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    Godly Pieces
    Godly Pieces
    Godly Pieces
    Ebook82 pages1 hour

    Godly Pieces

    By Andre Hibler

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    About this ebook

    The communication of God's word via church setting, a seminar, Christian radio, a song, or a cordial conversation can--through the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ--invigorate an unbeliever; edify the body of believers; and more importantly, bring glory to God. The discussion of God's word exercised in practical short stories can have the same impact as they continue to be a fruitful and viable form of literary expression.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTrafford Publishing
    Release dateMay 25, 2012
    ISBN9781466935884
    Godly Pieces
    Author

    Andre Hibler

    Andre Hibler is a deacon and a Sunday school teacher at his church. He resides with his wife and two children in northeastern Maryland.

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      Book preview

      Godly Pieces - Andre Hibler

      © Copyright 2012 Andre Hibler.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

      ISBN: 978-1-4669-3587-7 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4669-3588-4 (e)

      Trafford rev. 05/21/2012

      7-Copyright-Trafford_Logo.ai

      www.trafford.com

      North America & international

      toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

      phone: 250 383 6864 ♦ fax: 812 355 4082

      Contents

      True Forgiveness

      Ian’s Faith

      Emotional Connection

      Delayed Flight

      Rattled

      A Letter 

       to the Queen

      Acknowledgements

      I would like to thank my immediate family and my mother, Hazel Hubbard for all their support.

      True Forgiveness

      On July 11, 2009 Bob Selwyn woke up at 6:00 AM to start his normal routine. He headed to his home office and spent a half hour praying to God. He then left the house to jog two miles around his suburban Huntsville neighborhood, giving a friendly wave to every vehicle that passed by. After exercising, he returned home to eat a fruit salad and continue preparing his pastoral message for tomorrow’s sermon.

      Bob, sixty-four, had been the senior pastor at St. Luke’s Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama for the past twenty-eight years. A professional theologian, his preaching style was bold and honest—from the bondage of sin to grace, from salvation to justification, and from the crucifixion of Christ to the glorification of God, there was not one biblical topic that he didn’t address. Although he preached on a wide range of topics, he spoke on forgiveness the most because of the fallen state of mankind and our natural hostility toward God.

      Knowing that people are not quickly apt to forgive others, particularly if they have been wronged in a significant way, Bob labored in preaching to the church congregation the importance of forgiving your neighbor through the grace of God. So passionate about this subject matter, Bob had written four books demonstrating the seriousness of forgiveness. He developed principles on how to forgive someone under the most extreme circumstances imaginable. Bob even counseled other pastors on forgiveness when they were struggling with this issue in their personal lives. In fact, he taught seminars on forgiveness in several states. Circumstances were not always black and white, nor did they always seem feasibly reconcilable, but Bob preached that when you put your trust in God, anything is possible. Forgiveness was his motto for Christianity.

      While studying the Bible for tomorrow’s message, Bob examined the Scripture Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13 NIV). The whole sermon would emanate from that passage. For a length of time, Bob meditated and prayed for guidance on how to conclude his message. The task wasn’t to be taken lightly, for he was the sheppard of God’s flock. As usual, he cleared his mind of all iniquity and frivolity to narrow his focus.

      As he finished his quiet time with the Lord, the doorbell rang. Bob had been expecting a UPS package for over a week. Perhaps it is finally here, he thought. He took off his glasses, got up from his desk, walked to the front door humming Blessed be the Rock (a song of praise), glanced out the front door side window, and saw no UPS truck. Bob figured the package was delayed. However, he saw a human shadow of a possible man emerging in the sunlight of the window. It has to be UPS—the driver must’ve parked in an obscured location, Bob said to himself. He smiled, opened the door, and saw his son, whom he hadn’t seen in twenty-five years, standing directly in front of him with a suitcase in hand and an emotional, confused look on his face. David seemed to be trying to erect a smile from a look of sorrowful gloom as he presented himself to his surprised father.

      Standing in a state of shock with no sign of elation, Bob opened the screen door and stepped outside to get a closer look at his forty-three-year-old son. With a somber voice, David spoke. Hello, Dad. It’s good to see you.

      Bob didn’t reply; the unexpected visit stunned him. He was lost for words.

      In 1984 David had left home at the age of eighteen to join the Air Force. Bob, happy for his son, supported his decision. David loved his father, admired his ability to raise him so well despite the fact that Bob had been widowed, and was excited about stepping out on his own to experience the real world as a young man. They had a merry relationship until David—four years into his tour of service—unexplainably severed ties with his father. David suddenly wanted nothing to do with Bob. Bob was crushed but respected his son’s wishes for space. After enduring this pain for so many years, Bob thought he had finally put this issue to rest in his mind and heart. The mysterious parting was no longer an issue; the will of God was the only thing that concerned Bob. But now, seeing his son’s face after twenty-five years, the suppressed pain immediately surfaced.

      He continued to look at David, observing all the bodily changes his son had incurred over the past twenty-five years. David looked presentable. He had a bald head, no mustache, stood around five feet eight, and weighed roughly two hundred pounds. He had on tan kakis with a white collared shirt and a pair of brown Skechers.

      David spoke more loudly, It’s really good to see you, Dad.

      It’s good to see you, Son, Bob replied.

      Bob’s demeanor didn’t seem to yield any indication of a celebratory embrace, so David put his bag down and initiated a hug with his distant father. Bob’s response to David’s hug was less than warm. They quickly separated. Bob invited David inside.

      Bob’s spiritual mood soured. The hymns quickly escaped from his thoughts as he watched his son sit down at the kitchen table. After David put his bag down, he situated himself in the chair as if he were preparing to eat. He gazed around the remodeled kitchen, reflecting on how it used to look when he was a child. David avoided direct eye contact with his father, hoping to stall the inevitable conversation.

      Bob sat down at the table directly across from David, predatorily peering at him as if he were a lion eyeing his prey at close

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