Stand by Me by Neta Jackson Read Free Book Online Page A

“Were going to get thrown out? Or had already been thrown out?”
    Kat glanced at Nick. He was turning red around the ears. She sighed. This lady was no slouch. Might as well be straight up. “I saw them take them out of the display cases to throw away. We grabbed them just minutes after they’d been for sale in the store. I’m sure they’re still good.”
    â€œI see.” The woman studied them a long moment. Kat was suddenly conscious of their jeans and gym shoes, a stark contrast to her careful grooming. “Why bring it here?” the woman asked.
    â€œOh, well, we were coming to church anyway, and we found this food on our way here, so . . .” Kat didn’t know what else to say.
    â€œAh.” The woman’s face seemed to relax. “Well, I don’t know what we’re going to do with it. Maybe you can put it out on the coffee table after the service. But . . . just put the boxes on the counter for now. If you came to worship, let’s go worship.”
    â€œLet’s go worship” . . . odd thing to say . But Kat and Nick hurriedly set the boxes down on the metal counter and followed the woman back into the main room. Brygitta waved at them from the next to last row of chairs, and they squeezed into the empty seats beside their friends just as Kat heard the same woman’s voice, louder now, but resonant and full: “Good morning, church! Let’s all stand as we prepare our hearts, our minds, and our bodies to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, this morning!”
    Kat’s head snapped up. The woman in the plum suit was standing at the microphone on the low platform at the front. Oh good grief. She’s the worship leader!

Chapter 6
    T he whole room rustled as people got out of their chairs, and the keyboard offered a few quiet chords. Kat felt a poke in her side as she and her friends stood up too. “Bet we made a real good first impression on that lady,” Nick murmured.
    Kat just rolled her eyes at him.
    The worship leader opened her Bible. “Listen to the Word of the Lord from Psalm 8: ‘O Lord, our Lord! How majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens! From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise . . .’ ”
    Kat saw Brygitta quickly turn pages in her own Bible to follow along, but Kat closed her eyes, letting the words flow over her, into her.
    â€œ ‘When I consider the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, who are we—mere men, women, and children—that you should care for us? . . .’ ”
    At least this psalm was somewhat familiar, even though Kat hadn’t started to read the Bible seriously until three years ago.
    â€œ ‘You made us ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under our feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea . . .’ ”
    Now Kat squirmed. Where was that woman going with this? Seemed like some people used the biblical mandate in Genesis to “have dominion” over the earth as an excuse to exploit it. “ Rape it ” would be a better phrase , she seethed. This psalm could be taken the same way—that phrase, “under our feet,” was practically an invitation to trample over God’s creation.
    Kat’s thoughts were pulled back as the worship leader finished with a ringing, “ ‘O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!’ ”
    â€œAmen!” several people responded, hands lifted high. “Glory!”
    The room quieted. The worship leader’s face was wet with tears. “I don’t know about you, brothers and sisters, but God spoke to me through this psalm this morning. I was being pulled down by concerns pressing in from several sides all at once—”
    â€œLord, Lord! Know what you’re sayin’!”