Wk 04b*** Another View

Sometimes a person’s life gets turned upside down. Spectacular things happen as if they were happening to someone else. Events alien to your experience cause you to reevaluate your perception of reality. Things are not as they appear. For a moment, maybe longer, you are not yourself. Such was the case in the story above, Evening Embers.

I was one of the teenage boys adventuring out that night. It was not even an adventure; my friend and I just wanted to watch the sun set. We both were Creationist advocates. For us the setting sun proved the existence of God. When we arrived at the park something clicked in my brain. At first it was the fear of illegal parking. This fear was probably due to me driving my dad’s car. I never wanted to do anything that would get me in trouble with my dad.

The next thing I know, I am trespassing and running from the law. How crazy is that for two guys who normally fear the Lord too much to break the law? The attraction to God was too great. We had to watch His sun set. And it had to be in His beautiful park. A park ranger, civil servant of the State, would never understand such devotion. Neither would my dad.

Missing the sun set was a major disappointment. I cannot stress this point enough. It is the very reason we had to go into the valley that night. God had disappeared into the darkness of the forest. I knew we could find Him. I just did not foresee how. But typical of God who can do all things, be all things, He came out of nowhere. And He was bigger than night. It is no surprise He knocked us both on our butts; after all, we were trespassing. I am sure that is why He taught us to pray: “Forgive us our trespasses.”[1]

[1] Matthew 6:12, Old Catholic Translation
Best used in Matthew 6:14 and Mark 11:15 - “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."