Stories from Heaven's Library - Vol. 15
For Young and Old
Featuring:
The Logger
Tom & Julie -- The Assassin
Jaguar
THE LOGGER
It was November 1932. Times were tough and work was hard to come by, so I was happy to have any job at all. I had found work in a logging camp in Washington State a few months back. I was barely 18, and had always wanted to get away and see what the rest of the country was like. I was born in a small town, where both my parents had been born as well, so it was kind of a family thing to stay together. I was the oldest of nine children.
Our parents loved the Lord. My father made sure that we all went to church every Sunday, and he had taught us the Bible himself. But now I didn't see any place for religion in my life. I was young and self-sufficient. When our family business began hitting hard times, I decided it was time to find some work. I heard that there was work to be had upstate, so my parents reluctantly let me go.
I never really appreciated all that my parents did for me. I was rather independent. My father appreciated my self-sufficiency, but had always wished that I had listened a little more to his counsel.
I arrived at the lumber camp in early August. On my first night they had an initiation party for all the newcomers, and since I was the "baby" they went easy on me, which meant all I had to do was to drink a whole bottle of liquor without stopping. I was never allowed any alcohol before, so I thought this was my chance! I took a big swig, but it just shot right back out! Everyone roared with laughter! But they kept chanting, "Drink up! Drink up!"
I was told that I managed to get about half of it down, but I didn't remember a thing. I apparently passed out, because the next thing I knew was that I found myself on the floor of the bunkhouse with the sound of the breakfast bell echoing inside my head. I could hear all of the others rushing to get to the food line!
This was going to be quite a first day! Everything seemed so loud, the light hurt my eyes and everyone seemed to be moving so fast! We all loaded up into the trucks and went off to the timberline. I was told that we would be setting up camp on the mountain, and that we'd be staying there for a couple of weeks while clearing the area. A truck would come up every day to bring supplies.
At first, I just took care of the gear and handled smaller tasks, but it wasn't long before I started cutting logs and clearing branches. The job that I thought looked the most exciting was that of the head topper. The head topper's job is to climb the tree with a belt and spikes to cut the branches off before the tree is felled. This is to prevent it from cracking or splitting when it comes crashing to the ground. It looked like so much fun to be up there as high as the other trees and to see all of creation!
It was quite a change from my familiar surroundings. I was small in comparison to the big, burly lumberjacks, but I was a hard worker, so they soon took a liking to me. One thing that I had a hard time adjusting to was the many profanities and foul language that governed every conversation. I had been raised to be kind, and this kind of language was totally new to me. I'd never heard things like that. But after a while I accepted it. I started to smoke and drink, and felt I was fitting in quite well. All the tough lumberjacks thought it was funny to see this kid acting just like them everyone, that is, except the old foreman.
The old foreman had taken an interest in watching over me. He took care of me and tried to make sure that I didn't get into too much trouble. He had been working as a lumberjack since he was about my age and he didn't have any family of his own, so he kind of adopted me as his son.
He was a jovial man who exuded a natural happiness about him. When tensions would flare up between two people, which was not a rare occurrence amongst these burly men, he would be the one to break it up, and would often leave both sides laughing at the end!
Pops, as everyone called him, was a little disappointed in me and what I was fast becoming. One night, after I had worked there for a few months already, he asked me to come walk with him. We headed up to above the timberline, and there, as we sat admiring the view of the valleys and rolling hills before us, he started to tell me of a secret that he said he had never told anyone before.
"It had happened one night when I was just a little older than you, boy," he told me. "I was pretty reckless and carefree. I had no conscience. I did whatever I wanted, not thinking of God, or of loving my neighbor, or any of the things my parents had instilled in me from the time I was young."
I sat up and took notice. It was as if this old man was telling me my very own life story.
"My friends and I had gotten drunk that night, and I decided that I wanted to go back to the camp. My friends kept on partying, so I left alone. But I was so drunk that I could hardly see straight. On the way to the camp there was a stream, and there was only a small plank going across. It had been raining a lot and the stream had swelled into a small river.
"In trying to cross the river, I fell and tumbled in. As I was being swept along with the stream I called out for help, but no one heard me. And then I was swept against some rocks and hit my head. I was knocked out cold."
I sat up and listened, eager to hear the rest of the story. Pops looked ahead, and his eyes grew misty, as if he was reliving a memory from long ago.
"The next thing that I remember was a very warm feeling--a feeling of total love. I saw this person a being of light so bright--but it didn't hurt my eyes. He said that Jesus loved me and had saved me--and then the being vanished!
"That changed my life," said Pops, as he turned to look into my eyes, "but I wouldn't want the same thing to happen to you. The Lord can spare you that one if you'll learn from what happened to me. Besides, just think how your parents would feel if they saw you now. Is this the kind of person that they raised you to be?"
That night, as I lay on my bed, I thought about all that Pops had told me, and the direction that my life had been heading. What would my parents think if they saw me now? Christmas was approaching and soon we'd all be given a month off. I was planning to go and visit my family. But what would they think of me now?
I went over to my bed and pulled out my old Bible from the bottom of my bag. My mom had put it in there just before I left. "You'll be needing this now," I remember her telling me. I began leafing through it. Soon I came across stories that I had often heard as a child. I remembered all of us children sitting around the fireplace and my father reading to us. By the time he'd be through, the fire would be burning low and most of us would be asleep.
