My Story (Part Two)

"Dave, I'm going to the library. Want to come?"

He sat there hunching over the keyboard. His 6'-5" stature made the dorm room's little desk chair seem all the more tiny. A quick series of keystrokes, then he bounded up and with his distinctive loping gate headed for the door, "Let's Roll."

There were two copies of Mere Christianity at the Southfield Public Library. Both were old. of the 1960's hard cover, yellowed pages starting to fall out variety. One was twice as thick as the other. Dave didn't say much during our trip after I told him what I was up to. He browsed the tech manuals or maybe went looking for a good collection of sci-fi short stories. Anything by Asimov or Orson Scott Card. I'm not sure whether I took the shorter or longer version home, but I set right to reading it.

Years later I picked up a copy of Mere Christianity to own. As I read it through again I marked all the significant passages that impacted me that first time through. Each question that pierced me, each explanation that somehow put my upside down world back in order. I even made note of the section where I am fairly certain I came to believe. A month after I marked up my copy my laptop bag was stolen, along with my Bible and this well glossed edition of Mere Christianity. I wonder to this day if those notes led to somebody else coming to faith. I'll find out some day!

That night I lay in my bunk and read right up to the part where Lewis makes his case that Christ was either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. I remember the narrative pausing for an aside... "You should really make up your mind on this before continuing. The rest of the book won't do much good to you unless you decide." For the record... that aside wasn't in the edition I bought years later. I put the book down and went to sleep pondering: Lord, Liar, or Lunatic? Hmmm. Good and likely irrelevant teacher wasn't an option anymore.

The next day I saw Shelley in Technical Writing. She had a copy of Mere Christianity for me. "I don't need it," I said. I remember the confused look on her face, followed by surprise when she found out I took the initiative to go get the book myself. "I am half way though, I'll talk to you about it tomorrow after I finish." That statement was made to impress. "Yes, Shelley, I am the kind of person who takes challenges seriously. Just wait and I will give you my verdict." I had decided I would keep reading even though I hadn't made up my mind on the Lord, Liar, Lunatic thing.

The image from the second half of the book that resides in my soul to this day is that of a fleet of ships sailing in formation. It seems God rights our miserable un-seaworthy tubs, and even creates a system whereby he can keep us from crashing into each other. I remember how heavily my failure and incapacity in relationships weighed on me. My parents couldn't make a marriage work. I couldn't even be a decent guy to my now ex girlfriend. I knew I wasn't capable of making a relationship run smooth - in formation. Somehow God could make that work.

Sprawled on my grandmother's couch in my dorm room, with Dave asleep in his bunk in the next room, late on that November evening, somehow I knew he WAS Lord! And he deserved more status and prominence in my life.

(Man, those last two sentences are bland. They simply do not convey what had just occurred in my heart. Quickening - palpitations! Somethings just don't have words. Jesus went from being a 2000 year old teacher to the Son of God, and Lord of my life. What are the words to convey that? Shock - amazement! Somethings just don't have words.)

The next day, flush from the news of my confession that Jesus Is Lord, a giddy Shelley reached into her backpack and pulled out a slightly worn Bible. "Here. I want you to have this. Start reading in John, or Romans." I didn't even know what those instructions meant.

(to be continued) Teaser: The next three days were REALLY FUN!