Comeback Archives - Uncommon Stories

A Better Tomorrow

Martha Brehm / Big Stories, Comeback, Encouraging, Hope, Inspirational Story / 6 Comments

August 13, 2017

Some days are better than others. This particular day was hectic and busy. But as I passed by the school superintendent’s office, I couldn’t help but take a left and head in to say hi. Misty, the superintendent’s secretary, was at her desk, which was covered with papers. The phone was ringing, papers were flying, and she appeared to be hard at work. Misty was one of my favorite people to visit. It is unusual in this world to find someone who both takes the time and has the ability to make you feel welcome and wanted. Misty is one of those people and I loved seeing her. Almost every morning as people came in and out of the office, she typically had something encouraging to say with a smile on her face. But on this specific morning, her usual smile wasn’t quite the same and she looked discouraged. She appeared to be someone who needed not only a better tomorrow, but a better today.

Misty’s past several years had been exceedingly difficult. She was a mom with two kids, in a marriage that was falling apart. She was separated from her husband with no home and not much income. As is so often true, the word complicated didn’t quite do the situation justice. Misty and her kids were staying temporarily at her friend, Janet’s house while looking for something permanent. The problem was that she didn’t have her own home and didn’t see much hope of getting one anytime soon. For some reason, on that particular day, the discouragement, disappointment, and darkness seemed to hang over her like a cloud. As we all know so well, when we find ourselves in the middle of a difficult, lingering, ugly mess, all it takes is just one more thing to push us over the edge….some little thing at work that doesn’t go as planned, a phone call you didn’t want or expect, a hurtful word during a conversation, …. the list goes on. Whatever had happened that day, my heart broke for my friend.

As Misty and I talked, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Behind and to the left of her desk was the door into the superintendent’s office, which was typically closed. That morning, the door was ajar and I saw Dr. Rhea’s hand motioning for me to come into his office. Dr. Rhea was the superintendent of the school as well as a wonderful friend. He appeared tall and slender with glasses and whitish grey hair. This was a man who beautifully managed the fine line of being in charge while still being warm and friendly.

When a break came in my conversation with Misty, I mentioned that I wanted to say hi to Dr. Rhea and moved toward his door. As I walked into his office, I couldn’t help but notice the huge grin on his face. In fact, even now it makes me laugh. As my mom used to say, he looked like “the cat who ate the canary!” Before I could say a word, he motioned for me to close the door and have a seat. I didn’t think the grin could get much bigger, but it did, and his eyes twinkled, making him look a little like Santa. Words started pouring out of his mouth with excitement as he described the “big surprise”.

Apparently, a couple who knew Misty’s situation, had just purchased a new house across the street from their old one. Rather than move into their new home, they decided to give it to Misty rent free, unconditionally, for as long as she needed it. They gathered together a group of friends and remodeled it, preparing it just as if they were moving in themselves. That group of friends had been spending long evenings working at the house getting the remodel complete. They sacrificed time and money and did it all with unselfish love. The plan and the work had been done in secret and Misty didn’t have a clue. One of the members of the group had confided in Dr. Rhea about the secret and now the time was at hand to reveal the surprise. The very next day, a meeting had been arranged between Misty and her friends at the remodeled house. It was then and there that Misty would be given the good news that the house was her’s — rent-free to move into whenever she wanted. That’s a pretty nice surprise and some pretty nice friends. As Dr. Rhea finished telling me the details, the last thing he said was, “But don’t let Misty know, it’s a surprise.”

Walking back out of his office, I saw Misty still sitting there in her chair. I knew how unhappy, discouraged, and hopeless she was in her situation. Misty had no idea that the house she so desperately needed today, truly would be her’s tomorrow. I longed to tell her it was going to be ok, that she didn’t need to be sad, that tomorrow really would be better, and in fact, not just better, but extraordinary. I wanted to say that she could trust me because I knew what the future held and that she just needed to hang on a little longer. It was such an odd feeling – being part of her sadness and uncertainty in that moment, but also being aware of the joy and excitement that was soon to come. It is a perspective we aren’t often able to have because we rarely know what tomorrow brings. But there is One who knows quite well what that perspective is like. He knows the end from the beginning. He sees each one of our difficulties today and at the same time knows the resolutions in our tomorrows. His heart is for each one of us to know the very things I wanted to tell Misty. And to you, and each one of us, He says, do not lose heart, never give up.

