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It's time...

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  • It's time...

    Jay (her name was Jenny, but just like I do my own daughter, I called her Jay) was an angry young woman. She was beautiful when she smiled, but she smiled so seldom. When she wasn't smiling, she looked cold and hard and older.

    I knew her through my work with Christian concerts at various venues, because she was a "sound guy", expert in all types of sound and light equipment. She had a tough upbringing - an alcoholic father who physically abused her, mom had run out when Jay was little -- all kinds of things in her youth that made her an angry person.

    One day I saw her at one of our concerts, and she said (this was MANY years ago) "hey, I'm going to that Promise Keepers thing in Houston". She caught me off guard, and I said, "you're WHAT?" (It's a GUY thing)

    She said "I have been asked to do the post production of the Promise Keepers thing in Houston, so I'll be there backstage. I smiled real big, and said, "That's super! Cause I'm on their team as backstage security, and I'll be there, too!" She smiled (one of those rare moments) and said, "maybe I'll see you there".

    WHO KNEW!!!

    There was the traditional singing of upbeat versions of hymns, some choruses, prayers, speakers.... I hadn't seen Jay, but was keeping an eye out for her.

    Then one of the speakers was introduced... an American Indian (I wish I could remember his name) who began to speak about abuse, hardships, anger, hatred... he grew up on an Indian reservation, and had been abused and beaten and taunted all his life. Some of the physical abuse from his own father sounded more like torture than abuse. He was filled with rage and angry at everybody. Then one day, a new "white woman" was introduced as the new English teacher at his tribal school. She had kind eyes. He couldn't stop looking at her kind eyes. He hated her for being white, but it didn't change the fact that he couldn't stop looking at her kind eyes.

    We'll call him Johnny, since I don't want to keep saying "the Indian".... Johnny said in his testimony that her voice was like an angel, and she was so polite, and even those in the class who gave her a hard time -- she would smile and speak with kindness and respect. She was trying to get some of them to sign up for college, so she could tutor them and help prepare them. One day, Johnny stayed after class, and asked about college. Before too long, the Missionary lady was telling Johnny about Jesus, and His love. Johnny got furious and stormed out - NOBODY loved him. He shouted that at her - "NOBODY loves me!"

    The next day, as Johnny came into class, the Missionary lady stepped in front of Johnny as he tried to slide into his seat, and with those kind eyes and soft voice, she said "I do".

    He didn't even ask -- he knew exactly what that meant. He had gone to bed that night wondering why he had yelled at her, when she had been so kind.

    The testimony continued, Johnny speaking to over 40,000 men, occasionally his voice choking up. I was watching from a vantage point behind and under the platform, where I could see his back, and his giant image on the giant JumboTrons. Then I noticed somebody else was watching. Over to my left was Jay, standing in the shadows, watching and listening to Johnny from under the platform. I prayed a quiet prayer, because it was so obvious Johnny had her attention.

    Then the most amazing thing happened. Johnny finished speaking to thunderous applause, and Jay stepped back from the railing to head up the stairs where she had been working behind the curtains behind the speaker. But somebody was coming DOWN the stairs as she started to go up, and she stopped, and stepped back to let him pass.

    It was Johnny. As he came to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped, eyeball to eyeball with Jay. She froze. They just stood there for a moment - it was obvious that Johnny intended to speak to her - he wasn't trying to get around her, but stood right there in her face, and she just stared at his old tough scarred and abused Indian face.

    Then Johnny spoke. "It's time"

    That's all he said.

    Big tears began running down Jay's face. Others had come down the stairs behind Johnny, and had quietly formed a circle around the two of them. I stepped forward to be part of this group, and I thought to myself "loose thy shoes from off thy feet...."

    Jay sobbed, "Time for WHAT?"

    "The hate", Johnny said. "It's time for the hate to go".

    Jay burst into tears and hugged Johnny, and he hugged her, and several of the men reached out and put their hands on the heads and shoulders of Johnny and Jay and began to pray. At one point Jay screamed as though in anguish, then sobbed, then sobbed softly as Johnny held her. Then what I can only describe as a "Holy Ghost hush". Johnny gave her another hug, then he and his entourage disappeared. Jay looked around and saw me, and stepped over to hug me.

    I guess she must have noticed I was a little shorter or something, because she looked down at my feet and asked, "where are your shoes?" I honestly didn't know I had stepped out of them. I smiled and said, "the ground whereon you stand is Holy ground".

    She smiled one of the most beautiful smiles I'd ever seen, and said, "it's gone". And I knew exactly what she meant.

    The hatred was gone.

    It was time.
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
    Jay (her name was Jenny, but just like I do my own daughter, I called her Jay) was an angry young woman. She was beautiful when she smiled, but she smiled so seldom. When she wasn't smiling, she looked cold and hard and older.

