True Love Waits Rally
Wednesday is Oneighty at Family Church. Tonight, however, was a little surprise. We had a True Love Waits Rally.
My brother and I left for Oneighty a little early tonight because he had to stop by our other brother’s for a bit. I went inside to visit for a little while he went to the studio to do whatever. He came back and we left. It was a thirty or so minute drive.
We drove into the parking lot and there were quite a few kids already there. I was tying my shoes and putting on my coat, and I got out of the truck. I walked up towards the building and the car with pizza drove up. I walked inside.
Inside, I saw there were some new slides showing. I stalled to look at them for a while. I went upstairs as I usually do. There were Rocco; Bobby; Bobby’s niece, Angel; and Billy up there already. I got up there, and someone downstairs asked where Raylen was. “Outside!” I yelled. I had to yell again, and this time as I barely got the word out I felt someone grab me. I knew who it was after a split second, but it still startled me, and I screamed. I turned around and saw Billy laughing. I had brought a college catalog for Bobby to look at but I wanted to smack Billy with it instead, but I remembered why I brought it and handed it to Bobby. Bobby took it and I smacked Billy a couple times with my hand. I asked Bobby what was with the slides.
He said they were the announcements. Duh!
Bobby had his little niece up there, and she was sitting on the table in front of the light board shrieking and laughing. Bobby came over after looking at the book and apparently couldn’t find what he was looking for. I took it and began to look through it.
Billy came upstairs—I hadn’t even noticed he left. He had a pizza box, and after Bobby took a slice, Billy asked me if I wanted some. I looked up from the book and said, “Not now.” I looked at the book and couldn’t find it either. I put it down and watched Angel have fun.
I decided to go downstairs to the restroom. On my way down the stairs, Bobby Johnson, who we all call BobbyJ was on his way up the stairs. I saw he got a haircut. I smiled at him, “You got a haircut!” He laughed and I continued on downstairs.
On my way back I went to get a soda. I hid it in my jacket sleeve. I really didn’t need to but I thought it was kind of fun. I got upstairs, and they were all talking. I stared downstairs and saw a friend walking down an aisle. I went downstairs again and went into the lobby. I went up to her; she was with some others. We hugged and I saw a card in her hand. I said it looked neat and asked where she got it. She said she got it from the person by the door. So I went back inside, but stopped to get a card.
I went back upstairs and put it in my Bible. Bobby was playing with Angel and I just watched laughing. We talked and Kenny came upstairs and handed us an order of service. I was totally shocked. He never had one for Wednesdays!
We started around 6:30. Of course they had to do a few songs not on the list. They finally got to the ones on the list, which made it easy on me. BobbyJ was up there video taping using Rocco’s camera, and we all started singing and doing the motions of tne song. It was so fun! On one song I messed up on the slides but that was still fun too. Bobby was doing the lights with Angel still sitting in front of them. Since it was a Wednesday and there was already a chase going, Bobby let her push a few buttons. I commented on how well she did it. BobbyJ started pushing them too, playing with her.
The singing lasted for an hour. Then a guest speaker began to preach. I remember one real funny thing he said at the beginning. “I will tell you two things about me. For one, I’m black.” The other one was something about being raised in Southern Baptist.
A little while later I heard Billy and Bobby talking. Billy was looking for a certain Scripture. I looked for it. After about five to fifteen minutes I found what I thought might be it. Billy said he would look on Rocco’s computer for it.
After the prayer and finishing songs, it was time to go. Angel had already gone. I turned off the big screen and the monitor and stayed upstairs a bit. My brother had forgotten me on two occasions, so I told him I would either be upstairs or in the balcony. I wandered around several times. I went back upstairs while the choir practiced. Bobby had turned everything back on so they could see the words. He moved the mouse like a bouncy ball on those kids shows where they had the ball bounce on each word as it was sung. Everyone laughed. I went downstairs thinking my brother was leaving a few times, but he never did. Finally, one time he did leave, but he didn’t forget me that time.
February 24, 1999
