"It's pronounced 'Yo-ahv'." The young man clarifies, cutting off any potential for awkward moments.

  "Ahh, wonderful! I appreciate the nod to the original Hebrew pronounciation." The suited man before him beams, looking up from the sign-in sheet, "It's good to have you here, Joab; is this your first time at church?"

  "Yeah- well, no- I-I mean...it's...it's just been a while."

  A very warm and sincere glimmer floats behind the old man's eyes, "Well, it's a joy to know that you've decided to give Him your time. Enjoy the service!"

  Joab gives a half smile and a nod as he walks past, fighting the restlessness as he turns his attention to the surprisingly crowded foyer. It feels strange being back in a church building after so many years...not bad, just odd.

  I can't believe I'm actually doing this. It's...kind of surreal...

  The scent of cheap coffee, floral perfumes and mild colognes fill his nostrils, resurrecting memories he had long assumed forgotten. A few of the attendees came in suits, some in dresses, though most were arriving in casual attire of various flavors...a far more diverse collection of people than he could recall from years past.

  Joab takes in as deep of a breath as his lungs will allow, wrestling his anxiety into submission as he attempts to navigate the bustling room. He finds himself amazed and perplexed at the joyous atmosphere carried by the foyer...he had become so accustomed to the darkness out in the world that the church's upbeat aura hit with the strength of genuine culture shock. Was this...always how it had been? As usual, he couldn't remember.

  Alright, what now? He wonders, Do I just find a place to sit, or...should I be socializing or something? I don't recognize anyone here...should I just...walk up and start talking? Ugh, what do I do?

  Slowly, anxiety begins to rear its hideous visage.

  ...I have no idea what any of the etiquette even is...should I even be here? Ugh, I knew this was a bad idea, what was I thinking? I should've never come here. I need to go. I can't be here. I should just find a way to leave before I-

  "...Joab?"

  Startled, the young man snaps back into focus. He starts to turn, searching for the origin of the voice and quickly sets sights on a young woman. She gives him a welcoming smile, her beautiful hazel eyes crinkling cutely at the edges as she approaches.

  Oh, my...hello cute blonde shorty with the hips that don't quit... Joab's thoughts purr almost automatically, as if speaking on their own, ...where do I know you from...?

  "It's me, Izzy," the young lady states, "It's been so long!"

  Immediately, it clicks, and the young man is bombarded by memories as they come flooding back in neurological droves. Though too ashamed to admit it, he had forgotten that Izzy even existed...though, in all fairness, the far more pressing issues of the current world had the tendency to enslave one's attention, leaving room for little else.

  "Oh...hey!" He replies, nonchalant as possible, "It really has been some time, hasn't it?"

  "Yeah," Izzy chuckles, running a hand through her locks, "It's so cool to see you here; I didn't know you attended."

  "Yeah, I-I, uh...I mean, I used to go to church when I was younger, but..."

  Izzy's smile fades a little. She didn't need the details...the story was the same for everybody,

  "...yeah...I get that. It's awesome to see you, though! Are you here with anyone?"

  "Nah...just me. I, uh...life's just been rough...obviously. I just kind of decided on a whim that I should try the whole Sunday service thing again."

  The young woman's smile brightens again, seeming almost a little sly,

  "Would you like some company to sit with? We can catch up after the sermon too, if you'd like; they've got coffee and a few different kinds of tea if you're into it."

  For years, Joab's experiences with those around him were, at best, cold and professional. To finally meet up with someone who seemed genuinely pleased to see him was like an extention of the church's culture shock...foreign, but not at all unwelcome.

  "Sure, I won't say no to that."

  Izzy's eyes shine with what almost seems to be giddiness,

  "Awesome! Come on, let's find ourselves a seat."

  Still at odds with his nerves, Joab follows her into the auditorium, along with the many others beginning to funnel their way in. They are hardly seated for more than a minute before a man makes his way onto the elevated podium at the front of the room and begins speaking. So much time had passed since Joab had last heard anyone preach, it almost felt like watching a performance of some kind. The man speaks with such passion, such conviction, such reverence, about creation, life, death, the falling away of the human race and their redemption through Christ's sacrifice. None of these were unfamiliar to him, but...it feels strangely good to hear them again, though he chalks it up to mere fleeting nostalgia.

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  On more than one occasion, he catches himself drifting, his focus dissolving as it so often did as his gaze steers its way about the congregation. Part of him still couldn't quite believe that he was here, sitting amongst those he had long considered to be little more than 'brainwashed drones'. They all seemed so satisfied...or simply content, perhaps...and so far, not a single one of them had dropped dead. He then begins to notice coats and purses lifting as those around him rise to their feet and gather their things. Was it over already? How much time had even passed? The man who had occupied the podium was now mingling amongst the crowd, conversing and chuckling with those present as if lifelong friends. Joab had always envied people like that; those who were just...so...effortlessly likeable. Why couldn't he be like that...like them? What was his excuse...what was his problem? Was it really that big of an ask to-

  "So...coffee?" Izzy's endearing voice cuts through his train of thought as she gets up from her seat, brushing a few golden strands of hair behind her ear.

