Chapter 33
Charlotte Knight
Friday: 7:07
P.M
.
“So, Shelby, when do we get to find out what the secrets for all of these great meals you've been preparing us?” Charlotte asked. She was going to miss the wonderful meals they'd eaten at the cabin once she returned home.
“Do you want me to put you all out of your misery?” Shelby asked.
The couples had just finished eating a dinner of shrimp scampi with linguini and red peppers. Now they found themselves migrating from the dining room into the living room to get ready for the movie Phillip had promised they were going to see.
“I know the secret,” Travis said with an unbelievably smug look on his face.
“Oh, really?” Shelby asked.
“Yep,” Travis said.
There was something about Travis that Charlotte just didn't like. She wondered, not for the first time, how Beryl could put up with him on a daily basis. But she figured that everyone had a soul mate and Travis must have been Beryl's.
“So what's my secret?” Shelby asked.
“You've been using those frozen meals and snacks from Beans,” Travis said as if his cow had won first prize at the state fair.
“Ah, very good. You must have some really good taste buds,” Shelby said.
“Yeah, my taste buds are pretty good,” Travis said.
“Don't listen to him. He saw some of the boxes in the deep freezer the other night when he was looking for the ice cream. If not for that, he wouldn't have known,” Beryl said.
“Now, Travis, it sounds like you did a little cheating to find out,” Phillip said.
Travis hunched his shoulders. “Yeah, I was going to say so, but Beryl beat me to it.”
If Charlotte was a betting person, she'd say Travis would have never come clean on his own.
“Beans, what is Beans?” Nina asked.
“Have you ever seen the refrigerated trucks driving around Greenville with the cute little animated beans dancing on the side?” Shelby asked.
“No, I don't think I have.”
“Well, they have catalogs and you can order a variety of foods, many of them already prepared and frozen. When I found out we'd be coming up here for this retreat, and I knew I'd probably be the one doing most of the cooking, I immediately thought of Beans. There was no way I was going to spend my whole week in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove,” Shelby said.
“Amen to that, my sister,” Beryl said.
“I used to buy things from Beans a few years back, but I stopped for some reason. I forgot about the company.
I'll have to look them up when I get back home,” Charlotte said.
“Don't worry, I've got the catalogue here, and I can give you the toll free number before we leave,” Shelby offered.
“Oh, I know the number. They have commercials that come on late at night,” Travis said, still looking like he had a prize winning cow.
Charlotte looked over at Beryl who was rolling her eyes, and then at Xavier who rolled his also.
“Okay thanks, Travis. I don't have anything to write with right now, but I'll get the number a little later.” Charlotte took a seat on the couch right next to Xavier. While everyone else found comfortable seats in preparation for the movie, Charlotte whispered to Xavier, “Can you believe that guy?”
“No, not really,” Xavier replied.
“Poor Beryl, she's got to put up with him all the time. I don't see how she does it,” Charlotte said.
“I don't know either. He's a snoop who can remember almost anything from television, but can't remember to look for a job or how to keep one.” Xavier shook his head.
“He puts more work into not trying to work than he does in trying to find a job.”
“Yeah, and he also puts a lot of work into trying to impress everybody,” Xavier said.
“Everybody but Beryl.”
“True, very true.”
Once everyone was settled in their respective places, Phillip stood in front of the television before starting the movie.
“Okay, you all know the teacher in me can't just push play on the DVD player and sit down. Before I do, is there anyone who would like to share with the group how the conversation with your spouse went?”
Charlotte felt okay with how she and Xavier's conversation went. It had definitely gone better than she'd anticipated. But she didn't feel good enough about it to talk to the entire group. She and Xavier would still have a long way to go. And she really wasn't joking about needing the Trinity to help not only Xavier with his problem, but also to help them get through the next rough patches she was sure they had ahead of them. She could only pray that the Lord would provide miraculous intervention as far as their marriage was concerned.
“I'd like to say something,” George said. “That is if no one else wants to go first.”
