Direct Message 6r5o64

Direct Message

CHANDA HALL

Copyright © 2021 Chanda Hall.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-4897-3751-9 (sc) ISBN: 978-1-4897-3750-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021915651

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 07/31/2021

To anyone reading this page right now. God bless you in Jesus’s name.

PREFACE

Moses was a murderer. Yes, the man who parted the Red Sea was a killer. He was ordained by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery, but he was not a perfect vessel himself. Sometimes, we feel like our lives are so messy that we have to get “cleaned up” before we can come to God. But the truth is, God is in the cleaning business. History proves that he’s been cleaning up messy situations for centuries, and he is still doing so today. Before Moses was able to perform such magnificent acts, God had to shape and mold him. It was his boldness that God recognized and used to carry out his ultimate plan. The Bible gives us several s of this notion. Let’s look at the life of Rahab. She was a disloyal prostitute from Jericho. Some might even refer to her as a hot mess. But when it came down to it, Rahab went against her own people to ensure the victory of the Israelites by hiding two spies sent by Joshua. In the end, Rahab was rewarded and favored by God. This goes to show you that God is not looking for perfection; he is looking for willingness and obedience. When Adam first sinned, his actions tainted all of humanity. His disobedience changed the nature of human beings forever. Theologians refer to this change as the Adamic curse. Now, we are all born with a sinful Adamic nature. I know what you may be thinking. How could we be born into sin? Babies are innocent; they aren’t able to sin. You’re right. Babies are innocent, but have you ever wondered why toddlers and children as young as one year old are inclined to hit other kids, lie to their parents, and steal toys from their friends? It is because we are all born with sinful natures because of Adam’s sin. I know what you’re thinking now too. How could one person’s sin ruin it for every other person? That is so unfair! You might also be thinking that God is not a just God. But what I am about to reveal will put that argument to rest. It is true; one man was able to taint humanity and cause everyone to fall. But the same way one man ruined it for everyone, God sent one man to fix it for everyone. That man’s name is Jesus Christ. Some feel that we didn’t deserve to be punished for the sin of one man. But the truth is, we don’t deserve to be saved because of the actions of one man either. God loved us so much that, even

though we don’t deserve to be saved, he sent one man to serve our eternal prison sentence for us! Instead of us taking the L, Jesus took it for us so we can all be winners! Without Jesus Christ, we would not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. The reason we serve God—why we love, adore, and worship him—is that he loves, adores, and serves us when we deserve to perish. Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (KJV). We have to be willing to accept the fact that we are all imperfect beings and need to be saved. We do not deserve to be saved from eternal condemnation. Yet, God loves his children, his creations so much that he has given us a chance to spend eternity with him despite our sinful selves. It doesn’t matter how much “good” we think we are doing on Earth. The only way to be saved is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This salvation is a free gift, and Jesus suffered and died on the cross that day in Calvary so that we can receive that gift. Who are we to deny this free gift?

Reader’s Prayer

No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve been through or may be going through right now, no matter what sins you’ve committed, open up your mouth and speak to God:

Dear God, I am a liar / murderer / gossiper / fornicator / drug , and I am stubborn / quick-tempered / impatient /jealous. I have practiced witchcraft / conspired against other people / sought revenge on my enemies. I suffer with low selfesteem / anxiety / trust issues / sleeplessness. I have been abused/robbed/abandoned/scorned/imprisoned/belittled. I have been homeless/jobless/hopeless. I have lost a sister/brother/mother/father/grandparent. But, Lord, today I release those burdens I’ve been carrying, and I give them to you. Please heal me from the hurts of my past. Please forgive me for my sins and

my transgressions. Help me to forgive those who have wronged me. I want to change and live the way you want me to. I believe that you are my father, my creator, and you made me in your own image. I know in my heart that you truly love me. No matter what the people of this world see when they look at me, when you look at me, you see your son/daughter. I believe you have a plan for my life and I pray that you will teach me how to walk on the path that aligns with your plan for me. Lord Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and Savior, and I am willing to do whatever you ask of me. I will obey your commands because I love you and want to be close to you. Lord, I ask that you remove any desires of my heart that are not of you. I love you and I need you. I need you now. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. I thank you for the sacrifice you made for me. I thank you for having mercy upon me and being gracious unto me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

As you have just prayed, I would like to be obedient and pray over this book, as its completion is a part of my personal ministry for God.

Author’s Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, I pray over the contents of this book. I pray that each and every reader be pricked in their hearts to make a change in their lives and truly submit to you, God. I thank you for the opportunity to spread the word of Jesus Christ through this piece of writing. I thank you for the outpouring of your Holy Spirit and for the fresh anointing I received today which enabled me to finish this project that you have placed in my heart to complete. And Lord, I pray that every reader will feel your love and see your light through the words on these pages. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Romans 10:9 (KJV)

Don’t wait. Give your life to Jesus today. God bless you all in Jesus’s name.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I express my gratitude to:

Evelia Hall. A mi mama, te honro por conducirme hacia mis sueños. Eres una esmeralda preciosa. Gracias por ayudarme siempre y por ser siempre una mujer de Dios. Doy gracias a Dios por ti y a papá todo el tiempo porque me han enseñado mucho sobre el mundo real. Gracias por decirme quién es Jesús. Te amo. Dios te bendiga.

Nadia Hall. To my twin and soothing sista, thank you for being my sister. We don’t get to choose our family. But if I was allowed to, I wouldn’t pick anyone else to sing and dance with on a daily basis. I am so grateful to have you in my life. You are the only person who truly knows me, and you always me in all of my endeavors. Your creative disposition and constant want to help others has definitely rubbed off on me. Thank you for listening to me do read alouds of the same three chapters during my revision process. I love you. God bless you in Jesus’s name.

Inez Rose Williams. To Evangelist Williams, your words of advice, in combination with your personal anecdotes, have inspired me in ways that you may never know. I truly believe that God sent you to Restoration for a divine purpose. You have been such a blessing to me—from encouraging me in my studies to elucidating biblical scriptures to asg me further studying of the Word and directing me to discover more about myself and the kind of woman God wants me to be. Thank you for always modeling how joyful and meaningful the life of a true follower of Christ should be! I love you dearly. May God continue to bless you, Elder Williams, Johdi, and the rest of your family in Jesus’s name.

Restoration Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic Family. I extend my deepest and sincerest gratitude toward everyone at Restoration. Thank You, Apostle Roberto Robinson Sr. and Assistant Pastor Dr. Fearron-Powell for being my first Bible institute instructors. Thank you, First Lady and Co-Pastor Monica Robinson, for being my first Sunday school instructor. Thank you Elder King, Deaconess Sabrina Robinson, President Georgia Macintosh, Junior Missionary and Vice President Loraine Lawrence, and all of the saints of Restoration for always encouraging me and lifting me up. I appreciate you and honor you as my brothers and sisters in Christ. God bless you all in Jesus’s name.

SCRIPTURES FOR REFERENCE

Repentance. Psalms 51 (whole chapter) and Acts 3:9

Broken heart. Psalms 34:18

Forgiveness (of someone else). Mark 11:25 and Luke 6:37

Forgiveness (of yourself). 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 5:29

Feeling worthless. 1 Peter 2:9 and Ephesians 1:11–14

Studying for an important exam. Philippians 4:6–7 and Deuteronomy 31:6

Patience. Psalm 27:14

Peace. John 14:27, Psalms 55:22, and Matthew 11:28

CHARACTERS

Solomon “Sully” Noel Peterson Paul “Pully” Noel Peterson Amelia Peterson, Mrs. Peterson Late Mr. Peterson Emmanuel “Manny” James Peterson Aunty Nora Emily “Em” Elizabeth Richards Ralph Richards Mrs. Richards Tyler “Big Boy Ty” James “Smoov Jimmy” Jaylen Hernandez Pastor Johnson Faith Ms. Capers, global studies teacher at Brooklyn High School (BKHS) Mr. James, art teacher at BKHS Jonah Evangelist Clarke

Lisa, the twins, and Ryan (Lisa’s boyfriend)

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The News

Chapter 2 The Funeral

Chapter 3 Drowning

Chapter 4 Aunt Nora’s Basement

Chapter 5 Prophecy

Chapter 6 Save Me

Chapter 7 A Message from Him

Chapter 8 Who Dat?

Chapter 9 Snakes in the Grass

Chapter 10 Water

Chapter 11 New, New

Chapter 12 Crash Course

Chapter 13 What about Yo Friends?

