My Steps Are Ordered by Michelle Lindo-Rice

a better man. It was a tough pill to swallow, and Michael had told him as much.
    After a quick shower and a small breakfast, Keith drove over to the hospital, arriving just after eight o’clock. On impulse, he decided to enter the chapel on the ground floor. He opened the door to the small vestibule and then sauntered up the aisle to his usual spot in the front pew. There was a Bible on the bench. Its worn pages testified to the many people who’d sought comfort by reading the words.
    A bookmark protruded from the book. Keith slid it out to take a look at what was written on it. It was “Footprints in the Sand.” He knew this poem, and at the moment he really appreciated it. Though he was strong and capable, he needed someone. He closed his eyes.
    Right at this moment, he felt alone. He wished he had his own woman to talk to right now and give him a little solace. He had dated—and hadn’t been a monk—but he was in love with Gina. He wouldn’t do that to another woman. Keith sighed. He needed to unburden himself, because he was conflicted. He knew that Trey was his son. He didn’t know if he could remain quiet about that for long. He wasn’t the sort of man who would deny his own child.
    Keith did not know how he had ended up in this situation.
    How? His conscience jeered him.
    Okay, he thought. He knew how.
    Keith slumped over and clasped his hands. He stayed in that position but couldn’t summon up the words. However, somehow, he felt surrounded by a comforting presence. It was like God was giving him a hug.
    Keith stayed in the chapel until Michael texted him.
    Where R U?
    Â 
    Downstairs, in the chapel, he texted back.
    Â 
    On my way. With Gina.
    Keith met up with Michael and Gina by the elevator. The three of them got on the elevator and went up to the lobby. When they walked out into the lobby, Michael grabbed Keith’s arm, indicating he wanted to talk in private. The two men lingered, allowing Gina to walk ahead so they could talk.
    â€œI’m not going to do it,” Michael confessed. “I’m not going to confront her. Not now. Maybe not ever.”
    Keith nodded his assent. “I’m impressed with your decision. Right now Trey is who is important, and I applaud you for being the bigger man.”
    After spending the entire day and evening at the hospital playing with Trey, Keith bid farewell to Michael and Gina but not before he grabbed his Bible from the backseat. He felt a strong pull to read God’s Word. He wanted to experience again that closeness that he had felt in the chapel.
    When he arrived home, he took care of his nightly ablutions before settling in bed. Keith opened the Bible and scanned the crisp pages. He turned the pages back and forth, unsure of where to begin reading. Finally, he decided to look for a passage that sounded interesting, figuring that since the whole book was from God, it shouldn’t matter what he read. His eyes caught a phrase. “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” It was from Psalm 56. Curious, Keith decided to read the entire chapter. He read another part that said, “In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”
    He was hooked. He noticed that there were little italicized letters on the page and, being a quick study, realized that it must be a reference. The reference note read, “Ps. 118:6 and Heb. 13:6.” Keith wondered what on earth Ps. and Heb. were.
    Then he chuckled, realizing that they must be books in the Bible. He brought the Bible closer to his eyes, and sure enough that “Ps.” and the “Heb.” had periods at the end, signifying they were abbreviations. Keith thought for a moment. Then a light bulb lit up. He looked at what he called the table of contents at the beginning of the Bible.
    Aha! He found it.
    â€œPs.” stood for “Psalm,” and “Heb.” was Hebrews.