Precious stood still, looking at those ugly-colored windows. She waved me over instead of talking. Before I got to her, it happened: the sun blazed through the first few stained glass panels, and the blues, reds, and gold colors lightened around three angels in the middle of each one.

The angels had these white robes on, and their faces warmed to various brown complexions and you could see their afros, blond, red, and black. They blew into bronze trumpets tilted in the air. I could feel the heat as the sunlight, sharp like lasers, zipped through the pews.

Precious looked back at me with the biggest smile, the shock on my face making her laugh. She turned around and walked up a few places before sitting down.

I just stood there in the middle of the sanctuary. It wasn’t just the sun, and the life it gave that room. I felt something else; God seemed to speak through that light and those windows. A calm took over me, and I was no longer angry about being there.

God was somehow in those colors, I’d discover, in the quiet. I slipped into the pew closest to me and sat at the corner. When I looked up at Precious, she seemed to be praying, so I bowed my head too.

I thought about how, as a girl in Mississippi, Mama spent all week in church. She came from generations of Seventh-day Adventists and was active in this church until she got pregnant with Meechie. She wasn’t married to my dad, and people judged her, so she left the church. I’d learn that months away from church turn into years very easily, and just like Mama, after getting close to church, I’d lose my way from the sanctuary as well. We’d both return, though, and the Browns would be there to welcome us back to those same pews, with the same stained glass angels blowing their trumpets.

I sat there with my eyes closed, then I heard the doors creaking. I took a peek and saw Ms. Patty. She walked down the side aisle closest to the windows and sat at a bench far away from Precious—who still hadn’t lifted her head or opened her eyes. Ms. Patty lowered her head and didn’t move. I closed my eyes again and kept them shut as the door opened two more times. We sat there, not saying a word. Then suddenly Mr. Brown started talking out loud, a prayer for us all, and everyone said, all together, “Amen.” It was how they got ready to run church.

When Mr. Brown preached, we came to church early and did the same thing. Something about praying made me breathe easier. By the time we said amen, I felt like I had just gotten up from a good night’s sleep. Sitting quiet like that was new to me.