When I get to the end of my life and look back, I’m sure there will be parts I will enjoy remembering so much more because I will know how it ends. All the stress and anxiety will be gone and I will be able to see it with clarity knowing how all the pieces fit together. The difficult part of the here and now is trusting that there is a bigger picture that lends meaning and relevance to the trials we face. And in the end, I trust the Master Planner. It was Jesus himself who said, “In this world you will have trouble.” But he also knows the ending of your story and adds, “but take heart, I have overcome the world.” The following day was an overcoming day for Misty. Her friends surprised her with a beautiful rent-free home and even today, she remembers that as one of the most unforgettable days of her life. So for all of us in the midst of what seems like hopeless situations, just like Misty, your tomorrow may hold the answers to your problems today. And Jesus promises to those who follow him, he is lovingly preparing a beautiful rent-free home for us as well. So relax, because the best is yet to come.

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“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.” 2 Cor 4:16 MSG

“There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.” John 14:2-4 CEV

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Psalms 30:5

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It’s Not Too Late

Martha Brehm / Big Stories, Comeback, Encouraging, Motor cycle rallies, Regret / 0 Comments

May 4, 2017

Being late has always been an issue for me. This day though, was different. I was on time, but I was about to learn a powerful lesson about timing.

Jess and I met on Monday mornings at a convenient store called The Short Stop, located in a small town between the two of us. We were studying the book of John, spending an hour before she had to head to work in Bentonville. Most Monday mornings, we met inside the little cafe where seating was located. This particular Monday morning, she brought her dog with her, which required us to sit outside at the picnic tables to the west of the store. It was a picturesque place surrounded by big trees with a little local school beside it and railroad tracks across the street. Dixie, her dog, sat beside Jess as we enjoyed the beautiful fall weather and talked about some things in our study.

About halfway through, two unexpected arrivals came crashing onto the scene. A biker, riding a rumbling motorcycle, pulled up beside us from the road. At the same time, a pit bull came trotting up, seemingly out of nowhere. Immediately, Dixie began barking and the pit bull advanced toward her with a menacing growl. There was a flurry of “activity” complete with loud barking and growling as Jess drug Dixie quickly to the car and stuffed her inside. The biker, seeing the commotion with the dogs, walked over and glanced at our stuff on the table. He looked at Jess and me and asked if we were having a Bible study as the pit bull calmed down and began to wander off.

“We are!” I answered and asked if he would like to join us. “We’re looking through the book of John,” I added.

The man standing before us looked to be around 60. He seemed quite tall in his boots standing there by the picnic table. His face was weathered and tan, and his black hair was pulled back in a ponytail. I asked his name and he informed me it was William.

William told us he had walked away from God.

“You can go back,” I said. “It’s never too late. At least not in this lifetime.”

There were a few minutes of silence. Jess needed to leave, and this break in the conversation provided an opportunity for her to excuse herself and head off to work. With Jess and Dixie gone, I sat there next to a man standing beside me who looked strangely sad. William began talking about a time in his life when he had been very involved with ministry. He had shared the gospel at a few motorcycle rallies and had great responses. He organized a group of men and they began having church at the rallies.

For some reason, at this point, William launched into a story about an individual he had met at one of the rallies. The man he’d met had a very vivid dream and hoped that William would be able to tell him what it meant. The dream centered on the vision of a train roaring past, right in front of him. The immensity and closeness of the train was frightening. He had an intense feeling he should be on the train, yet he had no way of getting onboard. There was an overwhelming sense that he was missing something very important. Yet, the story had an interesting ending. As he watched the train head away, he looked back and saw himself already standing on the platform of the caboose.