Charlotte looked around. Xavier must have felt the same way she did because he hadn't volunteered to say anything. Surprisingly, Travis had kept his mouth shut, and for the first time, Beryl looked completely relieved.
George addressed Phillip. “First of all, I'd like to thank Phillip for stepping in to help marriages in need of spiritual advice. You stepped up to the plate, my brother, and God will reward you for doing so. He has great plans for you, you just wait and see.”
Phillip and Shelby shared a knowing look between one another, then Phillip replied to George. “Thanks, George. I'm just stepping in and doing the little bit that I can do to continue to help build God's kingdom.” Phillip chuckled. “And the last time someone told me God had special plans for me, I was unsaved and scrambling to get my wife back. I wasn't the man you see before you today. And I wasn't the type of man to say I'd help plan a retreat, much less be a teacher and moderator.”
“God is good,” George said.
“Yes, He is,” Phillip agreed.
George nodded. “What I wanted to say to the rest of you is to be encouraged. We all need encouragement. I know I needed it before coming to this retreat. And I am so glad I didn't let my pride and ego get the best of me and not come. I didn't want anyone to know I had problems in my marriage. Heck, I counsel hundreds of couples on a yearly basis. How was it going to look for me to be having problems?” George shook his head.
Nina stroked his arm as he continued. “Nina and I have been truly blessed during this retreat. I know you all noticed my wife's behavior in the beginning of the week. And I am sure you probably thought my wife was very clumsy and a little on the irritable side. Some of you might even say she was acting like a diva to the utmost.”
George smiled at Nina. “My wife is a diva, but in a good way. And she isn't usually clumsy and as irritable as you saw her this week. Because of this retreat, my wife was able to come clean about a prescription drug she's been takingâa drug which she'd gotten addicted to.”
Charlotte looked at Nina who had tears welling in her eyes. George patted Nina's hand. “I'm sharing this with you because Nina and I discussed it, and agreed for me to do so.
Nina nodded her head.
“The drug she was addicted to had her acting completely out of character. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew something wasn't right with my wife. She'd been taking the drug to squelch some anxiety problems she was having. Nina knew she was addicted to the drug, but didn't know what to do, and she was scared to tell me about it.
“Shelby was able to see the symptoms and recognize what was going on. Now that everything is out in the open, Nina feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off of her, and we were able to talk openly and honestly about the problem. It has done us a world of good.
“So I encourage you all, if you have not done so already, to be open and honest with your spouse. It is the first step in getting your marriages back on track,” George stressed.
Charlotte felt tears welling up into her own eyes. She felt pretty sure she and Xavier had taken that first step. She hoped and prayed this was the case. Now all she could do was wait and see what God had in store for their marriage.
Shelby handed Nina a couple of tissues to wipe her face. When she handed Charlotte the box of tissues, it was then that she realized her tears were falling. She cried not only for George and Nina, but for her and Xavier also.
“Thank you again, George and Nina, for sharing.” Phillip looked around at everyone in the group. “Would anyone else like to share?”
No one else volunteered.
“Okay, as promised, we'll watch
Why Did I Get Married
.” He turned to activate the DVD player. “Hopefully this movie will also give you some inspiration and show you that there are three sides to every story. His side, her side, and the truth.
Charlotte didn't have any doubt about why she got married, but she did have doubts about why she should stay married. She wondered if the movie would give her any insight about that.
Chapter 34
Phillip Tomlinson
Saturday: 3:14
P.M.
“Does Beans sell ribs and chicken like this?” Xavier asked.
“Nah,” Phillip said as he set the pan of raw beef ribs on the side of the grill. “Shelby purchased most of what we've eaten this week from Beans, but not everything. Those omelets, waffles, and pancakes were the real thing, believe me. And I was the one to purchase the meat for the cookout today.”
Phillip checked the charcoals to see if they were hot enough yet. He hoped to get the meat on the grill before the women returned from their paddle boat ride on the lake. Deciding the coals needed a little longer, he pulled a bottled water out of the cooler and took a seat in one of the lawn chairs next to the other guys sitting lakeside.
