Day 10

Day 10 - Drove for 11 hours today. That was not the intention when we started out. We would cut the distance to El Paso a little more than in half and then stop at a rest area for the night, leaving three or four hours the next day to complete the trip. However we bought at half price books an audio book called "The Princess of Landover" that was filled with magic kingdoms, and knights and sword fights and daring escapes and before we knew it we were on the outskirts of El Paso 11 hours later. There was one notable diversion to the trip, as we drove through Abilene, Texas I had to swerve off to a little back route on Highway 36 to a tiny little building with a faded sign that could still be made out as reading CAFE. We stopped the vehicle and took copious amounts of pictures at what passersby might have thought was open plains, and a broken down building. To me it was my childhood and the start of a grand adventure 22 years ago, when I was still a teenager. My parents had owned the highway 36 CAFE and we lived in a little trailer beside it. The trailer was gone now, but I could still see it as I stood there with my family. 22 years ago I had stood in that very spot and decided to run away from home. Looking up into the Texas night sky seeing millions upon millions of stars I had been overwhelmed by the fact that God might actually exist and so I told Him, "God, if You do exist, You are the only one big enough to solve my problems. I make a New Year's resolution to get closer to You." instead of running away the next day I told my mother of my resolution and soon after she told me someone would be picking me up for church the next Sunday. I couldn't ever remember going to church, but I pictured large women in choir robes singing in opera voices and wasn't looking forward to it at all. On Sunday a biker came into the Cafe. Leather vests, random chains as clothing accessories, tattoos on every visible piece of skin. He asked "are you Stephen Dicks?" and I asked back a little nervously, "Who wants to know?" He said "I'm here to take you to church. My name is Mr. Kirby". I looked in the parking lot and the only vehicle beside our own was a Harley Davidson motorcycle and I thought "Church might not be so bad after all." At Potosi Baptist Church I met the Smith family who befriended me and gave me my very first Bible. Kevin Simmons the youth pastor taught me how Jesus had died for me personally and was resurrected to give me forgiveness and eternal life as an adopted Child of God! In the little trailer by the side of a less than frequently visited little Cafe I asked Jesus to save me. That if God allowed me to be His child I would follow Him even if I fell on my face for trying to do so. In that little piece of Texas 22 years ago my life changed forever. So now as a full-time Christian Chaplain for Soldiers of the United States Army, with a beautiful and loving wife and four children who each on their own have asked Jesus into their hearts as well I stood on the exact spot where Christ had answered my prayers and adopted me so long ago. A few miles down the road brought hugs and pictures with Mr. And Mrs. Smith. A little farther down the road and we pulled up to a little automotive body shop with a flag outside that said "Dont tread on me" and a shop inside filled with motorcycles. An older Mr Kirby was just opening the garage door when I walked over to him told him "You may not remember me sir, but my life was changed because you decided to give a teenager a ride to church on the back of your motorcycle one day. My children have grown up hearing about my first ride to church, I'd like you to meet them." All four children piled out of the vehicle and said "Is this Mr. Kirby?" and then smothered him in hugs. When I looked at his face he was openly weeping and yet with the biggest smile I have ever seen. He then said "This is now the perfect day, Jesus can come back right now if He wants to." I made sure before we left I got several pictures of Mr. Kirby and I by his motorcycle. Thank You Lord for the journey You've taken me on, the people I've met along the way, and the adventures still yet to come!