In The Presence Of My Enemies
Illustration
Stories
John took a deep breath and walked into the diner.
“Hey, stranger,” Dana said from behind the counter. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Take a seat. You want breakfast or just a cup of coffee?”
“Coffee to start.” John nodded as he sat at the counter. “Sorry, I haven’t been around, but things have been a bit crazy.”
“Yeah, I heard about the custody battle you’re having.” Dana poured him a cup of coffee and handed him a menu. “Not much is private these days.”
“Not with my in-laws.” John scanned the menu. “Can I have the bacon and eggs and some toast?”
Dana took the menu back and wrote his order on a slip of paper. “Coming right up.”
She went over to the window and passed the order to the cook. John saw José lean forward and wave at him. John waved back and took a sip from his coffee.
“It’ll be a few minutes.” Dana leaned on the back counter across from him. “We’ve missed you at church. The choir isn’t the same without your tenor.”
“I miss it. too.” John shrugged. “Given everything that has come out, I wasn’t sure that I’d be welcome.”
“Your ex’s family have been pretty nasty on social media with the accusations about you being a bad father.”
“Exactly.”
Dana shook her head. “Anyone who has seen you with Tommy and Leah know that those things aren’t true.”
“Still...” John sighed. “Enough people believe those things even if they are lies.”
“Listen, some people will believe anything they are told. God knows you don’t neglect or ignore the kids. I’ve seen you in here enough with them to know that.” Dana tilted her head to one side. “Have you got a temporary custody arrangement yet?”
John nodded. “Yeah, the judge ruled on that last Monday. I have the kids every other week. I pick them up on Friday.”
“Then bring them to church on Sunday.” Dana turned at the sound of the bell and picked up the plate and put it before him. “The other kids will be thrilled to see them.”
John picked up his fork and closed his eyes to pray. He opened them up and took a bite. “Tell José this is great as usual.”
Dana smiled. “He loves to feed someone who enjoys his cooking.”
John took a sip of coffee. “I wish all of this was over.”
“I bet. How are you holding up?”
“When she left and served me with papers, I thought my world had fallen apart. I think the first day of court was the worst thing that ever happened to me, but then the attacks started.”
“You think the judge saw through them though?”
John nodded as he took a spoonful of food. He heard the bell of the door ring and looked back to see a trio of women come through the door. His stomach tightened when he saw it was three friends of his ex-wife’s.
Dana leaned over. “You remember the words of the 23rd Psalm?”
“Yeah.”
“You think you did what is right in your marriage and with the kids?”
“Yeah.”
“Then eat in the presence of your enemies while I go and see what they want.”
Dana plastered a smile on her face and grabbed some menus and headed over to the table the women had sat down at. John heard their whispers and a couple of words. He almost put down his fork.
“Something wrong with the food?”
John looked up to see José standing across from him. “No, it is good like always. I had hoped for a little peace while I ate.”
José looked over at the women and then back at John. “You want me to ask them to leave?”
John shook his head. “Thanks, but they have every right to be in here as me.”
José smiled. “That’s why, my friend, everyone who knows you doesn’t believe the lies.”
“Thanks.” John took another bite and kept eating.
Dana returned and gave a slip to José who disappeared back into the kitchen. She filled up John’s coffee and put a piece of warm apple pie in front of him.
“José said you looked hungry and that this morning’s breakfast is on the house.”
John caught José’s eye in the kitchen and nodded to him. “Dana?”
“Yeah?”
John paused. “Do you really think that I would be welcome at church on Sunday?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll see you then.” He dug into the piece of pie and with each bite came to realize a bit more that even though his life had fallen apart he wasn’t alone and in some ways, his cup was running over.
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 19, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Hey, stranger,” Dana said from behind the counter. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Take a seat. You want breakfast or just a cup of coffee?”
“Coffee to start.” John nodded as he sat at the counter. “Sorry, I haven’t been around, but things have been a bit crazy.”
“Yeah, I heard about the custody battle you’re having.” Dana poured him a cup of coffee and handed him a menu. “Not much is private these days.”
“Not with my in-laws.” John scanned the menu. “Can I have the bacon and eggs and some toast?”
Dana took the menu back and wrote his order on a slip of paper. “Coming right up.”
She went over to the window and passed the order to the cook. John saw José lean forward and wave at him. John waved back and took a sip from his coffee.
“It’ll be a few minutes.” Dana leaned on the back counter across from him. “We’ve missed you at church. The choir isn’t the same without your tenor.”
“I miss it. too.” John shrugged. “Given everything that has come out, I wasn’t sure that I’d be welcome.”
“Your ex’s family have been pretty nasty on social media with the accusations about you being a bad father.”
“Exactly.”
Dana shook her head. “Anyone who has seen you with Tommy and Leah know that those things aren’t true.”
“Still...” John sighed. “Enough people believe those things even if they are lies.”
“Listen, some people will believe anything they are told. God knows you don’t neglect or ignore the kids. I’ve seen you in here enough with them to know that.” Dana tilted her head to one side. “Have you got a temporary custody arrangement yet?”
John nodded. “Yeah, the judge ruled on that last Monday. I have the kids every other week. I pick them up on Friday.”
“Then bring them to church on Sunday.” Dana turned at the sound of the bell and picked up the plate and put it before him. “The other kids will be thrilled to see them.”
John picked up his fork and closed his eyes to pray. He opened them up and took a bite. “Tell José this is great as usual.”
Dana smiled. “He loves to feed someone who enjoys his cooking.”
John took a sip of coffee. “I wish all of this was over.”
“I bet. How are you holding up?”
“When she left and served me with papers, I thought my world had fallen apart. I think the first day of court was the worst thing that ever happened to me, but then the attacks started.”
“You think the judge saw through them though?”
John nodded as he took a spoonful of food. He heard the bell of the door ring and looked back to see a trio of women come through the door. His stomach tightened when he saw it was three friends of his ex-wife’s.
Dana leaned over. “You remember the words of the 23rd Psalm?”
“Yeah.”
“You think you did what is right in your marriage and with the kids?”
“Yeah.”
“Then eat in the presence of your enemies while I go and see what they want.”
Dana plastered a smile on her face and grabbed some menus and headed over to the table the women had sat down at. John heard their whispers and a couple of words. He almost put down his fork.
“Something wrong with the food?”
John looked up to see José standing across from him. “No, it is good like always. I had hoped for a little peace while I ate.”
José looked over at the women and then back at John. “You want me to ask them to leave?”
John shook his head. “Thanks, but they have every right to be in here as me.”
José smiled. “That’s why, my friend, everyone who knows you doesn’t believe the lies.”
“Thanks.” John took another bite and kept eating.
Dana returned and gave a slip to José who disappeared back into the kitchen. She filled up John’s coffee and put a piece of warm apple pie in front of him.
“José said you looked hungry and that this morning’s breakfast is on the house.”
John caught José’s eye in the kitchen and nodded to him. “Dana?”
“Yeah?”
John paused. “Do you really think that I would be welcome at church on Sunday?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll see you then.” He dug into the piece of pie and with each bite came to realize a bit more that even though his life had fallen apart he wasn’t alone and in some ways, his cup was running over.
*****************************************
StoryShare, March 19, 2023 issue.
Copyright 2023 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