“Man, I wish I'd brought my fishing pole,” George said.
“You like to fish?” Travis asked.
“I sure do. I am a fisher of fish and of men.” George laughed at his own joke.
“A fisher of men, like Jesus, huh?” Phillip asked.
“That's the way I like to think of it,” George said.
“You know you remind me a lot of my pastor back at home. He was the one who told me that God had special plans for me and great works for me to do,” Phillip said.
“What did you think about that when he said it?” George asked.
“To tell you all the truth, I was clueless. Like I said, I was unsaved at the time, and my wife had left me. I was confused as I don't know what. I wanted answers that could help me get my wife back, not a prophecy from a preacher man.” Phillip shook his head and laughed to himself.
“If you don't mind me asking,” Xavier said, “how did you go from that man to the man you are today?”
“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing,” Travis said.
“Nah, I don't mind. It's part of my testimony,” Phillip told the men.
All three men turned their full attention to Phillip.
“Shelby and I had some problems in our marriage. Problems I caused. My deceit caused my wife to be banged up so bad that she had to be put in a hospital, during the time she was pregnant. For a little while, we didn't know if our unborn baby was going to be okay. She blamed me for it and rightly so. She kicked me out of the house, and I had to really re-evaluate my life.
“I found that the great job I had, beautiful home, and the vintage automobile meant nothing without my wife and daughter. Something else was missing in my life, and it took almost losing my family to realize it.
“A very good friend of mine, Will, often tried to tell me about the goodness of the Lord. He tried to get me to understand that there was more to life than just material things. But all the while, I didn't want to listen. I knew I was the king of my own destiny. Little did I know, I wasn't.
“Thankfully, Will was my friend. When my wife kicked me out, my very good friend took me in and gently guided me in understanding about the love of Christ,” Phillip said.
“Did your friend lead you to Christ?” George asked.
“No, I was actually led to Christâ” Phillip broke off his own sentence and looked around them. “I was led to Christ right here at this cabin.” He pointed to an area just beyond them next to the water's edge. “Right over there.”
“When you say you were led to Christ, what exactly does that mean?” Xavier asked.
“It means that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. When I professed that Christ was my Lord and Savior and stated that I believe He died on the cross for my sins, I became saved,” Phillip said.
“Is that all there is to becoming saved? That's all I would have to do?” Xavier asked. “Don't you have to be in a church and have a ceremony to become saved?”
“No, sir,” Phillip said. “I used to think that way also. I used to think that being in the church and being a part of the church meant there were all these stringent rules you had to follow, and to be a Christian, you had to be just downright perfect. But with the help of my friend, I learned better.
“One morning, out here by this very lake, the minister who was running the retreat led me in what they call the sinner's prayer. You can say the sinner's prayer anywhere, by a lake, in a church, or even sitting in your car in a parking lot. It doesn't matter where you say the prayer. What matters is that you say it in earnest, with all sincerity, believing without a shadow of doubt that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior,” Phillip said.
Xavier nodded his head.
Phillip could tell that Xavier was in deep thought. He took in every word, as if in a desert thirsting for water. In some ways Xavier reminded him of himself when he first started learning about Christ.
“So you got everything back, huh? Your wife and kids?” Travis asked.
“Yeah,” Phillip said.
“So God really did bless you,” Travis said.
“God had been blessing me all the while. Shelby and I were already back together before we even came to this retreat, so my family had been physically restored well before we ever came.” Phillip opened the bottle of water and took a couple of sips.
“But I still felt like something was missing in my life, and it was here that I found what it was. I got saved and haven't looked back since.” Phillip laughed. “Now I am not saying there haven't been ups and downs since I got saved. But I know I've got the Lord on my side, so that lets me know I don't have to do it all by myself.”
Xavier hung his head and took in deep breaths. He clasped his hands together and started nodding his head. “That's it. That's what I want ... what I need. Will you lead me to Christ? I want to say the sinner's prayer.”
