Cost of the Call

The vision, without question, was real. I saw myself standing behind the same oak podium, in the church I attended as a boy, speaking and pointing to a crowded sanctuary of faceless people. Silent words, spoken with authority, conveyed a grave message to each pale effigy. Each still, emotionless bust stood shoulder to shoulder in long rows, one behind another. The sanctuary was more than full. The captive audience extended beyond walls into infinity, both to the rear and on each side. It appeared as though I was preaching from the authoritative expression on my face and by the way I pointed my finger.

Three days earlier I had argued not to go to the Lay Evangelism seminar because I had already taken too much time from my job to work on the church. I packed a briefcase home every night, yet I knew Pastor Miller desired that a few laymen recieve training in evangelism.
"I'd be glad to go if I had the money, but Nadine's check and mine together barely make ends meet as it is," Derry Edwards said to Pastor Miller as he folded up a metal chair and placed it onto the rack.
Three of us stayed each Sunday night to dismantle the temporary church speaker system and remove the podium and chairs from the school gym. It had been nearly two years since we began worshipping in the Graham Elementary School after selling our old church and while waiting completion of the new church.
"I don't have the money either, but the church is dying without evangelism. No one has volunteered to go." I heard Pastor Miller respond as he lifted down one of the Bose speakers from its metal tripod stand. "It wouldn't cost that much if we shared the same room, besides we spent the past two years on nothing but the church building."
Their lack of money made me feel guilty as I monitored their conversation quietly stacking the folded chairs into the rack. I had just refinanced my home in Dale City a week ago and had taken $28,000 from my home equity to purchase five wooded acres on Sprigs Road to build our future dream house.
"I'll pay both your ways and all the expenses," I said, hoping to avoid committing myself to go under any circumstance. Even the word "evangelize" petrified me, much less learning how to witness to strangers.
"Ray, it wouldn't be right for you to pay all our expenses and not go along," Pastor Miller responded.
"That's right Brother," Derry agreed.
"I don't mind. You two go; then come back and teach the congregation."
We shoved the chair rack and podium back into the janitor's closet; then carried our portable sound equipment outside and set them on the sidewalk.
"Gimme' one good reason why you can't go," Derry said as he shook the school door to get the dead bold to lock with the bent key.
"I have too much work stacking up, and Bon . . ."
"Yeah Brother, Bonnie says all you do is work. Take a break," said Derry.
"The work will still be here when you get back," agreed Pastor Miller.
"Yeah, but we have to be out of the school by the end of the month, and I have the entire church electrical system to wire and . . ."
"Three days won't make that much difference," Pastor Miller said opening the Dodge church van to load the Bose speakers, stands, Yamaha mixer and amp.
"We have another building to activate this week," I argued.
"You mean to tell me the Vice President has to be there for every single building activation?" questioned Derry insistently.
"Alright," I said reluctantly running out of excuses. "But don't expect me to memorize both those sheets. Tonight is the first I've even looked at them."
After discussing additional details of the trip we finally said good night, and I walked to my company Malibu Classic where Bonnie waited impatiently with Rich and Shelly already asleep on the back seat.
"It's a-bout time. I thought you were going to spend the night with Brother Miller and Mr. Derry Edwards." Bonnie spoke each syllable of their names very distinctly as I opened the car door. "If you're not at Kastle, you're with them or working on that stupid church."
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize we had taken so long. After we put away all the chairs and everything else, Brother Miller wanted to go over an evangelism program. I'm not so keen on the idea, but I kind ow promised I'd go with him," I said closing the door softly so it wouldn't wake the children.
"Go where with him?"
"To a seminar in Danville day after tomorrow," I said as I pulled out of the parking lot, and headed home.
"You know your mom is coming tomorrow for her eye appointment."
"She won't mind. She'll give you company while I'm gone. Dr. Huberman is only going to examine her eye anyway."
"You mean you're spending the night? Where is Danville anyway?"
"Yes. The southern tip of Virginia. Next to the North Carolina border. Two nights."
"You'd let Brother Miller talk you into anything."
I said little the rest of the way home. Bonnie thought the trip a total waste of money, but her condition made her more irritable than anything else. She was nearly seven month's pregnant with our third child and her blood pressure had remained abnormally high all through her pregnancy. The hard metal chair hadn't helped matters either.
The next morning my older brother and his family dropped Mom off around 11:00 a.m. on their way to Disney World. They wanted to detour to Cape Hatteras for a day so they had already gone before I got home. I had some very pressing proposals to get out so I couldn't leave until two o'clock in the afternoon.
"Hello. I'm home." I yelled as I entered our split-level Colonial home in the suburbs going down the steps to the kitchen. "Hi Mom. How was your trip?" I asked loudly, giving Mom a big hug and kissing her cheek.
"Oh a little tiring, but mostly jittery thinking about my eye."
"Mom, he's only gonna' put drops in your eyes."
"What's that?"
"I said he's only going to look into your eyes. There won't be any pain."
"I just can't stand someone touching my eyes."
"How come Bo and Kay didn't stay?"
"Bo, you say?"
"Mom, when did you change your battery last?"
"Battery?"
"Yes, your hearing aid battery. When did you last change it?"
"This thing must be dead again. I'm not hearing you right. This thing has been giving me a fit all week."
She took her hearing aid off and bounced it against the heal of her hand.
"Let me see it," I yelled.
I examined the switch and battery contacts then noticed that the tube was full of wax.
"The tube is clogged," I said loudly as my eyes scanned the kitchen for a paper clip or something small enough to fit into the plastic tube. Then I noticed the wire tie on the bread wrapper. It worked.
"Try it now," I yelled again.
She clipped it behind her ear and pushed the plug into her ear canal. Screech. Howl.
"It sure is loud now," Mom said happily, at half her previous volume. Thank you son. I don't know what I'd do without you boys."
"Is Bonnie lying down?" I asked while pouring a large glass of iced tea, bracing the refrigerator door open with my right knee.
"She's up on the living room sofa. She doesn't feel well. I come down to see if the steaks were thawed. We didn't know you'd be home this early."
"I thought I'd catch Bo and Kay before they left."
"They wanted to get to the hotel before dark. What would you like with your steaks?"