Three days went by. I called... no one home... Again... same thing. The third time... I left a message. “Hi Mari, this is Mike...I just wanted to say thanks for Sunday, I really enjoyed your company. Love to go out again if you’re up for it... You’ve got my number.... Hope to hear from you. God Bless.”

I buried myself in my work. In Scripture. In church activities. One thing was for sure, lightning would not strike twice. I’d never find such a strange puzzle as the one God had let me peek at that night. I would just stay lonely. So, ummm, how’s that different then the rest of my life? And who cares... because I do have the Lord...

It was the following Saturday morning at 1003. I’ll never forget it. I was on my computer. Killing time.... Wasting time. Killing time until it killed me and my loneliness and isolation in this world gave way to whatever the next has to offer. I was actually working on some graphics for church the following day. The phone rang.... Got to be Alan, (the Pastor) checking on slide status for the service tomorrow.

I pick it up. “Hello” curt and to the point. Don’t bug me Alan. “Hi, Mike?” A voice I did not know... a woman.

“Yes” getting ready to hang up if she tried to sell me steam cleaning for my carpets.

“It’s Mari...”

My heart stopped.... No kidding...it stopped.... I couldn’t breathe. God’s machine was starting its relentless destruction of my being. It was on. I was in. There was no stopping it. Like my car flying down the highway in a despondent rage at life the Sunday before, the G forces from the mechanism of change were pinning me back in my seat.