seeing as it was Sunday. But what about Monday? This new guy seemed pretty nasty. Nice of Andrea, though, to come after him like that, offer him coffee. But she was never there except on Saturday. Should he show up on Monday morning and see? He had to stop thinking about it. Or it’d be eating him up every moment till then.
With his tray filled up, JD walked back to the spot where he always sat. Some new guy was in it. JD stood right next to him a few moments, sending a message.
“Lemme guess,” the man said, looking up. “Your seat?”
JD nodded.
“No problem, man. Don’t want any trouble.” He got up and moved two tables away.
JD sat and started eating. He loved Salisbury steak, loved the whole dinner on Saturday nights.
“Okay, folks.”
JD looked to the front of the room. He remembered, this guy wasn’t bad.
“For you old-timers, you know the scoop. For our newer guests, let me welcome you and tell you what’s what.”
JD could tell who all the new guys were. They stopped eating to listen.
“My name’s Frank Hamilton, one of the elders at Christ Community Church. I’m going to talk to you all about the love of God for the next twenty minutes or so, but please keep on eating or your food will get cold. That’s how we do things here at Walker. We won’t think you’re impolite.”
Everyone instantly started eating again. JD was already half done.
“Before I share what God’s put on my heart, I just want to draw your attention to the set of tables at the back of the room a moment.”
JD heard a bunch of chairs scraping and saw guys turning, but he wasn’t about to stop eating.
“We’ve brought in stacks of donated blankets. Now I know those of you who’ve lived here a while understand that Seabreeze is mostly a nice stop in the winter, but we’re set a little north of center in this great state of ours. So if a serious cold snap hits the southeast part of the country, some of that weather can dip down here a day or two and make life pretty uncomfortable. Well, something just like that’s supposed to be blowing in tomorrow afternoon, a cold front. The weatherman is predicting it might even get down in the low thirties or even the high twenties late tomorrow night.”
Groans rumbled through the room.
“We’re urging you folks to take this seriously. On your way out, please take one of these blankets. There’s plenty of them. Some of you who aren’t too attached to this place may want to consider heading farther south tomorrow. Get below Melbourne and you should be fine. But if you’re staying, you should really come in from outside, stay in one of the shelters. They’re first come, first served, so I wouldn’t wait too long tomorrow before checking in.”
JD shook his head. No way he’d stay in one of those places.
The man continued. “I know some of you diehards are thinking you can tough it out, but I’m asking you to reconsider. We didn’t have any freezes here last year, so if you’re thinking you did fine last year, trust me, it’s not going to be the same.” The man paused, looked down at the wooden podium. “I’m not trying to scare anyone, but two years ago, it did freeze here in Seabreeze, and we lost two men to the cold. I don’t want that to happen to anyone here tonight. Which might be a good lead-in to what I really came here to share with you.”
JD looked down at his plate, scooped up the last spoonful of mashed potatoes, swirled it around a dab of gravy. He’d happily take one of their blankets, could always use a fresh one of those.
But no way he’d be heading in to one of those shelters.
12
“You better sit for this, Leanne.”
Lord, help me to not fall apart .
As she sat in the chair, her eyes stayed focused on Dr. Halper’s face, looking for any signs of hope. He pulled the other chair close, into a shaft of light coming from the hall, lifting it so it wouldn’t scrape the floor. They had moved to the front of the room, away from
With his tray filled up, JD walked back to the spot where he always sat. Some new guy was in it. JD stood right next to him a few moments, sending a message.
“Lemme guess,” the man said, looking up. “Your seat?”
JD nodded.
“No problem, man. Don’t want any trouble.” He got up and moved two tables away.
JD sat and started eating. He loved Salisbury steak, loved the whole dinner on Saturday nights.
“Okay, folks.”
JD looked to the front of the room. He remembered, this guy wasn’t bad.
“For you old-timers, you know the scoop. For our newer guests, let me welcome you and tell you what’s what.”
JD could tell who all the new guys were. They stopped eating to listen.
“My name’s Frank Hamilton, one of the elders at Christ Community Church. I’m going to talk to you all about the love of God for the next twenty minutes or so, but please keep on eating or your food will get cold. That’s how we do things here at Walker. We won’t think you’re impolite.”
Everyone instantly started eating again. JD was already half done.
“Before I share what God’s put on my heart, I just want to draw your attention to the set of tables at the back of the room a moment.”
JD heard a bunch of chairs scraping and saw guys turning, but he wasn’t about to stop eating.
“We’ve brought in stacks of donated blankets. Now I know those of you who’ve lived here a while understand that Seabreeze is mostly a nice stop in the winter, but we’re set a little north of center in this great state of ours. So if a serious cold snap hits the southeast part of the country, some of that weather can dip down here a day or two and make life pretty uncomfortable. Well, something just like that’s supposed to be blowing in tomorrow afternoon, a cold front. The weatherman is predicting it might even get down in the low thirties or even the high twenties late tomorrow night.”
Groans rumbled through the room.
“We’re urging you folks to take this seriously. On your way out, please take one of these blankets. There’s plenty of them. Some of you who aren’t too attached to this place may want to consider heading farther south tomorrow. Get below Melbourne and you should be fine. But if you’re staying, you should really come in from outside, stay in one of the shelters. They’re first come, first served, so I wouldn’t wait too long tomorrow before checking in.”
JD shook his head. No way he’d stay in one of those places.
The man continued. “I know some of you diehards are thinking you can tough it out, but I’m asking you to reconsider. We didn’t have any freezes here last year, so if you’re thinking you did fine last year, trust me, it’s not going to be the same.” The man paused, looked down at the wooden podium. “I’m not trying to scare anyone, but two years ago, it did freeze here in Seabreeze, and we lost two men to the cold. I don’t want that to happen to anyone here tonight. Which might be a good lead-in to what I really came here to share with you.”
JD looked down at his plate, scooped up the last spoonful of mashed potatoes, swirled it around a dab of gravy. He’d happily take one of their blankets, could always use a fresh one of those.
But no way he’d be heading in to one of those shelters.
12
“You better sit for this, Leanne.”
Lord, help me to not fall apart .
As she sat in the chair, her eyes stayed focused on Dr. Halper’s face, looking for any signs of hope. He pulled the other chair close, into a shaft of light coming from the hall, lifting it so it wouldn’t scrape the floor. They had moved to the front of the room, away from
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