It has been said that when you write, you should be aware of the condition your emotions are in. You will either write something earth shattering that will move hearts, or write something that is so stupid everyone will think you have gone insane. It is when I am mentally exhausted that I often times find myself reminiscing about the past. I admit there are times I wish I could go back and relive certain moments of my past, but more often I find myself looking back to see how that moment in time has effected my life since then.
Last night I was going through a small box in my office closet that was full of odd things. As I rummaged through it, I found a new pencil that had never felt the blade of a pencil sharpener. I grabbed it to add to the cup of pens and pencils on my desk when I noticed the name imprinted on it. “Johnson Construction.” I was like, “Wow.” That’s a company I worked for many years ago in Arizona. As I leaned back in my chair looking at the pencil, I was flooded with memories I had long ago pushed to the back of my mind.
While I worked for Johnson’s Construction in the Summer of i986, In order to put things into perspective, in late November of 1985 I was working as a cook at a restaurant named, “Whiskey Jacks,” that was in the main building, “The Mountain Mall.” Just to update information it is now called, “Montana Jacks,” and the main building has been renovated and changed to, “The Exchange.” Back then there was no internet, but now I can offer a link for the Ski Resort if anyone is interested in checking it out, “Big Sky Resort“. The resort is located on Lone Mountain in the Gallatin Canyon about 50 miles from Bozeman MT.
1986 was one of those years in my life, that I could probably write a novel about, if I included everything that happened. For the sake of this memory though, I will quickly gloss over most things and dwell on the memory that is directly related to the pencil in my hand. Maybe some day I will write another reflection that includes other moments of that year. However, I added the above because I wanted to give a shout out to Big Sky Ski resort. After all, it is a great place to ski.
So after spending most the winter flipping burgers and skiing to my hearts delight, me and a good friend decided to leave the resort and hitchhike to California. After stopping in Sacramento to do some work, we caught a plane to Southern California and eventually got a ride with another friend to Phenix Arizona. The friend who drove us to Phenix had a friend who’s father owned the construction company on the pencil, “Johnson’s Construction.” Thanks to connections, via friends, both me and my traveling companion got a job as a rough framers building track houses in Tempe. Those days were hot, usually over 120 degrees, so we started working at 4:00 am, just so we could knock off at noon.
Well one Friday after getting paid I decided to have a few drinks and shoot some pool at a bar. I was usually a pretty decent pool player, but that night I was lousy. After losing a few games that cost me a few drinks for the winner, I decided to sit at the bar instead. Well it wasn’t long before a good looking blond sat down next to me and struck up a conversation. She ended up buying most my drinks, which for me was quite unusual, but I went with the flow. After all, I was between marriages and so I had no commitments to anyone. Mind you, I was not walking with the Lord, and while I believed, I was what you would call a carnal Christian who lived more carnally than Christian like.
Her name was Beverly, but I don’t recall if she ever gave me her last name, and if she did it slipped my mind ten minutes after she told me. As I said, she was a good looking blond with brown eyes who stood maybe 5’ 6” and weighed maybe 120 pounds, and later learned she was 32 years old. Just to offer a clue about me I was 29, weighed around 150, fairly muscular with brown hair and hazel eyes. I remember feeling good about the attention I was getting from this well dressed good figured woman. She looked like everything a guy like me sitting at a bar drinking whiskey cokes likes. After a few drinks she invited me to her place where she said she had a pool and good music. Obviously I jumped at the invite. I figured it was my lucky night.
So I followed her to her car, and 30 minutes later we arrived at her place in Scottsdale. She lived in a nice one story house in that had big pool. She directed me to her personal bar and told me to help myself while she slipped into some more comfortable. We sat around having a couple more drinks from her personal bar, and then we went swimming, and sat around having more drinks from her personal bar.
She had a nice place, turned out she worked as a loan manager at a bank, again, my luck astounded me. Later as we got to know each other she let me know why she chose me out of all the men at the bar. I was starting to feel real flattered, until she told me the the true reason she wanted me to come home with her.
She wanted to get pregnant, and I was chosen to be the man she wanted as the daddy of her child. All of a sudden I stopped feeling flattered and felt more like a piece of meat. My mood changed, and I was apprehensive, although I was initially ready to answer the call. Yet the closer we got to doing the deed, the less I felt like accommodating her. She felt my feelings change and, and about that time I started asking some questions that led to an argument between us. Still feeling pretty light headed from all the alcohol, I was soon shown the door.
I left, and ended up walking to the nearest 7/11 to call a taxi. Eventually I got back at the place I was living at which was shared with my friend from Montana and about 4 other people. To this day, I find myself wondering what if I had answered the call to impregnate the lady, how would things have gone. I have had many a strange things happen to me through my life, but that evening was definitely one of the most unique situations I had ever experienced.
As I said, I wasn’t walking with Christ at the time, even though I did believe. What I lacked though was a true relationship with Christ, which eventually I came to have, as I do now. I must say, that walking with Christ in a true spiritual relationship is much better than walking blindly in the World as I used to. That night is proof that Satan was in control and he was leading me into a situation that would have changed the course of my life, had I allowed myself to be used.
I have told my wife about that time in my past, and she is happy I chose not to be used by the woman, because she could only imagine if some stranger showed up one day asking to see their daddy they never met.
To this day I wonder if the woman ever found a guy who was willingly to serve her need. Yet for me it was a moment in my life that, while it happen so many years ago and only lasted maybe 6 hours, and I never saw her again, I often times thank God He stopped me from doing something very wrong, and a year later I met my wife Sharee, whom I have now been with for almost 36 years now.
God knows everything about our life, and sometimes, even when we are not walking with Him, He will lead us in a way that will have us in a place that will be beneficial to us when we answer the right call. Not a call for a one night stand, but from Him, and when we answer it, He will then lead us to glory one day.
Thanks for reading my reflection.
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