Chapter 409: Beyond The Pulpit

Cherilyn’s POV…

The conference was meant to last for two hours. The event had been well planned and the decor was amazing. Everyone was organized and the entire space was super clean. There were several booths where you could get information concerning different career paths, and it seemed as professional as ever. After we signed in, we were ushered inside and went straight to find our seats inside the auditorium. Many other people were there too, brandishing their nametags while muttering to themselves.

After we took our seats, it took about a minute before the lights dimmed out and the music filtered in. The big screen started playing the introductory message, explaining what the Beyond The Pulpit conference was all about and why it was being held. The message played out. The lights brightened. The air grew thinner, and a man walked onto the stage with a microphone in his hand and a smile on his handsome face.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome, all. Welcome to the Beyond The Pulpit conference. My name is Timothy Garrett and I’ll be your host for today’s event. We’re about to commence and as always, we’re going to start with a bit of an opening prayer, dedicating all that we’re about to do today into the hands of God, asking the Holy Spirit to oversee our conduct while bringing about his will. Can we all rise and close our eyes in reverence to the Lord?”

The prayer was quick and simple, but it carried a plea that echoed into the heavens. With so many people here today, it was clear that everyone had their reasons for being here. As for the girls and I, our reasons were personal to us, and not even fully revealed yet. I looked at a flier and immediately decided to come here today. Same thing happened with Michaela. And at the door, I heard the soft whisper of the Holy Spirit asking me to come inside. I was inside now, and I was yet to hear more from the Lord…but we were only just starting. I suspected that I would hear more before the event came to an end.

After praying, we all took our seat and began immediately. There were a few speakers meant to address us, so the first took center stage, sat on his seat and the host started speaking to him about what it means to be a follower of Christ, an ambassador for the Gospel, all the while being within the world and working inside their systems. His story was quite inspiring, and his motivations were similar to mine. However, he had a lot more skin in the game and had done many wonderful things in his field, and yet he remained loyal to the gospel he had been reborn in.

After he was done, two more speakers took the stage and about an hour flew by. Then the host rose to feet and told us it was time for the interactive session. He asked us to follow the ushers to the corridor just outside the auditorium, so everyone present would have the chance to connect with each other.

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Michaela’s POV…

After we reached the amazingly decorated corridor, it was time to freestyle. Everyone moved as they were led by the Spirit, meeting new people and conversing amongst themselves. I noticed several groups already starting to form. Those who were business owners flocked around other business owners, while those who were employed in companies they didn’t own were beginning to gather around themselves as well. Cherilyn, Kendra and I were standing together in the same spot, but it was clear that we weren’t going to remain that way for long. The first person to make the move was Kendra.

“I’m heading over there. The person who invited me is on that side, and we have some things to talk about. Excuse me,” she said and she gave Cherilyn a kiss on the cheek.

“Have fun,” Cherilyn said back and Kendra walked off.

“So…” I said to her after we were by ourselves, “Now what?”

“Now,” she said with an infectious smile, “We socialize…”

I leaned into her. “But how do we find what we’re looking for?”

“We’re Ifa, Mick. In case you’ve forgotten. We don’t go looking for signs. Instead, they come to us.”

Just as she said that, a beautiful looking couple walked over to us and judging from the focus in their eyes, they wanted to speak to Cherilyn and not me.

“Hi there, Miss…” the woman looked at Cherry’s chest and got her name, “Cherilyn? Did I pronounce that right?”

“It’s actually Sherriline. With a ‘sh’ sound, but you were pretty close,” she replied with a smile.

“I’m Deborah and this is my husband, Kyle. We noticed you from over there and Kyle was certain that you worked in fashion. Was he right?”

“He certainly was,” Cherry said and gave him a hand and he shook it.

“My instincts concerning this business are never wrong,” Kyle said proudly.

“What’s the name of your business and how long have you been operational? We’ve been looking for potential new partners. The last few ones we’ve had proved more costly than they were beneficial.”

Kyle cut in, “We’ve realized that we need partners who share our vision. Followers of the Lord that we can trust. You are a follower, right?”

It was getting into deep waters now. They were starting to bring up the Lord, which meant I needed to give them some space. I cleared my throat. “I’ll leave you three to talk. Excuse me, Kyle. Deborah. I’ll see you back inside later, Cherry.”

“Sure thing, Michaela,” she said back, just before I walked away from them.

While Cherilyn was figuring out why the Lord led her here, I decided to get started on doing the same thing. I stood still for a while, scanning around with my eyes, looking for a sign, trying to find the link.

And then, I saw her standing on her own with a plastic cup of sparkling juice in her hand. She was supposed to be speaking to someone, but here she was standing alone. I decided to use this chance to address what needed to be addressed, so I walked over to her.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve been acting rather suspicious since we got here, Ken.”

She held my eyes as I reached her. “What gave me away?”