Chapter 14 The Fortieth Day

Chapter 15 Go and Tell

Chapter 16 Sparkling or Tap

Chapter 17 Pully Turns Sixteen

Chapter 18 Brooklyn College

Chapter 19 Mom’s Vision

Chapter 20 Class of 2020

Chapter 21 Rapid or PCR

Chapter 22 Zoom Wedding / Expecting

Chapter 23 Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Chapter 24 Couple’s Ministry

Chapter 25 Our First Mission

Chapter 26 Emmanuel’s Gift

CHAPTER 1 The News

U sually, on a regular school night, around eight or nine o’clock, I’d hear Mom yell, “Sully, go and give your father’s feet a rub.” And I’d run upstairs with my Nintendo DS, finish the last game, and then proceed to rubbing. She would do it herself, but she was too tired from work. Mom was a nanny, and those kids drove her crazy sometimes. But one night was a little different. Instead of the foot rub, there was some very important news Mom wanted to share with us. Her tone indicated this was a family meeting, so I paused my game and left it. She began, “There’s no easy way to say this. Your father’s cancer has run its course. He will not be here for much longer. You both are to be on your bes …” I stopped listening after that. Tears streamed down Pully’s face and hit my toes like bullets. Downstairs seemed like an island I needed a boat to get to. So I stayed and hugged Dad and told him a joke. He was one of the only people who thought I was funny. Pully was nine, and I was eleven. I knew how to handle situations like these. I’d seen the movies, and I wouldn’t react like Vada when Thomas J. died. Instead, I’d accept his ing with nobility and strength and grieve in silence like Simba; I’d still grow up to be a king. That night, I threw my game in the garbage. Pully was still small, so I had to be the man of the house. Now that Dad was leaving, there would be no more time for games. Dad died on June 24, 2009, and Michael Jackson died the day after. I realized all the greats were being summoned back to heaven. But, not all ’cause I’m still here, I thought. Not that I needed another one, but I just got two new reasons to dislike summer. Watching Mom prepare for Dad’s going-away service was like watching a baby learn to walk for the first time. You could tell she’d never done it before. She was upset with the immediate expenses. Imagine if she’d known of the ones to come.

She yelled, “It cost more to bury a body than to deliver one in this country!” and she sucked her teeth.

CHAPTER 2 The Funeral

M om asked Pully and me whether we wanted to give a speech, sing a song, or recite a poem at Dad’s wake. I have a pretty good voice, so I told Mom I’d be singing Dad’s favorite song, “Feels Like Rain” by Peter Cetera. I stayed up a little late perfecting the lyrics, and I had Pully doing the music for me, so he was up pretty late too. It didn’t occur to me that we would need to have on our best fits. On the day of the funeral, Mom was making sure everything went smoothly, so I guess she didn’t really notice what Pully and I had on our backs. Our Aunt Nora came to pick us up. She took one look at us and sent us back inside to change. “Sweaters, jeans, and Timberland boots? To your father’s funeral? I don’t think so! Why would she let you out of the house like that?” And she sucked her teeth. Mom didn’t care what she had to say. She told us to go back to the car; there was no time to change. When we arrived at the church, there were over three hundred people there. Dad was really popular. I wasn’t sure if everyone was thinking the same thing as Aunt Nora, so I sang with my back to the crowd. From that day on, life was like water in the sink—spiraling down, down, down.

CHAPTER 3 Drowning

I n September, school began. My mom and my principal were very close, so the word about Dad got around quickly. Everyone was coming up to me and saying sorry, and a week after the first day back, my teacher, Ms. Ramsey, had all of the students write me cards and draw me pictures. It was really nice because, for the first time, the girl I liked actually spoke to me. I wished it was for something other than the death of my father, but it was still nice nonetheless. When I got home at around four o’clock, all the lights were on. Mom usually wasn’t home that early. I knew something was wrong. I found her sitting on the floor of her bedroom with opened mail scattered all around. The door was cracked, so I listened. She was sitting in the center of some paperwork, crying on the phone with her mother. “I don’t know what to do, Ma. No tengo dinero mas. All these companies saying he owes—I owe! This one company is suing me too! Ma, no puedo. ¡No puedo! ¿De dónde creen que va a venir este dinero?” Mom was Dominican, and Dad was Jamaican. So Pully and I understood four languages—English, Patois, Spanish, and Spanglish. We understood all but spoke only one. Spanglish came out when Mom was either very happy or very sad—no in between. At that moment, she was the latter. She finally saw me peeking and eavesdropping. Aggressively wiping her face, she said, “Come in, Sully. How was your day at school, papa?” I love Mom. No matter what was going on in her world, she brushed it off and put on a coat of strength. It’s a special power that only mothers have. I told her about all the love my friends at school showed me, and she thought the cards were so cute. I asked her the same question and I said, “Be honest with me. What’s wrong?” She broke down crying and said, “We are drowning in debt, mijo.”

“We are?” “Yes, Sully. Promise me something. Owe no man anything but to love one another.” I nodded in agreement so she wouldn’t know I didn’t understand. She explained to me that, when a person owes money, they have an obligation to pay it back. “It’s like making a promise,” she said. “When you don’t keep your promises, there are consequences.” We lost the house by December—not the best Christmas gift.

CHAPTER 4 Aunt Nora’s Basement

W e left Springfield Gardens and moved into Aunt Nora’s basement in Brooklyn. There were only two bedrooms, one bathroom, a long brown couch, and an old 40-inch TV. When we turned the lights off at night and popped in a DVD, it felt like we were in the world’s smallest movie theater. The roaches and the rats enjoyed it too. I was a sophomore at Brooklyn High (BKHS), and I had mad friends. Mom couldn’t afford to buy me all the clothes and name brands I wanted, so I resorted to scamming. Listen, every kid does it. I was new to it; my bros just put me on. I’d only done it once or twice. It wasn’t as bad as it was cracked up to be. We weren’t stealing; we were simply redistributing America’s wealth more evenly. Deep down, I knew it was wrong. Me, Tyler (Big Boy Ty), James (Smoov Jimmy), and Jaylen Hernandez—we were “those guys.” We were the ones everyone wanted to dress like and be like—the ones your girl wanted to be with. Ty liked Hermès belts, and Jimmy had on a different Gucci shirt every day. To be honest, I don’t know why Jaylen was scamming; he was rich-rich. His father owned a real estate company called Hernandez Realty. Yet he still sent about a hundred, “You tryna turn five dollars into five thousand dollars?” or, “You got Chase?” messages per day. And it actually worked out for him. He already had all kinds of jewelry, but his main interest was Rolex watches. No other group had gear that could compare to ours. Most guys were wearing those bum-ass Adidas tracksuits—like, come on. As my sixteenth birthday was approaching, I had to make sure my pieces was hitting because I wanted a classic Ferragamo fit with foreign feet. I was usually really good at hiding my shoeboxes and shopping bags in the closet in our room, but Pully found my new sneakers one night. He asked Mom why she hadn’t bought him a pair and went on and on about some book he’d read where the parents favored one child. “Mom, is Sully your favorite?” he asked.

Mom shook her head and said, “You can’t believe everything you read. I don’t have no favorite.” This appeased Pully, so Mom came to my room to find me. “Sully, where did you get the money to afford this kind of shoe?” I had to lie because she wouldn’t understand my plight. I told her they were a gift from a girl who really liked me at school. She found six other pairs, a few of the belts, some T-shirts, and a bag of weed Jaylen had given me to hold one day and forgotten to take back. She went off. She started screaming hysterically. Aunt Nora had just come home from Bible study. She heard the yelling and came down in a panic to see what was wrong. She asked, “What’s wrong, Amelia? Is everything OK? “No, Nora! Everything is not OK! Solomon Noel Peterson, get out of my sight!” Dismissing me didn’t make much of a difference. I could still hear their entire conversation. “He has been lying, stealing, and smoking. I don’t even know where to begin with his punishment. And he thinks I didn’t notice that tattoo on his arm. Why has God forsaken me?” Mom said. Nora stretched her hand toward Mom and began to pray. “Dear God, you are a healer, a provider, a way maker, and when we call on your name, we know change will take place. Lord God, deliver Amelia and her sons from their situation right now. Touch their hearts and show them the way, Lord God. I ask you right now to bind every demonic force, every plan of the enemy right now. He is a liar, and he will not have the lives of Solomon and Paul, Lord God. Lead them to your house, God, and help them to seek you and strengthen them in Jesus’s name. As you taught us to say when we pray …” Now the two took up in unison. “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our treses as we forgive those who tres against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil. For thine is the kingdom the power and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.”