How could my parents raise all of us in such difficult times? I remember thinking to myself. What was it that they'd always say?--That we were all blessings from the Lord? How could that be when I've turned out the way that I have? I started to cry, and then I found myself praying--something I hadn't done for a long, long time.
"Lord, how can I be a blessing when I'm like this?"
Then just as clear as ever, I heard a voice. It wasn't an audible voice, but that unmistakable still, small voice in my heart: "You can be--to those here."
"What do You mean, Lord, 'to those here'? I'm just a kid and they're a bunch of rough tough lumberjacks."
"You've been taught My Word, speak of that!" the voice said.
"But Lord, if these guys hear me start reading the Bible and talking about You, they'll just laugh. They won't accept me any more!" I argued with that still small voice inside of me.
That day was our day off, but there was an announcement in the dining hall that some volunteers were needed to finish a job before Christmas break. It would be a week of hard work and they'd be setting up camp near the top of the timberline. It would be extra pay, and I knew I could use the extra money to buy some presents for my family. Besides, I needed some time to get myself straightened out before going home.
So we packed our supplies and headed out. It was slow moving because of all the snow, but once we got there the camp was quickly set up. We were 20 miles from our base camp, and the isolation was just what I wanted. There were 25 of us that had decided to go and I soon found out what they meant by hard work. The days were now shorter, and we had less time to work to get this certain area cleared, so we had to put in double time to make it.
But things were going fine and I was happy to be so busy. We only had a couple more days left, and my thoughts drifted to what I was going to get for my brothers and sisters. My reverie* was suddenly interrupted by a loud echo, "TIMBER!" and the following crash of a giant tree.
"You need some help?" Pops called over to me. I was cutting through a rather large tree myself, and had apparently been taking a little longer than normal.
"No! I'll be done in a flash." I yelled, awakened to the reality of my dangerous work! Just then I heard the telltale cracking sound of the tree beginning to pitch.
"TIMBER!" I called, as I lustfully* watched the tree come down. But instead of falling straight down, it hit and bounced off of another tree, and was now heading right for where Pops was standing!
"Look out!" I yelled! But it was too late.
I closed my eyes. Oh, God, please help Pops! I found myself praying.
CRASH!! With an awesome crunching sound, the tree pinned everything in its path to the ground. I ran over to see what had become of Pops.
"Pops, Pops! Are you hurt? Pops, can you hear me? Where are you?" I called frantically, trying to peer through the mass of leaves and branches to see where Pops was.
"I'm okay," a voice said from behind me. I spun around to see Pops, with a bewildered look on his face, come walking down a little incline off to the side.
"But I saw you how did you get over there?" I gasped.
"I don't know. Just as I saw that tree coming my way I thought that was it. But then, I don't know, I felt someone push me out of the way. The next thing I know is that I'm standing and watching the tree come down from up there."
He turned around and pointed up the incline he had just come down. "Did I say push? Actually, it must have been a throw! Well I don't know how that happened, but it surely is a miracle of the Lord's protection."
Later that evening I was replaying the events of the day in my mind. I couldn't get over what had happened out there, or what could have happened! Pops, sensing what I was going through, walked over and put his hand comfortingly on my shoulder.
"Don't go blaming yourself or thinking that it was your fault now, you hear? We all make mistakes, but the worst thing you can do is to go blaming yourself."
"Yes sir," I answered. My voice was low as my head hung despondently.
"'Yes sir?' When did you start that kind of talk?"
I cracked a smile as I told him that I had been practicing for when I would see my folks. I told him all the things that I'd been thinking about and how I felt like such a failure because of all that I'd done and how my parents would probably be so disappointed in me.
"Well, son," he answered, tugging his old, white mustache pensively, "I would say that nothing has happened that wasn't in some way or another good for you. You see, all these things are what teach you right from wrong, and they make you into the man God needs you to be.
"God is the one Who's in control, boy; not yourself, not your parents. God is in control. And when you are His child--and I know, boy, that you are--He will always be with you, watching over you. Take today, for example. I thought I was a goner, but the Lord had other plans, and although I still can't figure out how it happened, I know that God is in control of my life."
I knew Pops was right. The next couple of days went by fast and soon I was on my way back home. As I walked home from the bus stop I thought about what my family would think when they saw me.
Maybe I should have told them that I was coming, I thought, as I walked up the road to the familiar and welcome sight of my parents' house. But it's Christmas and Christmas is always full of surprises!
Whoosh!! A snowball hit me in the back!
"Hey! Look who's back!"
I spun around to see the freckled face of my kid brother. "Sammy?" I thought. He looked so much older. "I haven't been gone that long, have I?"
"Come here, Sammy. Give your brother a hug!"
"I'm not Sammy, I'm Steven! Sammy is over "
Whoosh!! Another snowball, this time right on the side of my head!
"Got you, got you!" teased a voice.
"Patricia!" I said, as I spun around to see her and her twin brother Sammy on the sled.
"Come and push us," they both chimed.
I heard the front door swing open, followed by a familiar voice: "John, you're back! You didn't tell us that you'd be coming home for Christmas!"
"Well, I wanted to surprise you, Mom!"
