Chapter 23: The Pastor's Talk

The service seemed to fly by and people were quick to their feet, giving one another hugs and conversing in small groups. It was always intriguing for Alexander to observe. There were no cliques in her church. The groups would always eventually disperse, soon mingling with other members and considering everyone as a family because they were.

Arielle peeked over past her mom, almost instantly catching his eye. He hadn't realized the warm hues of her skin had grown slightly more tan during the summer months, but he knew that her glowing brown eyes had little to do with the sun and more to do with what lay behind them.

It took strength to pry his gaze from her. His heart was pounding in his chest because whenever he looked at her, he could only imagine the future. Yet he didn't want to indulge himself in those thoughts because there were occasional "what ifs." What if for some reason he were wrong?

He realized that the mere thought of that caused his stomach to ache and so he stopped thinking about it. He didn't want to fall into the same idolatry he had before. He took long deep breaths. He knew that if he weren't careful, he would be heavily influenced by her very heart and the temptation grew stronger with every second that he held her gaze.

"Focus." He thought to himself.

"Are you ready?" Angelina's calm voice broke him out of his daze. He quickly nodded yes, prepared to speak with their Pastor. Or as prepared as he could be. Arielle had very few male figures in her life after the passing of her father from what he's seen. Her Pastor was the closest thing to a father figure she had and he didn't want to fail this opportunity of making a good first- well second impression.

"I am," he smiled back at Angelina, quickly following behind her and Arielle. They weaved their way through the crowd to the stage where the Pastor stood. It wasn't too high off the ground, only elevating him to about a foot and a half.

The jolly man's blue eyes widened at the sight of them walking toward him. With a large smile, he walked forward, nodding at each person as he went.

"Ari and Angelina!" He greeted brightly with wide arms as he gave Arielle a brief hug and nodded toward her mother with a beaming grin.

"Hi, Pastor Henry!" Arielle chirped back. She held her purse tightly in both hands as she gleamed with joy.

"Hi ladies," A woman greeted from beside Henry. She was average in height, with deep brown hair and tanned skin. Her dark brown eyes were filled with contentment seeing the two ladies that stood before them. It was akin to watching a family reunion with Alexander. Something he experienced very little of.

Within short moments her eyes landed on him. Curiosity etched on her countenance as she raised a brow.

"And who might this be?" She asked resting her hand on Pastor Henry's shoulder. A motherly smile quickly formed on her face as she glanced between the two newer guests.

"This is a guest of theirs," Pastor Henry replied briefly while waving his hand toward them. Alexander nodded in agreement, taking this opportunity to speak.

"Yes. My name is Alexander. I'm a friend of Arielle's and this is my close friend, Devin." He nodded toward his distracted friend. He hoped that Devin's distracted appearance didn't come off as rude. He could only imagine how many people had thought his friend was angry at them since his heartbreak first took place.

"Ah... I feel as though I've seen you before," she mumbled. It was such a quiet comment that it almost seemed as though she was speaking to herself. She stared thoughtfully, trying to connect his face with something she knew.

"Well he did come here a few weeks back," Arielle chimed in, earning a smile from Alexander. She was giddy like a child or puppy, practically glowing as she grinned. Alexander couldn't help but smile in return.

"Her smile is contagious," he thought, momentarily getting lost in it before he realized and shortly after collected himself.

"That I did." He agreed, returning his attention to the Pastor and his wife.

"Hm," she hummed, still noticeably thinking. Alexander knew that it could be quite difficult for one to realize where they had seen him before. He wasn't exactly a celebrity, but he surely out-earned a few of them and had met plenty of others. Booming businessmen were usually only truly well recognized by others who had at least a mild interest in the job or knew someone who did.

He didn't recall seeing her the first time he entered the church with his security to keep watch over Arielle. She likely recalled his face from one of the many billboards or magazines that gushed over his entrepreneurship and rapid growth in the industry.

"Welcome to our church, Devin and welcome back, Alexander. I hope this becomes a regular attendance. This is my lovely wife, Eva," he turned to his wife, his eyes lingering on her gaze for a second longer than he would any of them. Their love was nearly tangible. "And, this gentleman is Alexander Marqui. He works at the large AMI tower in the city."

"Ah..." she replied quietly while nodding her head. The lightbulb switched on in her mind.

Alexander found it interesting that they referred to him as an employee versus the employer, but it did not shake him. He couldn't fight the lingering desire for just that. Somehow the vast accomplishments that he had attained during his career meant less and less to him as the days drew on.

The thought of giving his entire company to his main investors had become a recurring one, getting harder to shake by the day.

