I’m trying to mitigate the consequences of it as much as I can.”
This
did
sound serious, and I wondered why he had come to me and not to Sam or to one of his elders.
“I assure you, Pastor, that I’m not in the habit of telling everything I know, and you may trust my word on that.”
“And I must ask you to give it,” he said, staring at me. “I must ask you not even to discuss it with Sam—not that I distrust him, but someone might overhear. You have lots of people coming in and out here, and they could pick up something that could, well, be damaging.”
Not only was it sounding serious, it was beginning to sound weird, but I gave my word.
“I will not discuss whatever it is with anyone,” I said, knowing full well how difficult it would be to keep anything from Sam. Especially something that sounded so tellable, as this was beginning to sound. “Now, for goodness sakes, Pastor, tell me what’s troubling you so.”
He unclasped his hands, leaned back against the sofa, blew out a long breath, and said, “Emma Sue.”
I blinked in surprise. “Emma Sue?”
“Emma Sue,” he affirmed, then sat up straight as if ready to face the problem. “She’s in a bad way, and I thought you might be the one to help.”
“Why, what’s wrong with her? Is she ill?”
“I’m beginning to think it’s more than that. I tell you, Miss Julia, I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve talked to her till I’m blue in the face, and everything just rolls right off.”
I could understand that. Most of what he said in the pulpit rolled right off me, too.
“My goodness,” I murmured. “Perhaps she needs a complete medical checkup. She may have low thyroid or something.”
He breathed deeply and, as if finally conceding a sorry conclusion, said, “Worse than that. She admits that it’s a spiritual sickness, but I’m thinking it’s a willful disregard of her duties and responsibilities to me. First Timothy three tells us that any man who desires to hold a church office must first rule his own house. Yet she won’t listen to me, and that, in turn, affects my authority in the church. I’m beginning to think that my influence over her has waned. That’s why I thought of you.”
I heard him and hearing, wondered about whom he was most concerned—Emma Sue or himself. But I knew the one I cared about, so I said, “I’ll be glad to help if I can, but, Pastor, it sounds as if she may need more help than I can give. Professional help, I’m referring to.”
“Possibly so,” he admitted, which was a giant step for him and proved to me that he was indeed up against something he couldn’t handle. “But it would have to be someone who’s a Christian, and even then, I hesitate because she’s so suggestible. To everyone but me, that is. But she’s suffering, and so am I. That’s why I’m turning to you. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Well, I’m not sure that I’d be much of a substitute for a counselor. Even a Christian one, but I’ll certainly do what I can. I care about Emma Sue. But tell me, Pastor, just what is she doing? I mean, to distress you so much. I know she suffers from migraines, but usually they’re over in a day or so.”
“Oh, it all started with a migraine,” he said with another deep breath. “A bad one. I had to put off writing my sermon to take her to the doctor for an injection. That usually puts her right quickly enough, but not this time. She’s been in bed since Friday—missed Sunday services, too. She hasn’t bathed or washed her hair, and she’s hardly eaten a bite. She . . . she just cries. And looks off in the distance. I am sick with worry. Something has to be done.”
“It certainly seems so,” I said, feeling great sympathy for Emma Sue, although I’d long thought that she put too much pressure on herself. “But Emma Sue is so capable and so energetic, I can’t imagine what could have brought her to such a pass.”
“Oh, I know what instigated it, but after much
This
did
sound serious, and I wondered why he had come to me and not to Sam or to one of his elders.
“I assure you, Pastor, that I’m not in the habit of telling everything I know, and you may trust my word on that.”
“And I must ask you to give it,” he said, staring at me. “I must ask you not even to discuss it with Sam—not that I distrust him, but someone might overhear. You have lots of people coming in and out here, and they could pick up something that could, well, be damaging.”
Not only was it sounding serious, it was beginning to sound weird, but I gave my word.
“I will not discuss whatever it is with anyone,” I said, knowing full well how difficult it would be to keep anything from Sam. Especially something that sounded so tellable, as this was beginning to sound. “Now, for goodness sakes, Pastor, tell me what’s troubling you so.”
He unclasped his hands, leaned back against the sofa, blew out a long breath, and said, “Emma Sue.”
I blinked in surprise. “Emma Sue?”
“Emma Sue,” he affirmed, then sat up straight as if ready to face the problem. “She’s in a bad way, and I thought you might be the one to help.”
“Why, what’s wrong with her? Is she ill?”
“I’m beginning to think it’s more than that. I tell you, Miss Julia, I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve talked to her till I’m blue in the face, and everything just rolls right off.”
I could understand that. Most of what he said in the pulpit rolled right off me, too.
“My goodness,” I murmured. “Perhaps she needs a complete medical checkup. She may have low thyroid or something.”
He breathed deeply and, as if finally conceding a sorry conclusion, said, “Worse than that. She admits that it’s a spiritual sickness, but I’m thinking it’s a willful disregard of her duties and responsibilities to me. First Timothy three tells us that any man who desires to hold a church office must first rule his own house. Yet she won’t listen to me, and that, in turn, affects my authority in the church. I’m beginning to think that my influence over her has waned. That’s why I thought of you.”
I heard him and hearing, wondered about whom he was most concerned—Emma Sue or himself. But I knew the one I cared about, so I said, “I’ll be glad to help if I can, but, Pastor, it sounds as if she may need more help than I can give. Professional help, I’m referring to.”
“Possibly so,” he admitted, which was a giant step for him and proved to me that he was indeed up against something he couldn’t handle. “But it would have to be someone who’s a Christian, and even then, I hesitate because she’s so suggestible. To everyone but me, that is. But she’s suffering, and so am I. That’s why I’m turning to you. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Well, I’m not sure that I’d be much of a substitute for a counselor. Even a Christian one, but I’ll certainly do what I can. I care about Emma Sue. But tell me, Pastor, just what is she doing? I mean, to distress you so much. I know she suffers from migraines, but usually they’re over in a day or so.”
“Oh, it all started with a migraine,” he said with another deep breath. “A bad one. I had to put off writing my sermon to take her to the doctor for an injection. That usually puts her right quickly enough, but not this time. She’s been in bed since Friday—missed Sunday services, too. She hasn’t bathed or washed her hair, and she’s hardly eaten a bite. She . . . she just cries. And looks off in the distance. I am sick with worry. Something has to be done.”
“It certainly seems so,” I said, feeling great sympathy for Emma Sue, although I’d long thought that she put too much pressure on herself. “But Emma Sue is so capable and so energetic, I can’t imagine what could have brought her to such a pass.”
“Oh, I know what instigated it, but after much
Similar Books