"Come in, stranger!" said Dad, who appeared in the doorway behind Mother. I looked at him, then looked to the ground.
He came forward and embraced me. "What's wrong, son?" he whispered in my ear.
"Dad," I said, "you and Mom raised me to be good and to love the Lord and well, I failed I failed you."
"Son," he said, looking deep into my eyes, "no matter what you've done or haven't done, I still love you!"
Tears started to well up in my eyes--tears of gratitude for the undying love of a father and mother. Tears of joy--the joy of knowing that no matter what, Someone bigger than my sinful self was in control of my life, and would not allow anything to happen to me that wasn't for some purpose or reason.
"Come on inside, son, and warm yourself by the fire. I'm sure we have lots to talk about. Oh, and son Merry Christmas!"
I smiled as we walked into the house together, closing the door, leaving the cold--and the past--behind us.
TOM AND JULIE -- THE ASSASSIN
"Widespread anxiety has gripped the nation, as rumors circulate that a group of international spies is at large in our country. This news comes in light of the mysterious disappearance of a top government aide yesterday, and the king has ordered a full investigation. A reward is being offered for any information leading to the capture of these infiltrators. And now, for our sports update "
Tom turned off the TV and looked at Julie. "We should pray that the Lord reveals their whereabouts before they do too much damage."
Clarissa looked up from the blocks she was playing with on the carpet. "Pay!" she said earnestly, as she heard her daddy's suggestion, and clasped her little hands together.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door of their small but nicely furnished apartment which the king had generously given them for the duration of their stay in his country. He seemed to be very happy so far with the progress of the "Story Time" show which Tom and Julie directed and produced. They worked along with a team of skilled technicians and helpers who were only too willing to offer their services to this young foreign couple, who, despite their age and nationality, had an obvious love for and a sincere desire to help their people.
Tom strode towards the door, and after checking through the peephole, flung it open.
"Hello, Asahir! How are you today?"
A pleasant-looking man in a starched, embroidered uniform stood stiffly before him, with a pleasant and apologetic smile on his face.
"I'm well, thank you sir. I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, but His Royal Highness asked me to see you right away, and to express his concern for your well-being."
"There has been more news of the spies?" Tom queried.
"Nothing since the disappearance of one of our aides yesterday. Needless to say, this is quite a cause for concern. The Great One (for this is how they referred to the Anti-Christ) has been known to use less than pleasant methods to extract information from people. We're not sure what they are up to, but we do know that they will stop at nothing until they get what they want.
"I have brought four guards with me, so you can always have someone with you wherever you go, as well as to guard your house when you're here. They are at your service." He motioned down the stairs, to where four serious-looking and well-built young men stood at attention.
"Thank you so much," Tom said, "but do you really think this is necessary?"
Asahir had by now entered the living room and was gratefully accepting a cup of coffee from Julie. He had grown quite comfortable with these young people and trusted that he could be frank with them.
"Unfortunately, yes," he replied. "Your work with our people has had quite an impact. The changes that have come upon our people through your simple yet persuasive stories and anecdotes have counteracted many of the lures that the Great One would have used to entice our people. These changes have not gone unnoticed by us, nor by him, I presume. I hope we can continue to enjoy your show for a long time yet," he said, looking at Tom and Julie.
"Thank the Lord," Julie replied immediately. Asahir had received Jesus into his heart, and was one of a small group who attended regular Bible studies at Tom and Julie's place. He had learned and grown quickly in the Christian ways, and was now their most dependable and loyal friend, as well as a valuable go-between for the king and themselves.
"Yes," Asahir smiled, "I do thank God. But there is no doubt that your fame has spread abroad, and that you may very well have found yourselves listed among the international enemies of the One World Government, together with our king and his closest aides. Thus, the extra help." Again he motioned with his eyes out the door.
"Well, thank you. We really appreciate that. And please do thank the king for us. Tell him that we are praying that these impostors, whoever they are, will be caught quickly."
"I will do that," Asahir said appreciatively, as he rose to leave, patting Clarissa on the head as he passed her.
* * *
Not many miles away, in what could loosely be termed an outdoor cafeteria, a stranger was taking in the sights and sounds of a local marketplace. With a short haircut, dark sunglasses, sun hat, a loosely fitting sports shirt and casual shorts and shoes, he bore all the marks of a regular tourist.
As he slowly sipped his cold beer, he listened intently to the conversations that were going on around him. It was just before noon, and no one seemed to be in any hurry to be about their business. They relaxed on the roughly made wooden benches around the tables.
Through the dirt-streaked windows of the caf, B-21 (for that was his code name) studied the faces inside the equally crowded, yet smaller area inside the caf. B-21 had gathered, from snatches of conversation that he overheard, that there was an important national program coming on in a few minutes. So he had decided to endure the heat and glare of the midday sun and the noisy bustle around him a little while longer--in order to observe.
He allowed his thoughts to wander to the previous week, when he had received this assignment. He remembered his commander's quiet, yet intense voice, as he and his fellow spies, whom he knew only by code names, listened to the rundown on their top-secret mission.
