Commencement

  ****

  On Tuesdays and Thursday, Greater Apostolic Church was open throughout the night for those who wanted to come in and pray. The pastor was not there, but the deacons would come and open the church sanctuary and the upper room for those who wanted to sit in silent prayer to God. The sanctuary was basically the pulpit and surrounding areas where the choir, pastor and church laity were seated when church services were held. Upstairs, the upper room was divided into two parts. First there was a big spacious room where people tarried to be filled with the Spirit. Then over on the other side of this room, there were little stalls or booths where people could have more privacy. When Allen entered he saw a few people sitting in the pews and some kneeling at the sanctuary in silent prayer to God. Allen walked past as quietly as he could, so as not to disturb them. Then he went upstairs to the upper room. When he arrived, the front space was empty, so he walked off to the side and checked the stalls. Allen breathed a sigh of relief as he saw a familiar pair of hiking boots sticking out from under one of the booths. Allen went to the booth next to this one and got down and prayed as well.

  “Heavenly Father, I come before you this evening for my friend. He is in desperate need of your love, mercy, and grace. Help me to help him through this trying time of his life. Please speak through me and help me to comfort him in the midst of his pain and suffering. Let him know that You love him and are looking out for him. Put Your hand on him and touch him. Let him know that this disease does not have control, but You. Give us both the faith and the strength to overcome this…”

  Allen continued to pray until he heard movement in the next stall. He got up and went over to look, and saw Tim sitting on the floor of the booth. He had his field coat stowed to the side and his head on his knees.

  “Tim?” Allen called out softly.

  Tim looked up startled. He got up and turned his face away from Allen so he wouldn’t see how red, puffy, and tear stained it was.

  “Hey. What are you doing here?” Tim voiced wavered as he tried to put on a carefree veneer.

  “Same thing as you, man.”

  “I just came to be alone for a while.”

  “You don’t have to front, Tim. It’s me. Remember?”

  “I don’t know if you could call what I was doing ‘praying’. I was just talking to Him about different things…you know?”

  “I know. So do you think you’re ready to talk to me about what’s going on?”

  Tim paused for a moment and put his hand over his mouth. Then he looked away from Allen, fighting to hold back the tears that wanted to come down.

  “They call it an anaplastic astrocytoma.” Tim’s voice quivered as he spoke. “They can operate, but they don’t know if they’ll be able to get it all. It can come back. It can even turn into something more malignant.”

  “But they can give you treatments to prevent that right?”

  “You mean the lethal doses of radiation and chemo I’ll have to endure just to extended my life a measly two or three years when I’ll be nothing but a vegetable. I’d be better off dying on the operating table.”

  “It doesn’t have to be that way. God can and will give you the strength to go through this. He can heal you, but you’ve got to believe.” Allen couldn’t believe what he found himself saying; especially because he wasn’t sure he believed it himself. Sure he knew what the Bible said, but he had never experienced it.

  “I don’t know if I can.”

  “Yes you can. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t believe God could help you.”

  “I’m too scared”, said Tim, his voice cracking in spite of his best efforts to hold it together.

  “That’s because you’re looking too far down the road. I told you one day at a time. And stop trying to do this by yourself. You just brought this burden before God. Leave this here with Him. And let me and Miko help you, too. You know she was worried sick when she couldn’t get through to you.”

  “Really?”

  “What you mean ‘really?’ You should know how much she cares

  about you by now. She is your friend, too.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll call her right now.”

  “Let’s wait until we get outside. You want to get something to eat? It

  is kinda late and I know you’ve probably been here for a while.”

  “I’ll be alright.”

  “You’d be in a better position to fight this thing if you keep your

  strength up. And dinner doesn’t take that long.”

  “There’s that Chinese take out place down the block from me.”

  “We better hurry, some places are closing early because of the

  snowstorm.”

  “What snowstorm? It was only raining when I came in.”

  “You must have been here an awful long time. There’s about five

  inches of snow out there, now, bro.” “Aww, man! There’s no way we’re going to be able to get a cab

  now!”

  “So we’ll take the subway.”

  “I hate having to trudge through the snow.”

  “Well, at least you won’t be alone.”

  “I know. Thanks, man.”

  Sixty-Four