TRUE STORIES
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What God Has Done for Me
and the hypocrisy of religion
and the hypocrisy of religion
Me and Schatzi, 2024
I grew up being an atheist. After all, I'd had a rough childhood and by the time I was in high school I reckoned I had it all figured out. I'd witnessed first hand the hypocracy of religion, and I knew the world was a dog eat dog place. I was all set to get 'them' before they got me. I saw the cruelty, disease and starvation being experienced by innocent people, children and animals. If there WAS a loving God why did he allow this to happen? No, in my mind it was just a fairytale invented by people as a crutch because they weren't able to stand alone. It was not for me! So I lied, I stole, even from my own friends and co workers, and basically I was not a very nice person. But I used my innocent looks to get me out of every scrape I found myself in.
Then, when I was in my early twenties, along came Shirley. I liked Shirley as a friend, but she wouldn't stop talking about her 'loving savior Jesus Christ'. I'd dealt with other Jesus freaks before, but Shirley just wouldn't give up. Eventually I had enough. I told her that we couldn't be friends any more if she didn't stop pushing her religion down my throat. She didn't stop, so I decided to cut her out of my life, and I ceased taking her calls. So I was surprised one day to see her at my door. I nearly slammed the door in her face, but she said she'd come to make a deal. Curiosity got the best of me so I decided to hear her out.
"If you'll come with me to just ONE of my bible study meetings" she said with a twinkle in her eye, "I PROMISE not to ever mention God or Jesus ever again unless you want me to."
I stared back at her, wondering if she was serious. She was. I thought about it for a minute. I'd really missed her friendship, and after all, one night of being bored out of my mind was surely a small price to pay for her friendship. Shirley wasn't the kind of person to break a promise. The Bible study was pretty much what I expected, but to my own surprise later on I couldn't get it out of my mind. I ended up going back, being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit with the accompanying speaking in tongues.
"If you'll come with me to just ONE of my bible study meetings" she said with a twinkle in her eye, "I PROMISE not to ever mention God or Jesus ever again unless you want me to."
I stared back at her, wondering if she was serious. She was. I thought about it for a minute. I'd really missed her friendship, and after all, one night of being bored out of my mind was surely a small price to pay for her friendship. Shirley wasn't the kind of person to break a promise. The Bible study was pretty much what I expected, but to my own surprise later on I couldn't get it out of my mind. I ended up going back, being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit with the accompanying speaking in tongues.
So What Has God Done For Me?
IS MY LIFE EASY? NO! But I've experienced the power of prayer. And I know that I'll never be alone for God promises that He'll not forsake me nor leave me. Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5, and Hebrews 13:5
I KNOW WHERE I'M SPENDING ETERNITY AFTER I DIE.
HAVE I CHANGED? YES! I now hold integrity dear. GOD has removed my heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
AM I PERFECT? NO! I'm a sinner saved by Grace. And I know that when I mess up, God is true to His Word and forgives me when my heart is repentant.
I KNOW WHERE I'M SPENDING ETERNITY AFTER I DIE.
- Romans 8:11: "If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from death, lives in you, then he who raised Christ from death will also give life to your mortal bodies"
- John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life"
- 1 John 2:25: "And this is what he promised us—eternal life"
- Revelation 20:10b: "And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (I will not spend eternity in Hell).
- Revelation 20:15: "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"
HAVE I CHANGED? YES! I now hold integrity dear. GOD has removed my heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
AM I PERFECT? NO! I'm a sinner saved by Grace. And I know that when I mess up, God is true to His Word and forgives me when my heart is repentant.
- Matthew 18:21-22: Jesus teaches Peter to forgive others "seventy-seven times"
- The Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors"
- Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you"
- Colossians 3:13: "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other"
- Luke 6:37: "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven"
- Matthew 18:23-35 The parable of the unforgiving servant in
- Isaiah 1:18
Hypocrisy of 'religion' (dead churches)
2 Timothy 3:5. "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" is a warning to avoid people who appear to be religious but don't actually follow through. In this verse, Paul says that these people are known for putting on a facade of faith in God, but rejecting the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Romans 12:2, Paul urges people to be transformed from the inside out, and to renew their minds so they can understand God's will for their lives.
