SATURDAY STORY - FEBRUARY 4, 2023

 SATURDAY STORY, FEBRUARY 4TH, 2023

Note - this hasn’t been a “normal” week for me.  I spent two nights sleeping at my job (with the senior community) due to the ice storm.  Power was off for a good part of my three days there so I didn’t get as much written - and even (gasp) missed a day!!!

But, let’s move on.  On Saturday I write fiction.  (And, I say I’m going to keep doing it until I get it right!!!) <grin>

*****

Gavin Carr was down on his luck.  He vaguely remembered Hee-Haw - a country comedy show from the 1970s.  In particular, there was a song about “Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me”.  That song had the line “If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.”

That was him all over - bad luck one after another.

Gavin had been recently married to Lasha Gaston as Operation Desert Storm broke out in 1991.   He was called to service in Kuwait and served admirably.  It also gave him a purple heart as the jeep he and others were in drove over an IED.  Gavin lost the lower half of his left leg.  (He used to kid “I LEFT my leg in Kuwait”).  Back home an injured husband was hard on Lasha.  And, he had heard that Lasha had an affair while he was gone and recovering in Germany.  Yes, Gloom, Despair, and Agony on me - became his theme song.  

He completed a technical associate degree at Fort Hood Community College in building trades.  Business was booming in Central Texas.  He became an electrician on Foxworthy Homes and helped wire the new homes in the Fort Hood, Killeen area.  

Lasha had divorced him, and like many returning veterans had flashbacks and nightmares.  His counselor through the VA (Veterans Affairs) did certify that it was PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  

Most of the time, Gavin handled that well.  His parents were close (in Sugar Land Texas).  His only sister was also in Sugar Land.  He tried to date some, but that nagging fear of PTSD hung in his brain and he just wasn’t any fun.  

Unfortunately, there were days when the mental angst got to be too much.  Gavin tried to “self-medicate” with alcohol or marijuana.  That might work for a few days until he realized he needed to sober up and get to work.  

He loved his work.  He had an iPod and would like to Rap and HipHop music as he strung electrical lines through the new houses.  He was happy that most of the work was in one-story buildings as climbing in attics was a problem with his prosthetic leg.  

A slowdown in building in 2005 put Gavin out of work for six months.  When you are already tagged with PTSD and now don’t have work, you feel worthless, and your head gets weird thoughts. 

Money wasn’t that much of an issue early on.  His mother had a heart attack and died.  His dad had a single-car accident and died (Gavin thought that maybe Dad died of a broken heart).  Their estate was equally divided between Gavin and his sister Sharron.  Gavin lived frugally in a one-bedroom apartment in Killeen.  On good days, he would shoot baskets on an outdoor court in Killeen.  He didn’t do well in the pick-up games and he couldn’t run well with his prosthetic leg.  On cold, rainy days, he huddled down in his room drinking. He liked beer but had discovered a fondness for some liquors - peach schnapps in particular.  He could get it fairly cheap at the local liquor stores.  He shopped at about four different stores so he wouldn’t seem like an alcoholic.

He also smoked weed (or marijuana).  If you knew the right people you could get it without a hassle.  He was a little paranoid and never drove while drinking or smoking.

*****

The building economy had come back and Gavin was back working.  Life was much better when you had a purpose.  A new subdivision had plans for 45 houses - so 45 houses to wire and help with other tasks as needed.  Gavin was generally clean when he worked - didn’t drink during the week and also didn’t smoke.  Most of the crew was Hispanic, but Gavin knew enough Spanish to get along.  

*****

One day as he was stringing electrical wires in an attic to get to the breaker, he slipped and fell.  It wasn’t a bad fall, but it put him off the job for three weeks - and back to the booze and weed for two weeks.

On some of the dark nights, his nightmares returned.  Gavin would wake up in a sweat - panting.  He would walk around his apartment, watch some late-night television or sports - and drink peach schnapps.  The darkest nightmare was as he was in a bombed-out building near Baghdad and a black figure came out to him.  The figure didn’t speak at first but had a needle.  The figure all in black didn’t show his face and came to Gavin and was about to plunge the needle into Gavin’s arm.  That was enough to scare Gavin. He woke up shaking like he never had before.

Gavin knew a little of Christianity and faith.  His folks had gone to a little Baptist Church in Sugar Land.  They dragged him and his sister there most Sundays.  Gavin vowed to go to church the next Sunday at a huge Baptist Church near his apartment in Killeen.  He figured he could sneak in and nobody would notice.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.  There were ushers at each door handing out programs.  On the southwest door (where Gavin went in), the usher gave Gavin a look “who are you”.  Gavin looked around.  Almost all the men were in suits and wearing ties.  The ladies were in long dresses.   He thought of leaving - but he had worked on his nerves for going to the church since the nightmare.  He didn’t want the grim reaper to plunge a needle into his arm.  

There was a band, almost like a rock band doing an opening for a bigger name band.  They sang something (Gavin thought they must be hymns) with the words on a huge screen.  It wasn’t anything that he recognized.  There were three people on the stage singing - Gavin laughed to himself as he first thought they were some kind of kickback to the 1970s and Go-Go dancers.  