CHAPTER 5 Prophecy

T hat Sunday, Mom got us all dressed up for church. We had been to church several times before, but after Dad had died, we stopped going. I didn’t have a problem with church; it was just our church I didn’t really like. It was one of those churches where no one can hide, you know. The drums are loud; the cymbals are louder. The singing could pierce eardrums, and there was a lot of clapping and stomping. The got on the mic and said, “Shall we praise the Lord?” The congregation responded, “Hallelujah! Praise him.” And then she asked, “Is there anyone here who needs prayer, who needs something from the Lord?” It was called an altar call. Altar call is for prayer. It usually takes place after God communicates with the pastor and tells him or her what needs to be worked on or fixed with the people in the specific service. For example, the pastor might do an altar call when there are people in the church who are not yet saved. In our church, our pastor would say, “Does anybody want to give their life to Jesus today? Now is the time to come forward.” Or when the spirit alerts the pastor to sickness or disease in the church, he or she will say, “Those of you who are experiencing pain in your left leg or are suffering from cancer, please come forward and receive your healing.” I usually sat down when he did an altar call because I was almost always sure it wasn’t for me. But that Sunday, Mom felt like it was exactly for me. The line was pretty long,

so I nudged Mom to let her know I’d be ing as soon as it got shorter. When there were about three or four people left to get prayer on line, I got up. Pully held me up so he could stand in front of me in line. Being in the back was a little nerve-racking because I started to feel weird. It was like my fly gear and all my confidence went out the window. That’s the thing about God’s presence; it forces you to be 100 percent real. I was no longer in control. And when it got up to me, tears streamed down from eyes to my nose and to my chin, and I blanked out. By the time I reopened my eyes, there were four ministers praying over me, and Pastor Johnson said something I’d never heard before. He said, “Solomon, you have given your mother a hard time. You are fighting against God, but God says stop fighting! He is on your side, Solomon! You were put on this Earth for a purpose! In a few days’ time, you will receive a message from God, a direct message. Keep your ears open. God has something planned for you, and not even you can stop it! Something good is about to happen to you, Solomon. God bless you in Jesus’s name.” I couldn’t stop crying, and everyone was clapping as I walked back to my seat. It was the first time I’d ever been prophesied over. I didn’t know how to feel. I thought about what Pastor Johnson had said on Monday. By Tuesday, I tried to decipher what “direct” meant in God’s language. I asked Mom what it meant, and she said to ask God. I knew how to pray but not like how to pray-pray. I decided to go to Aunt Nora on Wednesday.

CHAPTER 6 Save Me

A unt Nora was an evangelist. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it was something real fancy in the church world. “Aunt Nora, can you please help me? “Sure, baby. What’s up?” “Well, on Sunday, the pastor told me that I would receive a direct message from God and—” “Yes, yes, I’m so happy for you, sweetie. Your mom told me you got a prophecy.” “Yeah I did. But I’m confused. Is God gonna pull up on me?” “What do you mean? Pull up what?” “Never mind, Aunty.” “No, Sully, wait. God will come to you with a message, and you have to be open to hear it and listen to it—really listen to it. God will give you all the answers. I will say a special prayer just for you tonight, OK?” “Thank you, Aunty. I love you.” “Hold on, Sully. You and your brother haven’t been saved yet, right?” “What do you mean ‘saved’?” “Saved, baptized in Jesus’s name.” “Nah, I think Mom did that to us already when we were born … and we wore those white suits?”

“No, Sully, that wasn’t baptism. That was a baby’s blessing, a christening. Getting saved is believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your savior and repenting for your sins. You must ask God to forgive you of all of your sins and then work hard to keep all of his commandments and statues. Do you believe?” “Yes, of course I believe!” “Then you are saved, son. The next step is water baptism.” “What will that do?” “Run downstairs and get your mother’s Bible. I want to show you something.” “OK, I’ll be right ba—” “Bring your brother with you!” “Got it!” “Do you all know how to search for scripture?” Pully and I replied in unison, “No.” “It’s very simple. There are sixty-six books in the bible. The first thirty-nine make up the Old Testament, and the last twenty-seven are known as the New Testament.” “Woah, what? How many pages is that?” “Somewhere around 1,200.” “God wrote alla that?” “Pully, shut up and let her tell us.” “There are various different authors. Some books have the same author or more than one. But to answer your question, yes; all of the authors were led by the Holy Spirit. Each book has chapters, and each chapter has several verses.” “So every book has about the same amount of chapters or nah?”

“Thought you said to be quiet and not ask no questions.” “I meant no dumb questions.” “Cut it out, you two! “And no, not at all. It ranges. The book of Psalms has 150 chapters, while Obadiah only has 1 chapter.” Pully and I in unison, “So Psalms is the largest book in the Bible?” “That’s a good question. But although it has more chapters than any other book, the book of Jeremiah actually has the greatest word count. “This is how you search for scripture. The address or formula for a scripture is as follows: book title, chapter, verse. OK? Let’s practice right now. Turn to Proverbs 3:5. That is one of my favorite scriptures.” Pully and I practiced that whole night and again after school on Thursday.

CHAPTER 7 A Message from Him

I loved Fridays! And that wasn’t just because this Friday, October 17, 2014, was my sixteenth birthday but because this Friday, my life took a turn for the better. I woke up a little later than usual, and my phone was only at 40 percent. So I put it to charge behind my bed. When I got on the train, I realized I’d forgotten to take it off the charger. For some odd reason, I wasn’t even upset. I had so much fun at school with all of the birthday shout-outs. And at Brooklyn High, the morning announcer always shouted out the birthday kid on the loudspeaker. Everyone wanted to take flicks with me at lunch. I felt like a celebrity. After school, my friends took me to the movies as a gift, so I didn’t reach home until 7:00 p.m. By the time I got home, I ran to my room to take my phone off the charger. You would think that a phone that had been charging all day would have 100 percent charge, but it was still at 40 percent. I didn’t wanna have to take it to the Apple Store. It’s probably just an issue with the charger, I thought. I took it up, and I had a few birthday messages so I responded “thank you” to the ones who’d actually written out “happy birthday” and “ty” to the ones who’d just written “HBD.” I liked all of the Instagram pics I was mentioned in and liked all the posts on my Facebook wall. I thought I was done with the thank yous—until I heard a ding; a new Instagram message appeared. It was from someone named Him. I didn’t know who that was, so I opened it to see. The following conversation ensued:

Him. Happy birthday, Solomon. Me. Thanks. Who dis?

Him. I am your father. Me. My father died four years ago. Who is this? Him, typing. … You always have a father in me. Me. I don’t get it. Who the hell is this? Him. Heaven.* Me. Who are you? Him. I am God. Me, clicking his profile to see who he really was—it was public, but all of the information was blurred; I couldn’t make out anything. You buggin’. I’m blocking you.

Fifteen minutes later

The conversation continued:

Him. So how’d blocking me turn out? Me. How are you still able to write me? Are you one of those weird hackers or something? Him. No, but those who possess the gift of interpreting technology should not waste it on silly pranks or invade the privacy of others. Me. You’re invading mine right now. If you really are God, prove it. Him. Yes, my son. Did you wake up this morning? Me. Yeah.

Him. Are you breathing right now? Me. Uh, yeah. Him. Well, there you have it. Me. I know God is real, and Pastor Johnson did say I would receive a direct message from God. But this can’t be … You can’t be. What di bumba— Him. Hey! Watch your mouth, son. This is the message that Pastor was talking about! I am ing you directly, so I understand the shock. But it will . Now listen to me. You will encounter a series of visitors within the next forty days. Types. … On the fortieth day, something grand will take place. Me. Something grand? Like big? Him. Yes, something wonderful. Do you know what a miracle is? Me. You’re gonna give me a miracle? Seen at 7:26 p.m.

Usually I get upset when I get left on seen but this was God we’re talking about. He can leave me on seen any time he wants because he has the power to do that. Completely humbled, I arranged a family meeting with Mom, Pully, and Aunt Nora. I apologized to them individually. I told Mom I was sorry for all of the times I lied to her and that I knew it was wrong every time. I explained how I would take steps towards becoming a better man. I told Aunt Nora I should’ve never brought contraband into her home and that I promise to stop upsetting my mother and causing unnecessary drama. Then I thanked her for her guidance. I told Pully, “I’m sorry you look like that ugly” and he kicked me off the couch. So we wrestled for 3 minutes and in the last instant I let him win. They all accepted my apologies.

