Authors: Monique Miller

Redemption Lake (18 page)

BOOK: Redemption Lake

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“Not really. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't have minded roasting some too,” Phillip said. “It reminded me of when I was in the Boy Scouts. We used to roast marshmallows on our camping trips.”

George stopped while holding one of the mugs he'd just gotten from the cabinet in mid air. “I knew there was something special about you. So you were in the Boy Scouts too?”

“Yeah, I had some really good times in my troop. Although I never quite learned how to make fire with two sticks,” Phillip said and laughed.

“You either? We were finally able to make a fire with a couple pieces of flint,” George said. He placed the cup down on the counter. “You want some tea or coffee or something?”

“Nah, I'll get some coffee after Shelby makes it,” Phillip said.

George looked at Phillip, thinking he was the type of man to wait for his wife to serve him.

Phillip put his hands up quickly. “I see that look in your eyes. I am not one who wants my wife to wait on me hand and foot, but when I make the coffee it's always either too weak or way too strong. My wife has banned me from coffee making and I can't say I blame her.”

George filled a kettle with water and set it on the stove to heat.

After a few moments of silence, Phillip said, “So how's everything going so far for you?”

George looked around, making sure no one was within listening range. His gut told him Phillip had a sincere, concerned spirit. He felt comfortable talking to him. “It is going good for me. Everything you've gone over with us parallels with what I teach. Much of what you've said is in
I Do, I Don't
.”

Phillip's gaze turned sheepish. “George, I have to admit that I haven't read that book, or any of your books for that matter.”

George nodded his head in understanding. “The sad thing is, my wife hasn't read them either. I've encouraged her, but often times, it's hard to get the ones closest to you to value the gifts God has given.”

Phillip nodded.

“When I wrote the letter applying for this retreat, Nina and I had talked extensively about the problems in our marriage at that time. You know, the credit cards, the gambling my wife was doing, and the pending foreclosure.”

Again Phillip nodded his head, listening and not interrupting.

“We've worked through those things. I've taken over the finances, and to her dismay, taken her name off our joint accounts. She still has an account, but I felt it wouldn't do any good to still have her connected to the other accounts which might cause her to deplete them,” George said. “That didn't go over easy at all. We both went to the bank, and she had to sign stating it was okay to take her name off.

“And I am glad to say we're out of foreclosure status, praise the Lord. The check cashing places have been paid off, and the amounts for the church bank accounts have been restored, using the little bit of funds we had left in our emergency account,” George said.

“That's good,” Phillip replied. “You've been able to correct most of the damage in a fairly quick amount of time.”

“The monetary damage, yes. But the emotional damage is another story. Sometimes she just seems to be going with the flow. At first she was fighting me on the changes I was making with the finances and bills, but now if I say something about them or ask for her input, she's nonchalant. And let me just tell you, my wife, the Nina I know, doesn't have a nonchalant bone in her body. It's like she just doesn't care at all, and even when I find something else dealing with the finances she'd forgotten about hiding from me, and I confront her with it, it doesn't seem to faze her.”

“Why do you think that is?” Phillip asked.

“I don't know. It's like she's another person. And the latest thing that you all have been able to witness is her mood swings. They aren't part of my wife's personality either. I bet everyone here probably just thinks she puts on a front with me in public and on television and is a true witch at home, and when the cameras are off. My wife is a diva, but normally, she's a classy diva.” George shook his head in confusion. “These displays of irritability and tranquility she's been displaying are totally new to me,” George said.

Phillip was about to speak when they both heard a door close, soon followed by Travis shuffling into the kitchen.

Phillip looked at George, signaling with his eyes that they'd talk later. George nodded his head in agreement.

Chapter 20

George Jones
Wednesday: 8:01
A.M
.

As George sat down at the breakfast table, he looked toward the hall where their room was situated. Nina still hadn't emerged. As he stood back up to search for her, she rounded the corner of the kitchen bopping up and down like a teenage cheerleader ready for her first pep rally.

“Good morning, everyone,” Nina said. She took a seat next to George, picked up her mug of tea, and took a sip. Her hair had been washed and smelled like the shampoo and conditioner he'd been using the last couple of days. She'd pulled it back into a ponytail, which fell to her mid back. George hadn't realized her hair had grown so long since she always chose to wear it in some sort of up-do.

“Mmm, this is good. It's a little cool, but don't worry about it,” Nina said. George wanted to say to her that it had been ready for her thirty minutes ago, but decided to let it go. “So, Shelby, what's for breakfast this morning?” Nina asked. Her voice was so full of cheer, George wondered what had happened to the woman who could hardly speak in more than mumbles just an hour ago. If he hadn't known any better, he'd have thought Nina had gotten a hold of one of those caffeine-laced drinks he often saw on display at the convenience store.

