The Wrath Walker (The Wrath Series Book 1), Matthew Newson [8 ebook reader .txt] 📗

to be free from his past demons, much like I wanted to be free from mine. My father had done so much for me when he was alive, and I wouldn’t let his legacy be marred by who he used to be.

Another revelation from that night I was also unable to shake was Wrath’s parting words to me removed from my mind about becoming a pastor. I had prayed many times from dusk to dawn by that burned-up mess, asking God to show me what he wanted me to do with my life. I had gotten so desperate for an answer that I even started reading and studying my Bible again, but with a focused intensity I hadn’t had in years past. I had no idea where to begin or how to become a pastor, and I never felt compelled to go back to school. Just about the only thing that kept coming to me was to clean up the grounds of the old church, and make the area look decent and respectable again.

I got the city to hire me at a reduced rate to demo the remaining structures and clear the grounds. I used what was left of my savings to rent equipment and hire operators until I was trained to use the heavy machinery myself and pay for the disposal fees for the debris we removed. The city ended up paying me well for the job I did. Some of the officials had legally voted to pay more since they were all happy to be rid of that embarrassing sight. Apart from the extra money the city paid me, most of the time while I worked at the old church site, I had others pull into the parking lot that were driving by and offer to pay me to come do work for them on their properties—which I gladly accepted, and worked very hard to complete the work on time, on budget, and up to the owner’s standards. Word started to travel fast about my company, and I never thought that it would help in cleaning up my spotted reputation with many in the city as well as it did. I even got hired by my former brothers in blue to do some work for them, which seemed to mend things between us.

I’m still amazed that my construction company was birthed in the burnt-out pit that had brought so much shame upon our town, and my company had grown in leaps and bounds that first year. I had more work than I could keep up with, but I kept preparing myself for the day that I would become a pastor. I figured that someone would come to me and ask me to pastor their church, but God had another idea, and when he told me, I listened. So, by the end of my second year in business, I had saved enough to buy the land that the old Holy Anointed Church sat on.

As soon as I had signed the contract, and the property was in my name, I prayed over the land for God to bless it and remove any curse that might be on it from Phillip. Then I went to work building a new church. As soon as the construction had been completed, I opened the doors on the following Sunday morning, and to my surprise, I preached my first sermon to a full congregation. The best part was that I had been doing so for the last seven months. I kept my construction company going, so I wouldn’t need to take a salary from the church, so all the offering money could go to mission work and various other church and community needs.

“Thank you for everything, Jesus,” I said as the door to my office opened.

“Sorry babe, I’m not Jesus. Are you praying right now? Do you need me to come back?” Lizzie asked as she walked into the room.

“No, it’s fine. Come on in.”

Lizzie and I talked that night on the roof as the Holy Anointed Church burned in front of us. I told her I was sorry for everything. I was sorry about what Scott had done to her, and how I had completely let her down in the past. I told her how much I still loved her, but I understood if she didn’t want to talk to me again after everything that had happened between us. I didn’t know where we were supposed to go from there, but that I would always be there for her. She didn’t say much at all that night as a steady stream of tears ran down her cheeks, and I put my arms around her in one last hug. We parted ways, and I never expected to see her again. I had thought about calling so many times, but I always decided not to, and to just let it be. Then one day while I was working at the old church site, she came to see me. She had brought food, and asked if I was hungry, and if I wanted to have lunch with her. She looked as beautiful as ever, and of course I couldn’t resist.

The rest is history as they say.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I was somewhat taken aback by how beautiful she looked in the simple black pant suit she wore. After she quit being a detective, she started working in my construction company. Right after we opened the church doors, we got married at the altar in front of the congregation like we had planned all those years ago. My father would have been so proud, and I figured he and my mother had a front row seat from Heaven and watched as we were pronounced man and wife.

“I was just checking to see if you were ready for your sermon this morning, and if you know where you want to go for our one-year anniversary?”

“Thanks, and I’m ready for this morning, and I want to go wherever