It's Valentine's Day today, 14th February, 2025 when I've decided to share with you, some true stories from my own life. You see, I grew up as an atheist, and it wasn't until I encountered God in a very real way that I even acknowledged his very existence. But I'm racing down a rabbit hole here! So let me begin at the beginning.
I guess it all started with an epithany
I don't know what else to call it, because it wasn't a dream, I was fully awake, yet it was so real, so vivid, that it's had a lifelong impact on my view of life. I remember that I was sitting in a chair in my loungeroom, wide awake, when suddenly, in the blink of an eye, I was in a small rowboat, floating with the current, along the middle of a river. The boat had no oars, and no motor. The warmth of the sun was on my back and I felt calm and serene, totally relaxed and at ease.
Now for starters, this was highly unusual! I don't like boats in any size shape or form and there is NO WAY I would ever feel comfortable in a small rowboat, alone, drifting along in the middle of a wide river. Yet here I was. The banks each side had trees and bushes along them which cast dappled shade onto the water. Everything was peaceful and still.
Now for starters, this was highly unusual! I don't like boats in any size shape or form and there is NO WAY I would ever feel comfortable in a small rowboat, alone, drifting along in the middle of a wide river. Yet here I was. The banks each side had trees and bushes along them which cast dappled shade onto the water. Everything was peaceful and still.
I dangled my right hand over the side into the river as my small rowboat drifted along, clasping and unclasping my hand and letting the cool water flow through my fingers. Then, with a shock, I realized something. When my hand was clenched, trying to grab water to me, my hand held no water in it at all. But when I relaxed my hand and let the waves flow through it and out to beyond, I held the entire river in abundance without end. As soon as my mind grasped this context, this Truth, and I knew it's meaning, I immediately found myself sitting back in my chair in my loungeroom.
Some Years Later-My 2nd Epiphany
This one was scary! In those days, I was very involved with showing my horses at shows all over Australia. This was my passionate hobby and I took it very seriously.
Me and my winnings at Melbourne Royal
One summer afternoon after work, I was busy preparing the feeds for my three horses to come inside out of the paddocks into the stables for the night. Lucerne hay had to be taken out of the water it had soaked in to remove excess sugar, and then I would hang it in haynets in each of the looseboxes. The hard feeds needed to be damped, mixed together, and put into the mangers ready for the eager mouths waiting to munch into it when I led the horses in from the paddocks into each stall. I had already forked the bedding into the centre from where I'd piled it up against the walls that morning to clean and dry out during the day. In other words I was busy, I had heaps yet to do before I could think about cooking a meal for the family, and I was dirty, dishevelled and my mind was far away from anything spiritual.
Then suddenly, I was transported into a scene I would never forget and one which I would remember with clarity for the rest of my life it was so real.
Then suddenly, I was transported into a scene I would never forget and one which I would remember with clarity for the rest of my life it was so real.
Like most Christians, I had heard of Jesus Christ's return, when believers who were still alive on the earth would be 'caught up' and transformed 'in the twinkling of an eye'. But to be honest, I had never given much thought to it. Surely it was meant to happen far into the future, and I pushed it to the back of my mind and never thought about it.
But right there, covered in grime and with other things on my mind I was suddenly transported to another time and place entirely. As far as my eyes could see, thousands of people were rising up into the air until they were out of sight. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was what I had been told, was the 'Second Coming'. Then I felt an invisible force drawing me upwards that I couldn't resist even if I wanted to. I started to feel elation, all worldly things forgotten in the exhilaration of the whole experience. Then it happened!
But right there, covered in grime and with other things on my mind I was suddenly transported to another time and place entirely. As far as my eyes could see, thousands of people were rising up into the air until they were out of sight. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was what I had been told, was the 'Second Coming'. Then I felt an invisible force drawing me upwards that I couldn't resist even if I wanted to. I started to feel elation, all worldly things forgotten in the exhilaration of the whole experience. Then it happened!
To my absolute horror, I found myself sinking back down to the ground. I struggled against this downward pull with all my might but no matter how hard I tried, nothing worked and I found myself back down again, huddled and crying with utmost despair. And then the realization came to my mind that it was my own sins I had not repented of, which were too heavy to let me ascend to Heaven with the others.
As quickly as it had come the vision left me and I was once again in my stable yard with the horses' 3 lead ropes slung over one arm. As I led the horses in, I felt weak and shakey, and very troubled. I've never shared this experience with anyone before tonight, even though it happened years ago. I guess I was frightened that no one would believe me.