Placing the bottle of water in the cup holder on the chair, Phillip said, “Yes, my brother. I'd be honored to lead you in the sinner's prayer.”
All four men stood and held hands. As Phillip led the prayer, Xavier repeated. In the end, Xavier accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Afterward, Phillip prayed for Xavier as a new brother in Christ and also prayed for the prosperity of each of the couples attending the retreat.
Once Phillip was done, he hugged Xavier, congratulating him. George did the same, and then began clapping his hands, shouting, “Hallelujah.”
Travis also gave Xavier a hug. The men were so enthralled in celebration, they hadn't noticed the women return from their boat ride.
“What is going on here?” Shelby asked.
“Xavier just got saved,” Travis said.
“What?” Charlotte asked.
“I just got saved, baby.” Xavier made his way toward Charlotte. Once they reached each other, he repeated his words. “I just got saved.”
“Are you serious?” Charlotte said, looking around at the other men.
Phillip nodded his head.
Charlotte gave Xavier a warm embrace. Overjoyed, Xavier held on to her as if for dear life.
“I'd say this calls for a celebration,” Shelby said. “I have just the thing.”
Shelby excused herself and entered the cabin. Xavier recapped his conversation with the men earlier and told Charlotte that he'd felt like something wasn't right in his life. He also said he realized he would need not just professional help for his problem, but God's help also.
He reassured her that he was going to be a changed man and he'd never hurt her again the way he had in the past.
Returning from the cabin, Shelby held plastic cups and a bottle of sparkling white grape juice. She handed everyone a cup as Phillip twisted the cap off of the bottle.
After being handed the bottle, Shelby poured juice into each person's cup. “Let's toast,” Shelby said.
“To Xavier, may you continue to learn more about the love of Christ,” Phillip said.
Everyone toasted the plastic cups.
“Xavier, may you grow and prosper with God's guidance,” George said.
Again, they toasted the plastic cups and took sips of the juice.
“Xavier, congratulations on the first day of eternal life with Christ,” Phillip said.
With each toast, Xavier's eyes welled with tears. Phillip could tell the man was trying his best to keep the tears in; trying to be a man, he guessed. Phillip remembered the morning he'd gotten saved. He'd cried and hadn't cared who saw it. The other couples congratulated him although there hadn't been any sparkling grape juice to commemorate the event, but he hadn't needed any. He had been fine knowing he was a true child of God.
“Hey, guys, what's up with the meat?” Shelby asked. “I thought we were trying to have a cookout sometime this evening.”
Phillip turned and walked to the grill. “Oh, we are. I was just waiting for the coals to get hot enough. Then we got a little sidetracked,” Phillip said.
“Okay, you're forgiven, but let's go ahead and get this show rolling. We need to continue this celebration,” Shelby said.
“I've got the meats, young lady. Will you just make sure the salads and baked beans are ready?” Phillip asked her.
Shelby saluted Phillip as if she were in the military. “Yes, sir.” Then she ascended the steps of the porch.
“Man, this is going to be our last dinner together,” Travis said. “It will be the last supper.”
“Yeah, like the last supper. Cleaver, Travis,” Phillip said.
Travis nudged Beryl. “Did you hear that joke I just made? It will be the last supper.” He laughed at his own joke.
“Yeah, I heard you, Travis,” Beryl said. “The last supper, real funny.”
Phillip hadn't seen any semblance of a laugh on Beryl's face. What he saw was despondence.
And Travis hadn't seemed to notice or care as he continued to repeat his joke, making sure everyone heard it.
As Phillip placed the ribs and chicken on the grill, he thought about all three couples. Two of the couples seemed to be getting back on track. But Beryl and Travis still seemed to be at a standstill. It was as if they hadn't benefited from any of the sessions the entire week.
This bothered him. He wondered if Shelby had gotten a chance to talk with Beryl yet. He'd have to ask her later. But he'd make sure at some point before the couples left the retreat to pull Travis aside and have a talk.