Sunday, September 11, 2005
Destiny
CHAPTER ONE
Destiny and Treasure sat together in the choir stand whispering and giggling with each other. Daniel, who was sitting behind them, would kick the seat under them every now and then, to get their attention. He would put his finger up to his mouth signaling for them to be quiet.
They would just look at him and roll their eyes in unison. “Well, did you ask her yet? ‘No I haven’t. You know how my mother is. She doesn’t like Sandra and doesn’t’ even like me talking to her let alone hanging out with her.” Just then, everyone around them stood up, signaling the beginning of a song. The organist started the chords to one of Destiny’s solo songs. Destiny rose from her seat and stepped down to take her place at the microphone.
As Destiny began singing, a hush fell over the entire church. “Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on, let me stand. I am tired. I am weak, I am worn.” As Destiny sang each note of her song, her face took on an almost angelic appearance and she felt as if she was standing alone before God, singing only to Him.
She didn’t see the faces of everyone else around her. It was as if the song took them to their own private place. A place that only they knew of. Destiny’s melodic voice touched the hearts and souls of everyone who was there. “Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me home.” As Destiny finished her solo, she opened her eyes as a faint smile crossed her face. She made her way back to her seat in the choir stand.
As Destiny sat down, her friend Treasure leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Girl, you know you can blow.” Destiny just smiled at her friend and said to herself, “How could she know that’s not me singing. “ How could she explain to her friend that she didn’t know where that voice came from. It was as though an angel took over the moment she opened her mouth.
Destiny and Treasure had been best friends since the day they met back in kindergarten. When they went to recess, both little girls found themselves sitting next to each other on the swings. Treasure had been the first one to speak up. “Hi, my name is Treasure, and I already know what your name is Destiny. Destiny, I like that name. I guess that means I like you too. Do you want to be my best friend?” And from that day forward, they were.
“Well, are you going to ask your mother if you can go to Sandra’s sweet sixteen birthday party or not?” At that moment, the choir director gave them the look. They both knew that conversation would have to wait until the service was over.
Daniel’s father got up to begin his sermon. Destiny was only half listening. She was trying to figure out how she was going to convince her mother to let her go to the party. Destiny thought to herself, “Mama is so old fashioned. She will never let me go the party. She doesn’t understand how important this is to me. All of the other kids already think I’m weird because mama won’t let me do nothin’. How am I ever gonna get Sandra’s brother Lonnie to notice me if I don’t go?”
Lonnie was all that Destiny could think of right now. He was two years older than Destiny. He stood six-feet – four, was dark skinned and had the prettiest eyes of any boy Destiny had ever seen. He lived across the street from Destiny and her family and she often watched him and his friends playing basketball in the backyard.
Destiny had always been attracted to Lonnie. She had developed a crush on him from the moment she first saw him, five years ago when he and his family moved in. Although, lately Destiny found herself dreaming of him both day and night. A slight frown crossed her face as she remembered what her mother had said about him and his family just yesterday.
“Destiny, it’s not my place to judge other people. That’s the Lord’s job. But I don’t want you hanging around with Sandra. I know it’s not her fault and she doesn’t have any say in how she is being raised, but her family isn’t saved. They are heathens as far as I am concerned. All they are good for is drinking, playing the devils music and partying all the time. In all the years that they’ve lived over there, not once have they ever gone to God’s house to worship and praise him. They are just a bunch of goodtime people who don’t know the Lord.”
What Destiny’s mother didn’t understand was that Sandra’s family were really nice people. Even if they didn’t go to church the way her family did. Sometimes Destiny wished she didn’t have to go to church so much. She was at church almost every day of the week. Between the choir, young ushers, youth club, and bible study classes, she was there six out of seven days every week. She even went to bible camp for two weeks every summer.
It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy all of her activities. Destiny felt like she was missing out on how it felt like to be a normal teenager… like some of her other friends. Even her best friends Treasure and Daniel weren’t at church as much as she was. And both of Daniel’s parents were pastors.
How could she explain to her mother that she just wanted to be like other girls her age? Her friend Treasure nudged her as everyone around her started standing up. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that Reverend had opened the doors of the church, which was their cue to sing another song.
As The choir began to sing, “Come to Jesus”, Destiny’s voice blended in with the others and she forgot all about Sandra and her family.
