"People don't give up on the persons they love. They ensure that the people they care about are safe and secure even when they make them sad, angry, disappointed and the list goes on. None the less people do just that, we do just that, I do just that, you do just that, we give up."

"Amen!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Hhhhmmmm."

"Preach it, brother!"

"Church none of us in here today who have lived this life long enough, who have weathered the storms can say they have done it without reaching a point where you say enough is enough."

The congregation filled the small church with its chorus of Amens and various tones of agreement as the pastor who stares down at them spoke.

"But God, our sweet Heavenly Father never gave up. He never throws in the towel. He loved us so much that He sent his son, now let me say it again, His son to bear our sins, our shame, our transgressions, our pains....."

"Hallelujah!"

"Praise the Lord!"

"......hhhmmm, everything that pins us down and drives us into the ground. That divine act of love shows us then and it shows us now that Our Father God loves us too much to ever give up on us. John 3:16 testifies to the pureness of love. It rescues, it restores, it heals, it saves."

"Amen!!!"

"When you love someone they become your world 'For God so loved the world' the world being us his people 'that he gave his only begotten son' Jesus Christ 'that whosoever...' being every nation, tribe, gender, race or creed. There is no partiality it's for all to partake of... 'believeth' it just takes believing, just a belief 'in Him should not perish but have everlasting life'. The end result is a beautiful and everlasting life where love has no conditions, it doesn't go away because you're not meeting a criteria or standard and it's not giving up."

I watched as he looked down at us, his eyes travelling over the congregation. His words drove me to realize the pain that I had wrapped around me. He had said 'People who love do not give up on you. They give their best possession to ensure your saved'. God did that for me and I too had to do it for the person I loved.

I sigh as I sit there in the pew beside my mother-in-law. I felt my heart pace as my brain raced with past events that had caused me not to let go, to build walls around me, and ensure that I kept myself at bay because I was afraid to love freely, to give love without conditions and inhibition.

I knew I could love unconditionally and I also knew I was capable of loving without circumstance being the way I deemed it to be. I had that love beating in my heart for Daniel and our child, but I had it hidden beneath doubts and fear.

"Brethren, John 15 v 13 'Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends' What a friend we have in Jesus the one who without a doubt made this ultimate display of love for the whole world. This is what love does. It's not what I can get from you or what you can do for me. It's laying the life you so cherish aside so that someone can be established, nurtured, and increased.

I close in saying to you, Love is not about us it's about what we do. Our Heavenly Father did love and so did his son Jesus Christ. Can you?"

I felt tears spring to my eyes and spill over my cheeks as my heart broke and all that I held bottled up inside came pouring out. Arms so warm and tender wrap themselves about me as the church organ and the voices of all present erupted in the hymn What a friend we have in Jesus shortly after the pastor closed his sermon.

After the ending of the hymn the pastor made an altar call and with light feet I went and as he prayed I too prayed. I prayed for forgiveness and I offered up my thanks. I also ask him to help me to love not by my standards but by love standards.

When the benediction was later said I returned to Mama's side, her arms immediately wrapping themselves about me. I smile the broadest smile I had in years or so I thought as we left the church with me feeling restored.

I must admit it was a blessing when Mama called and invited me to come by for the weekend. I needed the escape, my coworkers were all excited about my marriage to Julian Daniel Myers and it was a strain that I needed to be lifted off me knowing the true reason and extent of my marriage to him was not as they believed.

That Friday evening I left Ian a message and packed a weekend bag then headed to New Heights, a town near the outskirts of Hanover that housed the community where she lived.

I drove through the town taking the first left turn leading me into the thriving farming community of West Briton. Children were playing in their yards, men sat outside a bar having drinks and playing dominoes as the evening descended. Lovers rock could be heard blasting from a sound system as I drove nearer to my destination.

As I drove on further into the community dogs chased my car with delight, children waved to me with warm bright smiles and their parents offered curious yet polite greetings.

Such a change from where I reside with Ian, there your neighbour was your neighbour because that was how it was situated.

When I pulled up into the driveway that I was instructed upon I saw that Mama was standing on the veranda as if waiting for me. I felt a rush that I could not explain as l exited the car and walked into her arms and took all the love that poured off the hug she extended. She was a balm to my broken spirit.

Mama, she was the heart of the little neighbourhood and both young and old made her verandah their evening abode to chat and have her delicious potato pudding that was a customary Saturday treat.

The things that she shared with me of her past that night as we sat in the cosy living room ensured me that I could make it, my past was my past and I was not my past.

I had later laid in bed in the home where Daniel had spent most of his life feeling happy that my child had a family, that he had somewhere else to belong. I also felt my child heard everything that was told about his father. He had a father that would be there for him.

Overall it was fun just being with Mama. I had a sense of peace I had never allowed before. The following day cooking, baking, and learning had me occupied. Later in the evening, I met some more relatives and childhood friends of Daniel, we sat down and had us pieces of roast yam with ackee and salted fish, a slice of the potato pudding I helped to prepare with Mama's refreshing nicely chilled lemonade. I wish I could have stayed. But all good things must come to an end.

My heart felt heavy as I drove her home and a few other relatives from church and got my things together to leave for my home.

"I place some things in there for you and your brother. Make sure you cook them and eat proper. I want my grandchild to come into this world strong like his old man," she told me laughing heartily as she hands me a bag of provisions.

"Mama," I said laughing as I took the bag which I would have to share with my co-workers as it was too much. She had also put together parcels of cooked food that was waiting in the car. "I will burst at the rate you feed me."

She smiled and hugged me and I held her close thinking then that my mother's hugs had felt nothing like hers and how limited those hugs had been. I held on a little longer to savour it.

"Drive safe now, and It's going to be alright," she said as we pulled apart.

"Thanks, Mama," I smiled feeling genuinely cared for.

I was already looking forward to another weekend.

*******************************************

Sup...?

So what do you think about my little church service...😁

From the look of things Leslie got a message and some divine inspiration but will it change her approach to Daniel?

Votes and comments are highly appreciated 🙂