“I'm making Belgian waffles, and you have your choice of topping,” Shelby said.

“Do you have any strawberries?” Nina asked.

“I do. And I also have blueberries, cherries, regular syrup, and this new stuff I've never tried with caramel and pecans.”

“Oh, that sounds good. I think I'll try some of that too,” Nina said. She took another sip of her tea and gave George a firm pat on his leg. “Umm, this tea is good.”

“What kind of tea is that?” Travis asked.

George saw the way Travis had been eyeing Nina's ponytail. George figured Travis probably thought Nina's hair wasn't realâeither a weave or a wig.

“It's an herbal tea I get from an Asian store,” Nina said.

“Beryl, ain't that the same kind of tea you like; that herbal tea?” Travis asked his wife.

“I drink it sometimes,” Beryl said. “I mainly like to drink the green tea for its antioxidants.” She directed her comment to Nina.

George sat in awe as he watched the exchange between his wife and the other ladies at the table. She'd been so standoffish and snobby toward them the previous days, he was surprised they were even speaking to her at all. But deep down he knew most people had forgiving hearts and was glad these two women had wiped the slate clean, dismissing his wife's former behavior.

He'd sat throughout breakfast enjoying his waffles, topped with warm blueberries and whipped cream, barely saying a word unless spoken to. His wife's behavior continued to puzzle him. George wondered when the current high she was on would drop to an infamous low. Bracing himself, he sat ready for the other shoe to drop.

After breakfast, everyone gathered back in the meeting room at The Round Table. Charlotte hadn't said a word to her husband. Xavier looked as if he'd lost his best friend.

“How's everybody doing this morning?” Phillip asked.

A trio of âgoods,' a couple of âfines,' and one âgreat' was emitted from around the table. One of the âgoods' came from Charlotte while her husband sat looking bleak. The great, which was louder than anyone else's reply, had come from Nina.

“Glad to hear this. I'm doing pretty good myself. I slept like a baby last night,” Phillip said.

“I beg to differ,” Shelby said. “Babies don't snore as loud as you did.”

“I don't snore,” Phillip said.

Shelby pointed at the bags under her eyes. “While you slept like a non-snoring baby, I was pulled out of my sleep a few times.”

Phillip placed his arm around Shelby's shoulder. “You still like me?”

“Naw, I still love you, silly.” Shelby nudged him in the arm.

“Aw, ain't that just lovely,” Nina said with visible admiration. “Are the violins going to be piped in here soon?” There wasn't a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

George did a double take.

Phillip cleared his throat and sat up. “Okay, okay, we'll stop with the mushy stuff.”

He stood next to the dry erase board and wrote on it as he spoke. “Seven steps to rebuilding your marital house. I couldn't think of an acronym for this one, so we'll just number them one through seven.”

“My hopes are that at some time, either during this retreat or soon after, you'll seriously look at keeping your marriages together. And hopefully the tips and notes I am giving you will be parts of the foundation you'll use to assist in rebuilding or renovating your marital house.

“So I urge you to take legible notes. Feel free to reflect on them during your free time here and especially when you return to the hustle and bustle of your daily lives at home, away from these serene surroundings,” Phillip said.

Upon hearing the word serene, George saw Xavier shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

Phillip erased the board and wrote two words at the top. “Start over. The first step in trying to rebuild or renovate your marital home is to simply start over. There are many times when people have to start over, like trying to recover from a category five hurricane, for example. The old is gone, and the new has to come. Leave the old ways of the past, cast old thoughts into the sea of forgetfulness, and welcome your new life. Start from today and begin from right now.” He clasped his hands together in a large sounding clap. “Later, in your free time, I want you to read 2 Corinthians 5:16â18.”

Phillip wrote a second word and continued his lecture. “Forgive. Next, you need to forgive. Seven times if you need to, or even more, if necessary. In Matthew 18:21â35, you'll find the parable of the unmerciful servant. One day Peter went to Jesus asking Him how many times he should forgive his brother when he sins against him. He asked if he should forgive up to seven times. The Lord told him not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Then Jesus went on to explain the parable of the unmerciful servant, saying the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wants to settle accounts with his servants. As the settlement began, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. The man was not able to pay and the master ordered that he, his wife, his children, as well as all that he had, be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell before the master, begging for patience, promising to pay back everything. And the servant's master took pity on him, and he canceled the debt and let him go.”

Phillip shook his head. “Now listen to this part. The servant went back out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him money. He grabbed the man and began to choke him, telling him he'd better pay back what he owed. At this point, the fellow servant fell to his knees and begged for patience and promised to pay what he owed back. But the man refused and had the other servant thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.”

