#146: Kelly and Cristobal

Kelly had invited Cristobal, a friend from church, to her house for coffee after that morning's service had ended.

"It is very nice of you to ask me here, to your lovely home," he thanked her.

"I sensed in church that you are having a problem with something," Kelly said gently.  "You usually sing so robustly, and today I could barely hear you.  What is troubling you, Cristobal?"

"A woman," he replied glumly.  "A woman I like very much, but she wants to take things much too fast for me."

If anyone could be sympathetic to such a problem, it was Kelly.  "Please tell me what happened," she said, serving him a piece of freshly baked strawberry pie.

Cristobal related the basic details of his date the previous night with Lana (without, however, identifying her, because as a gentleman he wanted to protect her privacy and reputation).

"And I was VERY uncomfortable to be alone with her in her house late at night," he moaned.  "So I excused myself and said I had to leave, and then she jumped up and kissed me--quite aggressively," he said, embarrassed.

"Then I broke away from her embrace, and left hurriedly."

"Have you talked to her since your date last night?" Kelly asked.

"No," Cristobal admitted, again embarrassed.  "I did not know what to say, and today in church I was praying for guidance."

"Cristobal, if you're really interested in this woman, you must say SOMETHING to her," Kelly insisted.  "Even if it's only, 'I had a nice time with you at dinner last night.  I would like to see you again.'  That way, you're telling her something encouraging, while not addressing the unpleasant episode at her house."

"Kelly, I so admire you," Cristobal said earnestly.  "When you spoke at bible study about taking in your husband's illegitimate son, I realized that you are the kind of good person I aspire to be."

"Although I cannot imagine a mother abandoning her child the way you told us that woman did--leaving him on your doorstep, and not seeing him for weeks."

"We should never judge, Cristobal," she urged him.  "We should just strive to be the best people we can be, and to take up the slack for others who are troubled, when they need us to do so."