The Gideon

''Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth"
2 Timothy 2:15 NIV

January 1969-Oakland, California, The Day Before War

 

The uncertainty of what was about to unfold, the future I had looked forward to, and yet, dreaded, was now here. The bus was beginning to fill for our short ride to the plane, our ride to War. The fear of the unknown was beginning to gnaw at my soul. What was to become of me, would this be my last memories of this world, my last vision of these United States. Would I never have the opportunity to see my friends and family again? All these questions were racing through my mind. When, out of nowhere, a little old man stopped me and handed me a small Bible. He began telling me how he would be praying for me and asking God to bring me home safely. My first reaction was to tell him to leave me alone, but suddenly, I found myself reaching for this small, but precious gift, from a stranger I did not know. He never told me his name, where he was from, nor did he ask for any money. He just wanted me to have this gift, the Word Of God, to take with me on my journey into uncertainty. The smile on his face, his experience in this harsh world etched in the lines of his face, I have never forgotten. Yet the gentleness of his words and the fact he was willing to pray for me, a person he hadn't really even met was just beyond anything I had ever seen in my short life. I boarded the bus and sat down, the bus began to pull away and as I looked back there he was, waving good bye.

 

The rest of the story...
I carried that little Gideon's Bible with me throughout my entire tour of duty in Viet Nam. As for the little old man, I never saw him again, but someday we shall meet again and I will thank him for the Love, Prayer and for the gift he gave me so many years ago as I left for war. His enthusiasm and Love of God inspired me to dedicate what time I have left to share God's Heart and Love with others, yes I too, am now a Gideon. Are you sharing?