“The Lord works in mysterious ways,” the reverend affirmed, and Jim Jameson began to sob uncontrollably. Susannah slipped up behind Ray and took the microphone so that his hands were unencumbered. “Jim Jameson, you can be free and take back your life, if only you ask Him. Do you want to leave the pit of alcoholism, Jim?”
The pained wailing from Jim grew louder. “Yes! Yes, I want to come out of the pit!”
The Reverend Ray stood before Jim and placed a large hand on each of the man’s heaving shoulders. “Rise, my brothers and sisters,” he commanded. Sensing something amazing was about to happen, the congregation dutifully rose to their feet. “Extend your hands over your brother James, that we may help him be free.”
To Rev. Ray’s amazement, the audience did as they were told, rising with arms outstretched toward the sobbing man.
“Repeat after me, James,” he said, “‘Lord Jesus, I ask you to help me climb out of the pit of alcoholism!’”
“Lord Jesus, I ask you to help me climb out of the pit of alcoholism!” Jim closed his eyes and stretched open arms toward the ceiling.
It had taken a few simple words, but Ray hadn’t felt this influential since he was newly ordained. Susannah was right; he truly believed he was helping this man overcome temptation and create a better life for himself and his family. Ray closed his eyes tightly, his voice rising, shifting into that smooth, southern drawl. “You are leaving the pit, Jim, unlocking the shackles of alcoholism and setting yourself free!”
Jim Jameson’s body convulsed with sobs as he looked heavenward again and proclaimed, “Thank you, Jesus!”
Susannah handed the microphone back to Ray, who gently turned the still teary Jim toward the camera. “James, what you do from this day forward will reflect on your Lord Jesus Christ. He has saved you from the depths of the pit. Find a good AA meeting, get yourself sober, and help others rise up out of the pit of alcoholism.”
The big bear of a man responded with great enthusiasm. “Yes, sir, Reverend! I will turn my life over to Him and help others to be free of alcohol!”
Wild applause emanated from the audience as the pastor walked up the aisle. Ray had never experienced a service such as this, and he called out to the audience, “The pit is vast and deep, but you can be free!”
In his earpiece, he heard Buck’s words. “Well, that went darn well, so let’s try another one. Lady on your right, third row from the front this time. Fourth seat from the end and wearing a print blouse and has gray hair. Thelma wants to mend the rift among family members.”
Immediately, Rev. Ray began scanning the rows for Thelma, without being obvious. When he spotted her, he proclaimed, “Thelma! With the help of Jesus Christ, this family rift can be healed, and your loved ones will rise from the pit of estrangement!”
16
LATER THE SAME DAY ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THE CABLE STATION
Afterwards, Ray and Susannah stood together in the receiving line, shaking all the attendees’ hands. For Ray, it had been as exhilarating as preaching his first sermon. Members complimented him on his words and truly seemed to be listening. An hour later, the four of them were packing up the monitoring equipment while they critiqued this first experiment.
Jeff was giddy with enthusiasm, and for him, that was something to take note of. “That was amazing! Did ya feel the energy between Ray and the audience?”
“Did you see the look on that guy’s face when I called out his entire name?” Ray asked with a mild chuckle. “How did you know his last name?”
Buck was occupied with packing up a computer monitor. “Luck. He’s sitting there, and his wife is raggin’ on him, you know, ‘I’m telling you, Jim Jameson, either you listen to this man or it’s over,’” he said. His laugh was nervous, almost jittery. “It was funny in a pathetic sort of way.”
Ray had moved onto loading the next box. “Now, it would be nice if some of this took hold, and these folks did improve their lives.”
Buck laughed. “Yeah, everybody got pretty swept up. Now, if it keeps Mr. Jameson out of the bars for a few weeks, it can’t hurt.”
On the opposite side of the room, Susannah stopped packing and addressed the men. “This is exactly what I mean by giving people a little push toward their greatest potential! They will change for the better, and they’ll be back.”
“Yeah, and hopefully, they’ll have friends! From what I can tell, the crowd seems to be gettin’ bigger every week.”
Ray nodded at Jeff’s observation. “Well, we’ve got a choir now. Mrs. Watson did a fantastic job on the robes, and what a song Ryan wrote! The set is colorful and inviting.”
Susannah beamed at him. It would have been obvious to anyone else in the room that she and Ray had entered a comfortable familiarity in the next stage of their relationship. But neither Buck nor Jeff knew that Susannah was living with Ray, a fact he planned to keep secret indefinitely. “And once Buck gets the website up, word will spread even wider.”
Buck’s shoulders arched when he answered her. “It’s comin’, okay? I’ll have it up by early next week. I’m still working two jobs, remember?”
Susannah looked hurt, as though she felt Buck was taking unnecessary offense.
“I realize you are, Buck. You’re working hard, and I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.” She stopped and surveyed the men. “I’m glad the site isn’t up yet because I have another idea.”
At her pronouncement, everyone ceased packing. Ray wanted to hear additional details but realized Buck was getting annoyed with Susannah’s constant questions about his progress. While he understood that she meant well, he sensed his friend was feeling enormous pressure to turn her ideas into reality. On the other hand, this was the woman Ray realized he loved, so he smoothly intervened.
“I think Buck has his hands full. Let him get the site up and running, and then we can talk about your latest proposal.”
But Susannah wouldn’t be denied. “One last proposal and I promise that it doesn’t have anything to do with makeovers, though I still think that one has merit. I was thinking that if we added a tag line it would give the show more punch, something easy to remember. For example, The Road to Calvary, Your Salvation Station!” She paused, watching them mill over this latest idea.
Ray was the first to break the silence. “The Road to Calvary, Your Salvation Station,” he repeated slowly. “We’re not actually a station, but I like it.” He looked at Jeff, then over to Buck. “Susannah has a point—something catchy to remember us by.”
Standing directly across from the reverend, Jeff signaled his agreement.
Buck’s tone was sarcastic. “I’ll be sure the slogan is prominently displayed on the website’s home page. I’ll make sure it’s big and bold, where our audience can’t miss it.”
Susannah’s reaction was bursting with sweetness as thick as honey. “You won’t regret this; the tag line is simply another aspect to set us apart.”
From his vantage point, Ray swore Susannah’s eyes narrowed to a cool, almost ruthless gaze. But then he blinked, and there was the woman he loved right before him, as charming as could be. He figured the excitement of the day had worn Buck out. He prudently hoped Buck would feel better after a good night’s sleep.