    I knew her through my work with Christian concerts at various venues, because she was a "sound guy", expert in all types of sound and light equipment. She had a tough upbringing - an alcoholic father who physically abused her, mom had run out when Jay was little -- all kinds of things in her youth that made her an angry person.

    One day I saw her at one of our concerts, and she said (this was MANY years ago) "hey, I'm going to that Promise Keepers thing in Houston". She caught me off guard, and I said, "you're WHAT?" (It's a GUY thing)

    She said "I have been asked to do the post production of the Promise Keepers thing in Houston, so I'll be there backstage. I smiled real big, and said, "That's super! Cause I'm on their team as backstage security, and I'll be there, too!" She smiled (one of those rare moments) and said, "maybe I'll see you there".

    WHO KNEW!!!

    There was the traditional singing of upbeat versions of hymns, some choruses, prayers, speakers.... I hadn't seen Jay, but was keeping an eye out for her.

    Then one of the speakers was introduced... an American Indian (I wish I could remember his name) who began to speak about abuse, hardships, anger, hatred... he grew up on an Indian reservation, and had been abused and beaten and taunted all his life. Some of the physical abuse from his own father sounded more like torture than abuse. He was filled with rage and angry at everybody. Then one day, a new "white woman" was introduced as the new English teacher at his tribal school. She had kind eyes. He couldn't stop looking at her kind eyes. He hated her for being white, but it didn't change the fact that he couldn't stop looking at her kind eyes.

    We'll call him Johnny, since I don't want to keep saying "the Indian".... Johnny said in his testimony that her voice was like an angel, and she was so polite, and even those in the class who gave her a hard time -- she would smile and speak with kindness and respect. She was trying to get some of them to sign up for college, so she could tutor them and help prepare them. One day, Johnny stayed after class, and asked about college. Before too long, the Missionary lady was telling Johnny about Jesus, and His love. Johnny got furious and stormed out - NOBODY loved him. He shouted that at her - "NOBODY loves me!"

    The next day, as Johnny came into class, the Missionary lady stepped in front of Johnny as he tried to slide into his seat, and with those kind eyes and soft voice, she said "I do".

    He didn't even ask -- he knew exactly what that meant. He had gone to bed that night wondering why he had yelled at her, when she had been so kind.

    The testimony continued, Johnny speaking to over 40,000 men, occasionally his voice choking up. I was watching from a vantage point behind and under the platform, where I could see his back, and his giant image on the giant JumboTrons. Then I noticed somebody else was watching. Over to my left was Jay, standing in the shadows, watching and listening to Johnny from under the platform. I prayed a quiet prayer, because it was so obvious Johnny had her attention.

    Then the most amazing thing happened. Johnny finished speaking to thunderous applause, and Jay stepped back from the railing to head up the stairs where she had been working behind the curtains behind the speaker. But somebody was coming DOWN the stairs as she started to go up, and she stopped, and stepped back to let him pass.

    It was Johnny. As he came to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped, eyeball to eyeball with Jay. She froze. They just stood there for a moment - it was obvious that Johnny intended to speak to her - he wasn't trying to get around her, but stood right there in her face, and she just stared at his old tough scarred and abused Indian face.

    Then Johnny spoke. "It's time"

    That's all he said.

    Big tears began running down Jay's face. Others had come down the stairs behind Johnny, and had quietly formed a circle around the two of them. I stepped forward to be part of this group, and I thought to myself "loose thy shoes from off thy feet...."

    Jay sobbed, "Time for WHAT?"

    "The hate", Johnny said. "It's time for the hate to go".

    Jay burst into tears and hugged Johnny, and he hugged her, and several of the men reached out and put their hands on the heads and shoulders of Johnny and Jay and began to pray. At one point Jay screamed as though in anguish, then sobbed, then sobbed softly as Johnny held her. Then what I can only describe as a "Holy Ghost hush". Johnny gave her another hug, then he and his entourage disappeared. Jay looked around and saw me, and stepped over to hug me.

    I guess she must have noticed I was a little shorter or something, because she looked down at my feet and asked, "where are your shoes?" I honestly didn't know I had stepped out of them. I smiled and said, "the ground whereon you stand is Holy ground".

    She smiled one of the most beautiful smiles I'd ever seen, and said, "it's gone". And I knew exactly what she meant.

    The hatred was gone.

    It was time.
    Beautiful.

    I'm always still in trouble again

    "You're by far the worst poster on TWeb" and "TWeb's biggest liar" --starlight (the guy who says Stalin was a right-winger)
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    • #3
      "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

      "Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
        Jay (her name was Jenny, but just like I do my own daughter, I called her Jay) was an angry young woman. She was beautiful when she smiled, but she smiled so seldom. When she wasn't smiling, she looked cold and hard and older.

