Michele did her best to suppress her emotions, but it wasn’t working.
She knew Julie, Ray’s wife, would be there any minute. She had to pull it together. They were meeting in one of the classrooms down the hall from the main auditorium. It was pretty much empty. All the parents had already come and collected their children. The teacher’s assistant, a girl about fifteen, was over in the corner putting supplies back in big blue plastic containers.
Michele sat on a chair closer to the door, trying to recover from the horrible words the teacher of that class had just said to her. The middle-aged woman had already left, saying she had some big family celebration to get ready for. Whatever got her out of the classroom.
How could the woman be so cruel and thoughtless? She’d said what she said with a smile on her face, as though passing on a compliment. Michele had recognized the woman as a regular in the church but couldn’t remember her name. She seemed to know Michele and at least some of Michele’s situation.
“Hey, Michele, sorry I’m late.” Michele looked up into Julie’s kind, smiling face. “I was trying to get here but kept getting stopped in the halls.”
“That’s okay. I’ve only been here a few minutes.”
Julie sat in the chair next to her. She was holding a white notebook. “This shouldn’t take but a few minutes,” she said. “The introduction chapter in the notebook does a great job explaining itself. I’ve read it over, cover to cover, slowly. Ray didn’t have time to read it because of the trip, but I briefed him pretty thoroughly over coffee yesterday. We’re both excited about this.”
The enthusiasm in Julie’s voice helped to clear the emotional fog for Michele. “What’s it about?”
She handed Michele the notebook. “Let me share the basic concept with you first. We don’t hate the children’s ministry curriculum we’re using now. But Ray and I have been talking, and we’re thinking maybe we could do better, especially with the elementary-aged kids. The biblical content is pretty light in what we’re using now. In some ways, it’s just Christian babysitting. That might be okay for the younger kids, but we’re thinking we can accomplish more with the older ones. So I’ve been on the lookout for a new curriculum that’s still kid-friendly but also gets them in the Word a lot more.”
“So what can I do?” Michele asked.
Julie pointed to the notebook. “We’re hoping you can tell us if you think this material connects well with the older kids in children’s ministry.”
“I suppose I can do that. How much time do I have?”
Julie stood up, so Michele did too.
“You’ve got lots of time. We couldn’t even think about ordering this until after Thanksgiving. Our new semester begins after the Christmas holiday.”
That was a relief. The two women walked to the doorway. “By the way,” Julie said. She looked up and down the hall to make sure there was no one nearby. “A few weeks ago in our prayer group, you asked for prayer about some problem you’re having getting pregnant. I know a little bit about that if you ever want to talk.”
Michele couldn’t help it; she burst into tears.
“Oh no, what’s the matter?” Julie said gently. “Did I say something wrong?”
They stepped back into the classroom. “It’s not you, not what you said.” Michele opened her purse and pulled out a tissue. She sat back in the chair. “It’s something somebody else said.”
Julie sat beside her. “Who? What did they say?”
Michele shook her head. She didn’t even want to repeat it.
“Was it Mrs. Harden? The woman teaching in this classroom a little while ago?”
Michele nodded, wiping her tears. “How did you know?”
Julie released a frustrated sigh. “I’ve had some complaints about her before, and some run-ins with her myself. She’s not the most tactful person.”
“I’ll say.” Michele looked up into Julie’s face. “I don’t think anyone has said anything more hurtful than what she said to me a few minutes ago. I don’t remember if she was in that prayer meeting, but she obviously knew I’ve been trying to get pregnant for almost a year.” Michele paused, trying to regain her composure. “She said it so calmly, like it was just nothing at all.”
“Oh, Michele . . . I’m sorry. What did she say?”
“She said, pretty much just like this . . . ‘Well, don’t worry about it, dear’—she was talking about me not being able to get pregnant—‘God is in control. He knows what he’s doing in these things. Sometimes he doesn’t let women get pregnant because he knows they wouldn’t be good mothers.’”
“What!” Julie shouted. Her face instantly became angry. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not.”
“That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. You know that’s just a lie, Michele. I’m serious. It’s a complete lie.”
Michele knew on one level it had to be, but it still hurt so badly. First, hearing it, then saying it again just now.
“I am . . . so . . . angry right now,” Julie said. “I just want to . . . no, I’m a pastor’s wife. But you know, Christians can be the most insensitive people on earth sometimes. That is such a ridiculous and ignorant thing to say, on so many levels.” She touched Michele’s arm. “Michele.” Her voice became calmer. “I am so sorry someone from this church said something like that to you. I don’t think that. Ray doesn’t. I can guarantee you none of the other pastors or wives think that. I’d be surprised if anyone else in this entire church thought a thing like that. Because it’s not true. Our faith is based on what Christ said and the things he taught his disciples. He never said anything like that. I’ve got to do something about this.”
“Oh, please don’t do anything,” Michele said. “I don’t want to turn this into a big deal.”
“But it is a big deal,” Julie said. “I don’t want someone who thinks that way—and doesn’t even have the good sense not to say it out loud—to be turned loose in our children’s ministry. I’m sure Ray will feel the same way. Of course, he’ll want me to calm down quite a bit before I do anything. But honestly, I can’t let something like this slide.”
Michele stood up. “Well, I’m glad to hear you say this. Although I really don’t want to make any trouble.”
“You’re not making trouble, Michele. I’m just so sorry you had to experience something like that, in church of all places. Are you going to be okay?”
Michele assured her she would. She looked at the clock on the wall. “I really better go. Got a big Sunday dinner to get to.”
As she walked to the car, she remembered that Christina would be there. When her mom had mentioned this a few days ago, Michele said it didn’t bother her.
Now, for some reason, it kind of did.