As quickly as it had come the vision left me and I was once again in my stable yard with the horses' 3 lead ropes slung over one arm. As I led the horses in, I felt weak and shakey, and very troubled. I've never shared this experience with anyone before tonight, even though it happened years ago. I guess I was frightened that no one would believe me.
My 3rd and Most Recent Epiphany Happened End of 2024
This one was truly horrible, but good in a special kind of way! Once again, I was fully awake, when suddenly, certain scenes from my past flashed one after another as if I was re-living each one of them. In each one, I saw in absolute clarity, the exact location in which it had taken place, the face of the person I had mistreated and the situation that had arisen. I had not thought of any of them in many years. But I was shocked and horrified at the way in which I had treated some people!
As each scene unfolded, I was aghast. I did THAT to this person? Really? but I knew that I had. How I WISHED that I knew where they were now all these years later so that I could apologise and ask them to forgive me! What a horrible person I had been before I let God work on my heart.
Somehow, I knew that I had faced a kind of judgment, that I had been given the chance to repent before God for hurting another of his children without due cause. Through flooding tears of grief and repentance, I told God how terribly sorry I was and asked him to forgive me. I also prayed that he would bless those I had hurt.
And true to his Word, as always, he did forgive me and I know this because of the Peace and light that flooded my soul after each repentance.
In Bible verse - 1 John 1:9 it states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
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And true to his Word, as always, he did forgive me and I know this because of the Peace and light that flooded my soul after each repentance.
In Bible verse - 1 John 1:9 it states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".
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A Strange Happening
I remember once when I was driving in Flinders St Melbourne. Traffic was dense, busy rush hour. You have to turn Right from the Left hand lane, so for an instant, I was facing a crowd of people waiting to cross the road. The strangest thing happened. In a fleeting second, my eyes were drawn to those of a girl of perhaps 20 yrs old and our eyes briefly met, hers from where she stood on the kerb and mine from inside my car. But it was intense. 'Something' whispered inside me "Pray for her" so I did. Now years later, that moment comes back to me with vivid clarity.
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A Beautiful True Dog Story - (Have your tissues handy)
They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie, as I looked at him lying in his pen.. The shelter was clean, no-kill, and the people really friendly. I'd only been in the area for six months, but everywhere I went in the small college town, people were welcoming and open. Everyone waves when you pass them on the street.
But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.
But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner. See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike. For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls --- he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes. I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff, that I'd get him new things once he settled in. But it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to.
I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like "sit" and "stay" and "come" and "heel," and he'd follow them - when he felt like it. He never really seemed to listen when I called his name --- sure, he'd look in my direction after the fourth or fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever. When I'd ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.
This just wasn't going to work. He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes. I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell. The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff. I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest
room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the "damn dog probably hid it on me."
Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter's number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter...I tossed the pad in Reggie's direction and he snuffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I'd seen since bringing him home. But then I called, "Hey, Reggie, you like that? Come here and I'll give you a treat." Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction --- maybe "glared" is more accurate --- and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down .... with his back to me. Well, that's not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number.
But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that, too.
"Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see if your previous owner has any advice."
__________ _________ _________ _________
To Whoever Gets My Dog:
Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it. If you're reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter. He knew something was different.
I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time... it's like he knew something was wrong. And something is wrong...which is why I have to go to try to make it right.
So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you. First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier. Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hordes them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful - really don't do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.
Next, commands. Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I'll go over them again: Reggie knows the obvious ones ---"sit," "stay," "come," "heel." He knows hand signals: "back" to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and "over" if you put your hand out right or left. "Shake" for shaking water off, and "paw" for a high-five. He does "down" when he feels like lying down --- I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows "ball" and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business.
I trained Reggie with small food treats. Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening. Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.
He's up on his shots. Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he's due. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet. Good luck getting him in the car. I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.
Finally, give him some time. I've never been married, so it's only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially. Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new.
And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you....
His name's not Reggie.
I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I'd never see him again. And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything's fine. But if someone else is reading it, well ... well it means that his new owner should know his real name. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he's been giving you problems.
His real name is "Tank". Because that is what I drive.
