when she walked in.
Trish dropped her Bible on the counter. “Good morning. Did you make enough for me?”
“You said you had coffee already.” Jenn gestured to the mucho-grande-popcorn-tub-size paper coffee cup in Trish’s hand.
“Oh, I finished it.”
“I’ll make another pot for you. Will you let me have my one cup so I feel a bit more civilized?”
Wow, Jenn sure was crabby in the morning. Trish retreated to the breakfast table. “I’m sorry. I’m excited about what I read last night.”
“What?”
“I figured out my problem is men.”
Jenn didn’t applaud. She circled her hand in the air, asking for more. “Isn’t that every girl’s problem?”
“Well, specifically, my behavior around men. I need to stop desiring Kazuo or any other guy. I need to regain my chastity.”
“I guess that’s a significant revelation.” Jenn yawned. “What were you reading?”
“First and Second Corinthians.” Trish bounced up and down in her chair. “I even memorized a verse: ‘Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.’ Second Corinthians 7:1.”
Jenn stared at her.
Could someone fall asleep with their eyes open? “Jenn?”
Jenn sniffed. “What.”
“Oh, you are awake. Okay, so I decided I need a complete transformation to become completely devoted to God. So I came up with three rules — ”
“Wait, where did you get those rules from?”
“Don’t worry, they’re from First and Second Corinthians. It was like God showed me all these verses, and three key themes kept coming up.” She dug out a small note card from her Bible.
“Um, not to harp on this, but do you have biblical references?”
“Yes, and they’re not taken out of context, either. Now be quiet and listen. Okay, rule number one — ”
“Rule number one.” Jenn sank into the chair across from Trish and propped her head in her hand.
“Don’t look.”
Jenn stared in confusion for a few seconds. “Huh?”
“I have to stop looking at guys.”
“Are you going to blind yourself or something?”
“No, it’s just that . . . well, everywhere I go, I’m looking around, hoping to meet guys. I’m striking up conversations, checking him out, wondering if he’s single, encouraging him . . . I have to stop.”
“Like I said, are you going to blind yourself?”
“Jenn!” Who knew quiet Jenn could be such a smart aleck at seven a.m.?
“Sorry, sorry. I’ll be more supportive. But . . . even Christian guys?”
“Well, if a guy is interested in me even though I don’t encourage him, I’m not exactly going to blow him off. But this rule will ensure I don’t forget God’s will if I get tempted by some yummy but nonChristian guy.”
“Is this rule really going to be able to do that for you?”
Trish gnawed her lip and glanced at her notes. “Uh . . . I hope so. At least I know what my problem is now. It’ll be a hard habit to break, but I need to stop doing it.”
Jenn looked skeptical. “Okay, next?”
“Rule number two: Tell others about Christ.”
“Like all the time?”
“Well, more than I’m doing now.” Which was closer to never.
“You’re not going to be preaching on street corners, are you?”
“No, but I work with nonbelievers. I can start telling them more about God.” She envisioned striking up conversations while seeding cell lines, leading a coworker to salvation while bowed over a biochemical assay.
Jenn bit her lip. “You don’t need to evangelize to everyone around you, you know. You can show God’s love with your actions. Like forgiving whoever keeps stealing your ice cream from the company fridge.”
“But those are Häagen-Dazs pints.”
Jenn lifted an eloquent brow.
“Okay, okay. But won’t people just think I’m being nice? They won’t know it’s because God has changed me into a fabulous new Trish.” She flung her arms out in a “ta-da!”
Trish dropped her Bible on the counter. “Good morning. Did you make enough for me?”
“You said you had coffee already.” Jenn gestured to the mucho-grande-popcorn-tub-size paper coffee cup in Trish’s hand.
“Oh, I finished it.”
“I’ll make another pot for you. Will you let me have my one cup so I feel a bit more civilized?”
Wow, Jenn sure was crabby in the morning. Trish retreated to the breakfast table. “I’m sorry. I’m excited about what I read last night.”
“What?”
“I figured out my problem is men.”
Jenn didn’t applaud. She circled her hand in the air, asking for more. “Isn’t that every girl’s problem?”
“Well, specifically, my behavior around men. I need to stop desiring Kazuo or any other guy. I need to regain my chastity.”
“I guess that’s a significant revelation.” Jenn yawned. “What were you reading?”
“First and Second Corinthians.” Trish bounced up and down in her chair. “I even memorized a verse: ‘Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.’ Second Corinthians 7:1.”
Jenn stared at her.
Could someone fall asleep with their eyes open? “Jenn?”
Jenn sniffed. “What.”
“Oh, you are awake. Okay, so I decided I need a complete transformation to become completely devoted to God. So I came up with three rules — ”
“Wait, where did you get those rules from?”
“Don’t worry, they’re from First and Second Corinthians. It was like God showed me all these verses, and three key themes kept coming up.” She dug out a small note card from her Bible.
“Um, not to harp on this, but do you have biblical references?”
“Yes, and they’re not taken out of context, either. Now be quiet and listen. Okay, rule number one — ”
“Rule number one.” Jenn sank into the chair across from Trish and propped her head in her hand.
“Don’t look.”
Jenn stared in confusion for a few seconds. “Huh?”
“I have to stop looking at guys.”
“Are you going to blind yourself or something?”
“No, it’s just that . . . well, everywhere I go, I’m looking around, hoping to meet guys. I’m striking up conversations, checking him out, wondering if he’s single, encouraging him . . . I have to stop.”
“Like I said, are you going to blind yourself?”
“Jenn!” Who knew quiet Jenn could be such a smart aleck at seven a.m.?
“Sorry, sorry. I’ll be more supportive. But . . . even Christian guys?”
“Well, if a guy is interested in me even though I don’t encourage him, I’m not exactly going to blow him off. But this rule will ensure I don’t forget God’s will if I get tempted by some yummy but nonChristian guy.”
“Is this rule really going to be able to do that for you?”
Trish gnawed her lip and glanced at her notes. “Uh . . . I hope so. At least I know what my problem is now. It’ll be a hard habit to break, but I need to stop doing it.”
Jenn looked skeptical. “Okay, next?”
“Rule number two: Tell others about Christ.”
“Like all the time?”
“Well, more than I’m doing now.” Which was closer to never.
“You’re not going to be preaching on street corners, are you?”
“No, but I work with nonbelievers. I can start telling them more about God.” She envisioned striking up conversations while seeding cell lines, leading a coworker to salvation while bowed over a biochemical assay.
Jenn bit her lip. “You don’t need to evangelize to everyone around you, you know. You can show God’s love with your actions. Like forgiving whoever keeps stealing your ice cream from the company fridge.”
“But those are Häagen-Dazs pints.”
Jenn lifted an eloquent brow.
“Okay, okay. But won’t people just think I’m being nice? They won’t know it’s because God has changed me into a fabulous new Trish.” She flung her arms out in a “ta-da!”
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