Read Online The Presence by T. Davis Bunn - Free Book Online

called your name, you’d have said, Dance down the aisles singin’ praises.”
    â€œI’m too worried to dance,” Catherine said quietly, her hands clenched in her lap. “I feel as if my life is about to go flying off in some cross-eyed direction and I don’t have anything to say about it.”
    â€œYou’ve got the right to say anything you want about this or anything else,” TJ responded gently.
    Catherine sighed. “No, I don’t.” She clasped the arms of her rocker and pulled herself erect. “I’m too tired to talk about it anymore. Good night.” Without looking at either man, she walked into the house.
    â€œI oughtta be goin’,” Jeremy said, sliding forward in his chair.
    But TJ waved him back. “Stay a while longer, will you? I need a little company right now.”
    â€œWhat about Catherine?”
    â€œI learned long ago never to broach a difficult subject with Catherine when she’s tired.” TJ hesitated, then said, “I’ve got to do this, Jem.”
    Jeremy looked into the distance, blind to the brilliant sunset painting the sky. He nodded his head slowly a few times. “It’s still hard as the dickens for me to accept.”
    â€œIn a way it is for me too.” TJ lifted the letter again. “It sure makes me feel better to have this.”
    â€œMakes it more real, you mean?”
    â€œNo, I’ve never questioned that. It’s hard to describe, but the moment was so real it’s made the rest of my life seem a little unreal. Like watching shadows. No, that’s not right.” TJ shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
    â€œSort of a change of perspective?”
    â€œYes. I suppose that’s as close as you can come to the feeling in words. A rearranging of all my priorities. Like everything in my life has suddenly become a lot less important than I thought it was.”
    â€œI can’t say as I’ve ever experienced anything like what you’ve just told me about.”
    â€œNeither have I,” TJ returned quietly.
    â€œStill, I’ve felt His guiding hand in my life so many times,” Jeremy said, his eyes on some unseen point beyond the porch railing. “Not some explosion like what’s happened here, but I’ve never doubted it was His voice.”
    â€œThe still small voice that guides your life,” TJ agreed. “The daily miracles we so often take for granted.”
    â€œThat’s for sure. It shames me to think how I ignore His presence because it’s so gentle. Makes it so easy to pretend like I’ve done it all myself.” Jeremy glanced over at his friend. “But I tell you what. All this takes my breath away.”
    â€œMine too.” TJ looked down at the paper in his hand. “It’s a miracle. And this letter … you know, I think He gave it as a sort of reassurance. A reminder that He’s going to be there with me through it all.”

Chapter Four
    â€œSing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
    The passage from Psalm 30 popped into TJ’s mind as he passed through the oak doors and entered the Praise Hall of the Church of New Zion the next morning. It was a fitting note, especially after the surprise Catherine had dished up for breakfast.
    His prayer time that morning had been spent mostly asking the Lord to turn his wife around. I can’t do this without her, Father, he had said time and again. There’s nothing on earth that I can say to change her mind if she sets herself against it. And it’s not enough to have her grudgingly come along. You know it’s not. Whatever you’ve got in store for me is going to tax me to the limit. I can feel it in my bones. I can’t handle such a burden without Catherine