The Atonement (56 page)

“Sure you haven’t been moping about a certain
young fella?” asked Pastor Bynum.

“Daddy, can we not discuss this right
now?”

“Davis? Again?!”

“Allen, please. I’m over him already – and
I’m not moping about anybody!”

“No, not Davis,” said Pastor Bynum
chuckling.

“Then who?” asked Allen.

“No one!” insisted Tamiko.

“You know who,” said Jim.

“Oh, no!” exclaimed Allen, “Tamiko, we’re
going to have a brother-sister talk after dinner.”

“No, we’re not. There’s nothing to discuss,
nothing’s going on.”

“Yes, I think you do need to talk with Allen
and I hope he can talk some sense into you. Heaven knows I’ve
tried,” said Mother Rose.

“Can we please change the subject?” said
Tamiko.

Fortunately for Tamiko two more came to join
the celebration.

“Guess who’s up and ready for dinner,” said
Riley who was bringing in a bubbly Darius. She sat him in the high
chair that was between Allen and Jim.

“Hey, Darius! You ready to get your grub on,
little man?” said Allen.

Darius smiled and babbled excitedly.

“Me, too,” said Allen.

“Aww. He looks so cute in that little outfit,
Miko got for him,” said Lena.

“Hi, sweetheart,” cooed Tamiko at the little
boy. “Jim, he looks so much better, now.”

“Yeah, the medicine they gave him is helping,
but he’s still going to need the surgery,” said Jim as he put a bib
on Darius.

“When’s he going in?” asked Mother Rose.

“Monday. I’m trusting that God will bring us
through,” said Jim.

“That’s the way to believe. He’s brought us
this far and I don’t think He’s gonna leave us now,” said
Vernon.

“It was fortunate that Jim turned out to be a
match for Darius. A lot of times, the parents aren’t,” said
Tamiko.

“God knows how to work,” said Vernon.

“Still nothin’ on where his mama went?” asked
Riley.

“No, but wherever she is, may God bless her,”
said Jim.

“For Darius’s sake I pray God changes her,”
said Allen.

“I pray, she doesn’t try to cause any trouble
for Jimmy,” said Lena.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, that’s old stuff.
But you gon’ have to be careful from here on out, Jim. Once you’re
known for being in the game, the cops are gonna be watchin’
you.”

“I know, but it’s like mom says: as long as
the Lord is watching over you, you’ll be alright.”

“How’s your job search going, Jim?” asked
Pastor Bynum.

“I was hoping you’d ask me that. I was
keeping it under wraps until today, but I got a job at the seminary
school Dan goes to. He put in a word for me there a couple of weeks
ago and I got the call yesterday.”

“Now if that’s not something to thank the
Lord for, I don’t know what is,” said Vernon.

“That’s great, man! So you’re going to be
working at New York Seminary?” asked Allen.

“Yeah,” said Jim.

“Congratulations, Jim. What kind of position
is it?” said Tamiko.

“It’s in the admissions office.”

“When do you start?” asked Lena.

“Two weeks.”

“Please tell me the pay is decent,” asked
Riley.

“Not as much as transit, but enough to cover
the bills.”

“I told you Jim, this is just the beginning.
Your change is just around the corner,” said Pastor Bynum.

“I agree, sir,” said Jim.

Everyone sat down at the table and they
joined hands as Pastor Bynum led them in the grace.

“Lord, we thank you for showering us with
your blessings once again in that you have allowed us to be able to
come together for another Thanksgiving – giving us yet another
opportunity to come together as a family and give you thanks for
all that we are and all that we have. So much has transpired from
the time that we last gathered around this table until now – so
many trials and tribulations we have experienced, but you have
brought us through them all and so we each give our thanks this
day. Lord, I thank you for expanding our family and blessing the
lives of those who are here as well as those who are not here. I
thank you for mending the broken hearted and turning them to the
light of your eternal glory. May as many come to thy light as you
see fit.”

“Lord thank you for restoring this family and
settlin’ the strife the devil tried to sow,” said Vernon.

“Lord God, I thank you for all of the love
that you have shown us and blessed us to be able to give to each
other. I thank you for making me the mother of many children,” said
Lena.

“Thank you Lord for giving us wisdom and
insight to know right from wrong and good from evil. I pray you
give us the strength to continue to walk in it,” said Mother
Rose.

“Dear Lord, I thank you for the faith to
trust you, when there’s nothing else that we can do,” said
Chris.

“Lord I thank you for your
mercy and for the second chances that you give us everyday, because
you don’t pay us for our sins nearly as much as we deserve, but as
far as the east is from the west, so far have you placed our sins
from us,” said Jim.
¹

“God I thank you for looking out for us and
providing for our needs, despite the fact that we tend to pray a
lot about what we want,” said Riley, “because you always know
what’s best.

“Father God, I thank you for all the things
you are going to do for our future, because I trust that you will
always be there for us, even when we make mistakes,” said
Tamiko.

Then Allen said:

“Father God, I thank you for the gift of
grace that you purchased on the cross. It is the gift that gives
life - for by this grace not only are our sins are forgiven but you
have shown us how to forgive others, and even ourselves.”

And all the others said “Amen.”

Notes

Five

1. Proverbs 18: 22

2. Proverbs 31:10 – 11

3. Matthew 5: 23 – 26

Seven

1. Psalms 54: 1 – 3

Seventeen

1. 1 Samuel 16: 1 – 4

2. 1 Samuel 16: 11 – 12

Eighteen

1. Psalm 61: 1 – 2

Twenty

1. Matthew 10: 35 – 36

2. Matthew 5: 23 – 24

3. Proverbs, Leviticus 11: 1 – 47

4. 1 Corinthians 6: 15 – 20

5. Leviticus 11: 44

6. Romans 12: 1

7. 1 Corinthians 6:13

8. 1 Corinthians 6:20

9. Deuteronomy 22: 28 – 29

10. (See #8)

11. Romans 6: 16

12. Romans 8: 28

Twenty-One

1. Deuteronomy 22: 5

2. Psalm 100: 1

3. Luke 23: 34

4. Romans 1: 19 – 25

5. Ephesians 6: 12

6. Numbers 25: 6 – 11

7. Genesis 28: 6 – 9

Twenty-Six

1. Matthew 10: 26

Twenty-Seven

1. Proverbs 31:10

Twenty-Nine

1. Matthew 10:26

2. Job 13:15

3. Matthew 26: 41 – 42

Thirty

1. Psalm 39: 5

2. Psalm 49: 20

3. Numbers 23:19

4. Romans 3:4

5. Romans 5:6

6. Romans 4:8

7. John 4: 10 – 14

Thirty-One

1. Matthew 19:12

2. 1 Corinthians 7: 32 – 33

Forty-Four

1. Matthew 5: 29 – 30

Forty-Six

1. Matthew 26: 1 – 36

2. Matthew 17: 4

3. Matthew 26: 51

4. Matthew 26: 58 – 75

Forty-Eight

1. Matthew 5: 25 – 26

Forty-Nine

1. Matthew 18: 22 – 35

Fifty-Two

1. 2 Corinthians 5: 17

2. John 6: 37

3. 1 Corinthians 10: 13

4. 2 Samuel 11

5. 2 Samuel 15

6. Galatians 6: 7 – 9

Fifty-Six

1. Proverbs 18: 24

Fifty-Seven

1. Psalms 103: 12

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