Chapter 5 Lines of Curosity and Privacy-
Sorry for late on this chapter I was on vacation these past two weeks but this I believe to long and good one thanks for reading
The DLO was closed for the day the #POstables team went home.
Shane McIenery got to the empty apartment, put on some light music, and ordered out for Chinese as she didn't feel in the mood to cook. She read, while she was eating, "A Walk To Remember" by Nicholas Sparks on her tablet. She loved Nicholas Sparks she gets reeling by romance, it gives her a peace of mind that true love can conquer all.
But reading this book certainly did not help think about the love letter of Pastor Doug. The letter kept plaguing her and she was wondering if there was another reason why Oliver was not letting her help with the specific letter. The letter had mean something, she tried to get curiosity out of her head but couldn't as she read the following from "A Walk To Remember."
Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.
Then something came to her, she had seen the quote both in the letter and the bible
"truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
If you don't respond remember this,
"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
I will always love you and admire you from afar until you respond my love. All that matters is that you are loved and happy even though it might not be with me."
Forever patient and kind, Pastor Doug ,
Maddie.
Shane ran to her purse to grab the pocket bible, two children gave while she was walking to get her morning coffee. She opened the bible to flip it to a word index search, the word love and to find the quote from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8New International Version (NIV)
She read the quote until she lost count and realized and believed God was sending her a message, despite orders from Oliver not to get involved and to do another letter with Rita. She felt God was leading her to help Oliver with his letter and bring a woman and man with upmost faith in God and bring them together.
Shane rushed to her tablet, exiting out of her iBooks and opened her Safari and searched "Pastor Doug Colarado church".
Shane found three churches that had a Pastor Doug:
Pastor Doug Hummel of Colorado Church of God
Pastor Doug Drummer of Colorado Church of the Brethren
Pastor Doug Anderson of Colorado Church of the Latter Day Saints
Shane looked at the time, it 6:30 PM, she had to rely on gut and instinct and make a choice in what church she was going to choose to investigate. She clicked on the website of the first church, Pastor Doug Hummel of Colorado Church of God
Her first click lead her into the right direction as the website highlighted on their main page the quote from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.
Shane wasted no time to head out the door and turn on her cell to call Rita, she needed her assistance and help to tell the letter to the pastor and find Maddie and bring two people of faith together.
Shane had hit a snag in her plan, Rita was not answering her phone. She then remembered Rita being very helpful in assisting Oliver with his church and choir practice and bible studies. Which Shane was always somewhat curious of what Rita and Oliver do during bible studies, but life and other distraction prohibits her not to act on the curiosity.
Despite's Shane lack of Rita, at least she took notes during Oliver's letter reading to give the pastor the information he needed to know about Maddie's love for him. Shane pulled up to Colorado Church of God. She could hear the amazing sound of singing. At first she just sat in her car and closed her eyes to embrace the echo of choir singing,
I breathe out and then exhale, what was left of my pride?
Full of myself I have fell. What have I done with my life?
The fog has lifted I can finally see Your face.
You are the hanging that I was searching I have found my place.
That is what she needed to hear to get out her car and walk up to the church doors. Shane was uncertain of what to do,
Should she knock,
Or
Let herself in?
Or
Possibly maybe ring the doorbell that says "Ring the doorbell to get the Pastor"
Shane rang the doorbell and it was loud and cheerful, loud enough to overshadow the singing as they stop singing once she rang the doorbell. The door opened and who appeared was a man with glasses, short brown hair, and blue dress shirt, black dress pants and nice smile. He said "Hello, can I help you?"
Shane said, "Hello, I am Ms. McIenery. I'm from the United States Postal service."
The pastor asked, "Are you Shane?"
Shane was surprised, she had never met this man before in her life and he knew her name.
"Excuse me, but how.."
"You are Shane McIenery, from the Postal service? You're a friend of Oliver and Rita. I am sorry I am Pastor Doug Hummel." He held out his hand for Shane to shake, she accepted his handshake as he continued.
"Nice to meet you Shane McIenery, Oliver and Rita talk all about you. Please come in."
"Thank you and nice to finally meet you."