William admitted to me that he didn’t know much about dreams but for some reason that particular day, he felt like he knew the answer to the stranger’s question. He shared with the man that the train was the gospel and that it represented the way to reach God. And that although the man had felt it was too late to get on the train, it wasn’t. They talked about Jesus and in fact, the man chose “to get on the train” that very day. For numerous rallies after that encounter, the man with the dream would always come up to our biker and tell him how much their conversation had meant to him and the changes that had occurred in his life since then.

William paused and then added, “But I walked away from God and I don’t preach at rallies anymore.”

“Why don’t you go back,” I asked.

Somehow the question seemed to wake him up from somewhere deep in thought. “I can’t,” he replied, letting the words just linger, hanging there in the gentle wind. After another long pause he went on, “I’ve done something that won’t allow me to go back.”

He explained that his wife had developed cancer a few years ago and after months of watching her suffer, she had died. An anger had welled up from deep inside and William said he had walked away from God. He couldn’t forgive him. William spent months alone lost in grief and sadness trying to find some kind of peace.

One day he heard a knock at his door. Slowly he opened the door and standing there before him was a woman he knew well. William and his wife had been good friends with her. The woman stood before him with tears streaming down her face. She said she was leaving her husband and needed somewhere to stay for a few days until she could figure out where to go next. At this point in the story, I saw William struggle with what to say next. Finally, he blurted out, “I shouldn’t have let her in, but I did. And she stayed……. and I fell in love with her.” She filed for divorce but several months later her husband came to the door. He had come to tell her that he had been diagnosed with cancer and wanted her to come home and try to work it out. William said it was agonizing for him, but he told her she should go home to her husband. He packed her things and she left.

Another pause came in the story as though my biker friend was reliving the whole sad affair. He looked tired and his face tense and stressed. “I sat at home alone for a few days trying to understand what had happened and to make some kind of sense out of it.” After four days, once again a knock came at the door. She had returned, saying that she didn’t love her husband, she loved William. And she wanted to come back and live with him. Sounding somewhat like a broken record, William told me, “I shouldn’t have let her in, but I did.”

He went on, “I knew it was wrong. She was married and had so many things to work out. I didn’t need to complicate things. This all just happened the night before last. Yesterday morning I got up early, looked at her sleeping, and knew I needed to figure out some things. So I jumped on my bike, and to be quite honest, I’ve been riding ever since. For 24 hours I’ve been searching for answers. I don’t know why I pulled in here, but I did. And there you two were. I want to get things right with God and I’m sorry that I walked away. I’ve made so many bad choices since then that I don’t think I can go back. Besides, if He did forgive me, it still wouldn’t be okay because I plan to go home and repeat the same mistake. I don’t want to – I can’t – give up the woman I love even though being with her now isn’t the right thing.”

So there was William, just like so many of us are, standing at the crossroads of what we want and what we think is right. Sometimes we just need someone to listen and talk through things with us. That’s exactly what happened that day. The two of us talked about how short life really is and what is ultimately important. That God forgives and not only forgives, but then enables us with the power of his Spirit to do what is right. Often, doing the right thing requires a sacrifice. William knew those things, he just needed to be reminded. Maybe you need to be reminded of those things too. We all do.

As we finished talking, William held out his hand. I wasn’t sure at first what he was doing. Then it hit me. I held out my hand and he took it and began to pray. It was such a beautiful thing to hear a man who had been hurting and running away, turn around and head home toward his Father.

Just as William was closing his prayer, we could hear the sound of a train blowing it’s horn and racing down the tracks right across the street. I smiled at my new friend. In over 20 years of coming to the lake, I’d never seen a train on those tracks. Right then was the perfect time. As the train passed by, we both knew William was on it. Because it’s not too late.

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“The Lord said: ‘It isn’t too late. You can still return to me with all your heart…Don’t rip your clothes to show your sorrow. Instead, turn back to me with broken hearts. I am merciful, kind and caring.'” Joel 2:12-13 CEV

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