Destination: A small resistant country to the south. Mission: Quiet the enemy. B-21's specific mission was to deal with the effect of the local media on these people, which, according to Intelligence Headquarters, was interfering with their plans for this country. He felt confident that his mission would not be that difficult. A sense of superiority had been ingrained in him early in life, along with a disdain for simple people. He cracked a slight smile as he looked around him. These people were indeed simple, and from what he had heard, they could easily be manipulated through the media and other methods of propagandized infiltration.
B-21's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden hush that had fallen on this rabble of men, women and children. Even the waiters stopped, and looked towards a large, antiquated television that was suspended in an upper corner of the caf. Small speakers hung throughout the caf and extended out through the doorway, enabling the people sitting outside to hear also.
A familiar jingle came on, bringing claps and squeals of delight from some of the smaller children in the audience, as they smiled and wiggled in their chairs in anticipation at what today's program might be about.
By now, B-21 had gathered some information concerning this program. Intelligence reported that this infant program received official endorsement and financial support from the royal court. They also knew of the widespread effect this program had had on the common people, featuring two unusual looking foreign youths who related anecdotes and stories, most of which were obviously out of keeping with the ideals and mores of the One World Order.
B-21 also knew that several top officials in this country had sworn their secret loyalty to the Antichrist, and had promised to aid in a surprise overthrow of the present government. But due to some unknown turn of events, most of these officials had been quietly phased out of the government in an unusually short space of time, and further attempts to buy the loyalty of other officials had proven futile.
B-21 took note of Tom and Julie's bright, expressive faces on the large screen ten feet away from him. So, those are the famous storytellers, huh? They look easy enough to recognize, should I ever meet them on a street, B-21 thought. He smugly remembered the recognition he had received for his marksmanship, as he made mental targets on these innocent-looking victims' foreheads.
There were others to be targeted also--aides and officials who had not given in to their financial bribery and blackmail. B-21's comrades had already apprehended* one of them. But it became apparent that these storytellers were the greatest threat to their plans, because of the great influence that their program had on the people of this nation. Now it had fallen to B-21 to find and eliminate these two youngsters on the TV screen, and the upcoming festival, it seemed, would be the perfect opportunity.
He cast one last glance around the crowd, who had taken no notice of him, and then disappeared into a throng of people heading down a narrow and dusty street.
* * *
Julie looked out the window again. "Looks like the weather prediction on the news was right!" she said, gazing into the narrow street outside of their apartment. A strong gust of wind was tossing a stray newspaper page up in the air, and around, and down again, along the pathway. Not a single person had ventured from their house, as reports had predicted heavy rain. The rain was certainly a godsend, which Tom and Julie had been praying for, but it seemed slightly bad timing.
Tom, sitting on the floor and playing with Clarissa, commented, "Thank You, Lord, for sending the rain. We sure do need it. It's just a pity that it's coming today, of all days, when the festival is planned."
This was a yearly event in which popular national entertainers performed live for an audience of thousands, including the royal family and high-ranking members of the government. Tom and Julie had been invited to participate--to give a live rendition of one of their stories on the large stage that was set up in the city's central square. But now that wouldn't happen--at least not today.
"Well," Tom said, smiling at Clarissa, "all things work together for good to them who love the Lord. I'm sure the Lord has some purpose or plan in the sudden change of weather. Besides," he said, putting his arms around Julie as he joined her at the window, "we can take advantage of this chance to get some extra Word time."
"Yes!" Julie said, "It's so wonderful that we just got a computer from Asahir, which we can use to access the HomeARC CD we managed to keep with us. Hey, do you think we could check whether the Family Web site is still active?"
"Good idea!" Tom replied. He quickly logged on, and found that the site was still there. "Yep, still here! Amazing! With pictures of Dad, MO Letters and all. Imagine that, all those old MO Letters are still on the site."
"And those Kiddie Viddie clips," Julie added.
As soon as Clarissa heard the word "Kiddie Viddie," she looked up with bright eyes, and then over to the new computer, or "the funny white TV" as it seemed to her, where they showed her a few Treasure Attic and Kiddie Viddie clips. Julie laughed to see Clarissa's reaction. Tom and Julie continued browsing the Web site and downloaded some video clips to show Clarissa later.
While a rather large file was downloading from the Web site, Julie began jotting down titles of Letters she wanted to read now that they were able to access their electronic Word trunk.
"Nothing like a couple years of 'MO famine' to whet your appetite, eh Julie?"
She paused, "I'll say! Thank the Lord we at least had our Bibles and a couple of DBs. And thank God we hung on to the CD. I'm surprised, though, that the One World Government hasn't found and shut down the Web site by now!"
Tom chuckled, "He's probably trying! But there are so many thousands of Web sites that it would take him years to go through each one and get rid of what he doesn't like. But I'm surprised that this stuff is still here, too!"
"Well, thank You Jesus!" Julie said, as the file finished downloading and she clicked on another one.
* * *
Little did Tom and Julie realize that they had activated a tracking program in a small office in another country, which was set up to trace anyone who accessed the Family Web site.
Yes, the Antichrist did know about the Web site, and the material that was on it; the Word which he despised above all things, and which he knew was capable of destroying his hold on any person who hungered, with an open mind, for the one true God.
It was a top computer technician who had persuaded the Beast to keep the site on the Web, convincing them that they could track down and eliminate any of "those people" who followed these "words of David" and would, they theorized, not be able to resist entering the Web site to get to them.