"I hope to visit more in the future, Pastor Henry," Alexander said bowing his head very slightly. He could see why the congregation felt so comfortable in their church. The Pastor had a very amiable personality. He was a joyful man, yet Alexander did not doubt his ability to correct and even rebuke when necessary.

There was a balance Pastor Henry had that made him seem much more mature and wise compared to the men Alexander was surrounded by within his business and social circles. Those men were solely focused on riches and fame, but hardly ever character- unless it brought them more riches and fame.

Yet Henry seemed to greet everyone, treating them like family practically instantly.

Even the short stage seemed to have a symbolic touch. He would only stand as high as needed to be seen and heard for the will of God, but all for the glory of God and none for himself. It sparked a light of inspiration within Alexander.

"Would you two be free soon? We're looking for Godly wisdom and prayers that way they know what the Lord would have them do," Angelina expressed. She exchanged a nod with Eva. The two ladies seemed to be speaking telepathically if possible.

"We should be," Henry replied with an affectionate look in his eye as he looked down at his wife once more. She quickly returned the smile. "Just give us a half hour to speak with everyone and then we'll make our rounds back here. Then we can talk."

"Of course," Alexander replied. His nerves began to jump like lima beans in his stomach. He would wait those thirty minutes and hopefully by then, his heart rate would slow down.

Arielle had felt Alexander's eyes on her occasionally as they all sat up front, waiting for the return of Pastor Henry. Alexander's friend had been giving similar looks to Julia who had continued staring blankly at her phone.

Arielle sighed. She had pondered different ways to help Julia break free from her phone addiction, but it seemed to only get worse as time went on. She had gotten over her ex, but now she was living online. It was like she had created her virtual reality and it would take someone prying her out of it to grab her undivided attention.

Arielle made a mental note that she would offer a fasting invitation to Julia. Maybe the two could do a tech fast and be present more with God and family. She glanced at her friend and sighed in concern.

"Soon," she thought.

Light footsteps could be heard making their way up to them. With a brief turn of the head, Arielle spotted Pastor Henry and his wife Eva. She rested her head lightly on his shoulder as they walked between the pews. Even though they were a good distance away, she could see them laugh lightly between themselves. It seemed that their young love never left them.

"So let's talk," Henry announced as he reached the front. "But before we do, let's pray." They all nodded and closed their eyes.

"Father God," Henry began. "We thank you for this day and for how good you have been to us. We thank You for carrying us through every trial and for showing us Your great love for us. Please bring about clarity in this situation. Please give us the wisdom to know what is good and guide our footsteps so that they are pleasing to You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen."

"Amen," everyone responded.

"So now let's talk," Pastor Genry spoke with a grin.

Arielle held in a giggle as Alexander jumped slightly. He seemed excited, but it reminded her of those adorable pet videos that she'd seen online. His joy made her all the more happy.

Henry and his wife pulled up seats in front of the group. Arielle could see Devin whispering something in Alexander's ear. Shortly after, she saw him nod and Devin then came to a stand.

"I have something to tend to, but it was nice meeting you all," Devin spoke.

Julia's eyes unglued themselves off of her phone and she seemed to notice Devin's presence for the first time since he arrived. Arielle watched as her friend's gaze lingered on the tall man before dropping back to her phone.

"Hm," she hummed.

"Well Alexander, Angelina had reached out to my wife and me about the prospect of a potential union. Is it that you desire to marry her daughter, Arielle?" He asked while watching the young woman with a fatherly smile on his face.

Arielle's face grew warm at the idea of marriage. She witnessed married couples and found happiness in their love, and long-lasting joy when it was founded on Christ, but marriage hadn't been in the forefront of her mind until recently.

"Oh! I..." She studied him as his eyes scanned the room. An array of emotions appeared to flash behind his gaze until a gentle smile rested on his face. "Yes," Alexander replied. "Well, that is if it is right. I- I'm new to all of this," he explained.

"And that isn't an issue. We grow and we learn. Do you read the Bible regularly?" Pastor Henry inquired.

Alexander paused, thinking back to how much he read up until that point. "I read it on most days. About 3-4 days out of the week."

"Hm, okay. Well, in our little church community here, we believe in the necessity of discipleship as seen in the book of Acts. Have you read the book of Av]cats before?"

"Very briefly and only the first chapter or two," Alexander replied sheepishly.

"No need to feel worried, son. You're new to all of this. I was going to extend an invitation to join our church and to be discipled in our discipleship program, but it takes dedication. Each meeting will be approximately an hour. Are you willing to do that?" Henry asked.

