"Too Single" Field Trip #1: A Night of Healing

I think deep down inside we thought we were on our way to a Beyonce concert. Dolled up and dolled out ready for a night on the town. (Tosha- remaining incognito, Andre- at a house party in Franklin of all places [can someone say 1999?], Ebonee- lives too far away, and Jessie- I’m not sure where Jessie was.) Well, it was everyone’s favorite “single in the seminary” crew, Ashlee, Kim and Khristi and our “plus one” for the night, Mr. Larry Lyons.

Arriving fashionably late we realized that the lady of the hour, Ms. Arie however, would be even later having not one, but two openings acts and an entire intermission before her entrance. We decided to wait in the lobby until then. Two different men approaching Kim, not surprisingly, while Ashlee talked on the phone to an ex, Larry bumped into a trillion “old friends” and I of course would run into members of my church, shaking hands and hugging like we just finished benediction wondering if they smell the wine on my breath. Did I mention that my mom, dad and little sister were there too? (sigh)

Enter the theatre…or so we thought. India turned that place into her own private sanctuary and we were her congregants. While we were ready to raise the roof, she had other plans. Her honesty was contagious. Her voice was angelic. Her words were piercing. Tears began to well in my eyes. Then I looked at Kim and Ashlee and their's were too! I looked over at Larry and his head was down. What India? You want us to examine our lives? Forgive? Heal our souls? Be a better person? For two hours she preached to us and we listened and took notes on our hearts. We left free and full off of love and emancipation.

Could this be how all the “too single” field trips should be? Perhaps. But we didn’t plan this. And as usual, we had no other choice but to recognize the God that orders our steps and intervenes on our lives gracefully.

And the church said, AMEN.