Again, if you're reading this and you're from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with ... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq , that they make one phone.. call the shelter ... in the "event" ... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word.
Well, this letter is getting downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family ... but still,Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family. And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.
That unconditional love from a dog is what I take with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things ... and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I have to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He is my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.
All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. I don't think I'll say another good-bye to Tank, though. I cried too much the first time. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.
Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me.
Thank you,
Paul Mallory
____________ _________ _________ _______
I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer.
I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.
"Hey, Tank," I said quietly. The dog's head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.
"C'mere boy."
He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head
tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months.
"Tank," I whispered. His tail swished.
I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.
"It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me." Tank reached up and licked my cheek. "So whatdaya say we play some ball ?"
His ears perked again.
"Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?"
Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room.
And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.
But something was still missing as I attempted to settle in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt. Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter said they had received numerous calls right after, but they said the people who had come down to see him just didn't look like "Lab people," whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.
But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were brand new tennis balls, his dishes, and a sealed letter from his previous owner. See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home. We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too. Maybe we were too much alike. For some reason, his stuff (except for the tennis balls --- he wouldn't go anywhere without two stuffed in his mouth) got tossed in with all of my other unpacked boxes. I guess I didn't really think he'd need all his old stuff, that I'd get him new things once he settled in. But it became pretty clear pretty soon that he wasn't going to.
I tried the normal commands the shelter told me he knew, ones like "sit" and "stay" and "come" and "heel," and he'd follow them - when he felt like it. He never really seemed to listen when I called his name --- sure, he'd look in my direction after the fourth or fifth time I said it, but then he'd just go back to doing whatever. When I'd ask again, you could almost see him sigh and then grudgingly obey.
This just wasn't going to work. He chewed a couple shoes and some unpacked boxes. I was a little too stern with him and he resented it, I could tell. The friction got so bad that I couldn't wait for the two weeks to be up, and when it was, I was in full-on search mode for my cell phone amid all of my unpacked stuff. I remembered leaving it on the stack of boxes for the guest
room, but I also mumbled, rather cynically, that the "damn dog probably hid it on me."
Finally I found it, but before I could punch up the shelter's number, I also found his pad and other toys from the shelter...I tossed the pad in Reggie's direction and he snuffed it and wagged, some of the most enthusiasm I'd seen since bringing him home. But then I called, "Hey, Reggie, you like that? Come here and I'll give you a treat." Instead, he sort of glanced in my direction --- maybe "glared" is more accurate --- and then gave a discontented sigh and flopped down .... with his back to me. Well, that's not going to do it either, I thought. And I punched the shelter phone number.
But I hung up when I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten about that, too.
"Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see if your previous owner has any advice."
__________ _________ _________ _________
To Whoever Gets My Dog:
Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it. If you're reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter. He knew something was different.
I have packed up his pad and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time... it's like he knew something was wrong. And something is wrong...which is why I have to go to try to make it right.
So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you. First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier. Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hordes them. He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where you throw them, he'll bound after it, so be careful - really don't do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.
Next, commands. Maybe the shelter staff already told you, but I'll go over them again: Reggie knows the obvious ones ---"sit," "stay," "come," "heel." He knows hand signals: "back" to turn around and go back when you put your hand straight up; and "over" if you put your hand out right or left. "Shake" for shaking water off, and "paw" for a high-five. He does "down" when he feels like lying down --- I bet you could work on that with him some more. He knows "ball" and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business.
I trained Reggie with small food treats. Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.Feeding schedule: twice a day, once about seven in the morning, and again at six in the evening. Regular store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.
He's up on his shots. Call the clinic on 9th Street and update his info with yours; they'll make sure to send you reminders for when he's due. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet. Good luck getting him in the car. I don't know how he knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.
Finally, give him some time. I've never been married, so it's only been Reggie and me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark or complain. He just loves to be around people, and me most especially. Which means that this transition is going to be hard, with him going to live with someone new.
And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you....
His name's not Reggie.
I don't know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't bear to give them his real name. For me to do that, it seemed so final, that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I'd never see him again. And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything's fine. But if someone else is reading it, well ... well it means that his new owner should know his real name. It'll help you bond with him. Who knows, maybe you'll even notice a change in his demeanor if he's been giving you problems.
His real name is "Tank". Because that is what I drive.