CHAPTER 8 Who Dat?

B y the time I turned around, the weekend had vanished. Monday morning, I woke up. While still lying in bed, I checked my phone:

Him. Good morning, Solomon Me, unsure how to greet God in the morning. Good morning, sir. Him. Today you will encounter the first item on the list. Me. OK. Thank you, sir. Seen at 7:02 a.m.

I was shook. But I was hoping he meant someone else would slide into my DMs. Before I knew it, I was staring at the large map on the wall of my global studies class. In front of the wall was a desk, and behind the desk was a chair. And in the chair sat the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. Her skin was the color of a delicious Hershey’s bar, and it glowed as if she had her own personal sunlight. Her braids came down to the middle of her back and looked freshly done. Braids on girls are just … ahhh. Her pink sweat suit fit her just right. She caught my eye. She seemed pleasant and strangely familiar. I was plotting. After careful deliberation I decided to shoot my shot after class. “Hi, beautiful.” “Hey.” “You new? I never seen you in Ms. Caper’s class before.”

“Yeah, it’s my first day actually.” “I knew it. I’m S—” She interrupts and finishes the sentence with me. “Sully!” “Woah. How did you know that?” “I’ve heard about you. I’m Faith.” “Heard about me from who?” “Someone grand. But after school I’m having a G2G at my house. You wanna come?” Wow, this was gonna be easier than I’d thought. “Yeah send the addy.” “I’ll text it to you. Meet me there around 4:00 p.m.”

CHAPTER 9 Snakes in the Grass

W e exchanged numbers. It was lit. She must be feeling me if she was already inviting me over. She must have heard how cute I was, and when she saw me she was pleasantly surprised that the rumors were true. And I had on my Ferragamo belt that day. I didn’t tell the guys about Faith because I wanted her all to myself. She lived in Bed-Stuy, so to get to her house, I had to take two busses. She lived in a nice brownstone. Me. I’m outside, cutie. Her. Come to the backyard. The door is open. Me. Coming. I kept stopping to ire the interior design. It was exquisite—unlike any house I had ever seen before. There were gold statues and frames everywhere, like an expensive art gallery. The backyard was 90 percent grass from what I could see. And when she heard the front door close, she shouted, “All the way in the back.” She asked me to close the door behind me, so I did. As I shut the door, a black gaping hole opened up and took the house, leaving only the blue door. Faith was sitting on a chair all the way on the other side of the yard. Oh my God! What was going on? “Sully, do you believe?” “Believe what?” “That you can get out of here?” “What’s going on? I can’t breathe.” “Listen to me, Sully. Take a deep breath. To get out of here, all you have to do is

believe that you can.” “What do you mean?” “This chair is a safe zone. Only one person can sit in it at a time. Do you wish to switch places with me?” “Yes, but how?” “Come.” As I stepped into the grass, twelve verdant pythons emerged and turned their faces to look at me. “Oh my God. What the f—” “Watch your mouth, Sully. All you have to do is believe. Believing is the first step. The snakes can sense disbelief and doubt. So if you’re harboring either of the two, I suggest you leave them at the door.” Three seconds later, the hole took the blue door. I closed my eyes and attempted the first step. The fear in my heart consumed me, and the snakes knew it. After I’d been sent back six times, Faith started yawning, and I was scared for my life. Then she said the thing that changed the game. “Sully, you are not always going to be able to predict your future. In life, curveballs will be thrown at you all the time. You have to believe that God can and will deliver you from all situations— even when there seems to be no hope, even though you cannot see a way out, you must believe that there is one. That is the definition of faith.” She continued, “Once you truly believe that God is your savior, you will successfully take the first step, and you will be saved! “Now say it out loud.” “I believe.

“I believe. “I believe.” “That’s it.” (I was getting closer and closer to the chair.) “I believe. “I believe. “I believe.” By the seventh step, I reached the chair. And Faith and I switched places. On the edge of the yard, seemingly about to fall off, Faith said, “Sully, you’ve confessed with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord. You are now saved!” Then the hole took her too. The chair began to rise, and I floated to the sky with it. I shut my eyes. When I opened them, I was home, sitting in the kitchen, and Mom was making tostones.

CHAPTER 10 Water

T he next day, I saw Faith again; only she wasn’t a student in Ms. Caper’s class. She was the subject of a painting in Mr. James’s art gallery. I took a picture of the painting and the gold frame and sent it to Him. He didn’t respond until later on that evening: Him. Her assignment was over. Me. I knew she looked familiar. Him. She was the first item on the list. The next one will come to you this evening. You can swim, right? Me. Yeah I mean I can float. We going swimming? Seen at 7:04 p.m. I dozed off. Waking up was the most uncomfortable feeling. My bed was drenched. I reached for my glasses on my nightstand, but I accidentally knocked them off. I heard them plop down like when you drop a toy sailboat in the tub during a bubble bath. A small fish swam up and retrieved my glasses. “Uh … Thank you?” The fish winked and swam away. As I put them on, my vision became clear—really clear. My room was in the middle of the sea on some island. It was frighteningly beautiful. I was forced to take a step back and appreciate the wondrous love of God. A short chorus I heard Aunt Nora singing one day in the house came to my head. I started humming: We serve a great, big, wonderful God. We serve a great, big, wonderful God.

Always victorious, always watching over us, A great, big, wonderful God. I took a picture and sent it to Him. Me. Where am I? Seen at 7:03 a.m. A man in a white netted shirt, brown shorts, and blue sandals approached the water. His skin was the color of cocoa. He said his name was Jonah. He pulled my bed- et to shore and gave me a drink called piton. “I can’t drink. I’m only s—” Jonah interrupts me and finishes my sentence. “Sixteen!” “How did you … Never mind.” “Boy, I know dat, eh. It’s just wata!” “We don’t have clear blue water like this at our New York beaches.” “Dis is no beach; it is a pool.” “But I see sand.” “Eh, eh. I know dat, eh! Why do you phink He has us here?” “I don’t know really. He said something about swimming.” “Ahh … Gassa leh. We go to lunch. I will explain lata.” He took me to a little hut on the beach or pool or whatever we were on. There were people cooking and grilling in their sandals. A young boy came out to serve us. “I will start you all wit some soursop. Then when you are ready, I will take your lunch order.” A few minutes ed, and he brought out the drinks. I finished mine in about ten seconds. It was the most delicious juice I’d ever tasted. I felt my buds begin

to dance. Jonah leaned over. “It’s good eh?” “It’s cool.” “Yuh ready?” he asked. I nodded. Jonah ordered for both of us. “Yeah, man, two conch dinners.” “Rice and peas with plantain and vegetables?” “Yes, everyt’ing!” “OK.” “OK den!” As we waited for the food, Jonah told me a story about a time he was given an assignment from God. He said he ran away at first. He was then punished severely and sentenced to three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish. He said it taught him a valuable lesson about not running away from the calling God has on your life. “You know, Jonah, sometimes I feel like I am running. But I don’t even know what I’m running from. But I know I don’t want to run anymore.” “So stop and listen to the Lord. He has all the answers. He is messaging you directly because he has something great in store for you!” “But why would God want me to do anything great? I’m so … I’m so … not.” Jonah looked at me and said, “When I was in the belly of that great fish, it was repulsive. I prayed and asked God to take me out. And you know what happened?” “What?” “We soon run outta time, boy. Yuh will find out di rest lata in anotha visit. Di

reason God has placed you on this island is for you to get baptized.” “Ohhhh. That’s why you said pool, even tho we clearly onna beach?” “Eh, eh! Yuh sharp!” When we finished eating, Jonah told me to strip and put on white pants, white shirt, and a white robe. He walked me farther out into the sea, and he asked me, “Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” “Yes!” He got a good grip on me and put his hand on my head and said, “Then by the remission of your sins, you are now baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!” He dunked me in. And when I came back up, I gasped for air and my bed set was restored to my room in Aunt Nora’s basement, and everything was dry except me. Mom was making mangú y salami. After dinner, I called for another family meeting. “Ma, Aunt Nora, I want to get baptized this Sunday.” “To God be the glory!” Aunt Nora began to dance. “You hear that, Amelia?” “Thank you, Jesus,” Mom shouted and ed in. Pully saw how excited Mom and Aunty were, so he decided he was ready too.