Destiny and Treasure sat together in the choir stand whispering and giggling with each other. Daniel, who was sitting behind them, would kick the seat under them every now and then, to get their attention. He would put his finger up to his mouth signaling for them to be quiet.
They would just look at him and roll their eyes in unison. “Well, did you ask her yet? ‘No I haven’t. You know how my mother is. She doesn’t like Sandra and doesn’t’ even like me talking to her let alone hanging out with her.” Just then, everyone around them stood up, signaling the beginning of a song. The organist started the chords to one of Destiny’s solo songs. Destiny rose from her seat and stepped down to take her place at the microphone.
As Destiny began singing, a hush fell over the entire church. “Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on, let me stand. I am tired. I am weak, I am worn.” As Destiny sang each note of her song, her face took on an almost angelic appearance and she felt as if she was standing alone before God, singing only to Him.
She didn’t see the faces of everyone else around her. It was as if the song took them to their own private place. A place that only they knew of. Destiny’s melodic voice touched the hearts and souls of everyone who was there. “Precious Lord, take my hand and lead me home.” As Destiny finished her solo, she opened her eyes as a faint smile crossed her face. She made her way back to her seat in the choir stand.
As Destiny sat down, her friend Treasure leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Girl, you know you can blow.” Destiny just smiled at her friend and said to herself, “How could she know that’s not me singing. “ How could she explain to her friend that she didn’t know where that voice came from. It was as though an angel took over the moment she opened her mouth.
Destiny and Treasure had been best friends since the day they met back in kindergarten. When they went to recess, both little girls found themselves sitting next to each other on the swings. Treasure had been the first one to speak up. “Hi, my name is Treasure, and I already know what your name is Destiny. Destiny, I like that name. I guess that means I like you too. Do you want to be my best friend?” And from that day forward, they were.
“Well, are you going to ask your mother if you can go to Sandra’s sweet sixteen birthday party or not?” At that moment, the choir director gave them the look. They both knew that conversation would have to wait until the service was over.
Daniel’s father got up to begin his sermon. Destiny was only half listening. She was trying to figure out how she was going to convince her mother to let her go to the party. Destiny thought to herself, “Mama is so old fashioned. She will never let me go the party. She doesn’t understand how important this is to me. All of the other kids already think I’m weird because mama won’t let me do nothin’. How am I ever gonna get Sandra’s brother Lonnie to notice me if I don’t go?”
Lonnie was all that Destiny could think of right now. He was two years older than Destiny. He stood six-feet – four, was dark skinned and had the prettiest eyes of any boy Destiny had ever seen. He lived across the street from Destiny and her family and she often watched him and his friends playing basketball in the backyard.
Destiny had always been attracted to Lonnie. She had developed a crush on him from the moment she first saw him, five years ago when he and his family moved in. Although, lately Destiny found herself dreaming of him both day and night. A slight frown crossed her face as she remembered what her mother had said about him and his family just yesterday.
“Destiny, it’s not my place to judge other people. That’s the Lord’s job. But I don’t want you hanging around with Sandra. I know it’s not her fault and she doesn’t have any say in how she is being raised, but her family isn’t saved. They are heathens as far as I am concerned. All they are good for is drinking, playing the devils music and partying all the time. In all the years that they’ve lived over there, not once have they ever gone to God’s house to worship and praise him. They are just a bunch of goodtime people who don’t know the Lord.”
What Destiny’s mother didn’t understand was that Sandra’s family were really nice people. Even if they didn’t go to church the way her family did. Sometimes Destiny wished she didn’t have to go to church so much. She was at church almost every day of the week. Between the choir, young ushers, youth club, and bible study classes, she was there six out of seven days every week. She even went to bible camp for two weeks every summer.
It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy all of her activities. Destiny felt like she was missing out on how it felt like to be a normal teenager… like some of her other friends. Even her best friends Treasure and Daniel weren’t at church as much as she was. And both of Daniel’s parents were pastors.
How could she explain to her mother that she just wanted to be like other girls her age? Her friend Treasure nudged her as everyone around her started standing up. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that Reverend had opened the doors of the church, which was their cue to sing another song.
As The choir began to sing, “Come to Jesus”, Destiny’s voice blended in with the others and she forgot all about Sandra and her family.