Phillip folded and then unfolded his arms. “When the other servants saw what was happening, they were upset and told the master what was going on. The master, in turn, called the servant back in and said the man was evil. He reminded the servant that he had canceled all of his debts because he begged. But he was unmerciful to his fellow servant. So the master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured until he paid all of the original debt he owed.”

Phillip looked around the table at everyone. “Now, how would you feel if our Heavenly Father treated us the same way when we don't forgive our brothers and sisters in our hearts?”

This parable happened to be one of George's favorites. He'd long ago lost track of how many times he'd counseled married couples on the need to forgive a spouse, and others who had loved ones, like parents or children, who needed to forgive one another for what they deemed as some wrongdoing.

In George's eyes, many of the disputes were trifling, but not in the eyes of the persons seeking atonement. The discretions were rocking their world. The most trivial example he could remember was the time he counseled a man who was still holding a grudge against his fourth grade teacher for always making him last when it came to any and everything, like getting in line for lunch or presenting his items for show and tell.

The man's last name was Wilson, or Wilkins, or something like that. He was the last to appear in alphabetical order on the class roster, and for whatever reason, the teacher strictly went alphabetically for any and every event. The man had held a grudge and often had flashbacks.

George helped him realize that the grudge he held was only affecting him. The teacher of over twenty-something odd years earlier had more than likely never given much thought to what she was doing and was probably just a very methodical person. As the man thought about the advice George was giving him, he realized George was probably correct. The teacher did other things in a certain order, in a very methodical way, and always wanted everything precise and neat when it came to her classroom as a whole.

In the end, the man forgave his teacher, thus releasing built up anguish and animosity he'd held for decades. Afterward, the man said he'd felt as if a weight he'd been dragging for years had finally fallen off, and he was grateful.

“Very simply put, you must forgive to be able to rebuild your marital home,” Phillip said.

Xavier looked over at Charlotte, but she sat stone-faced, staring at Phillip, giving no indication that she was going to heed to anything Phillip had said so far. Meanwhile, Travis placed his arm lovingly on his wife's arm. Beryl acknowledged the touch by momentarily staring at her husband with an icy gaze. This caused him to slip his hand away.

Nina, who had been so perky and talkative earlier, was now gazing glassily at a nick in the wooden table. George gave her a slight nudge, and after a couple of seconds, she finally came out of her daydream.

“Justify,” Phillip said as he added the word to his list. “To be justified by faith. Treating the person just as if they'd never sinned and never sinned against you. Treat them just as if they'd never hurt you. And as it says in Romans 5:1,
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The fourth step in building is for you to count the cost. Make sure you have everything you need to finish what you've started. Truly think about how much this thing will cost you. Take a step back and look at what the true cost would be,” Phillip said.

Both Charlotte and Beryl's eyebrows rose in question as if they hadn't understood.

Seeing this, Phillip continued. “Think about the problem, the thing. Let's say the problem, the thing, is another person who has tried to come between you and your spouse. You know this person is up to no good. Do you let this other person, a foreign enemy, fester in your marriage to tear the foundation you've put together? Or do you recognize that three is a crowd and annihilate the existence of this foreign enemy in your marriage?

“Either way, you count the cost. Ask yourself how the presence of this enemy will affect your marriage if it continues to be a party of three. Or how are you going to recover after you've decided to give it a go as a duet? And don't forget to ask yourself what the residual will be?

“One way or the other, rest assured, there will be costs involved. And you must count them,” Phillip said. Once Phillip saw that both women plainly understood what he was trying to say, he continued. “Use knowledge to your benefit. Remember, you are rebuilding your marital house. You want this house to be bigger, better, and stronger than it was before, and knowledge is key. So by any means necessary, you use things that will help you strengthen your marriage.

“How do you do this? Make it your personal project to remember the things your spouse likes, and feed their ego. There are thousands of books on marriage and relationships. There are books on communication, budgeting, and making romantic meals. You name it, and there's probably a book about it. Even our brother here, Pastor George, has books out there to help marriages in trouble.”

As eyes looked upon him, George felt undeserving of the stares of admiration. If he were such a great writer and knew so much, why hadn't he been able to do his own self assessment and fix his and Nina's problems?

Phillip continued. “And if you don't know how to start looking, go on the Internet and search, using various key words of interest to you. You'll find a slew of books you can check into. You don't have to worry about buying a ton of books either. You can go to your local library and find many books in the self-help section. Where there is a will, there is a way.

“This next step might be a little uncomfortable for some of you,” Phillip said.

“Honestly, most of what you've said so far is more than a little uncomfortable,” Charlotte told him.

“I agree. Except for what you've said about starting over, the rest seems a little farfetched,” Beryl said.

Travis looked hopefully at Beryl. “Starting over is a start, right?”

BOOK: Redemption Lake

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