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* *
Coming back from a prayer meeting the following Friday, Mary had trouble opening the door to the building and was relieved when someone who was exiting the building let her in. She waved at the bus, and it drove off. She headed up the stairs to her apartment. There was a piece of paper on her door. She knew without looking what it said. She tried her key anyhow, but the lock had been changed.
It wasn't too late yet.
She considered her options. She could call Rachel for help. She'd told Rachel she had some debt problems, but hadn't told her everything. She looked at her watch again and shook her head as she calculated the time it would take to make the round trip.
She knocked on her neighbor's door, heard the dog barking and foot steps coming towards the door. Her neighbor gave her a tight sympathetic smile, and let her in for the night.
She spoke to Mrs. Corning the next day. She thought of objecting that she couldn't just be thrown out on the street without some sort of notice, but that would just be putting off the inevitable. She had enough money to pay for this month's rent, but even as she tried to negotiate she knew it wasn't enough. Mrs. Corning suggested she ask for an advance at work or try her parents, but Mary knew that her company didn't give advances and she just couldn't call her parents.
She called Rachel instead.
Waiting on the front steps with a suitcase beside her, Mary tried to rehearse what she could say to Rachel when she arrived. To her surprise it was Pastor David who drove up.
He smiled at her sadly. It reminded her of the look her father had given her when he'd found out about the car. They didn't say much on the drive to the church. When they got there, he waved her into his office and pointed at a chair that she could sit in.
"I understand from Rachel that you have significant debts beyond your rent. She felt it was important that I know, to see if I could help."
Mary nodded.
"Mary, I think you must realize how serious this is," he began. "I wish you'd come to us sooner. We really feel as though you're part of our family here at New Promise."
Mary felt tears well up in her eyes. She looked down, confused. She'd been here before with her family, what was different?
"One of the members of our congregation counsels people on dealing with debt."
Maybe it was that she was accepted here.
"I've given him a call"
There she was the 'black sheep'.
"He's agreed to meet you, to see if we can work out a solution to your problem."
When you're the black sheep there's nothing to be sorry for if you mess up because that's all that black sheep do.
"Would that be okay?"
She nodded her head.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The debt counselor who introduced himself as Stephen frowned as he looked over the bills and letters that she'd brought with her. He'd enter numbers in his calculator, frown and then look back at the papers spread out before him on the desk. Finally, he showed the calculator display to Pastor David who also frowned, then shrugged his shoulders and nodded.
"Mary, based on what you've told me there's no possibility that you can get yourself out of debt with your present salary and present expenses."
She felt her chest tighten and her eyes begin to tear up.
"But Pastor David tells me he's willing to make you a very generous offer."
Pastor David continued, "Mary, Mrs. Corning is not willing to have you back, your credit card bills are overdue and you still owe quite a lot for hydro, on phone bills etc. As Pastor I'm authorized to make loans to people that are part of our community," Here he smiled. "and we do consider you part of our community. But I can only make out loans that have a reasonable chance at being paid and with your present expenses that seems unlikely." He paused. "However, I have a possible solution. You know we have a co-op here. We manage to keep costs quite low by all pitching in together with everyone doing a certain amount of volunteer work each week. What I'd like to suggest is that you consider moving here to bring down your expenses. You're obviously having trouble budgeting." He paused again, waiting for Mary to nod agreement before continuing. "So what we propose is that your paycheque be deposited directly into a church account. We'll give you an allowance to cover your basic needs, and use the rest to cover your room and board, and begin paying off your debt."
Stephen, silent to this point, let her know that this was indeed a very generous offer. She nodded agreement, still numb. The forms were quickly drawn up and signed.
When she'd signed Pastor David smiled at her. It was the smile that told her she was approved of, that she was loved. He held out his hand and she automatically reached out to grasp it.
"Mary, we all make mistakes. The trick is to face those mistakes and grow from them."
Coming back from a prayer meeting the following Friday, Mary had trouble opening the door to the building and was relieved when someone who was exiting the building let her in. She waved at the bus, and it drove off. She headed up the stairs to her apartment. There was a piece of paper on her door. She knew without looking what it said. She tried her key anyhow, but the lock had been changed.
It wasn't too late yet.
She considered her options. She could call Rachel for help. She'd told Rachel she had some debt problems, but hadn't told her everything. She looked at her watch again and shook her head as she calculated the time it would take to make the round trip.
She knocked on her neighbor's door, heard the dog barking and foot steps coming towards the door. Her neighbor gave her a tight sympathetic smile, and let her in for the night.
She spoke to Mrs. Corning the next day. She thought of objecting that she couldn't just be thrown out on the street without some sort of notice, but that would just be putting off the inevitable. She had enough money to pay for this month's rent, but even as she tried to negotiate she knew it wasn't enough. Mrs. Corning suggested she ask for an advance at work or try her parents, but Mary knew that her company didn't give advances and she just couldn't call her parents.
She called Rachel instead.
Waiting on the front steps with a suitcase beside her, Mary tried to rehearse what she could say to Rachel when she arrived. To her surprise it was Pastor David who drove up.
He smiled at her sadly. It reminded her of the look her father had given her when he'd found out about the car. They didn't say much on the drive to the church. When they got there, he waved her into his office and pointed at a chair that she could sit in.
"I understand from Rachel that you have significant debts beyond your rent. She felt it was important that I know, to see if I could help."
Mary nodded.
"Mary, I think you must realize how serious this is," he began. "I wish you'd come to us sooner. We really feel as though you're part of our family here at New Promise."
Mary felt tears well up in her eyes. She looked down, confused. She'd been here before with her family, what was different?
"One of the members of our congregation counsels people on dealing with debt."
Maybe it was that she was accepted here.
"I've given him a call"
There she was the 'black sheep'.
"He's agreed to meet you, to see if we can work out a solution to your problem."
When you're the black sheep there's nothing to be sorry for if you mess up because that's all that black sheep do.
"Would that be okay?"
She nodded her head.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The debt counselor who introduced himself as Stephen frowned as he looked over the bills and letters that she'd brought with her. He'd enter numbers in his calculator, frown and then look back at the papers spread out before him on the desk. Finally, he showed the calculator display to Pastor David who also frowned, then shrugged his shoulders and nodded.
"Mary, based on what you've told me there's no possibility that you can get yourself out of debt with your present salary and present expenses."
She felt her chest tighten and her eyes begin to tear up.
"But Pastor David tells me he's willing to make you a very generous offer."
Pastor David continued, "Mary, Mrs. Corning is not willing to have you back, your credit card bills are overdue and you still owe quite a lot for hydro, on phone bills etc. As Pastor I'm authorized to make loans to people that are part of our community," Here he smiled. "and we do consider you part of our community. But I can only make out loans that have a reasonable chance at being paid and with your present expenses that seems unlikely." He paused. "However, I have a possible solution. You know we have a co-op here. We manage to keep costs quite low by all pitching in together with everyone doing a certain amount of volunteer work each week. What I'd like to suggest is that you consider moving here to bring down your expenses. You're obviously having trouble budgeting." He paused again, waiting for Mary to nod agreement before continuing. "So what we propose is that your paycheque be deposited directly into a church account. We'll give you an allowance to cover your basic needs, and use the rest to cover your room and board, and begin paying off your debt."
Stephen, silent to this point, let her know that this was indeed a very generous offer. She nodded agreement, still numb. The forms were quickly drawn up and signed.
When she'd signed Pastor David smiled at her. It was the smile that told her she was approved of, that she was loved. He held out his hand and she automatically reached out to grasp it.
"Mary, we all make mistakes. The trick is to face those mistakes and grow from them."