A Beautiful Morning Part II

The beginning of the church service had been full of stress for Nate, who was continually glancing at Anne to see if she approved or disapproved of the liturgical church he attended. It had taken him almost the whole of the service to calm down enough to actually focus on the meaning of the words being said as the priest blessed the bread and wine. But by the time his pew was called up to the alter to partake of the communion he had brought his full attention back to the reality of what Christ had done for him, and just how grateful he truly was for it.

He took time as the final anthem was sung to reflect on what he had just experienced; on how it was the act of communion every week that served to center his spiritual life. When he walked into the church he was strung out, stressed and worrying about the world that surrounded him. But by the time he walked out of that small church a short time later he was once more a relaxed but determined man. It was such a peaceful thing, and the knowledge that he would have communion at the end of the week was often what got him through it. Christ=s love was always there, all he had to do was reach for it and he would be relieved. He would be alright, because a far greater power was in control no matter what...

He wondered what Anne thought about it...

Now as the acolytes put out the candles on the alter he recalled just where he was: standing in pew behind his parents, sister and brother-in-law with a stunningly beautiful young lady that they had only just met during the sharing of the peace.

As he turned to Anne to warn her of the oncoming family introductions Nate's father winked at him with a malicious and yet playful smile in his eyes as his mother began to "Properly introduce myself, I'm Nathan's mother. I don't think Nathan has ever introduced us..."

"I don't think I've ever had the opportunity before this... Mom, Dad, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Miss Anne Lewis. We're in the same discussion group at school. "

"Oh, you're Anne! Yes, I've heard Nathan mention you several times..."

Nate looked imploringly at his sister Jean. Her husband Josh responded to his fallen countenance by saying "Well, I thought it was a good save Nate. But you really did almost loose the introduction."

"Is it so bad to sit and think about the service for a few moments afterward?"

"No, but it's not very polite to not introduce your friends to your family. Especially when your family wants to meet your "friend" as much as we do..." Jean retorted.

"Hey!"

Nate was on the verge of reprimanding his sister further for being so forward in Anne's hearing when his nephew Samuel interrupted with demands to have his uncle play with him.