CHAPTER 11 New, New

O n November 4, 2014, Pully and I got baptized. We were now considered “new converts,” which meant that, on Sundays, we would take the new converts class in Sunday school. We were “babes in Christ” as they called it, and that was because we are born again. Being born again gave me a sense of hope. It was like all of the bad things I’d done before had been washed away. I had a started a new life. And our teacher, Evangelist Clarke, told us each day was a new chance, a new opportunity to get closer to God. At school on Monday, I made it my duty not to insult anyone and to check out a few less girls. During lunch, Tyler and Jimmy were making jokes about a girl they’d both bagged. They said she was a thot and a trash one at that. “Yeah she got a fat ass, but she a butta face.” “Yeah, but you can’t see her face when the lights off. So I don’t care.” Jim squealed with laughter and I began to tune them out. Emily walked in with her crew. Emily was my best friend freshmen year, and we had fallen off a little. But I was determined to renew that friendship. She was humble and sweet, and she hung out with three girls who were nothing like her. One was boisterous and angry all the time. Her name was Lisa. The other two were almost like twins. They both lived in Lisa’s shadow. Lisa, the twins, and Emily—they were a funny little group. It seemed like Emily wanted to break free of them, but her need for acceptance and approval governed her. By that time, Jim and Ty started wrapping up their little thot convo, and I had nothing to contribute. So I said what I always say to my bros when I wasn’t listening, “That’s crazy.” “So what’s new witchu, Sully?”

I didn’t really know how I would answer that question. I thought about leading with my water baptism. But I didn’t want them to accuse me of trying to “push religion” on them. I didn’t know how to stand up for Christ and tell them that I had been changed, and they could be too. I didn’t know how to explain to them that Christianity wasn’t just a religion; it is a relationship with the only true and living God. I was seventeen years old but a babe in spirit. So I said that I was thinking about Emily, and I might invite her to my house after school today or tomorrow. “Emily Richards? You smashed her yet?” Jim was always so blunt. “Nah, chill; it’s not even like that.” “What you waiting for? Christmas?” Jim and Ty had already lost their virginities. And since I hadn’t lost mine, I smiled and said, “I’m waiting for marriage!” Jim was about to punch me in my stomach. I gave him a serious look, so he paused. And with a malevolent smirk, he asked, “And who you tryna marry? Emily? Pshhh.” Then they all started laughing. Jaylen came in as the bell rang and told us to dip. We all had gym next period. Emily grew up dancing. So she took dance class instead of gym. I saw her walking to the locker room with her girls, and I wanted desperately to grab her by the arm and start a conversation. But I made up my mind that I would talk to her at dismissal. At 2:45, I looked vigorously for her. My heart raced. I didn’t see her. Ty, Jim, and Jay asked me if I wanted a ride with them. Ty drove his mother’s car some days. But I told them I’d take the bus. Lo and behold, there she was, waiting for the bus. We used to take the same route freshman year. So now that it was junior year, it felt like I was in a time warp. “Wussup?”

“Hey, Sully.” Her face lit up, and she smiled like she’d just reconnected with a family member she hadn’t seen in a while. “ this route?” “Yeah, I it. Lisa said she was coming with me, but I guess she got caught up with Ryan.” “Yeah that’s that cuffed life.” “Facts.” “So how’s Mom and your little brother?” Emily’s dad died when she was just a baby. “Oh they good. How’s Pully and Mrs. Peterson? The last time I seen them was 367 days ago.” “How do you do that?” “Do what?” “Count so quickly!” “Ha ha. I don’t know. It’s natural I guess.” Emily was exceptionally good at math, science, and pretty much all subjects. Talking to her was refreshing because all other girls wanna talk about is money and clothes. But Emily was different. She liked to solve math equations in her free time. She was such a little nerd. Her voice made me feel things I’d never felt before. And I didn’t want the bus ride to end. We played catch-up the whole forty minutes until it was time to get off and get on the next bus. “Well, Emily I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house one of these days to chill.” “Yeah sure, I don’t have dance practice today obviously. So if you want, you can come to my house.” I was so happy she suggested that because I wasn’t really comfortable with her

in the basement at Aunt Nora’s. We got off at her stop. Her house was three blocks away from the bus stop. We were both hungry, so we stopped for some corner store sandwiches. “Hey, can I get a roll with honey glazed turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, everything?” “OK. And for you?” “Same thing but American cheese.” “Eww, you eat American cheese?” she said. “Yes! You too good for American cheese, Miss Swiss? “Shut up, lil boy. You’re a hater. My sandwich will be better than yours, OK?” “Yeah, whatever.” As we were leaving, Emily said, “Thank you. Have a good day.” The store clerk replied, “No problem, sweetie. Have a nice day!” “You so polite,” I teased. “Well you aren’t! You couldn’t hold the door for me? Rude.” “I thought women could do anything men could do. That includes holding the door for themselves.” She pushed me into a bush. We walked to the end of the block and turned the corner. Her house was on the end of the block. She opened the door, and her little dog PeeWee came to greet us. We untied our shoelaces and left our shoes at the door. We sat in the living room. We ripped our sandwiches from the bags and switched halves so we could see how the other half lived, and I went into the kitchen to pour us some Sprite. “You think you live here, boy?” “LOL. I might as well. I’m always here.”

“Yeah you used to be back in the day.” “That was like last year. Don’t drag it.” “Whatever. It felt like a century ago.” “Aww, Em. You missed me; so cuuuuute.” “Shut the hell up!” I grabbed her arm. “Who you telling to shut up?” “Why you so aggressive?” She ran back to the couch and got a pillow. We fought until we realized our show was on. Emily said, “Ouu, Fresh Prince!” I said firmly, “A’ight, siddown!” After thirty minutes, we stopped watching the show, and I had to tell her the good news. “Em, I got baptized!” “Amen, Sully! Congratulations! Getting saved is the best decision anyone can make.” “Thank you, best friend. Are we equally yoked yet?” “No, not quite. Attend seven years of Bible school, and then maybe we’ll talk.” Emily usually threw this kind of holy shade at me. And I always had a rebuttal. But I didn’t that time. I was just so excited that I could actually share my news with someone. Emily was a whole Christian. She went to church every Sunday, and she carried a pocket Bible. She knew scripture like the back of her hand. I aspired to be like her. I was a baby in Christ, and she was a bordering teenager/adult.

I said quietly, “I want what you have, Em.” Emily replied boldly, “God says take it.” My phone buzzed, but I didn’t check the message.

CHAPTER 12 Crash Course

E mily jumped up with a sense of urgency and said she’d forgotten to get something from upstairs. She came back down with a large black book, pen, and paper in her hand. It was so heavy she needed both hands to carry it. It looked a little dusty, like it had been in the attic for years or something. As she set it down on the coffee table, it grew and took up the entire table. There was a gold inscription on the front that read “Holy Bible KJV.” She took my hand and said, “Sully, it is our job to get to know God. The best way to do this is by reading his holy word. Without his word, we will be like lost puppies.” She explained that God’s word was the only word that mattered. “Take my hand, Sully. We are going in.” “Going in what?” “You ready?” “As ready as I’ll ever be.” “OK, take this pad and pen. You’ll need to take notes! Stand up, Sully. Ready?” “Woah ready for what? What are we doing? Where we going?” “Somewhere I always wanted to take you. And now that you’re saved, I can!” And just like that, we fell into the beginning. It was so dark. We couldn’t see anything. “Where are we? I’m scared.” “Boy, you scared of the dark? How old are you?”

I held onto Emily like a toddler. “Sully, relax. The earth is void and without form.” “What do you mean? Like the earth is created but not created? I don’t get it.” Emily whispered, “Shhhhhh. We are about to witness the genesis of the world. Just watch.” Suddenly, things started moving and taking on shapes, and a light turned on. A division took place between the waters and the land. Then trees and bushes and plants sprung up from the ground from nothing. Fruits and flowers began to bud. Fish came about in the great waters. Birds flew over our heads and increased in number every time we blinked. Then cows appeared in the same fashion. We heard a voice repeating “Good. Good. Good. Good.” We turned and saw a man with no clothes. He was tending to a garden called Eden. “Adam!” I shouted. “He can’t hear you,” said Emily. I watched Adam. He walked around naming all the animals and fruits. And whatever name he ascribed, that’s the name that stuck! “Ayee, Adam is an OG.” “Hush and stop talking.” Soon, Adam fell into a deep sleep. A sharp instrument moved on its own to his abdomen. His body was cut open, and a rib was removed. It was the first live surgery I’d ever seen, so I fainted. Em helped me back to my feet. Then a woman came forth. Their naked bodies were censored, so I only saw the way they looked at each other—true love. I whispered to Em, “So Adam named Eve too?” “Yes he did.”