So far they had not had much success in tracking anybody down, but the technician insisted that sooner or later, dangerous elements of opposition could be tracked down and eliminated using this technology.
The powerful computer was furiously gathering data, reading the information that was coming in from the Web site. Country Area City Phone line House Number. He had it! The technician picked up the printout with a smile of glee. The success of his tracking system would surely entitle him to a lucrative promotion.
The technician leaned back importantly in his chair, allowing himself a few moments of quiet bliss to dream of his successful career, before he hurriedly wrote a coded message to Intelligence Headquarters, forwarding his information to those who would carry out the necessary "work."
* * *
The wind in the streets gained momentum, knocking over some tin garbage bins, and creating funnels of dust which had gathered from the many months of no rain. B-21 considered how he would best send his message to headquarters, telling them that the assassination of the storytellers, which was to take place during this festival, would not
B-21 allowed his usually controlled self a moment of frustration, as he imagined what a perfect set-up it would have been; the open square with several unused upper floor offices around, and with the large podium that had been set up, the storytellers would have been easy targets.
But now B-21 gazed with glassy eyes out of the dingy third story apartment that he had rented under an alias*. The black clouds rolling in were tinted with green. According to the forecast, this sudden storm would be raging fiercely for at least a few days, and after that, the downtown area would have to be set up again. It looked like this event could be postponed for at least a week. Since the disappearance of one of the king's close aides two nights before, there had been heightened security throughout the nation, and it was becoming increasingly risky for B-21 to carry on his subversive* business.
B-21 lit up a cigarette, as he glanced over at his small portable laptop. A computerized voice informed him that he had new mail waiting. He pulled out his chair and decrypted the message before him on the screen:
Forget public park. Sparrows nest at following address. Be careful not to wake the birds.
The last phrase seemed unnecessary to B-21--he was an experienced field agent, and stealth was his life. He cracked a sinister smile; this made his mission much easier. Now he could hit them in the privacy of their own home. He barely heard the two loud cracks of thunder or saw the torrents of rain that suddenly began to descend.
B-21 thought back to a failed mission in a distant country that he had heard of. "Sparrows" was a code word for religious people who were prime targets of the One World Order. The name signified their numbers, and the way in which, no matter how many were eliminated, there always seemed to be more.
In the briefing all agents had received of that failed mission, he had read that there had been several Sparrows at a certain location or "nest." A few agents had been sent to eliminate them, and they had, with the utmost care, kept the house under surveillance, trailing each one who would come and go. The last communiqu they had received from the team's leader read, "Checking nest tonight." Two days later, when nothing had been heard from the agents, two other agents were sent to investigate. They found the "nest" bare, with no sign of either Sparrows or agents, who were never heard from again.
As B-21 puffed on his cigarette in the near-dark room, with the only source of light being the hazy glare from his computer screen, he pondered the mystery of that story, and tried again to guess at what could have possibly happened to those agents.
* * *
The next morning when Tom and Julie woke up, the rain was still coming down in heavy sheets. "I suppose we won't be venturing out of the house today either!" said Tom, as he stretched and yawned. Clarissa was still sound asleep.
"Honey, I had an odd dream last night."
"What was it?" Tom asked, stretching and putting his arm around Julie.
"Oh, it seems so silly. It was simple, really, but I had the strangest feeling. It seemed like I was the observer and there was this flat roof with a low wall surrounding it. It was a lovely, sunny day. All along the wall there were beautiful potted plants and flowers.--Anyway, that's not the most important part of the dream.
"There were these two cute little sparrows, hopping around on the roof, pecking at little seeds. They were real happy and peaceful, and it seemed safe, and they weren't real anxious or looking around. Then the scene backed up, and around the corner, from up on the brick wall on the far end of the roof, a cat was on its haunches, low down--you know how cats look when they're hunting? He wasn't moving, but he was looking intently at the little sparrows, who didn't see him.
"Then he started creeping around, closer and closer to where the sparrows were. You know how sparrows are usually very alert and looking around? They're very shy too; they'll fly at the slightest noise or movement. But these sparrows didn't notice the cat, which seemed somewhat strange to me. So the cat came closer and closer, until it was almost above the sparrows, and preparing to leap on them both."
Tom was looking at Julie expectantly, but she looked up at him and said, "Then I woke up! But I had the funniest feeling that somehow it's symbolic, and somebody may be in danger."
"Huh, interesting," Tom said. "The Lord has given us dreams before to prepare us for something that was going to happen, or to try to get through to us about something. This last week we've been so busy, and I feel bad that we haven't taken much time to stop and hear from the Lord. What do you think? Why don't we take some time now? I don't think we'll be getting any visitors in this weather."
"Yes," Julie said, "that would make me feel much better. At least we can check and see if the Lord has anything to say about the dream, or about what we're doing now, or if He wants us to do something else."
"Yes," Tom added, "I was convicted when we were reading 'Stop, Look, and Listen' yesterday."
