The Book of Zion
By D.T and Mr Stepford
1 Darlene 7
Services hours? Wow, church really was an all-day event with these people. As they left the room Darlene leaned into whisper, “Um, Annabelle, I don’t want to seem rude or ungrateful in light of how generous all of you have been to me, but, um, do we get a lunch break any time soon?” “You’re not being ungrateful at all sister. I should have told you this earlier. On Sundays we fast”
That gave Darlene pause. She was unsure whether to point out that she was eating for two since she wasn’t sure that would be the case much longer. “It may seem hard at first dear but trust me when I say it will bring you closer to God, come service calls” said Annabella as they enter a room I just hope it doesn’t bring me to closer to unconsciousness, Darlene thought. Surely they don’t make the seriously pregnant ladies fast, she thought thinking of the prophet’s wives who had babies on the way. Maybe this is just a daylight fast and I can have some food tonight. I wonder just what kind of service they have in mind.
It was just then that she saw the nameplate on the door " The Blessing room” in the center of the room stood three men in a half circle the one in the center was Randall “Just place your hand on top of their heads and repeat what Brother Randall said and God will do the rest " Annabelle said as she places Darlene between and the man on the left before take her place between Randall and the man the right. As soon as they were position a women came in and kneel in front of them. Darlene felt even more out of her depth than she had saying grace the night before. I shouldn’t be doing this! she thought. I am in no way qualified to bless anyone. This lady, whoever she is, is clearly sincere and she deserves better than a half-ass amateur.
“Welcome, Sister Bethany,” Brother Randall was saying. “What troubles weigh upon your heart?"“I fear for my daughter Martha who has gone to the Mission Center in Testament,” Bethany said. “I know that she is doing the Lord’s work, but I fear that without her father’s protection and her mother’s’ care, she will fall prey to the temptations of the heathen world.”
Darlene’s was the last hand on top of her head this whole day she felt like she was being pulled between two world and till now she was doing a good job of faking it. But now the stakes seemed to high for this poor woman she had to LET GO OF her doubt “Okay God I will make you a deal” she prays inside her head " for the next couple of hours I am your vessel guide me” “Heavenly Father, by the authority given to me through Your servant the True Prophet, I proclaim an anointed blessing over this woman Sister Bethany Cooper and her daughter Martha who is absent from home. Let Your Holy Spirit bring comfort and peace to this loving mother now parted from her precious child, and may Your grace serve to shield Martha from the wicked wiles of the Adversary.”
As he spoke Darlene wondered how she was going to repeat all that but she also noticed that Bethany seemed, more at peace. She lost some of her stiffness and the muscles of her face shifted into a more smiling expression.
“Be thou blessed in the fellowship of the Lord,” Randall concluded.
“Be thou blessed in the fellowship of the Lord,” the man on the right, followed by Annabelle, then Darlene, then the man on the left.
As they lifted their hands Bethany stood and Darlene found herself wondering if her own mother had any idea where she was right now, or if she’d even care and she found herself blinking as her eyes watered. One by one they came in seeking guidance from or expressing gratitude to God with each person Darlene felt more Intune with Randall Annabelle and her...the other brothers. She was feeling less and less like individual more like a part of something much greater than herself. “As you know my mother and father converted and moved here last year” the girl began her hands fidgeting by her waist exposing a blouse that was anything but neatly tucked into her skirt “before they choose the better path our life was chaotic but we were close. I have logical and ethical disagreement with the church but I have come to realize that they are not worth holding onto if it means I lost my family. I don’t know how it works but I am ready to LET GO OF my doubt SURRENDER my pride and SUBMITTED to GOD’S will”
Randall nodded some sort of signal to the other men because they left the room. Dozens of questions buzzed around in Darlene’s mind. Setting the “better path” issue aside for the moment, would she be willing to exchange all her beliefs as this girl seemed ready to do just to stay close to her family? Of course that didn’t really apply in Darlene’s case since she didn’t really have any beliefs and wasn’t close to her parents to begin minutes.
Very quickly the two men returned bringing with them the prophet himself, another man and two women. The young woman remained on her knees but all the others shifted positions so that the prophet stood directly in front of her and her parents? stood behind her, all laying hands on her head and shoulders. Since there wasn’t a whole lot of room, Darlene stepped back."“Heavenly Father, by the authority given to me as Your Prophet and Restorer of Your True Church, I proclaim an anointed blessing over this child, Sister Ruth Mackenzie,” the prophet began in that crystal clear voice. “We rejoice in her acceptance of Your way and submission to Your will...”
The rest of his words seemed to fade as though coming from a car radio that was driving away. Tears flowed out from under Ruth’s eyelids, nor was she the only one weeping. When the hands were lifted she stood and was enveloped in the arms of her father and mothers. It was all too much to take in, especially on an empty stomach and leaning against the wall for support she walked, or rather staggered out of the room. There was a bench on the opposite side of the corridor and she had almost reached it when she finally collapsed.