Again, if you're reading this and you're from the area, maybe my name has been on the news. I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've left Tank with ... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq , that they make one phone.. call the shelter ... in the "event" ... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption. Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this, then he made good on his word.
Well, this letter is getting downright depressing, even though, frankly, I'm just writing it for my dog. I couldn't imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family ... but still,Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family. And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.
That unconditional love from a dog is what I take with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things ... and to keep those terrible people from coming over here. If I have to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He is my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.
All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. I don't think I'll say another good-bye to Tank, though. I cried too much the first time. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.
Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me.
Thank you,
Paul Mallory
____________ _________ _________ _______
I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star when he gave his life to save three buddies. Flags had been at half-mast all summer.
I leaned forward in my chair and rested my elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.
"Hey, Tank," I said quietly. The dog's head whipped up, his ears cocked and his eyes bright.
"C'mere boy."
He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor. He sat in front of me, his head
tilted, searching for the name he hadn't heard in months.
"Tank," I whispered. His tail swished.
I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.
"It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me." Tank reached up and licked my cheek. "So whatdaya say we play some ball ?"
His ears perked again.
"Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?"
Tank tore from my hands and disappeared in the next room.
And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.
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A Deeply Moving and Sensitive True Story (humorous too!)
Beth Moore
Beth Moore's Hairbrush Experience At Knoxville Airport
April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville , waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
April 20, 2005, at the Airport in Knoxville , waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say this because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego.
I tried to keep from staring
I tried to keep from staring, but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy, gray hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long, clean but strangely out of place on an old man.
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport... an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served up on a wheelchair only a few seats from me.
All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. 'Oh, no, God, please, no.' I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, 'Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!'
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, 'Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.' Then I heard it... 'I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.'
I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered that he was dead. So this man in the airport... an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere? There I sat; trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served up on a wheelchair only a few seats from me.
All the while, my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man. I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing.
I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. 'Oh, no, God, please, no.' I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, 'Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!'
There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, 'Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane.' Then I heard it... 'I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair.'
The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat..
Beth Moore
The words were so clear, my heart leap into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No-brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, 'God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am going to witness to this man' Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. 'That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair.'
I looked up at God and quipped, 'I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?' God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: 'I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.' (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible,
'Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'
I looked up at God and quipped, 'I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I supposed to brush his hair without a hairbrush?' God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: 'I will thoroughly furnish you unto all good works.' (2 Timothy 3:17)
I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story, my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies. I knelt down in front of the man and asked as demurely as possible,
'Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?'
What did you say?
Gentleman at the Airport
He looked back at me and said, 'What did you say?'
'May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?' I whispered again.
To which he responded in volume ten, 'Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.'
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out , 'SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?' At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say,
'If you really want to.'
Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words,
'Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush.'
'I have one in my bag,' he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
'May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?' I whispered again.
To which he responded in volume ten, 'Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.'
At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out , 'SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?' At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat, I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say,
'If you really want to.'
Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words,
'Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush.'
'I have one in my bag,' he responded.
I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on, hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair. It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.
A Miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing his hair
A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair. Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and I brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange, but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I - for that few minutes - felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while.
The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knee and said, 'Sir, do you know my Jesus?' He said, 'Yes, I do' Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior."
He said, 'You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, 'That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?'
I said, 'Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!' And we got to share
The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's. His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush back in the bag and went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knee and said, 'Sir, do you know my Jesus?' He said, 'Yes, I do' Well, that figures, I thought.
He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior."
He said, 'You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself, what a mess I must be for my bride."
Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it. Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.
I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, 'That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?'
I said, 'Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!' And we got to share
I Learned Something About God That Day
I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted, you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
Please share this wonderful story. Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!
I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way . . all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.
Please share this wonderful story. Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain!
The Fourth Watch occurs between the hours of 3am and 6am and is said to be the time when Supernatural experiences are likely to happen. The fourth watch is defined by the Roman watch as a time spanning from 3am – 6am. Biblically, strategic events take place particularly during the night and early morning hours/watches: The Hebrew watch was divided into three watches, the first, middle and morning watch. As the Roman influence and supremacy was established, the number of watches increased to four and were described in numerical order 1st (6pm – 9pm); 2nd (9pm – 12am); 3rd (12am – 3am); 4th (3am – 6am). During the 4th watch there are significant power encounters that make way for the Kingdom of God to penetrate the earth.