“Oh that’s lit.” “Shhh!” A snake came to Eve and asked her about her meal plans. At this point, Emily waved her hands, and my view of the garden became scarce. “Hey, I can’t see. What happened?” “OK. I think we all know what comes next. So let’s get to the real reason I brought you here. God has told me to show you the story of Jonah. So we’re gonna go ahead and jump to that book. Hold onto me.” A hole opened up in the garden, and I could see a giant slide. We slid down and when we got off the slide, I saw a sign that said, “Welcome to the city of Nineveh.” It was like a war zone. The stench of death, murder, and chaos lingered at every corner, and the people were happy about it. There was a man being beaten to death, and a lady and another man witnessing the beating stood there and laughed in enjoyment. “This place is pure evil,” I yelled to Emily. “I know. This is the city God planned to destroy.” “Planned? As in he ultimately didn’t destroy it?” I asked. “Precisely,” she exclaimed. “This is the city God told Jonah to come and preach in.” “Preach? These people don’t want nothing to do with God. Why would God tell him to come to the trenches to preach? These people are wicked!” “Yes. They are wicked. But who says they don’t deserve forgiveness?” I took a moment to ponder what Emily had said and zoned out a bit. When I caught myself, I was on a ship heading to some place called Tarshish. “Board the ship to Tarshish,” said the captain.

Then out of nowhere, a giant windstorm began. The ship was rocking and rocking, and it seemed as though it was going to break apart. Emily, the other engers, and I were so afraid that we started throwing the cargo off of the ship to lighten the load a bit. Suddenly, all of the other engers started chanting and calling strange names as if they were worshipping some other gods. Apparently, there was one enger who was sleeping throughout this entire tempest. When the engers found him, they asked him why he was sleeping and urged him to pray to his God. That sleeping fellow was Jonah. Jonah itted to them that the reason they were going through such a terrible storm was because he was running away from the presence of God, and therefore they were all receiving the brunt of his punishment. He took responsibility and asked them to throw him off the ship so that the storm would cease. The engers didn’t want to let him die, but eventually they gave in and let Jonah off the ship. When they threw him to sea, a large fish swallowed him. And while inside the fish, Jonah prayed and prayed for three nights. On the third day, God allowed the fish to vomit him out onto dry land. After this treacherous and eye-opening experience, Jonah heeded God’s word, went to Nineveh, and preached to the people. I watched as they fasted and prayed. Not even their pets had food to eat during this time of prayer and repentance. When they repented, God spared them. I noticed that, after everyone was saved, Jonah was still angry and upset. But why would a preacher be angry that his hearers had repented? Emily explained, “Jonah is angry because he doesn’t think it is just for the people of Nineveh to be saved, forgiven, or spared. He would rather see them perish because they were evil and deserved it.” I thought about that, and I agreed with Jonah in some respects. But then I thought about my own self. Was I deserving of a second chance? Was anyone? “OK that was enough sightseeing for today. I know you must be tired, Sully. Let’s head back.” A hole opened up in the ground, and we slid back into Emily’s living room. I looked at the cable box and thought to myself, Woah, it’s only 4:30? We were only in there for thirty minutes?

We got a little sleepy, so we knocked out on her couch. Her face fit perfectly in my neck. Her mom came home around 6:00 p.m. Her arrival woke us up. “Oh, Sully. How are you? Haven’t seen you in a little while. You get taller?” “Good afternoon, Mrs. Richards. I think I might have. It’s good to see you! How was your day?” “It was good, sweetie. Tell your mom I said hello.” She went upstairs and began to get settled. “Emily! Take out the garbage for me please, you or Ralph.” Ralph was fourteen and didn’t wanna do anything but play his game, so she didn’t ask him. I put my coat on so I could throw out the trash and exit one time. “I gotchu, bighead,” I said as I walked out Emily’s front door. “Thanks, ugly.” “A’ight. Lata, Em.” We hugged. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jonah’s attitude and Emily’s smile on the bus ride home. By the time I got there, Mom was making sancocho.

CHAPTER 13 What about Yo Friends?

I had stopped talking to Jaylen, Ty, and Jimmy for about two weeks. Mostly, we exchanged hi’s and byes at school. It seemed like, if I wasn’t down to scam with them or link up with girls, I wasn’t really invited to their flexes. I was happy that I was able to successfully avoid them. But one Thursday I wasn’t so fortunate. I ran into Ty at the corner store in the morning before school. He was ordering a bacon egg and cheese on a bagel with salt, pepper, and ketchup. I said, “Let me get the same thing.” And he took out his headphones and asked, “What you dealing with, bro?” “Wussup? Wait for me after school. I need a ride.” After school, we all went to Ty’s house and played 2K. After the game, we ordered pizza, and I told them that this Sunday, my church was having Friends and Family Day. They didn’t have to wear suits, but they needed to put on button-downs and slacks. Ty and Jimmy seemed interested, and they asked for the address and what trains went there. Jaylen, however, wasn’t as willing. “I’m not tryna go to church. Church is full of hypocrites,” he scoffed. Ty laughed and said, “Oh so then you’ll fit in perfectly.” Jaylen sucked his teeth and said, “These church people be wildin ‘in parties on Saturday. Then they be worshipping on Sunday. Like what do they learn from church?” Jimmy stepped in. “Listen, I know I’m not the most holy person. But I know that God is real. And you’re wrong, Jaylen. Hypocrites are everywhere. At least the ones in the church are in the right place.”

“I know that God is real too, Ty! I’m just saying I don’t gotta go to church to worship God.” I felt that I had to step in at this point. I added, “Bro, church is more than just the building. You be in church and hear the pastor preach, and God says something through him that changes your whole perspective on life. Like it’s really real.” “Facts, bro,” Ty said in agreement. I continued, “Yeah, and I recently got baptized. And honestly I don’t wanna do the wrong things I used to do before. Like I’m dead tryna change. Didn’t y’all notice how I don’t pull up to nothing anymore. I don’t link y’all; my pieces don’t hit no more. TBH, I am changed. And it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t hear the word of God one day in church.” Everyone was silent after that and seemed to be in deep thought. I told them, “A’ight. I’m boutta dip.” I caught the bus home. When I got home, I spoke to my mother. I reenacted the entire debate we’d had at Ty’s house. “Papi,” she said to me, “you’re doing the right thing. You invited them to church. But I have to tell you the truth about friendship.” She took a sip of her coconut water and then continued. “Not all of the friends we make in this life are going to be our friends forever. Some people are only in our lives for a season or two. And not all of them will be saved. As a young Christian, we can give advice, share the gospel with them, and invite them to church or to Bible studies. But they have to make the decision to change their hearts and submit to Christ. Papi, you can only lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. But anyways, you hungry? I’m making arroz.” I took in everything she said and everything she cooked.

CHAPTER 14 The Fortieth Day

O n November 26, 2014, I woke up anticipating something grand would happen. I reread the conversation I’d had with Him and kept thinking about the words we’d exchanged. I got dressed for school, and I couldn’t find my metro card. So I figured I’d just get on through the back door. Then I got a DM from Him. Him. Check in the pocket of your North Face jacket; hopping on through the back is stealing. Me. Good morning, sir. Thank you. I’m sorry for thinking that. After I found my bus , I headed to the stop, and every single bus that came was packed! I looked at my phone and realized I would be late if I didn’t start walking. I walked to the next stop, and still no empty busses. So I walked to the next one. Finally, a semi-empty bus pulled up and I got on. Even though I usually sit in the back, I felt like sitting in the front. So I did. Across from me was a young girl with a toddler, an infant, and a folded stroller. The baby was screaming his head off, declaring his dissatisfaction with this particular mode of transportation. There was an elderly woman in the middle of the bus singing hymns, holding a small black Bible, a missionary of God. After about three stops, she began to preach. She declared, “God does not care about how many good things you have done. Our standard of good will never measure up to his standard. It doesn’t matter how many cats and dogs you rescued, how much clothes you donated to the poor, or how many times you fed the homeless. All of those good works are not going to save you in the end. People! We are in the last days! Jesus will return sooner than we think—” Just then, a middle-aged man wearing a business suit and alligator shoes and holding a brown briefcase chimed in. He sucked his teeth and said, “Come on, lady. It’s too early for you to be yelling on this bus. Y’all always tryna force y’all

