys. It would take some legal finagling to get that money without Sandra’s knowledge since there was no way she’d sign for him to get it.

  So all he had to leverage were the horse farm, their new house, and the church. He had convinced his father-in-law to allow him to get a mortgage on the horse farm, he’d put less down on the house than Sandra thought he had, and he’d been dipping a little in the church discretionary fund. Of course, he planned to repay them all before Sandra, or anybody else, found out. He was just having a turn of bad luck. Things would change for him. He was convinced of it. He only needed time.

  He turned at the sound of the intercom on his desk. He walked over and pressed the button. “Pastor, you have an un-scheduled visitor. A Mr. Bert Taylor. He wouldn’t state his business.”

  He didn’t have to. Andrew knew who he was. “Send him in,” he said. “I’ll see him.”

  Instead of greeting his visitor at the door, as he normally did, he went and sat at his desk. He needed the protection provided by the furniture. He pulled a pad out of his desk drawer and pretended to write. He heard the door open but ignored it as if he hadn’t.

  “Hello, Pastor.”

  He didn’t even look up when he heard Bert’s voice. “I told you never to contact me here,” he said, still pretending to write.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Bert saunter to the desk and drop down in one of the visitor chairs. When Bert leaned back in his chair and put his feet on the corner of the desk, Andrew was forced to give him his attention.

  “That’s more like it,” Bert said, meeting Andrew’s eyes. “I don’t like being ignored and I don’t take orders from dead-beats who don’t pay their debts.”

  “You know I’m good for it,” Andrew said.

  “What I know is that you owe me five hundred grand.”

  “Don’t I always pay?”

  Bert took a toothpick from his shirt pocket and stuck it in his mouth. “You’ve never owed this much before. And you’ve never avoided me the way you have for the last month or so. I don’t get a call, a visit, nothing. Makes me wonder about my personal hygiene.”

  Andrew grimaced as Bert laughed at his own joke.

  Bert removed his feet from the desk and leaned toward Andrew. “I hope you’re not trying to cheat me, Andrew. You’ve got a good setup here with this church. I’d hate to have to ask your deacons to make good on what you owe. Somehow I don’t think they’d look too kindly on a gambling pastor. You could find yourself out of a job.”

  Bert’s words didn’t scare him. He’d heard them before. “What good would that do you? Not having a job would make me less able to pay you, not more.”

  Chuckling, Bert leaned back in his chair. “Church folks hate a scandal. They’d fire you and pay me just to keep me quiet.” He leaned forward again. “Look, I’m not here to ruin your gig. I just want my money.”

  “And I’ve told you, you’ll get it.”

  “When?” Bert demanded.

  “Give me a couple more weeks. I have something in the works, but it’ll take a couple of weeks.”

  Bert stood, flicked the toothpick on Andrew’s desk. “I’m not a bank,” he said. “But I am going to have to charge you interest. I’d say two weeks is worth an additional hundred thousand.”

  Andrew jumped out of his chair. “You’ve got to be joking.”

  “Do I look like I’m joking?” Bert said. “You pay me in two weeks or I take this to your church. If the church isn’t interested, I bet that little wife of yours will be. It’s that simple. We clear?”

  Andrew nodded. What else could he do? He couldn’t let Bert go to Sandra. He’d get the money, even if he had to dip into church funds again.

  “Good,” Bert said. And then he turned and left the office.

  When the door closed, Andrew dropped down in his chair. He would need a miracle to get the money he needed in the next two weeks. All wasn’t completely lost. He’d gotten a miracle before. He began to pray.

  Chapter 15

  Andrew stood in the fellowship hall after service chatting with T. I., the latest celebrity member of Showers of Blessings, about a fund-raiser he’d volunteered to host for the homeless. “We need to sit down and finalize everything next week,” he said to T. I. “God’s going to bless you for volunteering this way.”

  “I’m already blessed, man,” T. I. said, giving him a twofisted shake. “I’ll hollar at you next week and we’ll do this thang.”

  Andrew smiled as T. I. and his entourage made their way to the door, giving brief greetings to the parishioners they passed. Unlike some churches that had a special up-front section roped off for their celebrity members, Showers of Blessings had no such designated seating. All members were treated equally. Of course, folks like T. I. came with their entourage so they effectively roped themselves off. The rest of the congregation respected the privacy of the celebrities and didn’t hound them for autographs. The notice in the weekly bulletin reminding them not to do so helped a lot, he imagined.

  He was more than pleased with the way the membership was shaping up. Not only was Showers of Blessings drawing from folks already in church, they were also drawing the unchurched. And while their rolls had a high percentage of lower-income people, there was a healthy percentage of upper-income folks along with quite a few celebrities like T. I. Andrew took that diversity as a sign of the power of the ministry. The church had gone from the roughly six hundred attendees that first Sunday to more than three thousand, exceeding the capacity of the sanctuary. They had gone to two services a Sunday, but Andrew did
n’t think that was enough. He was eager to talk to his leadership team about expansion to meet their continued growth.

  He wanted that growth for spiritual and personal reasons. Personally, an increase in membership would justify his next request for a salary increase, an increase he needed to meet his growing obligations. His luck had turned, but not enough and not fast enough. He was keeping his head above water, but barely. He saw Sandra across the room and smiled at her, relieved that she was unaware of his financial situation. He moved in her direction but stopped when Luther and Carrie Williams greeted him.

  “Great sermon, Pastor,” Carrie said. “You hit it just right every Sunday. It’s as though you know exactly what we need, and you give it to us.”

  Andrew forced a smile. “That’s the Holy Spirit.”

  “I have to tell you that we’ve been blessed here at Showers of Blessings more than we’ve been blessed at any church. And you putting Luther on staff here at the church has helped our family beyond means. I don’t know how long we could have gone without him having a job.”

  Andrew clapped Luther on the shoulder. “We had a need and he was the right man for the job,” he said. After running into the man at the dog track, Andrew had figured the best way to keep him from asking for a handout every week was to give him a job. While he was sure Luther was paid more than any other janitor-slash-groundskeeper in the Atlanta area, the cost was more than worth it. Luther did a good job keeping the church and the grounds maintained, and the begging had stopped. Apparently, Luther knew a good thing when he stepped in it. “Luther’s doing a great job. He’s an important member of the Showers of Blessings family.”

  Luther actually stood taller at Andrew’s words. Amazing, Andrew thought. Luther had gotten the job through blackmail, yet he still valued Andrew’s praise. He’d never understand people. Not really. He was about to say more when Sandra walked up and joined them. “How are you two today?” she asked Luther and Carrie.