Things that Make You Go Hmmm

Things continued to get stranger between the Pastors and me. The Pastor would introduce me to people as his daughter and the Pastor’s wife would sometimes introduce me as the girl who my husband considers to be his adoptive daughter. The Pastor’s wife was constantly bringing to my attention how many times her husband discussed me at home. He would discuss my wardrobe, my talent, and how much he loved me like a daughter. When I preached a 12-week series on healing for a video bible school that we were producing, I found out that the Pastor had taken home most of my videos and watched them. His son had also preached a 12 week series and he didn’t watch his own son’s videos. When I found that out I thought it was very strange, but I hoped it was a sign that I would soon be allowed to preach from the pulpit occasionally. Looking back on it now it is easy to see the pattern of inappropriate behavior that was developing, but at the time each incident seemed isolated from the other. The only thing I knew was that I had become very isolated from my own parents and my Pastors had become their replacements. I was loved and accepted and that was all that seemed to matter. I even began to call my pastor, Dad. He even announced to his sons while I was standing there that he had included me in his will.