religion on people. Can’t you just shut up?” The bus was quiet for about thirty seconds. Even the baby across from me became quiet. More people flooded in through the back door. The bus driver looked in the mirror to see what was going on and made an announcement on the overhead speaker, “Move to the back.” As people started to shuffle to the back, a young man accidentally stepped on the back of another young man’s shoe. He was not pleased about it, so he started yelling: “You just stepped on my new Js, you idiot! Now you owe me $200 cash.” The other young man responded, “You wearin’ $200 sneakers, and you on the bus? Your life don’t even make sense. Get off next stop and talk to me then.” The baby across from me began screaming at the top of his lungs again. The missionary resumed her preaching. “We all may not wake up tomorrow morning. We do not know how near our last day on earth is. Today may be your last chance. Your salvation does not lie in your worldly interpretation of good works. In order to truly be saved, we have to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior! We each have a much greater purpose on this Earth, but we have to seek God to find out what that purpose is!” After her last remark, the young woman sitting across from me with the baby stood up as we approached her stop. She lost her balance and fell on the ground. I tried to dive in and help, but I wasn’t quick enough. As she fell, the bus driver took his eyes off of the road and turned his head to look back at her. Just then, there was a car turning at the same time the bus was going through the light. We were about to collide when the bus lifted up about forty feet into the air and floated over the car and landed safely on the other side. Nobody knew what to do; nobody understood what was happening. Everyone was in shock, awe, and amazement; they were stunned, saved by God’s grace. We had all just witnessed a miracle. Tears flowed down everyone’s faces. The bus driver let everyone off of the bus, and then another miracle took place. Everyone dropped to his or her knees and started worshiping God—the woman with the baby and toddler, the young boys who’d almost gotten into it, and even the man in the business suit with the brown

briefcase and the alligator shoes.

CHAPTER 15 Go and Tell

N ews 12 arrived in what seemed like five minutes. The news crew tried to interview the bus driver and some others. But everyone was still on their knees praying and worshiping, so that’s what they filmed at first. Then, one reporter came up to me and asked me if I was in the right state of mind to speak. I nodded my head in confirmation. I spoke. “No matter what the scientists and researchers are going to try to say about what happened here today, I want everyone watching to know that what happened today was nothing short of a miracle from God. Let me spell it out for you J-E-S-U-S C-H-R-I-S-T. Our God showed up and showed out today! Believe in him!” Something changed within me. I was no longer scared to speak out about my Lord and Savior. I was sure and confident, and I could hear God’s voice clearly. The reporter thanked me. And as I finished up, the other engers and witnesses formed a line behind me. They each spoke about the marvelous miracle that God had performed that day. The New York Times app was blowing up with articles on the miracle, and every news station was going crazy. I checked my Instagram. I’d gained 250,000 followers that night. I had people messaging me and asking me if I wanted to be on their web series. Even a few talk shows requested my presence. But I realized that my life was about more than me. I thought about the word the missionary had delivered on the bus. My life’s purpose was greater, and it was rooted in God. So I made a huge decision at that moment.

CHAPTER 16 Sparkling or Tap

A bout a year and a half had ed. It was now June 6, 2016, two days away from Emily’s eighteenth birthday and twenty days away from graduation. Emily and I got even closer. And even though we never really made it official, I knew that I was in love with her. So I set up a dinner for her at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant because her favorite food was spaghetti. When she arrived and took off her coat, I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on. She wore a red gown with black highheeled shoes, and her hair flowed down to her shoulders with curls. Even though we were only seventeen and eighteen, I knew that this was it. She was the one. So I asked her officially to be my girlfriend. She agreed and kissed me softly on my cheek. I grabbed her face and kissed her lips. She said, “I’ve always wanted you to do that.” We smiled, and then the waiter came to take our orders. He asked, “What kind of water will you guys be having today? Sparkling or tap?”

CHAPTER 17 Pully Turns Sixteen

A fter years of saving, Mom was able to purchase a home for us on Long Island. It had three floors, four bedrooms, and two bathrooms. She was officially a homeowner, and we couldn’t be happier for her. It was truly a blessing. I was so grateful to God for giving us a place of our own. Pully’s sixteenth birthday was approaching, and that Saturday, he planned his own sweet sixteen party. It was to be held in our basement, which was quite spacious. At around 6:00 p.m., all of his guests started arriving. I, of course, invited Emily, Ty, Jimmy, and Jaylen. Soon all the family came as well. Before we cut the cake, Mom asked me to make a speech. I spoke about how grateful I was to God for allowing us to have an event like this in our home and how touched I was by all of his blessings. Then I gave Pully the advice I’d received when I was sixteen: “Don’t be afraid to profess Christ, lil bro. Don’t lose sight of what is most important in your life; and that is your relationship with God! I love you and turn up!” Pully and I did our signature handshake and then proceeded to cut the cake.

CHAPTER 18 Brooklyn College

E mily filled out the CUNY app as soon as it became available. So it was no surprise that she received her acceptance letters early. She decided to go to Brooklyn College because of the price of tuition and its proximity to her job. She double majored in ing and business. She worked as a waitress at Applebee’s on Flatbush Junction, which was walking distance from her school. It was a great job to have as a college student because the managers work with your school schedule. Emily was not a fan of working so hard for such little money, so she left Applebee’s eventually and interned at the city agency NYC Parks and Recreation. Being an intern there allowed her to have the freedom of a working woman as she described it. I, however, got into Long Island University (LIU) and majored in childhood education. I worked on campus as a library aid. It was cool and made me enough money to take Emily out for lunch or to see a movie every Saturday. Seeing her just once a week was not good enough. I missed her a lot. I drove up to Brooklyn College one day to surprise her, and the look on her face made my entire plan worth it. She ran to me and gave me the biggest hug and kiss.

CHAPTER 19 Mom’s Vision

I n the kitchen, one Saturday morning, Mom was making pancakes y salch icha . “Hey, Ma, I gotta talk to you about something. I want to ask Emily to marry me. But I don’t know what kind of ring to buy or what her ring size is. Do you think her fingers are the same size as they were in HS? I know she wore a size 6 back then.” “Sit down, Papi. God gave me a dream, and I saw you.” “Saw me where?” “I saw you and Emily packing up bags and suitcases. You all were headed to another country together. I saw you two in your own place praying and fasting for three days before the trip.” I was unsure of what trip she was referring to, but I took Mom’s dream as confirmation that not only was Emily my chosen life partner; she was also sent to me to be my partner in Christ.

CHAPTER 20 Class of 2020

A t the start of our final semesters of undergrad, a whole plague struck the world. The coronavirus also known as COVID-19 had become an international threat and already taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. It was all anyone ever talked about. We were all mandated to wear face masks that covered our noses and mouths and couldn’t leave our homes unless completely necessary. We were officially required by the US government to stay home. So no more inperson classes, meetings, events— nada ! Small businesses closed down, and even church services had to be held on a remote platform called Zoom. Some businesses (and the employees who kept them running) were considered to be essential, such as grocery stores / supermarkets, pharmacies, hospitals, post offices, Amazon warehouses, and any other delivery services. So they stayed open. We had to have our graduation ceremony over Zoom. It was really odd. Every speaker gave the same spiel at the beginning of their speeches: “Even though we are in these unprecedented times, we are showing how resilient we are.” Blah, blah, blah. Unfortunately, Brooklyn College and LIU decided to have their graduations on the same day. So Emily and I couldn’t sign into each other’s ceremonies. It was a shame I didn’t get to see her virtually walking across the stage in her burgundy cap and gown accepting her electronic diploma. But I made sure that I would still be able to see her later on that day. I drove to Brooklyn, where Emily and her family were celebrating at her house. I was incredibly nervous. My palms were sweating, so I prayed before I walked through the door. As soon as I walked in, I saw Emily, her mother, and her little brother Ralph. I hugged and kissed each one of them. Then I took the ring out of my jacket pocket. I took off my mask and began to make a short speech. “Emily, ever since the day I met you, I knew you would go

on to do wonderful things with your life. You are such an intelligent, funny, kind, and beautiful woman of God. And I thank God for allowing us to be together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Then I got on one knee, and she gasped. “Emily Elizabeth Richards, will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife?” Mrs. Richard’s face lit up with enthusiasm and shock, even though my mother had called her the night before and told her of my plans. She was grinning ear to ear. Emily began to cry, and then she said the three-letter word that changed my life forever: “Yes!” I slid the ring onto her finger, swooped her in my arms, and kissed her. So there we were, two kids in caps and gowns ready to take on the world together.

