the pastor, and the church is split. She will not stay, but her heart is broken. She loves those people.”
Evelyn leaned forward. “The pastor had an affair?”
Jane stirred her coffee. “We aren’t here for gossip. I’m not going to talk about it. The thing is, she loved that church. It’s her family. Some will stay, and some are leaving. She’s leaving because the pastor is being allowed to continue as senior pastor.”
Jack slapped the table. “He’s preaching? Is he getting counseling?”
Jane took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know the details, and that’s not what the prayer request is about. The request is for my sister to find another church home.”
Doris put a plate of Oreo cookies on the table. “All right, no gossip here. My neighbor needs prayer. Yesterday she asked me to put her name on our prayer list. She’s going in for a second mammogram. Pray that this one comes back clearly normal. What do you have to add, Beverly?”
Jack picked up an Oreo. “Hold up a minute. We need to pray for that pastor and the situation. We may not know what happened, but God does.”
Doris agreed, “You’re right about that. Add the pastor to the list. Okay, Beverly.”
Cook shrugged. “Everything is settling down. Leesa’s busy running the company. Lyza’s busy being a mother and pastor’s wife. Yesterday the Lanes all met at the attorney’s office to hear Lawrence’s last will and testament. Too bad he died on his deathbed and didn’t have a chance to write Lyza back in the will.
“Leesa said that Lawrence’s attorney insisted they all be there for the reading of the will. Lyza was looking forward to seeing Leesa again. She misses the sister she used to have. Anyway, things are settling down. Maybe the twins are family again. Jack, why don’t you pray tonight, and we’ll agree.”
Everyone bowed their heads, and Jack led them in prayer. “Dear God, we thank You for being in our lives. We are grateful for Your many blessings. I’m especially thankful for the response my prayer partners had tonight regarding my nephew’s newest endeavor. We just pray it turns out well for him. I ask Your blessing on him. Give him strength, wisdom, and direction.
“We pray for Jane’s sister. I know how difficult it is to leave one church family and search for another. Help her find a place where she can worship You in spirit and truth and feel welcome and become part of the family. We pray for the pastor of the church she’s leaving. Open his eyes to You, Lord; help him see his sin and repent. Heal him, restore him, and heal his church so that You may be glorified. And, Lord, we ask for Doris’s neighbor to get good results tomorrow; we pray everything good for her. We pray for the Lane family, as we always do. Lord please work in their lives. We ask that You bring Leesa into the Kingdom to Your glory. She needs You, Lord. All of us do.
“Thank You for our prayer group. Thank You for loving us. Teach us how to love You back. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
After the group “Amen,” Cook kept her head bowed. Lord, You are so faithful. Thank You, Jesus!
Doris wiped away a tear. “Thanks, Jack. That prayer inspired me. How do we love Him? Sometimes it seems so difficult. He knows everything we think and feel. But how do we love Him back?”
“I know.” Jack shrugged. “It’s a hard one. I just want to stay in His will. Sometimes I think I could do something to show Him how much I love Him, but then He already knows and… it’s confusing.”
Cook stood. “I need to leave. Leesa didn’t come home last night. I think she stayed at her father’s estate; she been doing that some nights. I want to be there when she gets back. But Jack—one way I show Him how much I love Him is by doing something for someone else. We are His ambassadors here on earth. If we help someone out, give someone a cheerful word, even smile at someone, I think that’s a way to love Him.”
***
Four days later, Leesa met Aaron Stern at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. Mr. Stern directed her to a small office off the main lobby. She sat in the leather chair across from him.
Mr. Stern opened a manila file folder. “The D.A. has made an offer, and I think you’d do well to consider it. You should be in jail and we both know it. Hear me out before you say anything.”
Leesa folded her arms. “I’m listening.”
He read from an official form. “You are being charged with speeding in excess of eighty miles per hour through a school zone, running a red light, resisting arrest…”
Leesa straightened. “Resisting arrest? That’s a lie.”
He paused for a moment, then said softly, “I asked you to listen. Do you want to hear what they’re offering? Or do you want me to leave now?”
She pursed her lips. “Go on.”
Mr. Stern looked her in the eye. “Your disrespect for the arresting officer didn’t help you any. He is willing to testify to all of the above, including the fact that when he turned on his flashing lights, you accelerated. When he added the siren, instead of pulling over, you continued your acceleration, causing him to engage in a high-speed chase and call for backup.”
Leesa smirked. “He was a jerk.”
“And you were an idiot. Don’t interrupt me again.”
She pursed her lips again. She wanted to walk out, but her survival instincts told her to sit and listen to the court’s offer. I don’t deserve this. No one gets it. I’m the victim here.
Mr. Stern picked up the official document. “The county of Los Angeles is willing to forgo the mandatory sentence. The only reason you aren’t going to jail today is that you had no alcohol or drugs in your system. You will be required to do two hundred hours of community service. You will have to pay the fine. Your driver’s license will be revoked for a year. If you agree to these conditions—and I believe they are generous—we can finish this today. If not, you’ll find another attorney. I’m not a criminal or trial attorney. You will go to trial, and your guilt or innocence will be decided by a jury of your peers. It will be difficult to find such a jury, given who you are. Therefore, I strongly recommend you accept these terms.”
Leesa blinked at her manicure. “Two hundred hours of community service? Can you get that down? I mean, that seems like a lot.”
Mr. Stern whispered, “You don’t get it, do you? This is a gift. They’ve done everything but wrap it and put a big red bow on it. Take the deal.”
She took a deep breath. “All right, all right. I’ll take it.”
He passed documents for her signature. “The court will contact you regarding the community service, for where and when it will begin. Don’t mess with them, Leesa. Be there on time, do the job, and stay out of trouble. Losing your license for a year will be inconvenient, but you have a driver and transportation to take you wherever you need to go.”
She nodded, unable to speak. Her feelings swirled from confidence to helplessness. No, no. I didn’t want to cry. Sure, it’s no big deal to you, Mr. Stern. You didn’t just get everything you ever had pulled out from under your feet. I don’t have L. L. Lane Unlimited anymore. I don’t even have a job. I was going to move into Father’s house. Now I don’t know if I will ever get to go back to the