        I knew her through my work with Christian concerts at various venues, because she was a "sound guy", expert in all types of sound and light equipment. She had a tough upbringing - an alcoholic father who physically abused her, mom had run out when Jay was little -- all kinds of things in her youth that made her an angry person.

        One day I saw her at one of our concerts, and she said (this was MANY years ago) "hey, I'm going to that Promise Keepers thing in Houston". She caught me off guard, and I said, "you're WHAT?" (It's a GUY thing)

        She said "I have been asked to do the post production of the Promise Keepers thing in Houston, so I'll be there backstage. I smiled real big, and said, "That's super! Cause I'm on their team as backstage security, and I'll be there, too!" She smiled (one of those rare moments) and said, "maybe I'll see you there".

        WHO KNEW!!!

        There was the traditional singing of upbeat versions of hymns, some choruses, prayers, speakers.... I hadn't seen Jay, but was keeping an eye out for her.

        Then one of the speakers was introduced... an American Indian (I wish I could remember his name) who began to speak about abuse, hardships, anger, hatred... he grew up on an Indian reservation, and had been abused and beaten and taunted all his life. Some of the physical abuse from his own father sounded more like torture than abuse. He was filled with rage and angry at everybody. Then one day, a new "white woman" was introduced as the new English teacher at his tribal school. She had kind eyes. He couldn't stop looking at her kind eyes. He hated her for being white, but it didn't change the fact that he couldn't stop looking at her kind eyes.

        We'll call him Johnny, since I don't want to keep saying "the Indian".... Johnny said in his testimony that her voice was like an angel, and she was so polite, and even those in the class who gave her a hard time -- she would smile and speak with kindness and respect. She was trying to get some of them to sign up for college, so she could tutor them and help prepare them. One day, Johnny stayed after class, and asked about college. Before too long, the Missionary lady was telling Johnny about Jesus, and His love. Johnny got furious and stormed out - NOBODY loved him. He shouted that at her - "NOBODY loves me!"

        The next day, as Johnny came into class, the Missionary lady stepped in front of Johnny as he tried to slide into his seat, and with those kind eyes and soft voice, she said "I do".

        He didn't even ask -- he knew exactly what that meant. He had gone to bed that night wondering why he had yelled at her, when she had been so kind.

        The testimony continued, Johnny speaking to over 40,000 men, occasionally his voice choking up. I was watching from a vantage point behind and under the platform, where I could see his back, and his giant image on the giant JumboTrons. Then I noticed somebody else was watching. Over to my left was Jay, standing in the shadows, watching and listening to Johnny from under the platform. I prayed a quiet prayer, because it was so obvious Johnny had her attention.

        Then the most amazing thing happened. Johnny finished speaking to thunderous applause, and Jay stepped back from the railing to head up the stairs where she had been working behind the curtains behind the speaker. But somebody was coming DOWN the stairs as she started to go up, and she stopped, and stepped back to let him pass.

        It was Johnny. As he came to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped, eyeball to eyeball with Jay. She froze. They just stood there for a moment - it was obvious that Johnny intended to speak to her - he wasn't trying to get around her, but stood right there in her face, and she just stared at his old tough scarred and abused Indian face.

        Then Johnny spoke. "It's time"

        That's all he said.

        Big tears began running down Jay's face. Others had come down the stairs behind Johnny, and had quietly formed a circle around the two of them. I stepped forward to be part of this group, and I thought to myself "loose thy shoes from off thy feet...."

        Jay sobbed, "Time for WHAT?"

        "The hate", Johnny said. "It's time for the hate to go".

        Jay burst into tears and hugged Johnny, and he hugged her, and several of the men reached out and put their hands on the heads and shoulders of Johnny and Jay and began to pray. At one point Jay screamed as though in anguish, then sobbed, then sobbed softly as Johnny held her. Then what I can only describe as a "Holy Ghost hush". Johnny gave her another hug, then he and his entourage disappeared. Jay looked around and saw me, and stepped over to hug me.

        I guess she must have noticed I was a little shorter or something, because she looked down at my feet and asked, "where are your shoes?" I honestly didn't know I had stepped out of them. I smiled and said, "the ground whereon you stand is Holy ground".

        She smiled one of the most beautiful smiles I'd ever seen, and said, "it's gone". And I knew exactly what she meant.

        The hatred was gone.

        It was time.
        I got a beautiful card in the mail from Jay today. She is married, has a 5 year old son, and is living in Scotland. Three more reasons for me and Mrs CP to visit Scotland.
        The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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