CHAPTER 21 Rapid or PCR

O n the day after graduation, I wasn’t feeling well. I had a fever and body aches, and the left side of my throat was killing me. “You got the Rona,” Pully teased. I was a little scared. So I said a prayer and asked God to remove any sickness from my body. I also anointed my head with oil. I took two ibuprofen and gave myself a day to recover. The next day, I woke up. I felt even worse. At the time, I hadn’t found a stable doctor’s office on Long Island. I’d always travel back to my doctor in Brooklyn, where the staff and providers knew me. But there was no time for that. I needed urgent care, so that was exactly where I went. The line outside of the entrance of the urgent care facility wrapped around the block. While waiting on line, a man came up to me and asked, “Excuse me, do you have an appointment? ’Cause my wife made an appointment for my grandmother last night, and we don’t wanna wait in this line.” I informed him that I didn’t have an appointment and he proceeded to ask the young woman in front of me the same question. After another young man cursed him out, he ed the back of the line. When I got inside, I was advised to sign the walk-in sheet and then scan a barcode with my phone. It was a link to the patient portal, where I was required to fill out all of my personal information, medical history, and insurance details. I sat down in the waiting room labeled, “Waiting Room A.” The walls were a beige/tan color, and there were paintings of children smiling on each of the four walls. There were four or five chairs in the room, spaced six feet apart from each other, in compliance with the social distancing requirements. Once I finished filling out the paperwork, I received a call from an external representative of the medical office. She explained that, since I was a walk-in and there were forty-two people ahead of me in the queue for COVID testing, I

would have to wait three hours before I could be seen. I thought to myself, Dang, everybody getting tested today? The first hour, I listened to music. Then my ear pods died. So I spent the second hour reading the Bible app. The Lord led me to read 2 Chronicles for some reason, so I read the entire book. As the third hour was approaching, the woman at the front desk shouted for me. “Solomon, Solomon Peterson!” I sprang up and was so excited that I could finally be seen by a doctor. I’d already planned how I would describe the symptoms I was feeling. But it wasn’t my time as yet. I was being elevated to Waiting Room B. I felt joy because at least I was making progress. Waiting Room B was the mature waiting room. All of the patients looked like they’d been there before and already knew what to expect. A middle-aged woman walked in, byed the front desk, and came directly to B with confidence. She sat right next to me and asked me, “Hey, which test results are you waiting for? Rapid or PCR?” I told her that I hadn’t even been tested yet, and she laughed and said, “Oh OK. Well, what symptoms are you exhibiting?” I listed all of them for her, despite how nosy she was and how annoyed I felt. She nodded and then explained that she had lost all taste in her mouth and was experiencing body aches as well. She said her teenage daughter had taught her that the way to get her taste back was to char an orange on the stove and eat it. “She learned it on that TikTok. You know, these kids get everything from there.” The method she described was actually an old Jamaican remedy that my grandmother taught me to get my smell back when I had a cold. Then the woman said something that made my head turn. She said, “No matter what happens with these results, with this whole disease, God is in control.” “Amen,” immediately uttered from my mouth. I smiled and nodded my head in

concurrence. She continued, “You know God is behind this entire thing. You know that, right? Coronavirus? This is his judgment on the world! You know there’s a scripture that says, ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’” I was completely moved when I heard her recite the same scripture the Lord had led me to read earlier in Waiting Room A. “Ah, 2 Chronicles 7:14,” I said, smiling. The woman began to thank God, and she said, “Glory be to God. Amen. This is a time for self-examination. We must look deep within ourselves and test ourselves. There is no more time to waste.” Then the woman at the front desk called me. “Solomon Peterson, the doctor will see you now. Go through the doors and enter Room 4.” As I stood up, I said, “God bless you. Thank you for your words.”

CHAPTER 22 Zoom Wedding / Expecting

E mily and I spent the entire summer praying, fasting, and studying the Bible vigorously. We attended Bible studies via Zoom and spent at least one hour a day in prayer, either communally over the phone or individually. By the time Christmas rolled around, we began planning our wedding. We decided we would have it in April 2021, since the pandemic was projected to be over by then. Even with the vaccines, the pandemic was still in full effect in April so we tied the knot on Zoom. We decided to livestream from Emily’s parents’ backyard. Our ceremony had a floral theme, per Emily’s design, and it was wonderfully arranged. We were happy to have our immediate families physically there. But all our other wedding guests viewed the ceremony via Zoom—trusty old Zoom. By July, certain businesses allowed those who were fully vaccinated to take off their masks and it felt so good to walk around and see people’s faces. I was happy for that fact and the fact that my wife had received her dream job that summer. Emily became an ant for an engineering firm in Manhattan, while I got a teaching job at a private Christian high school on Long Island. Thus, two new reasons to like summer emerged. We got a two-bedroom apartment in Hempstead and planned to spend a year saving money for a house and our future family. But six months into our plan, Emily and I were expecting our first child. She was due to give birth on August 30, 2022. I was elated and so thankful for this great news. I prayed and prayed and prayed.

CHAPTER 23 Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

O ne night when Em was about six months pregnant, she was experiencing a great pain in her abdomen. The pain woke her out of her sleep, and she held onto me for strength. As I heard her cries, I woke up and held her. When I asked her if I should call the ambulance, she shook her head vigorously. So I told her to lay back and take deep breaths. I ran to the kitchen, opened the cabinet, and took out the bottle of anointed olive oil. I ran back into the bedroom and put a dab of the oil on her forehead and a dab on her stomach. Then I laid both my hands on her stomach. I could feel our little one moving inside of her as if he was trying to communicate with his parents. I began to pray. “Lord Jesus, I pray that you will remove this pain and send your divine healing upon my wife right now. Give her the strength and endurance she needs to carry our child. We pray that this baby will be a blessing to the world and be used for your purpose. Release the spirit of pain and agony from her body right now. In Jesus’s name, we bind this pain. And we believe you for her healing. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.” The pain continued for about an hour after the prayer, and then it ceased. Emily went back to sleep and I stayed up thinking … and thinking. I was feeling very strange. And then I heard a voice in my head. It was a clear and strong voice that called my name. The voice said, “Solomon, for the next three days, you must participate in a complete fast. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you will eat nothing. You may drink water throughout the day if you desire.” I heeded these instructions because I knew I was hearing the voice of God.

CHAPTER 24 Couple’s Ministry

A fter three days of fasting, God revealed to me that he’d provided Emily and me with jobs so that we could fund our couple’s ministry. God had assigned us to travel the world, help people in need, and spread the gospel. We were both called to be missionaries for Christ. Every two weeks, I received a DM on Instagram from Him with the names of countries and villages that had people in need. Our first trip was to a village in Nicaragua called Managua, and it was scheduled for August 2023. Our son, Emmanuel James Peterson, would be one year old by then.

CHAPTER 25 Our First Mission

I n the small village of Nicaragua, there were men, women, and children in need of fresh food and clean drinking water. Back in 1972, a horrible earthquake had ruined various parts of Managua, and the area had never fully recovered. While we were there, we fed the hungry, clothed them, and delivered the word to them. Some gave their life to God after the first day. The people were so touched and in need of God’s message. Just seeing the smiles on the faces of the children when we handed them food was enlightening and humbling. Emily and I were finally walking in our assignments. After three days, our mission was over, and we headed back to New York. We couldn’t wait to smother Manny in kisses. We’d left him under the care of Abuela Amelia.

CHAPTER 26 Emmanuel’s Gift

I t was now 2030. And I, Sully Peterson, was now thirty-two years old. Emmanuel’s eighth birthday was coming up. He had decided to have a drone party, so all of his friends were given drones and remote controls. On the evening of his birthday party, all the kids played games, racing their drones and crashing them into walls. By the end of the night, Manny revealed he had something to share with us. He said he had been praying about this for some time. “Mom and Dad, I want to give you guys a gift.” “But, son, it’s your birthday.” “I know. But I love you both so much I gotta share this with y’all.” He stepped out of the room. And when he walked back in, he had a microphone in his hand. He began to sing: I love Jesus; he is my savior. When storms are raging, he is my shelter. Where he leads me, I will follow. I love Jesus ’cause he loves me. “That’s our kid,” I whispered to Em. After he finished singing, Emily ran to him and lifted him off his little feet. “Glory be to God. Our son has the gift of song!” she screamed with excitement. I followed up. “God bless you, Emmanuel. And thank you for blessing us with that voice! Happy birthday!”

Just as we were celebrating, I received the final DM from Him: Him. Take him along. I could not believe my boy had a voice like that. He was old enough to travel with us and spread the word of God with his singing. So we were going to be obedient and willing and take him along whenever he was on break from school.