As Shane entered the church, even though she couldn't see it nor hear it, she felt the warmth of the welcome within the church,
The Pastor lead her to the main part of the church where the choir practice was being held. She glanced up to see Oliver with choir members chatting. It was rare and not often to see Oliver so at ease and comfortable with people. It was sure even more rare to see him smile outside of work; especially when he was talking to a young brunette curly brown hair with glasses and a sunflower dress. Shane's curiosity was peaked, as she could not help but ask the pastor:
"Who is this woman, Oliver is talking to Pastor?"
Doug looked to see Oliver and the woman talking and smiling. Shane noticeed the blush in his face as he admitted,
"That is the wonderful and talented Maddie Wilson. She is the choir leader for the ladies, while your friend, Oliver, is the male leader of the choir. Have you ever heard him sing Ms. McIenery?"
"No, I haven't. Please, call me Shane."
"Well Shane, you are more than welcome to stay and watch Oliver and Maddie sing a duet for this Sunday's service. "
"Really? Well um no, I just wanted to see Maddie actually."
Even the pastor was curious to know something, as he asked,
"You know, Maddie?"
"No, but I have a displace letter for her to return to her, so if you please give her my card and tell her to give me a call."
Pastor Doug took Shane's card, and says,
"I will, would you like to see her before you leave and before we return to choir practice?"
Shane answered the pastor and also requested something of him, "No, and please pastor please don't tell Oliver I was here, as I would like to be the one to tell him myself."
"I see," Pastor Doug said, "I will keep your visit to myself, but I hope you will come Sunday. I am sure Oliver would love for you to hear him sing."
"Well? If Oliver invites me I am sure I would be happy to come," Shane tells him as she leaves and looks behind her one last time to see the Pastor go to Maddie and Oliver. Shane witnessed Pastor talking to Maddie and Oliver. Pastor took Maddie aside to talk to her privately, then Shane looked back at Oliver...amazed to watch him in practice.
Shane smiled at Oliver and left the church.
After Shane left the church, Pastor Doug lead Maddie to his office. Maddie was nervous everytime Pastor Doug would want to talk privately. Maddie tried her best to keep cool thinking what if this is the moment, maybe he read the letter, she wrote to him the letter confess her love toward him, and maybe he was ready to confess his feelings toward her.
When pastor Doug closed his office door he asked Maddie,
"So Maddie, how are you?"
"Fine, why do you ask? Maddie answered.
"Well, I was concerned whether you have been writing any letters to Ruthie again?"
"Pastor, I haven't written a letter to Ruth since our last conversation, I know she is gone, with God in the kingdom of heaven."
Pastor seeing the pain in her eyes how much talking about Ruthie still hurt, still brought tears in eyes, but he needed to know something.
"Well, can you tell me why, a friend of Oliver's came to inform me that a letter you wrote has been misplaced."
"Pastor Doug, I don't know, but I am fine and the letter might be for someone else that I am trying to help. I sent the while during a rainy night and the letter must have gotten damage."
Pastor Doug believed her, he could trust her and she always was honest with him. Doug was happy that she was getting better and had someone other than him to talk to. But at the same thought of her talking to someone else made him somewhat jealous and try his best not to show it as he walked toward her and took her hands, opened them and put Shane's business card in her hands.
"I am happy you have someone other than me to talk and open up to, you have no idea Maddie how special and amazing you are and I want other people to see that, give Oliver's friend a call. She has the letter for your friend."
Still holding each other's hand Maddie said,
"Thank you, Pastor Doug, I am happy. And I will contact Oliver's friend tomorrow morning."
"Good, now let's go and head back to choir practice and wow people with your amazing voice."
"My voice is not that amazing, as good as Oliver's"
"Don't underestimate yourself Maddie, you are just as good, if not a better singer than Oliver." They held hands as he lead them out the office and back to the choir practice, Oliver leading and voice practices, and he turns to see Maddie and Pastor Doug holding hands he knew these two were obliviously in love And that made him think it could be possible to be love with two women, one who his married to but has broken his heart by leaving him. Or one who he work, danced with, and has helped to mend his heart.
Love was a very complicated thing, nor not to he taking lightly. Oliver had to think about that and to consider it, as it came down to one single response from the letter that he sent during the night in the pouring rain.