I saw the three boys in the church foyer with their mother. Now they were men. They looked older and smiled less than the last time I had seen them. They were all looking at me to see if I recognized them. Would I say anything? acknowledge them? Their mother was oblivious to the dynamic of her sons here in this place. It was a Christmas eve early afternoon service. I smiled and greeted them and said, “it’s been 10 years, hasn’t it?” They gathered around as if it were 20 years earlier, ages five to 10. Smiles came. Mom noticed and trusted their smiles. A flood of memories came and what could have been for these boys.
55 years earlier little Johnny and I had parallel lives in many ways. Being Johnny was a few years older; I was able to buy his abused three speed bike from him so he could get a 10 speed. I was only 12 years old with a summer job at the local golf course and 5 miles was a long a walk. A couple years later I bought Johnnies 40-pound recurve bow to hunt deer as Jonny didn’t ever use it. I used it. Three years later I talked dad into buying Johnnies motorcycle that he was selling.
I looked up to Johnny and his best friend Jim until one day I didn’t anymore. The parallel was gone. Pathways in life changed. It was my choice. Our paths took different directions that day.
John and I both attended kids club, church and youth group. I remember the day clearly. It was a church spring clean-up day on a fine Saturday. All was well until John and friend Jim found the candy bar stash for kid’s club awards. These special bars were the coveted treat earned by one of 4 teams each week. The team with the most points got a candy bar. Winning games, memorizing bible verses and finishing workbook sections earned points and gave these candy bars gold medal status. When John and Jim found and took the candy bars, I was perplexed. It was wrong on principle of stealing but also on trampling the sacred ground of the winners circle. It seemed there was no decision to it, like a dog finding a scrap of meat under the table.
However John got this way, I wanted no part of it.
John’s three little boys liked me. They had begun going to church with mom once in a while until she walked out of their life. She mostly left the kids with John. Kids club was their lifeline but that fell away as John had fallen into drinking too much. Too many meat scraps under the table, I guess. I often saw them in their small boat on the lake where I fished. I would drift by and would tell them what the fish were biting on. They loved to tell me their fish stories when I would see them at a men’s breakfast or on the street. They would always gather around.
Down through the years I grew into leadership in different jobs. John drifted through life working here and there and getting fired was a pattern. He tried to raise the boys with all his might. He really did. He loved those boys. Evidently strong drink loved him more and finally won. He died running out of money to build his dream house. His sons in their teens were attempting electrical, plumbing and hanging sheetrock while he drank in the old house nearby.
Don’t ever think the taking of a candy bar is no big deal
It’s been 10 years. It appears the boys recognize they have some decisions to make. There will always be candy bar finds; meat scraps if you will. The boys will have to decide if they are going to just be religious or if they will grow in a relationship with God who will set them free. I still see that hunger in their eyes if I look closely. I would like to think I saw it.
We walked into the church for a candle light Christmas eve service. The 3 boys and I and a hundred more people would hear a talk given by my son, whose life parallels mine. His candy bar choices in life have been good. He challenged us to know God, hear God’s voice and obey with some great personal stories. The boys are similar age to my son. Their paths are different. I am thankful, knowing my son’s path and the thousands of choices to get there. Now he has three small sons who so far have handled their candy bar choices well.
When I was 15, I gave a talk to 30 of my peers in our church youth group about knowing God and becoming a follower of Jesus 24/7. John sat in the back snickering with a couple others. I was not hurt other than hurting for him. I had a whirlwind of thoughts as my son was speaking 56 years later, as I could see the boys and their mom listening.
I thought of the fruit, so different in our parallel lives. I had not even begun to understand the conclusion of my first “teen talk” while I spoke and Johnny laughed… Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.
Psalm 16:11 “You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasure”
Gary








































































































