Chapter 10
Concern chased Jordan through the rest of the week, his prayers tamping down on each worry before anxiety could float for too long and take hold.
He didn’t like how Gwen and Eric had obviously shoved a huge foothold in EJ’s focus, and he prayed she’d come to her senses and see their manoeuvres as problematic.
They sure didn’t allow much time for her to think.
Gwen seemed to push until EJ wasn’t sure what was going on.
Classic manipulation. But he knew that if he said anything, EJ would get upset.
For some reason, she seemed quite protective of this relationship, which created its own challenges.
So he continued working at Donwell, continued praying for EJ, and tried to connect with her each day via a call or email or text message. Living where she lived didn’t make it super easy to see each other in person, but they still had their Saturday morning run.
Thursday night he sent her a message, checking where she wanted to run this week. Sydney’s harbour foreshore was nearly twenty kilometres in length, and much of that was in walking paths. They’d run most of them, but a section past Balmain, near the Parramatta River, remained undone.
A minute later, his phone buzzed with a call. His heart warmed. “Hey, EJ.”
She coughed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make it on Saturday,” she rasped.
“You don’t sound great.”
“I went to the gym on Tuesday and did a spin class, and I don’t think someone wiped down the equipment properly. I can’t think of anything else I’ve done differently this week.”
Amid his disappointment and concern, his heart pinged with satisfaction. That meant she hadn’t been out schmoozing with the likes of Eric and Gwen. Good.
“Do you need looking after, or are you going to be okay?”
Her laughter sounded forced. “I’m not a little old lady, Jordan. I’ll be fine. But thank you for asking.”
She checked in with him, and he told her the latest with Lionel and Dallas and Dean.
She paid attention, asking questions, which was nice, as there had been times when she’d seemed like she’d moved on so thoroughly she wasn’t interested anymore.
And while she had certainly moved on, he didn’t want her moving on too quickly from being interested in him.
“So, any more news on Dream Match?” he asked.
She sighed. “I spoke with Maurice, and he wasn’t very happy to hear about Neil. But at least I don’t have to worry about Neil and his motives anymore.”
Was this his chance to talk about what motives Gwen and Eric might have? Lord?
“It’s so hard to keep pushing and stay positive,” she said. “I just want this sorted.”
“It’s important to stay patient. We’re trusting God, aren’t we?”
She gave another sigh. “Trying, anyway.”
“Hey, you don’t want the app having its fundamental features getting altered because the wrong people are involved. Remember that.”
“You mean Eric and Gwen, don’t you? You don’t like them much.”
He winced. While that was probably technically true, he knew it was unwise to admit it. “I guess I’m just a little concerned at their questions about the Christian nature of the app. It sounds like they aren’t wanting that at all.”
“Do you think the Christian element is too much?” she asked.
He gritted his teeth, frustrated at the way Eric and Gwen had made EJ second-guess herself, and did his best to sound soothing.
“Of course it’s not too much. Remember? It’s the Christian element that makes it stand out from the other apps out there.
That’s our point of difference, our unique factor. ”
She heaved out a breath. “Maybe there would be more interest if I didn’t keep holding out on this one thing.”
“Reducing or removing the Christian content means it becomes basically the same as everything else out there. It’s important to keep it in, EJ.”
The silence on the end of the phone suggested she didn’t fully agree.
Lord, help her see that this is important.
And it felt important. Because compromising with the app suggested that EJ was willing to compromise in other areas, like with her faith.
“You’re being very quiet,” he said.
“There’s a lot to think about.”
Sure was. “Look, speaking as your best friend, as someone who has known you all your life, then I have to admit that I am a little concerned about the speed of which this has happened. It bothers me that you’re even asking these questions, when for years you’ve been firm on what Dream Match is and isn’t.
” Lord, help me say this kindly so she hears and isn’t offended.
“For years you’ve dreamed and planned about Dream Match, so it’s a shame to think that people you didn’t know three months ago are now making you question whether you should alter the very DNA of the app. ”
“Are you sure you’re not jealous?”
Fear spiked. “Of what?”
