Knowing God
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. [Revelation 3:20]
"Charlie Won’t Go"
Charlie, George and Cliff had been going fishing together since
they were little boys. They all could remember walking along the dirt path to
the small lake near the small town where they were raised, carrying their poles
and tackle boxes to fish the day away. Most of the time, it wasn’t about
fishing at all but being together and becoming closer buddies. Some guys
don’t stay friends after they get older but Charlie, George and Cliff
stayed good pals all the way into high school. When they could drive, they
often borrowed one of their parent’s cars and went fishing at a lake a
little further away. They had a tradition that when they did that, each one
would take a turn picking a lake to fish at and not tell the other two until
they got there.
The car rumbled along the freeway with Cliff at the
wheel. It was his turn to surprise his life long pals. “I will promise you
this boys.” He said as they pulled out of the driveway. “Today will
be a truly unique fishing trip. Truly unique.” And he laughed a very
strange laugh when he said that.
They listened to old time songs on
the radio as they rode along but Charlie and George soon felt lost because they
didn’t know where they were or where Cliff was taking them. “Hey
Cliffy boy, you know where we are going?’ Charlie teased him from the
passenger seat poking George who was in the front seat with Cliff.
“Oh I know, trust me, I know very well where we are going and what we will
find when we get there.” Both of his pals just stared at Cliff when he
said that because he said it in a very spooky way. Finally, Cliff turned the
car off of the main road and started up a country road and then off of it on to
a dirt road so his friends felt sure they must be close to this mysterious
fishing spot. But then, just before they topped a very tall hill, Cliff pulled
over to the side of the road, stopped the car and got out.
“Hey
what’s going on Cliff?” George said getting out with Charlie right
behind him. “This can’t be the place can it?”
“It’s the place.” Cliff said staring at the top of that big
hill.
“But Cliff, I was looking at the map and there isn’t a
lake anywhere near here. What’s going on?” Charlie asked puzzled.
“Well, first we are going to go over that hill. But we
aren’t taking the car, we are going to walk.” Cliff said
mysteriously.
“Should we take our rods and tackle?” George
asked.
“Nope, won’t need them. Not for what we will meet
over that hill.” Cliff said with a grin on his face.
“Ok, I
have about had it with all the mystery Cliff.” Said Charlie angrily.
“What are we going to meet on the other side of that hill?”
“God.” Was the one word answer.
“God?” both
friends questioned.
“Yep, God.” Was the answer.
“Just over that hill. God is there. And what is He doing there?”
George continued.
“Waiting for us. It’s our time. When we
walk over that hill, we all meet God. Not in a Sunday school way. We will see
him, hear him and meet him face to face. God. Just over that hill. Let’s
go.” And Cliff turned to walk up to the top of the hill.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Charlie touched Cliff’s shoulder
to stop him from leading them to the other side. “What do you mean,
‘meet God’? Do you mean we are going to die on the other side of the
hill?” he said with fear in his voice.
“Well, I don’t
think so.” Answered Cliff. “One way to find out though is go over the
hill and meet God. Ready?”
“No, no, no, no, no. This is
crazy Cliff. People don’t just walk up to God and meet him?” George
objected.
“Sometimes they do. Today we will. Come on, let’s
go.” Said Cliff.
“Hold it, hold it, hold it.” Charlie
complained. “Doesn’t this sound a little crazy to you? We don’t
want to do anything crazy here.”
“I don’t know
Charlie.” George said thoughtfully. “If God is really just over that
hill, it would be crazy not to go meet him. Sure, Cliff, I’ll go, lets
check it out.” And George and Cliff both started up the hill. “Coming
Charlie?” George called back to his friend.
“Wait, please,
wait.” Charlie said sweat bursting from his brow and tears forming in his
eyes.
“What’s the problem pal?” George said as he and
Cliff approached Charlie, worried about him.
“I can’t do it.
I can’t meet God today!” the panic stricken Charlie said frantically.
“I have, well, some sins. They are hidden. And they are bad. I can’t
meet God.”
“But God knows about your sins already
Charlie.” Cliff explained. “And he is ready to forgive you and offer
you his friendship. It’s just over that hill Charlie, complete forgiveness
because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and friendship with God. You want
that don’t you, Charlie?”
“Yes, well, no, well, maybe.
I don’t know. I am scared Cliff. I can’t. I am sweating. I feel
faint. I might throw up. Please, don’t make me go George. Maybe next time.
Yeah, that’s it. You guys go. Tell God I will come next time. When I get a
chance to clean up my heart. Tell him for me. You will do that for me,
won’t you Cliff? George?”
Charlie’s friends helped him
find a seat on a fallen tree near there and gave him some water to help him
calm down. “Ok Charlie. Sure, we will tell him. You just stay here with
the car.” And at that, Cliff and George turned and walked up the hill.
Charlie watched him feeling awful inside. So many questions raced through his
mind. What if there isn’t another time? What if I die before I make myself
right with God? He considered running after them but then they disappeared over
the crest and they were gone. Charlie just put his face in his hands and wept.
He didn’t have the courage to run to God’s arms and be saved and now
it was too late. And all because Charlie wouldn’t go.
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”[Matthew 9:12-13]
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Children's Christian Stories in one handy volume. This is a perfect
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