"Yes, I am. Business takes me to different places and sometimes I travel to visit family and so on- would that cause any issues? I can try to move things about if necessary." Alexander offered. Arielle could see the calculation in his gaze. He had not lied. Alexander was

"No need to worry. Just let me know in advance. If you're away on a trip, we can still meet through a video call, but as long as you're here, let's meet in person." Pastor Henry responded kindly.

"That I can do," Alexander smiled.

Alexander could see Arielle excitedly smiling from where she was. Her eyes were filled with more joy than he had seen before. Angelina seemed nearly as excited while Julia briefly watched them with a sad, yet distant smile on her face as well.

Alexander never knew what was going on in her mind, but it clearly troubled her.

"So that does it. We'll begin tomorrow if you're free then, but now about you and Arielle," Pastor Henry began.

The silence, although seconds long, felt thick. He had wanted her attention from the start, but this was different. He realized how much he cared for her. So much so, that if he were given the direction from God to marry her, he would sweep her off her feet at a moment's notice.

"Yes," Alexander agreed, encouraging him on.

"Casual dating isn't Biblical and it isn't good. Marriage is serious and it's important to know that before vowing to spend your life with anyone. Something we encourage here is seeking God in fasting and prayer before pursuing someone for marriage. There are Biblical examples of times where God had chosen the spouse for His people and of course, warning them whom to stay away from."

"I understand," Alexander was being honest. The concept was still much newer to him than what the world had taught him, but it wasn't hard to grasp.

"So when it comes to you two, I've learned that Arielle has already gone into deep prayer and fasting to seek the Lord about you, but confirmation is a beautiful thing and we must ensure that it is God's will," he smiled at the blushing Arielle. She was noticeably happy, peaceful even.

"So let's arrange our first discipleship meeting this Tuesday afternoon. We can meet right here or online. Are you willing to begin seeking the Lord diligently on this from today?"

Alexander's eyes wandered back to Arielle, and although unintentional, he nodded in response directly to her. A slow, warm smile formed on her face before dropping her gaze.

"I see," Pastor Henry spoke yet again, pulling Alexander's gaze from Arielle. "Here is my card, it has my phone number, the church number, and my email for you to reach me. Have you thought of the kind of fast you plan to do?"

"I have," Alexander answered.

"Okay, please email me the details," Henry requested. "I recommend seeking God about marriage and if it is His will for you to marry Arielle each day, and be sure to spend time with God in prayer for one hour daily or more and to be in the word for a half hour daily or more. This isn't to be legalistic, but to help you grow in consistency in seeking God's face daily," He explained.

"Okay, that's feasible," Alexander spoke.

"Good good!" Pastor Henry replied. "You may find that you want to pray and read longer as you grow in this area. It is a part of the program to dedicate time daily to God, approximately one and a half hours total or more. People give hours to their devices more easily than they do God and here at our church, we try to ensure that that is the other way around so that we can all grow and mature in our walk with Jesus."

"Hm, that's very wise," Alexander noted.

"And we praise God for that wisdom," Eva spoke softly.

"Your prayer time can consist of some worship, actively speaking, and waiting quietly on God for answers. Be sure that your silence doesn't include a blank mind. Your mind should be focused on Jesus, but nothing else besides Him. So no to-do lists or anything of the sort." Henry continued with a large grin.

"Yes, thank you, Pastor Henry," Alexander answered with gratitude as he came to a stand.

"And another thing before you go," The Pastor continued. "It is important that you are not in any contact with Arielle during this time of fasting. I can see that you care for her a lot and while that is not inherently bad, it can come as a distraction and it may cause you to hear your own heart rather than His. You must be fine with any answer, aligning with scripture of course, without bias."

"Yes. I understand. Thank you," Alexander replied softly. Going a while longer without talking to Arielle didn't seem like the easiest feat to him, but he could manage. They had gone without contacting each other before, although this time could be longer.

"I'll close this meeting out in prayer." The Pastor announced. They all bowed their head as spoke. His prayer truly touched Alexander's heart as it focused on their growth in God and in answers being unveiled for them to know. Within a few minutes, the Pastor had concluded his prayer. They all shook hands or hugged before beginning to exit the building.

All that Alexander could think about was that Pastor Henry was right. He needed to take a step back from Arielle as he sought God. Talking to Arielle would cause his heart to jump and choose her to be his wife- if not instantly, then soon.

A/N: I appreciate the patience you all have had with this book and my uploading times. Forgive me for this late update and for it being later than my projected time. I hope that you all enjoyed it as it's necessary for the next big step in their lives.