2nd excerpt from "My Father's Gift"

            The insistent ring of the telephone startled D’Cerner so badly she almost knocked it off the nightstand onto the floor.

            “Hello,” she mumbled.

            “Sister Everett, this is Brother Recinoire returning your call.”

            “Oh.  Hi.”  For a moment she was lost, trying to remember why she had called him. Then she sat, squinting, trying to focus on the clock across the room.  She was surprised and a bit irritated to see that it was after midnight.

            “I didn’t really want anything.  I was just returning your call from yesterday. I was in such a hurry, I thought I’d cut you short and I didn’t want to appear rude.”

            “Well, I think I had said everything.  I just wanted you to know that I thought it was great that a woman of God had so much to say that would help others.  I know many people who left churches because they felt they didn’t fit in and didn’t know how to determine what they were supposed to be doing.  Eventually they would give up and go back to doing what they were doing before they surrendered to Christ.  We need people to tell God’s people the truth and to see to it that everyone knows about the salvation message.  By the way, what church do you attend?”

            D’Cerner sat up smiling as she thought about the fact that he said he had said everything.  She shook her head in disbelief.  “Word Everlasting,” she replied, staring at the ceiling wondering where the conversation was headed.

            “Who is your pastor?”

            “Bernard Gibson,” she replied, wondering if this was going to be an inquisition.  “Brother Recinoire, before we go any further, may I call you Cal?  Brother Recinoire and Calord sound so formal and rigid.”  Her face twisted into a grimace as she thought about just how rigid and pompous they sounded.

            “Sure, that’s not a problem.  Anyway, I go to Eternal Joy and Covey Thomas is my pastor.  She’s the greatest pastor in the city. There’s no one who can compare to her.  It’s good to know that your pastor recognizes women in ministry because not everyone does.  How long has he been pastoring?”

            “We just celebrated his thirtieth pastoral anniversary.”  She turned over on her side trying to get into a comfortable position.