Tom: Limping Toward God Series

Limping toward God Series
Archetypal character for Thomas

Bud: Every now and then you grow accustomed to seeing certain
passengers making routine flights to the home office or to pick up
their kids every other weekend. But sometimes people just fall off our
radar so to speak. A change of location and different job. We get on a
first name basis with them and then for some reason or another they
disappear into our subconscious. I almost came to that conclusion with
Tom. He's the guy by in the jeans and knit shirt. Let me see if I can
get his attention.

Bud: Hey Tom.

Tom:  Hello. (Realizing who called his name) Oh hey.

Bud: Where have you been?

Tom:  Nowhere actually. Not for a long time.

Bud: I could have told you that.

Tom:  I'm surprised you remembered my name.  I'm not on some kind of
watch list am I?

Bud: I think you're clear. I'll give you a yellow rating.  Maybe even
a green if you behave yourself.

Tom: (smiling coyly) Thanks.

Bud: So how is the Mrs.?

Tom:  Um… Actually… She died about three months ago.

(Stunned pause)

Bud: Oh, man. I am so sorry!

Tom:  That's OK. Really. (Attempting politeness)

Bud: That's terrible.

Tom:  She had pancreatic cancer and she was in a lot of pain. In the
final days, I guess one could say it was a relief.  (looking at his
watch) Look I've got to go.

Bud: Oh.

Tom:  It's great to see you. By the way, I'm moving to Chicago next
week. I'm going there to find an apartment.

Flight Gate Attendant:  We'll begin preboarding flight 687 to Chicago
and Minneapolis in five minutes. Please have your boarding pass and
identification ready, as we will begin the boarding process
momentarily.

(Laynie approaches)

Laynie:  Tom! Hey! How are you?

Tom:  I'm OK.

Laynie:  Did you get my messages?

Tom:  Yeah, thanks. Sorry I never got together with you and Jay.

Laynie:  I totally understand. I can't even imagine what the past
months have been like.

Tom:  It's been a journey.

Laynie:  Where are you headed?

Tom:  I'm relocating to Chicago.

Laynie:  Wow! (thinking) I'm… stunned. Is this a good thing?

Tom:  I hoping it will be.

Laynie:  Too many memories?

Tom:  It's hard to say.

Laynie:  So you'll be building your counseling ministry from the
ground up again. Very courageous- just to reboot like that in the
middle of your career.

Tom:  Actually I'm going into pharmaceutical sales.

Laynie:  Oh… (Sound of emptiness in her response)

Tom:  You sound a little disappointed.

Laynie:  I don't know. It's hard for me picture you as anything other
the guy who helped Jay and I to salvage our marriage.

Tom:  That's kind of you to say, Laynie.

Laynie:  I don't like this, Tom. Are you sure this is what God wants?

Tom: (Smiles slightly) What did you say?

Laynie:  I said, are you sure this is what God wants you to do with
you life? (Backtracking) I'm sorry.

Tom:  I don't know what God wants. In fact I doubt he really gives a
flying leap what I do with my life.  Oops. Sorry. I don't have my
church face on.

Laynie:  You sound like I did during the separation.

Tom:  Laynie, I appreciate your concern but I don't think a
five-minute conversation before I board this plane is going to amount
to anything other than disappointment for you and pain for me. Believe
me. I know the dance. I've been to the circus. But I'm just not buying
it anymore. You know I can stomach the pain. I can understand that bad
things happen. But there isn't any connectedness to it all. It's the
silence that is maddening. My prayers hit the ceiling and if… yes I
said it… IF He is really there, he should have done a whole lot more
for me than I saw him do.

Laynie:  I don't know what to say-

Tom:  Please. Don't say anything.

Laynie:  I couldn't if I tried.

Tom:  I'm sorry to spill all this out but this is really the first day
I haven't felt the weight of professionalism hanging over me.

Laynie:  I just wish Jay and I would have known…

Tom:  If you would have known what would you do?

Laynie:  We could have talked.

Tom:  I've made a career out of listening to people talk but—

Laynie:  Is that all we were to you?  A career?

Tom:  That's not what I meant.

Laynie:  I always felt like God was so real to You. Wasn't He?

(Long silence)

Tom:  You know, after the funeral- that awful rainstorm. And I just
stood there in the rain. I asked people to leave me there for a while.
I had this expectation that God was going to be there. I expected… I
don't know… Some epiphany… some comfort. I didn't happen. I guess
that's why I'm going to Chicago. I can't do what I've done in the
past.  I can't serve a God who is so silent that I find it painful to
believe He's even there.

(Blackout)