Page 27 of Rekindled

7

The alarm sounded again, and this time, Molly didn’t hit the snooze button. Though she had been out late with Spencer the night before, she wanted to get up and head to his church.

She hadn’t gotten anyone to talk about Spencer’s job, partially because most of his friends repeated the same mantra: “Spencer’s a great public defender. He cares about his clients and works hard to help them.” The other part was that she hadn’t spent as much time as she should have digging into his career.

The voicemail from her boss demanding an update jolted Molly back to reality. She couldn’t neglect her duties as a reporter just because she cared for the subject of her assignment. As a matter of fact, she needed to keep a clear head and not allow a bias to form.

Church was the next step, or rather, watching Spencer at church. She could also ask his friends from church a few questions, which would hopefully help guide her future choices for the investigation.

Molly arrived at Bayfield Fellowship, one of only three churches in the whole town. It was also the church Molly had gone to until she moved away her senior year, and the church her parents still attended. They had been surprised when she told them she would meet them there for the second service if they were willing to let her borrow one of the cars. She had conveniently left out the fact that it was simply to find out more about Spencer for her investigation.

As she stepped through the doors, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye to anyone before she left, her parents insisting it would be easier that way. What would they think now that she had returned?

Molly didn’t recognize the first several people she encountered, though she wasn’t surprised. It had been ten years since the last time she had been there.

As she approached the doors to the sanctuary, she heard Sarah say, “Hey there, Molly.”

She turned to find her friend approaching. Sarah greeted her with a warm smile. “I’m glad you came today.”

“Thanks. It seems like this place hasn’t changed much,” Molly observed, glancing around the church, noting the only differences were a few modern pictures and new paint job.

“Not on the surface, but Pastor Joseph retired four years ago. A new pastor took over, Pastor Matt. He has really brought in a younger crowd, adding life into the church. I think you’ll enjoy his sermon today.”

Molly was surprised to hear there was a new pastor. Part of her hoped Sarah was right and she would enjoy the service. Nothing was worse than sitting through a scare-tactic lecture about hellfire and sin.

“I need to head in and find my parents,” Molly explained. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

Sarah nodded as Molly pushed through the doors and headed into the sanctuary. On the other side, she not only found her parents, but Spencer as well. They were standing together talking as she approached them.

“Your dad was just telling me that you were coming today,” Spencer said with excitement. “I was glad to hear it.”

“I figured since I was in town, I could come check it out.”

“To be honest, we were surprised when you told us you were coming,” Beverly stated as she took a seat. “I know you stopped going to church after you moved. Every time I brought up you finding a church in Seattle, you shut me down.”

Molly shrugged. “That’s because I was angry.” She glanced at Spencer and then added, “Lately, that’s changed. I’ve come to realize things aren’t always what they seem.”

“I have to go out and help get everything ready for the offering, but I’ll be back to sit with you afterward,” Spencer said, as he patted her arm before taking off.

“Does he serve every week?” Molly asked with curiosity.

Her parents nodded. “Like clockwork,” her father confirmed.

The musicians took to the stage and the lights dimmed in the room. Everyone turned to face the stage as the worship music started. After the first song, the ushers came forward and they passed the offering baskets down the rows.

Molly watched Spencer, noting he was friendly to everyone. He genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself. It didn’t seem to be a façade.

By the end of the third song, Spencer had returned and took the empty seat next to Molly. Two songs followed that before the worship time ended. A man with brown-hair and a beard—Molly assumed it was Pastor Matt—took to the stage.

He smiled at the crowd as he took his position behind the wooden pulpit. He placed his Bible on it as he picked up the microphone.

“I want to thank all of you for joining us today. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been talking with you about letting go of the past. I know, it’s not as easy as it sounds, but the truth is, we don’t have to hold onto our past hurts. God wants us to give our pain to Him so that He can free us from it. He doesn’t want us to hold on to what we have lost, or what has hurt us. God doesn’t expect us to get it right the first time. His grace allows us infinite do-overs. In that same way, we have to forgive one another and realize, sometimes, God gives us a second chance because we’re not ready the first time.”

Molly was caught off guard by the sermon. She had no idea his message was about second chances. Did Spencer plan this? A quick glance in his direction confirmed from his expression, he was just as surprised by the message as she was.

Had she been so focused on proving Spencer wasn’t a good person, she’d overlooked the fact that he really had changed? If that was the case, if she wasn’t careful, she could lose out on trying to make it work with the only man she ever loved.

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