No counsel is more trustworthy than that which is given upon ships that are in peril.
Leonardo da Vinci

I fell into someone's crisis by default. Newly ordained as an assistant pastor, I was sitting in my leather chair in my expansive office feeling rather pastoral when my intercom buzzed. "Jim, I've got someone on the phone who wants to talk to Toby. Do you want to take the call?"

"What's it about?"

"She won't say. When I told her Toby had gone to another church, she just asked for any pastor. I think I recognize the voice. She called Toby sporadically for a number of months."

"Thanks. Put her on." I tried not to sound too eager.

The voice on the other end of the line came across drained and hesitant: "Hello? Uh, are you a minister?"

"Yes I am," I replied, trying to sound as competent as my new title and office would have one believe. "My name's Jim. What's yours?"

"I better not tell you. But you can call me Cory. That's what I told Toby."

"Well, Cory," I said smoothly, leaning back in my chair ...