  It takes the young man a second or two to return to present,

  "...hmm? O-oh, yeah, sure."

  "Awesome! Follow me."

  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * _ _ * _ _ * _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

  Bare sympathy paints Izzy's gentle features as she listens attentively, her eyes fixed on Joab.

  She hadn't expected when they sat down that he'd be so willing to unload...well...everything. The last number of years had been full of hardships and challenges of many hellish kinds for the world at large; none were safe, and Joab had most certainly not been spared their wrath...which only made his nonchalant attitude about it even more confounding. He had seemingly had it worse than most, and with the way he so emotionlessly recounted his own tribulations, one might be tempted to think he had lost his soul in the process, as well.

  Izzy takes a slow sip of her now cold drink, nodding along respectfully as the young man draws his dialogue to a close.

  "...so, yeah. To say things have been 'rough' would be an understatement grievous enough to warrant having your weekends revoked."

  "...yeah, no kidding." She finds her gaze drifting downwards, "Is that why you decided to come back to church after being away for so long, if you don't mind me asking?"

  "I, uh...I honestly don't know. Truthfully, I'm pretty hungover and underslept, and...yeah. This was all kind of an impulse decision on my part...I'm still not sure how I feel about it."

  "I get that, it can be weird, especially if you haven't attended in a while."

  "Yeah...I guess I just finally got sick of it all, sick enough to look for an escape other than my usual means, one I normally wouldn't have picked."

  Izzy nods again, taking another quiet sip. The short lull in the conversation hangs heavy in the silence of the nearly-empty room. They had been sitting long enough that most of the church goers were gone, and the volunteer staff were slowly beginning to clean up.

  The young woman feels herself begin to battle with an internal hesitation, struggling with whether or not to say what she wanted to say next.

  ...would it be weird? She wonders, He and I haven't interacted in years...but he clearly needs a helping hand, and it could really do him good if I just suggested...no...no, he'll probably just think I'm crazy...I don't need that. Then again...would it not be worth it for the sake of potentially helping someone out? Oh, Lord, please help me make the right choice here...

  "Hey, you good?"

  Izzy is shaken from her thoughts, only just now realizing that she had been staring. She can feel her cheeks flush as she immediately looks down again,

  "Sorry, I just...zoned out for a second, there."

  Joab lets out a short chuckle, "It's all good."

  The young woman wears a bashful smile, playing with her hair absentmindedly as she works to find the right words,

  "...if I were to say that I had something that could help you...how would you react?"

  The almost amused expression on Joab's face says it all,

  "I would say 'No thanks, I'm actually trying to avoid substances for once'."

  "Oh, it's not a substance; think more along the lines of...spiritual meditation."

  She cringes internally at her own word choice, afraid that she may have already lost him. Surprisingly, he seems ever so slightly intrigued,

  "What, you mean...like...closing my eyes and humming to myself or something?"

  "Oh, hah, no, not quite like that...although it does involve closing your eyes. Basically, you lay on your back, eyes shut, like mentioned, and then we pray; asking God for guidance, protection, wisdom and clarity. The goal is to be calm enough that you enter a sleepy, meditative, dream-like state, one where you can search yourself and find out what makes you tick."

  "...like...psychologically operating on yourself?"

  "...kinda, yeah, although it's definitely more than just psychological; a lot of it is spiritual. You're looking to figure out where you're weakest in order to better identify and deal with the problem."

  An inquisitive look flashes across Joab's features,

  "So, theoretically...one could perhaps kill the bad parts of themself?"

  "I suppose you could...although I'm not sure I'd recommend it." Izzy cautions, "Oftentimes, much of what we think of as being 'negative' traits are really just God-given attributes that have been corrupted by living in this fallen world. Anger for battling unrighteousness becomes short-tempered wrath, enjoyment and appreciation for the physical world becomes gluttony, sensuality, lust..."

  She goes quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought,

  "I guess what I'm trying to say is that ripping out weeds with reckless abandon risks uprooting the flowers as well."

  A brief pause follows. Joab seems almost offended by the suggestion,

  "So, what, I'm expected to just be okay with my screwed up self?"

  "Oh, no, not at all, it's just that the process of untangling the good and the bad demands patience. These things rarely happen in one sitting."

  The young man sinks back into his seat, wearing a look of silent contemplation, his gaze absently drifting across the table before them. Izzy can tell he's struggling to decide; no doubt the idea she just put forth is likely quite alien to him. As much as she wants to help, her expectation that he'll bite is close to none.

  Maybe I went too far with this one... she worries, Oh, who am I kidding? We haven't seen each other in years and I'm just sitting here offering him spiritual meditation to combat his deep, personal issues? Of course I went too far...he's probably just thinking of the most polite way to let me down easy...ugh, bad move, Iz, bad move...

  Joab lets out a tired breath, once more dragging the young woman back to the present,

  "Alright...I...I guess I'll try it."

  Izzy can't help her smile as she tries to keep her relief subtle,

  "I'm happy you're willing to give it a chance."

  "Honestly, at this point, I'm almost willing to try anything."

  "So...how about this evening?"

  Please say yes, please say yes...

  The young man shrugs,

  "...no time like the present, as they say."