*****

The auditorium was fairly full. The presider or host or emcee, (Gavin didn’t know what the role was) asked people to greet each other before sitting down.  The lady two chairs over (Gavin had left an empty seat on both sides of himself) smiled and said “hi”, and immediately turned to her husband and family next to her.  On the other side was a middle-aged man with a suit and tie, he turned to Gavin, nodded his head, and turned his head back. 

“Well,” thought Gavin, “not the warmest of greetings”. He did look at himself - maybe not quite “Sunday best” clothes, but they were clean.  He could have shaved this morning but didn’t so he had some stubble. Oh well.

The sermon was generally good - work hard, you’ll be rewarded.  (Gavin thought maybe that was what is known as the “Success Gospel”.).

The minister as he finished prayed for all the people that God would speak to their hearts.  After the prayer, he indicated that if anybody needed more prayer they could come forward and somebody would pray for them.  Gavin decided not this week (and maybe never at this church).  

Going out, Gavin tried to smile at other people, but it seemed like they were in a rush to get to their cars, to get to lunch, to get home, and watch a ball game.  

*****

The next week was a blur.  Gavin did avoid alcohol and weed.  He did his physical therapy exercises and pushed himself to walk five miles every day.  A mile when he got up, a couple of miles around noon, and a couple more after dinner.  That was a little much, but he pushed through.  

He used his computer to play some games and also to get himself up to speed on construction and electricity.  Were there new things that he needed to know to get ahead when he got back to work?

Was there a girl he could ask out?  Was there a social group he could investigate?  On Tuesday he went to the public library and looked at some of the self-help books.  

He walked past Home Depot on his way home and wandered around.  He was looking for an elementary electricity kit.  It got one that looked like what he used 20 years ago as a kid learning about electricity.  He got a doorbell and a lamp socket.  That evening he hooked them up so that when the doorbell rang, the lamp would go on.  He was thinking if he could get a circuit such that pressing the doorbell would flash the light twice.  That could be helpful for a deaf person.  

Also walking past Hobby Lobby on his way home, he went in and bought a skein of yarn and crochet sticks. He laughed as after he picked up the crochet sticks he saw the sign said “Crochet Hooks”.  Okay, he thought ‘hooks’.  Days were long and he could teach himself crochet to keep his mind busy and to keep flexibility in his fingers.

And, Gavin tried something new - prayer.  He remembered his mom praying for the food at dinner.  So how do begin.  He decided the simplest might be the best.  “God if you’re out there, I need some help getting on the right track”.

*****

Also on the way home, was a small house but in front, it said “Hope United, an open and accepting church”.  Hmm - maybe he could try that next Sunday.

For next Sunday, he laid out his best khaki pants and best clean shirt.  He walked to Hope United - let’s see if they are really open and accepting.  (What did that really mean?  He thought he could look it up on Google after the service.

Boy was he surprised when he was greeted at the door by, well, by a hippy-looking woman with a long ponytail.  She had a nametag “Dianna”.  She welcomed Gavin and called over a man with a blue work shirt, and a nametag of “Mike”.  Mike took Gavin over to a table that had coffee, iced tea, and baked goodies.  A couple of men were talking there and invited Gavin to join them.  They introduced themselves as Llloyd and Jess.  Lloyd had a motorcycle jacket on.  Jess looked more like a teacher or banker, but with no suit and no tie.

The discussion went to work and Gavin said he was an electrician.  Lloyd almost jumped out of his cycle jacket.  “I’ve been looking for an electrician.  My company is building a new elementary school in Harker Heights.  

The service was small - about 35 to 40 people there.  The message was something about being the salt of the earth.  After the service people gathered for a cup of coffee.  A man hobbled over and introduced himself as Kendall.  

Kendall asked, “Were you in the service?”.

Gavin nodded “Yup, got shot in Kuwait”. 

Kendall answered, “I’ve got some shrapnel in my leg from Bosnia.” 

They talked for a while and Kendall said, “Hey do you want to go to lunch?”.  Gavin was a little reluctant - but finally agreed.  Kendall said, “I love to go to IHOP for breakfast after church. How does that sound to you?"

Gavin agreed.

*****

The men hit it off, Gavin had a friend.  

Gavin went back to work with a new attitude.  

And, eventually, Gavin felt comfortable with the Hope United group and learned to walk in the way of Jesus Christ.

And, Gavin learned that being open and accepting can also mean being open and accepting of your lifestyle and learned that there were some gay couples, some lesbian couples, and straight couples and singles.  

******

Okay, a Pollyanna story today.

But, I wanted to point out the book of James - chapter 2:

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.  

I need to remind myself that God loves all of us.  As kids we sang “Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the World”

… Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

So, why do we discriminate based on color, gender, ethnicity, or other factors?

LOVE WINS
LOVE TRANSFORMS
KAREN ANNE WHITE, ©, FEBRUARY 4, 2023