Palm Sunday Movie

          Palm Sunday afternoon, we gathered together to watch the movie "A Perfect Stranger". It tells the story of Nikki, a troubled attorney who one day receives a mysterious dinner invitation from a man claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth. The movie depicted what a difference Christ can make in ones life.                                                                                                                                                                    It reminded me of truck driver I met a couple of years ago, and I would like to share his testimonial story with you. It was spring time and we where unloading a trailer of nursery stock He drove up from South Jersey. He was in his mid seventies a couple years older than I. He said they always send him on runs where he needs to be somewhere in the wee hours of the morning because the younger drivers never seem to make it on time. It was about 10:30 AM and I was his 3rd stop.                                                                                                                                                                                    Half way trough we took a break and when he took off his glove I noticed he was missing some fingers on one hand. I casuallly asked how he lost his fingers expecting him to say something like an accident on a saw or some machinery, but he said it was from a shot gun. Well my thougths then went to a hunting accident, so I asked. "No", he said, "I was caught in bed with another man's wife, her husband had a shot got in my face. I grabbed the end and pushed away as it went off. I rolled out of bed and grabbed the pistol I always carried and shot him" Without me asking, he proceded to tell me his story.                                                                                                                                           When he was 18 years old living down in Florida, he was a wild young man always in trouble with fast cars drinking and women. He said "My father kept telling me 'Son your going to get yourself in a heap ot trouble someday' and he was right. The man died and I spent 18 years in prison" He was a young black person down south in the late 50's.                                                                          He coutinued to tell me when he moved up north after his release from prison, he met this wonderful Chistian girl who soon became his wife. He said "I was still a wild person drinking, running around getting home late all hours of the night, but my wonderful wife stuck with me, praying for me, and encouraging me to go with her to church. So I finally started going to church with her. Still running around wild as ever.                                                                                                                   But this one Sunday something in the sermon touched me and this particular Sunday they had a calling to come up front and recieve Jesus. I went up front and down on my knees crying my eyes out in front of the whole congregation, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. With tears in my eyes I felt such a feeling of forgivness and release of guilt and shame. From that point on I stopped drinking, smoking, running around, and I praise Jesus every day, Praise Jesus" he said.                                  It was not the answer I expected when I asked about his fingers and I still get moved when I think of him. I spoke to a driver the other day and he said last year he finally retired.            Bob W.                                                                 

                                                                                                                                    .