God Moments: Part Two Series

GOD MOMENTS PART TWO

(JOSHUA 3:1-13)

INTRODUCTION:

A MIDDLE-AGED MAN WAKES UP NEXT TO A ROTTING MOUND OF TRASH IN A REMOTE PART OF A BIG CITY. HE HAS DRIED BLOOD ON HIS FACE AND HIS CLOTHES HAVE BLOOD ON THEM AS WELL AND ARE TORN.

HE LOOKS AT HIMSELF IN THE MIRROR OF AN OLD RUSTY CAR, BUT THE REFLECTION HE SEES IS A STRANGER TO HIM. HE LOOKS THROUGH HIS CLOTHES FOR A WALLET, AND UNFORTUNATELY FINDS NO IDENTIFICATION. HE HAS NO CLUE TO HIS IDENTITY.

HE WANDERED THE STREETS OF THE CITY BY DAY, HOPING THAT SOMEONE WOULD RECOGNIZE HIM. HE SPENT THE NIGHT LIKE A HOMELESS PERSON. THOUGHTS RAN THROUGH HIS MIND. WAS I A HOMELESS PERSON? DID I HAVE A JOB? WHO AM I? DO I HAVE A WIFE, OR CHILDREN?

HE SPENT THE NEXT FEW NIGHTS AT A DOWNTOWN RESCUE MISSION. THEY TOLD HIM HE COULD STAY, BUT THAT HE WOULD NEED TO FIND A JOB. SO HE CLEANED HIMSELF UP AND WENT TO THE BIGGEST BUILDING DOWNTOWN – THE LANSDOWNE CORPORATION.

“WHAT’S YOUR NAME” A LADY ASKED

“ER – I’M NOT SURE. CALL ME JIM, I GUESS.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR NAME? WHAT’S YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER?”

“I DON’T KNOW THAT EITHER, MA’AM. YOU SEE, I WAS MUGGED. EVERYTHING, INCLUDING MY MEMORY, WAS STOLEN. I DON’T REMEMBER ANYTHING. I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU IF I HAVE ANY REAL JOB EXPERIENCE. I’M SURE I DO. I USED TO DO SOMETHING. I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT.”

“IT’S HIGHLY IRREGULAR,” SHE SAID. “I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW WE CAN SET UP OUR COMPUTER FOR YOU TO GET YOUR CHECKS, BUT I BELIEVE YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH. YOU CAN START TOMORROW ON THE LOADING DOCK. YOU’LL BE UNLOADING PARCEL SHIPMENTS.

JIM WORKED HARD AND MADE ENOUGH MONEY TO MOVE INTO A RUN-DOWN, ONE ROOM APARTMENT. HE TRIED TO REMEMBER WHO HE WAS. THE LONLINESS WAS OVERWEALMING.

ONE NIGHT JIM HAD A DREAM, IN WHICH HE SAW A WOMAN’S SMILING FACE. SHE WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LADT HE HAD EVER SEEN. IN THE COMING WEEKS THE DREAM WOULD CONTINUE AND INTENSIFY. AS ALWAYS THOUGH, WHEN HE TRIED TO GET CLOSE TO THE WOMAN, SHE WOULD VANISH.

AFTER SEVEN MONTHS ON THE LOADING DOCK JIM WAS CALLED INTO THE SUPERVISOR’S OFFICE. AT WHICH TIME HE WAS OFFERED A PROMOTION AND RAISE.

NOT MANY WEEKS LATER, AS JIM WAS ENTERING THE BUILDING, HE WAS STUNNED WHEN HE SAW HER. IT’S HER, MY DREAM LADY HE THOUGHT. HE WENT UP TO HER “EXCUSE ME, MA’AM. YOU LOOK FAMILIAR. ARE YOU MARRIED?”

SHE LOOKED AT JIM’S UNRULY BEARD AND WRINKLED SHIRT, AND BEGAN TO WEEP. “I DON’T THINK THAT IS ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS” AS SHE STEPPED ONTO THE ELEVATOR, SHE TURNED TO LOOK AT JIM AGAIN.

JIM WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS WAS THE WOMAN OF HIS DREAMS. HE WAS CONVINCED BY THE FEELING HE HAD FOR HER, THE DESIRE TO HOLD HER. HE DIDN’T KNOW HER BUT HE LOVED HER. HE FORGOT ABOUT HIS LUNCH AND FOLLOWED THE WOMAN TO HER HOME.

IT WAS AN EXQUISITE NEIGHBOURHOOD AND AS HE SAT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE MEMORIES CAME STREAMING BACK. HE REMEMBERED THE IMAGE OF THREE CVHILDREN IN A BACKYARD, AND A DOG RUNNING WITH AN OLD SHOE IN ITS MOUTH. JIM SAID “HE FINALLY GOT MY SHOES.”

JIM WENT AND RANG THE DOORBELL. WHEN SHE CAME TO THE DOOR SHE JUST STARED. “EXCUSE ME MA’AM,” JIM BEGAN.” I SUPPOSE YOU REALIZE THAT I’M THE MAN WHO SPOKE TO YOU AT THE LANSDOWNE BUILDING EARLIER. PLEASE HEAR ME OUT. A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I WOKE UP IN A REMOTE PART OF TOWN BADLY BEATEN AND ROBBED. I COULDN’T REMEMBER WHO I WAS OR HOW I GOT THERE. MY ONLY MEMORY WAS OF A BEAUTIFUL LADY I WANTED TO HOLD. I REALIZED TODAY THAT YOU ARE THE LADY IN MY DREAMS. AS I SAT IN FRONT OF THIS HOUSE I REMEMBERED CHILDREN AND THAT OLD DOG WITH MY SHOE. DOES ANY OF THIS MAKE SENSE TO YOU?”

HER KNEES TREMBLED, AND LIP QUIVERED, AND SHE LOOKED PAST THE BEARD AND INTO JIM’S FACE. “ZACH, IT IS YOU! IT’S REALLY YOU. WE ASSUMED YOU WERE DEAD. BUT IT’S REALLY YOU. THIS IS YOUR HOME. I’M YOUR WIFE CINDY. DO YOU NOT REMEMBER IT ALL NOW?”

“I DON’T REMEMBER IT ALL. BUT I REMEMBER I LOVE YOU AND HOW I WANT TO HOLD YOU. MAY I?” ZACH PICKER HER UP AND SPINNED HER AROUND. “IT MUST BE YOU – YOU USED TO LOVE TO SPIN ME LIKE THAT.”

CINDY THEN INTRODUCED HIM TO HIS CHILDREN AGAIN AND EVEN THE OLD DOG GOT PATTED. “NOW THE BIG QUESTION,” HE SAID. “WHO AM I?”

THE YOUNGEST CHILD JONATHON SPOKE UP “DAD, WE’RE THE LANSDOWNE FAMILY. YOUR NAME IS ZACHARY LANSDOWNE III. CINDY CONTINUED “YOUR GRANDFATHER STARTED THE LANSDOWNE COMPANY. YOU BEGAN WORK THERE IN THE MAIL ROOM. HE TURNED THE COMPANY OVER TO YOU WHEN YOU GOT YOUR MBA. YOU ARE THE CEO AND MAJORITY STOCKHOLDER OF THE COMPANY. BUT NOW OUR QUESTION, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF?”