Tom and Julie crept quietly into the living room so as not to wake Clarissa, and prayed and asked the Lord together to speak to them about Julie's dream. They waited quietly, listening to the sound of the rain on the roof, and also listening with their spiritual ears, for the whispers that were sure to come. Julie got something first:
"Watch and pray. Watch and pray, I do say. For even as your Grandpa once told you, you must not only pray, but you must also watch. Indeed, I have missed you coming before Me and asking Me and seeking My counsel and My will each day. It is so vital, even if you only take a few minutes daily. So I did speak unto you through this simple dream, for the Devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. I say unto you that I have promised to protect and to keep you, but you must help Me by always tuning in to the whispers and to the checks that I give you."
Julie was silent for a moment, and then Tom began to get something:
"Flee as a bird to the mountain. You are attacking and defeating the Enemy's plans in this country, and he is angry. Therefore you must be on guard night and day, and always, always, watch and pray. For I would not that My plan for you be defeated through fear of the Enemy. When the Enemy shall come in like a flood, I shall raise up a standard against him. These spies in the land--who do think that they can harm My anointed and those whom I have appointed to protect the people of this country--seek to touch the apple of Mine eye, and their days are numbered. But again I say, watch and pray."
Tom and Julie sat in silence, pondering what the Lord had just said to them. He was constantly reminding them to look to Him for every step. They thanked the Lord for this warning, and counseled together about how they could take action on these words.
"Well, I'm glad you had the faith to share your dream, Julie. It's amazing how the Lord uses these little things to remind us or to check us or to get our attention."
"The Lord said 'Flee as a bird.' I wonder if He means that He wants us to move from this place?" Julie looked at Tom and raised her eyebrows. "Although this is a nice place--and it's ideal for the story program we're doing, just a 15-minute drive from the studio. It's perfect for Clarissa too, pretty safe for a little toddler."
"I don't know, maybe the Lord's trying to prepare us for another door He's going to open."
Julie walked up to the window and looked out. The rain had stopped and the clouds were quickly rolling away. The sunlight glistened in the droplets of water on the window pane. "I had this really strange feeling about that cat. I wonder "
Julie was interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. It was Asahir, sending them greetings from the king, and regrets regarding the cancelled event of the day before.
"As a token of his appreciation for all that you have done," Asahir added, "the king would like to offer you a residence in the hills." Tom held his breath as he held the receiver close to his ear, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. He looked at Julie with a "guess what?" smile on his face.
"Thank you so much, Asahir," he said into the receiver.
"If it would please you both, I would be happy to show you to this new place. Although the rain is a welcome relief, the remaining months of summer are predicted to be extremely hot, so the king wishes to offer you this small summer residence where it's a bit cooler. It's only a cottage, but it's quaint and I think you'd like it. If you are free this afternoon, you could join me at my house and we could make the arrangements."
Tom thanked Asahir and hung up. He grabbed Julie by the waist and swung her around as he hugged her, and she, laughing at his excitement, eagerly asked what was up. As he told her, they both looked at each other, marveling at the Lord's foresight in telling them of their need to flee and then, before they hardly had time to worry about where they might go, dropping a place right in their laps. They heard a laugh from the bedroom and looked to see Clarissa holding on to the edge of her crib and smiling at them.
* * *
B-21 carefully traced a line on a local map from his apartment to the address he had received from Intelligence Headquarters. It would take him about 30 minutes to get to this place, stake it out and see what his possibilities were. Little did he know that his "Sparrows" were already preparing to take flight. When he arrived at their apartment in the afternoon, there was no one there. Tom and Julie had gone over to Asahir's house to discuss the details that they couldn't talk about over the phone, and had been invited to stay for dinner. So B-21 waited until they returned, late in the evening, with their armed escort.
He watched from a parked car across the street and a few houses down. They'll be no trouble, he thought to himself with a sly smile, as he watched closely to see what they would do. One of the bodyguards placed himself outside the door for the night. Once the lights in the apartment had turned off, B-21 returned to his apartment, to plan his next course of action.
After having discussed all the details of moving to this new house with Asahir, the Lord had impressed upon Tom and Julie the urgency of making their move right away. Acting on the Lord's clear and definite warning from that morning, they explained to Asahir, who by now had learnt to expect surprises from the young ones, that they wanted to move that very night--in fact, as soon as possible. Asahir smiled understandingly, and told them that he would have a van come over to take them as soon as they were packed. He assured them that the place would be stocked with food and the basic necessities when they got there.
* * *
B-21 lay restlessly on his bed throughout the night, mentally going over his moves for the next day. Shortly before dawn, and still under the cover of darkness, he carefully made his way to their apartment, confident that he would catch them just before sunrise, when they would be fast asleep and the night guard would be the most tired. His surprise was apparent when he arrived at their building and saw no guard or car out front. This is going to be easier than I thought, he mused within himself. He slipped his hand over the gun that lay concealed beneath his jacket. After scanning the street to make sure the coast was clear, he walked up the stairs, and peered inside a window--and found himself gazing into an empty room.
He walked along the balcony to the side of the house, and peered into another window--and another empty room.
Damn! he thought. What's going on? They couldn't possibly have
"Freeze!!! You are under arrest, by order of the king!"
B-21 spun around to see a uniformed policeman holding a gun in his direction. He turned to leap off the railing to escape, but it was too late. A group of uniformed men swarmed the yard, and within seconds he was surrounded.
"Keep your hands in the air, and come this way. One wrong move and it will be your last!" the burly policeman in front of him shouted.
