His eyes averted themselves from me as I strode on the porch. The young man accompanying him did the same. I hadn’t bothered to turn down the music before I came out from the darken house.  There was a bounce in my step as I reached for Luther’s collar.  The lab-pit mix took note of his correction and moved to wait patiently behind me, thumping his tale in anticipation. The man, gray haired and balding, stammered out an invitation to his church and tried to push the pamphlet into the gap between the screen door and frame. His hands were still trembling when I opened the door all the way.

“Thank you, but I have my own church.”  I said looking at a face not looking back at me.

He looked at my chin, careful not to make eye contact or let his gaze linger on my breasts loosely contained in a tank top. It was Saturday. Cleaning day and I like to be comfortable when I do it. No bra, just a tank and yoga pants.   Speechless and tried to pass back the flyer.  The young man still was not looking at me.

“Please sir, take your flyer back. I don’t need it.”

“Perhaps your husband…” He glanced towards my rounded belly.  I knew the implication and wasn’t offended.  There were others who needed saving in the world. Some that I was sure lived just down the block from me. I just wanted him to save his flyer for them.

“I am not married.” Suddenly, he straightened himself up and met my hazel eyes with his glassy blue ones.  He had met his enemy and I a lost soul.

“Still you should…  you should cover yourself.” He declared his voice moving from kindness to authority “The Lord, our God …”

“Why? It is only the stain of sin that makes us see our natural selves as wrong.  God made us all beautiful.” I replied with the same even tone that I had begun the conversation with. I could have traded verses back and forth him. Let anger rise in my heart at his presumption of judgment.  It would have been easy. Easy to toss my knowledge at him and call it wisdom. Instead, I just stood there and met his fierceness with love. I took the flyer and pressed it back into his hands.

“May God be with you, sir. “

“And with you as well” The young man replied.

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