The Promise by Dan Walsh Page A

mediating between me and the kids. And you always had such great ideas.”
    â€œHad?” she said.
    â€œStill have. Now I’ve got one. Let’s get in there and join the group before we get lost.” He leaned forward and kissed her, then they turned and headed into the building.
    As she walked through the magnificent doorway and beheld the grandeur of this place, she could almost imagine if God did have a house on earth, it might look something like this. But she knew what the Bible said, that the God of heaven chose to live within human hearts.
    And she had experienced, firsthand, the power of God working in Jim’s heart just now. She could tell by the look in his eyes.
    He was back.

 10 
    T om was in the handicapped stall in a public library restroom putting on a dress shirt and tie. For him, it was just a few minutes before 10:00 a.m. He remembered the six-hour time gap for his parents in Rome. It was odd to think it was already late afternoon for them.
    Here he was, just getting ready to start his day. At his old job, the dress code was “business casual.” That’s how Jean would expect to see him as he left their house in the morning, so that’s how he looked.
    But this morning, Tom had an interview. The first solid bite in over a week. He wanted to look his best. It sickened him to do this, but last night when he’d brought the trash out to the curb, he’d snuck out the suit coat, shirt, and tie to the car.
    He put the coat on, looked in the mirror, and straightened his tie. After folding up his casual clothes, he laid them carefully in his brief bag. One more look in the mirror, one release of a deep, pent-up sigh, and Tom zipped up the bag and headed out the bathroom door.
    He smiled and nodded to one of the librarians behind the counter as he walked by, a middle-aged woman he saw almostevery day. She shot him a curious look but said nothing. He was certain she was puzzling over the change in his appearance. He opened the glass front door and held it for an elderly couple walking through. Behind them a couple of college students. He loved the look on all four of their faces as they passed him. It was funny how people treated a man in a nice suit with a greater sense of respect. He liked the feeling but, at the same time, was glad he didn’t have to dress like this every day.
    When he got in the car, he checked the address and directions to Wilson Foods. It was the main office headquarters for a regional chain of upscale steak houses located throughout central Florida. The position was for a network administrator for a small IT team that took care of all the restaurant chain’s computers and information systems. The position had just gone online a few days ago. As far as Tom knew, Fred hadn’t seen it yet. Of course, he was certain dozens of other people had.
    Twenty minutes later, he pulled into a crowded parking lot of a business complex, a full fifteen minutes early. Grateful to find a spot under a shady tree, he rolled down the windows to allow a nice breeze to blow through the car. He pulled the sheet highlighting the job requirements out of his brief bag and read it over one more time, mumbling aloud.
    â€œMaintain secure networks using a variety of network equipment, software, and protocols . . . Recommend appropriate equipment and work with vendors to obtain quotes . . . Assist with backup and restore requests as needed . . . Assist end users with laptop and desktop installs and configuration . . . Monitor systems availability and handle emergencies as they arise.”
    He looked down at the bottom half, under the qualifications heading. Especially the last line in the paragraph, which provided a serious glimmer of hope. “Great problem solving abilities and a team player with a great attitude a must. Microsoft MCSE certification a definite plus.”
    â€œIt says a definite plus, not a requirement,” he