* * *
Once settled into their new summer residence, the Lord showed Tom and Julie to begin to train others, those who had been working with them, to carry on with the Story Time program. All of their new friends who had been working with them to produce the shows were now fledgling Christians with a hunger for the Word, and they eagerly listened to all that Tom and Julie had to tell them.
Later, when the Lord called Tom and Julie to move once more, and they had to break the news to the king that they had to leave, they were able to reassure him that the program would carry on in their absence. And so the Lord continued to lead, guide, and supply for Tom and Julie.
As for B-21, he was never heard from again.
JAGUAR
High on a mountain, where the air is fresh and clean, where the wind blows free, where the trees stand strong and tall and the forests abound with rare and beautiful flowers, once stood a quaint old wooden cottage, home to a father and a mother with three children. The eldest, Samuel, was ten years old. Next was Elsie, who was eight, and then the youngest, John, who was only four.
Peter, their father, had built this cottage with his own two hands. He had gone out into the forest and cut the wood. He had stripped the branches and sawn the planks, and laid them one upon the other. He had also filled the house with all kinds of wooden additions, including a beautifully carved table, chairs for the whole family, and ornate beds for each one.
The children loved to spend their time out amongst the wonders of God's creation. They would run through the fields of brilliantly colored flowers, lie in the lush green grass and look up at the sky which seemed to encompass them on all sides.
Samuel, Elsie and John had been brought up to love Jesus. Their parents had taught them to read and write. They had learned to chop the wood for the fireplace and to help cook the meals. Life was simple and happy because they knew that Jesus was with them, and that He would always take care of them.
* * *
Cock-a-doodle-doo! Samuel woke up to the sound of the rooster's crow and gazed out his window at the beautiful spring morning.
"Thank You, Jesus, for this beautiful day. Please help me to be good, and help me to be a help to my family. Please take care of me today. Amen," he prayed, as he did every morning. He then went about making his bed and cleaning up his room. Samuel lived in the loft of the humble cottage, and he so loved his little area, which was filled with wooden decorations and little candles that he and his father had made, and other knickknacks that he had found.
"Breakfast is ready!" He heard his mother call. Quick as a flash he was down at the table. Samuel was never late for meals, and each of these wilderness children ate like a horse.
After a prayer, they gobbled up their oatmeal and were done before you could count to ten. The children were excited today because they had finished all their studies for the week, and that meant that today they could spend as much time outside as they wanted, and work on the projects that they liked to do for fun. This was by far their favorite day of the week, and one that they looked forward to with great anticipation.
"Thank you for that delicious meal," Samuel and Elsie chorused. They helped to clear the table and wash the dishes. "You're so wonderful, mother, and you take such good care of us. We love you!"
"I love you, too," she said, smiling at them. "It's always a pleasure to do things for you, my sweet children. Now, run along and play, and have a good time. Just remember to stay within sight of the cottage, because you never know what dangers could lurk beyond. All right?"
"Yes ma'am," The two children quickly answered, although they had heard this warning so many times that it went in one ear and out the other. They didn't think it was that important anyway; they'd secretly crossed the boundaries a few times, and had never come across any danger. Besides, they were old enough to take care of themselves, or so they thought.
* * *
Soon they were off, playing with the sheep, climbing their favorite trees and picking flowers to make crowns and necklaces.
"You know what, Elsie?" asked Samuel. "How 'bout we do something different today? Why don't we go to a place that we've never been before?"
"I don't know," answered Elsie. "Mother said that we should stay within eyesight of the cottage and that we're not to go any farther."
"Oh, but I'm big enough," Samuel answered. "I'll take care of you. You don't have to worry about anything. Besides, we don't have to go very far. We can just go a little further into the forest and see what we find. What do you say?"
"If you think it's safe," Elsie said, "then I guess it's all right."
"All right, let's go."
And so they trotted off down the hill, and walked into the forest. They were having such a merry time that they didn't realize how far they had actually gone until they came to some rocky ledges that overlooked a valley far below.
"Wow, this is wonderful!" exclaimed Samuel. "It's so nice up here, you can see everything." Up on these exposed boulders, it was beginning to get cold and windy, and they were both now hungry from their long trek*.
Elsie started to feel a little bad about having disobeyed. She turned to Samuel. "I think we should head back now. I think we're a little too far from home here. Can we go back?"
"Oh, Elsie," teased Samuel, "you're just a scaredy-cat."
"No, I'm not," Elsie defended herself.
"Yes, you are," Samuel snapped back, starting a playful fight. Suddenly Elsie's doll, which she had been clasping under her arm for the whole morning, went tumbling down the cliff, landing on a rocky ledge below. Elsie started crying.
"I'm sorry," Samuel apologized. "I'll get it for you."
"No!" cried Elsie. "It's too dangerous down there. Don't go!"
"Aww, I can do it. It's not so far down. I'll just climb down, toss it up, and climb right back up."
"Well, if you think you can " Elsie muttered. "It is my favorite doll, and I would so love to have her back."
Without another word, Samuel began his descent*. But he was not as good a climber as he had imagined himself to be. He almost slipped several times. He wondered if maybe he should turn back and ask his father for help. He knew it looked dangerous, but then he decided that he was old enough to do this by himself.
