I was bewildered; I had fully expected a miracle. From the small jail cell, I reflected on the last couple of weeks. I felt disappointed and abandoned by God. I had received a letter from Joani’s aunt, the Pentecostal Ministers wife. In the letter she had exclaimed “there is only one thing left for you to do, surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ!” When I read those words I knew that she was right. I dropped to my knees on the concrete floor. I remember distinctly praying and asking God to forgive me and to save me. When I got up and sat on the small bed I suddenly wanted to read the state issued bible on the table. I opened the Bible randomly and read these words in red He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. As I reflected on these words I had the distinct feeling that God was telling me to waive extradition.
I had a parole hold from the State of California, where I had absconded my commitment. I was concerned to say the least as we had left a drug lab in the garage of our home on Mount Hood. If I was caught it could mean a long time in jail. I had planned on fighting the extradition processes, as my parole violation was based on a misdemeanor. I was now considering waiving the process and voluntarily going back to the penitentiary and facing the parole board. “This is crazy” I thought. But I reconsidered the words that I had read. “he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.” I was only into this “surrender to Jesus” stuff for about five minutes, already He was turning my world upside down. I could not deny that I had a distinct knowing that God wanted me to waive the extradition.
Maybe when I “lost my life” and waived my rights, I would be set free by the Judge! On my next court appearance I promptly told the Judge that I would waive extradition and gladly go back to California. The Judge promptly ordered me shipped to California to face the parole board. Wow this was not what I expected. I was shackled and taken to the police car. I began to hear the voice of the accuser “God does not care about you, you fool, now you will be in jail a long time. That’s what you get for trying to follow God” and on and on. By the time the cruiser was out on the highway I was fuming. I flew into a rage and started kicking the widows and the cage in between me and the police officer. The officer drove to the jail at over 100 miles an hour. By the time he pulled into the secure cage I was calmed down.
Several weeks passed. I wondered when they would take me to California. Other prisoners had been transported during the time and it all seemed very strange to me. Meanwhile I tried to draw close to God. I read the bible and a book by Oral Roberts that was in the jail library. I also sang and modified songs that I knew into worship. And I worried. I knew if the authorities found that lab I was gone.
On Monday March 12th 1988 I got word that I would be transported to California by a private contractor on Wednesday the 14th. I really worried now. I had never heard of a private contractor moving prisoners. I believed that it may be a conspiracy. I called Joani’s uncle Glenn for prayer and looked for verses on trust.
Tuesday evening a trustee, named Charles who had befriended me brought me two cups of coffee and a Bible. He left and went on his rounds and I drank the coffee, reflecting on the small acts of kindness the man had shown me. I looked at the Bible. It was a red paperback King James Bible. I looked at it, and I wondered if I had lost my mind. Turning it over I opened it to the title page and I noticed that Charles had written a note in the page.
It was simple, nothing fancy only encouraging me to keep praying and believing. But when I read that note I thought “that man is a convict, but he loves me”. I was amazed and wondered how could this be? Suddenly my whole being was energized and I began to tremble. I felt a warmth flood through my body and the tremble became an almost violent shaking. I fell in the floor as I wondered if I was dying! I realized this felt wonderful and it had to be good, and it had to be God! I lay on the cold hard concrete for about thirty minutes. My body was shaking and I was too weak get up.
When I did get up I was full of joy as I was assured that God had indeed touched me in an incredible way. I called for the door and asked if I could have a phone call. An officer came down the hall his keys rattling, and he opened the door. I headed to the pay phone and called my wife Joani at her parent’s house. “You won’t believe what happened to me” I said. She said “no! You won’t believe what happened to me!”
It seems that one of her friends came by and told her on no uncertain terms that she needed to go to church. Her friend then proceeded to take her to the friend’s parent’s house who took Joani to church. She was there in the church; the preacher in the middle of his message stopped and looked at her. “You are married” he exclaimed. Joani began to weep. He continued “everything looks out of control, but God is in complete control, He is going to save your husband and do it in a way that you will know that he is saved. God is going to use you both in a mighty way for his glory”
I was amazed. I was overjoyed that God had singled us out in that way.
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