“Of my new friends. These people. Jordan, you know that I’m trying to get ahead in the world, and these people can help me.
It’s all about connections. And living where I lived, the kind of school and university I attended, I have to admit it’s not exactly set me up for making a success of my life. ”
Whoa. This was way more serious than he’d thought. What was the best way to tackle this? Lord? Help!
He spoke slowly, praying she’d really hear his words.
“EJ, the fact that you have been able to produce an app that is already accessible around the world says that those kinds of connections aren’t nearly as valuable as you might think.
Look at what you’ve been able to achieve already just by your hard work.
Don’t discount that. Don’t look down on the past, don’t sneer at those who have helped you along the way.
Attending public high school in Wattle Vale helped give you all the tools you needed to create that app and ignited the passion to make a difference in other people’s lives.
You did that. Not any of these rich people with their fancy connections. You did that. You and God.”
“And you,” she murmured.
Finally. He shut his eyes. “Do I need to take the day off tomorrow? Watch some movies with you and remind you of why I’m your best friend?”
“That’d be great, but I don’t want you getting sick.”
He was tempted to say that getting sick would be worth it, just to spend time with her, but that sounded dumb, and probably wasn’t true, so he refrained.
“I’ll be praying you feel better soon,” he said instead.
“Thanks.”
“Hey, that reminds me. What are you reading in the Bible these days?”
He could almost hear her cringe as the seconds stretched. “Um, I’ve been a little busy lately.”
He’d figured as much. “Hey, it’s never too late to start. I’ve been reading through the Gospels again, seeing what Jesus is telling His disciples. Pastor Bryan preached about loving your enemies last week, so I read about that in Matthew 5. Reading what Jesus says is always good.”
“I’ll get reading again.”
“I think it’ll help remind you why it’s important that the app sticks to its Christian roots. People need Jesus, and hey, who knows but God might be able to help people find Jesus through using the app. That’d be awesome, don’t you think?”
“Yeah.”
Her tone didn’t scream enthusiasm, but he’d put it down to her sickness. He remembered the days when they’d travel to Christian youth events and she’d pray that God would use her. Actually …
“Do you remember those years when we travelled up to Katoomba and went to those Christian youth events?”
“Wow. That seems so long ago. Why are you asking?”
“Because I just thought of it now. How many years ago was it that you were praying each day that God would use you for His kingdom?”
“I don’t know. Ten years? Maybe twelve? I haven’t thought about that in years.”
“And here you are now, with an app that does exactly that. Blessing Christians around the world, helping people find relationships and sometimes even marriages, growing families, and strengthening communities, just because you asked God to be used by Him and asked for wisdom, and He gave you Dream Match and more.”
“Huh. Wow. You’re right. That is pretty awesome.”
“God is faithful, EJ. See what He’s done in the past ten years? You can keep trusting Him with the rest of your future too.”
“I know. Thanks for reminding me.”
He silently exhaled, as once again she seemed to steer back onto the right path. Away from temptation. Away from those who wanted to sabotage who she was and what Dream Match was about.
And as the call soon ended—with him praying aloud for her, and her promising to read the first few chapters of Matthew again—he felt a sense of peace.
He might not have the money or the connections that her new friends did, but he had something better. He had history with her, something he could always point back to, always remind her of. And more importantly, he had Jesus. And so did she.
Jordan was so good to remind her that God held her future in His hands.
It was tricky when the world blared the need for immediate solutions, quick fixes, what was easy and accessible and cheap, rather than remember it was the things that were built to last that cost more and took time but were ultimately valued more highly.
Jordan had been right to remind her about why she had started Dream Match. It was important to remember the reasons for starting it, especially when others seemed to suggest she was wrong for even daring to want to walk a different way.
It was funny how in this world people were encouraged to be different, to own their own truth, to follow their heart and explore and exploit their identity so that what felt good trumped all else.
But as soon as someone pointed to ancient truths or mentioned faith or pointed to a Bible, well whoa Nelly, those people got excluded and cancelled faster than ex-Olympian James Magnussen could swim a lap of the pool.