Then, it happened! He put his foot on a rock that was loose, and lost his footing! With a loud "crack" of the branch he was holding onto, Samuel went tumbling down the rocks, landing on the same rocky ledge as the doll--motionless and still.
Elsie let out a scream, and began crying. She didn't know what to do! "Dear Jesus, I don't know what to do. I have no way to help Samuel. I don't know if I can find the way home on my own. I'm lost out here, and there's no way I can go to get Father and Mother. Jesus, Samuel's hurt down there and he needs Your help. Please do something! Please help us! Please forgive us for going off on our own, for not listening to what Mother said and for thinking that we knew better. Please forgive us for quarreling. If we had obeyed, then this whole thing wouldn't have happened. Please forgive us for disobeying. Please help Samuel to be all right! Please, Jesus, help us!"
She cried for a few more minutes, until she heard a noise below. Looking down, she saw a jaguar with a beautiful spotted coat coming towards Samuel. At first she froze in fright. She had heard stories about how dangerous these beasts could be. Then all of a sudden, a feeling of peace came over her, and somehow she knew that Jesus was answering her prayer. She looked closer, watching the jaguar circle around the still form of her brother.
Then she blinked her eyes. Had she really seen it? Yes, there, she saw it again! Samuel moved! Slowly his hand lifted to his head, and, barely gaining consciousness*, he felt something soft and warm lie down beside him. Elsie gave a short gasp. The jaguar had lain itself right down beside Samuel, who had just opened his eyes and found himself staring--with a stunned look on his face--straight into the eyes of the jaguar!
The jaguar nudged Samuel's hand with his paw, and Samuel instinctively put his arms around the large jaguar's neck, and clung tightly. Elsie watched with bated breath to see what would happen. "Oh, Jesus! Please, protect Samuel!" The jaguar began the ascent* up the steep rock ledges of the cliff, as Samuel continued to hold tightly to its neck. And so the jaguar climbed and heaved until it reached the top, where Elsie stood.
"Elsie," Samuel whispered, still keeping his arms around the jaguar. "I'm so sorry that I led you out here to this place and that I didn't listen to Mother and Father's warnings. I endangered myself, and I also endangered you. I'm sorry! If only I had obeyed, none of this would have happened. I'm so, so sorry. Will you forgive me?"
"Yes," Elsie whispered, as she nervously kept her eyes on the jaguar, who was standing calmly beside her. "I'm just so glad you're alright."
Samuel was still dizzy and in quite a bit of pain from his fall, but the jaguar started pulling him towards the direction of their home. So there they were, trailing along; Samuel holding onto the jaguar with his arms around its neck, and Elsie walking right beside them.
After nearly half an hour, they were back outside their cottage. Their wilderness home had never looked so good before. They were so relieved to be safely home again. Samuel loosened his grasp from around the jaguar's neck, and exhausted from the strain, sank into the grass, while Elsie ran inside to call Mother and Father.
"Mother! Father! Come quick, Samuel's hurt!" she exclaimed.
Father came running out to see what had happened, and Mother followed close behind. "Elsie! Samuel, what happened? Where have you been? We've been so worried about you! Oh, but we've been praying for you, and thank God, Jesus brought you home safely."
"Samuel," Father said, "Let me take a look at your leg. It looks like it's been broken! And those cuts and bruises, and that big lump on your head where have you been? What happened?"
"I'm sorry, Father. We ran off, further than we were supposed to, until we came to a cliff. Then Elsie's doll fell onto a ledge, so I went to fetch it. I thought I could do it, Father, that I was strong enough and that I didn't need your help, and then I fell."
"But how on earth did you get back here?" Father asked.
Samuel turned to where he had last seen the jaguar standing, but he was gone--disappeared. "It was a jaguar that brought me home."
"A jaguar?" Father questioned with a look of disbelief. "A jaguar wouldn't come near you unless it was to attack you!"
"No, Father, it's true," Elsie added. "When Samuel fell down the cliff, I prayed to Jesus to help us, because He always helps us when we pray. Jesus sent a jaguar. The jaguar carried Samuel up the cliff and all the way home."
"Yes, that's right!" confirmed Samuel. "I don't know how it knew. He just carried us in the right direction, and brought us straight back here, as if he was being guided by something inside of him."
Mother was standing silently to the side up until this point. "I think that jaguar must have been an angel sent by Jesus to help you in your time of need in answer to your prayers--and our prayers."
"Thank You, dear Jesus, for helping us." They all praised His Name.
Samuel did have a broken leg; it had to be put in a splint. He rested for the next few weeks before he could even get around on crutches, and it was quite some time before he could run and play in the forest again.
Samuel and Elsie learned a lesson that day--that it was wise to obey their parents' counsel. They also knew they would never forget the special and unusual angel Jesus sent to them, that brought them safely home again.
DEFINITIONS INCLUDED THROUGHOUT BOOKLET:
* reverie: a daydream
* lustfully: with intense eagerness
* apprehended: to catch or take into custody
* alias: a false name
* subversive: intended to undermine or overthrow, usually an established government
* trek: journey on foot; hike through mountainous areas
* descent: to go down
* consciousness: being awake and aware of your surroundings
* ascent: rising or going upward
Copyright (c) 1998 by Aurora Productions