It was a warm December day with the winds blowing rather briskly as they normally do in Oklahoma when a group of young college boys, for the want of something to do, realized it was the season for mistletoe although unaware of a reason for a Divine collision. Cars where quickly loaded and a trail of gravel dust could be seen toward the direction of the North Canadian River bed. Arriving It was a quarter of a mile sprint race past the familiar swimming hole to an area abundant with mistletoe. Quickly the trees where filled with human beings making uncommon noises closely comparable to giggles of anticipation. With each clump of green laden with red berries there was always a little bigger and brighter prize waiting just out of reach. One such prize lay at the top of a tree reaching almost horizontal over the swollen muddy rain fed river. One caviler was not to be denied his prize and quickly conquered the slight obstacle between the shore and the mistletoe.It was a triumphant ride with the spoils of victory as the young men returned to the college dormitory. It wasn’t until a few hours later the gladness turned to sadness as one young man discovered his wallet was missing. He quickly retraced his daily steps in his mind and was certain it was in his possession when they departed for the river bed. The thought of retracing his footsteps through the tall grass and brush to the site of the mistletoe was quickly relinquished and accepted as impossible.
Later that evening during a telephone call back home to his parents, the story was briefly shared for the purpose of the call was to secure applications for lost drivers license and social security card. The young man added he had just received his pay the day before from his part-time job of one dollar and fifty cents an hour and had been carrying twenty dollars in his wallet. There was a pause in the conversation and the young man expected to hear a parental lecture on responsibility and conduct when his father made a very familiar statement but the young man did not realize the impact it was about to have on his life forever. His father softly spoke saying, “Let us pray about it tonight and we will call you in the morning.”
The sun rises earlier in Illinois than Oklahoma for at 6:00 AM the telephone rang and the young man immediately knew it was for him. He skeptically thought I wonder what the “God of my father” has to say? The conversation was short and very specific. “Go back to the tree you got the last clump of mistletoe and walk down stream twenty-five steps and there will be an advantage point from which you will see your wallet in the water.” The young man’s room-mate ask the essence of the telephone conversation and the young man laughed it off by saying, “I think Dad has been out in the sun too much.” But quickly added, “Let’s go for a ride.”
The two young men retraced their steps to the same tree of the day before and turned downstream. After taking twenty-five steps there was a large pile of bush and discarded possessions. The young man knew what he had to do. After some difficulty he found his way to the top and looking down into the crystal clear water which the day before contained zero visibility, the young man saw a dark three by four inch object in three feet of water. With each step down from the advantage point and into the water the young man began to tremble more and more with each step. Reaching into the water he retrieved his wallet with all of its contents intact. As he reached the shore with tear filled eyes and a broken spirit he began to share with his room-mate the brief words of the early morning telephone conversation with his parents. The two young men stood there for some time in complete brokenness because they knew they were standing on Holy Ground.
That day as a nineteen year old Sophomore in college I learned that God was more than the God of my father. He was there waiting for me to acknowledge and accept Him as my Master, Savior and Lord of my life and waiting to become a “living” affect in my life.
