Oak as some call him, or John as his mother named him found himself in need of a new mode of transportation.  The old car had another few years in it, at least until last night when a drunk with more drink than sense had caught it napping at the curb.

Then he shoved the whole thing, his  car and yours up on your front lawn.

In a way, you felt glad.  No one got hurt, not even the drunk.  But your car and your lawn are considerably the worst for wear.

Insurance should cover it, but after they wait for as long as they can before refunding you.  In the meantime, you needed transportation.

So, it was out to the car lots, and start checking out the cars with a borrowed car as your transport.  The first few did not inspire, and with rain threatening, you started to go home, but the car salesman getting desperate pointed out a car gotten in just last week.

"New years model.  Almost brand new.  Rich guy bought it, and then ran over his own mailbox with it.  Now he wants a new car.  Its got the new 'scriff-enabled sensors' too."

Your'e a bit suspicious.  But he seems pathetically eager to unload it, and maybe a deal could be made.

A hike, and you're at the car.  It is pretty.

You get in, and the salesman gives you the keys.  And then he runs back to the manager to confirm something.

The sky opens.  Rain pours down, and it enters the driver's side door with a steady dribble.

Hmm. You turn on the radio, and it sparks you.

Not good...must be a lemon you're thinking....

And then there is a white flash from the radio with little yellow blobules in the midst of it...


================================================================================

You're laying on your back in warm grass.  The sun is bright in your face.  The air is cool, clean, not tainted by hydrocarbons.  You feel fine except for a rapidly fading tingle in your right arm.

PT

:Wasn't it just raining?:

The sun shines insistently through my eyelids, as I lie there somewhat disorientedly.

:That shock...  Wow.  How long have I been out?:

:Long enough to be moved out of that car?:

:Long enough for the rainstorm to pass?:

:Long enough... to be brought over to *dry* grass... instead of to a hospital?:

I slowly sit up, opening my eyes, and look around...
This message was last edited by the player at 13:53, Thu 23 Feb 2006.

You open your eyes to a clear blue sky mounted above a lushly green hill that overlooks a wild forest to your right, and a track of two ruts to your left that heads out toward the horizon.  But before it reaches there, it comes to a stone bridge over a small river or a large creek.

In the far distance, perhaps ten miles, you can see what might be a city, or a factory.  Its got some right angles in it, but thats as much as you can make out.

Your stuff who chose is laying about you on the grass, and is surprisingly easy to find in the thick weave.

But beyond that, you feel another tug off to your left, and another, which seems different from the direction of the city/factory/cliff faces.

PT

PM
This message was last edited by the player at 06:25, Wed 22 Feb 2006.

PM reply

PT

I regard the scene before me with some perplexity.

:Where... am I?:

:And how did I get here?:

As I regard the scene, I pray...

:Dear LORD, my God...:

:Where am I?  What has happened?:

:Thank you that I live to pray to you now, after that electrical shock.:

:Please guide me now, on the path that you would have me walk.:

:Please watch over my wife and my children, that they won't worry.  And please speed me back to them safely.  And please draw us all nearer to you, and to one other.:

:Thank you for hearing my prayer.  In Jesus' Name... Amen.:

I sniff at the cool clean air with pleasure, in spite of myself.

I don't know where I am.  I don't know where to go to get back to where I belong.

But I am filled with the calm assurance that I am in Sovereign Hands, and that every facet of this situation has been decreed by His Will and Wisdom from before the world began.

:And it is wonderful to enjoy the beauty of His Creation again.  How long has it been?  Too long, at least since the last trip to Yosemite.  But cool clean air, bright sunshine, hill, and forest, and river.  And a walk among them!:

Even in such circumstances, it is hard not to feel pleasure at the prospect.

:But where am I walking to?  It could be a matter of survival, finding help before the water bottle runs dry, and before hunger bites.:

I regard my belongings.

:How did they come to be here?  Another mystery.  But it could be a long walk, so I had better travel lightly...:

I sort through my belongings, taking the lighter essentials, and piling the rest in a safe place out of sight under the bridge well away from the water line, where I can find them again.

And having squared things away, I take a deep breath, and begin to walk down the track, enjoying the blessings of the day, and doing my best to leave the concerns in Better Hands.

You begin praying, and a feeling of closeness and sureness of His Presence fills you.  You remember a verse that tells that God's ways are higher than your ways, and along with that you are filled with a dread certainty that you did not exactly 'live' through the shock, but all the evidence of body and mind seems to say you are alive now.  Its a paradox, but it doesn't seem to be explained which leaves you in doubt and perplexity.

And while this is pleasant, its certainly not Heaven.

You feel called to the cliffs/village in the distance.  Its almost like you hear a voice in your head.

"Go there."

Finally, you feel sure that your family is under God's eye, and will be fine, even if stressed horribly.

The verse comes to mind of Jesus saying that Satan had desired to sift a disciple, but that Jesus had prayed for him.

You walk onward, and over the bridge, and up a small hill with your passageway contested by a herd of sheep.  And then beyond that, you see the shepherd.  He has his staff out, held across his body, and he's surveying you cautiously.

He's dressed in a tunic, and a pair of leggings, and no shoes.

PT

I ponder, and shake my head.  But the words of a memorized passage spring back into mind...

:O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.:
:Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.:
:Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.:
:For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.:
:Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.:
:Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.:
:Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?:
:If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.:
:If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;:
:Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me...:


I nod quietly to myself as I walk, and take another deep breath.  Cool clean air!  All too rare for Los Angeles.  Yet even with the recent(?) rainstorm, the air seems cleaner than if it had been merely "rain-washed"...



I look at his clothing, and wonder...

And I suddenly wonder what he thinks of my clothes.

Dark green jacket, green sweater, office shirt collar sticking out above it, office dockers, white gym socks, comfortable velcro sneakers, saying nothing of the thermal long johns underneath...

I push such thoughts aside, and nod with a gentle friendly smile.

"Hi.  I'm John... and I'm lost.  Where are we?"

"Saints preserve me, but you're a sight, and you don't know where you're at either?  Passing strange.  Mayhap you've wandered into a faerie ring, and stepped out a hundred years later."

He relaxes, and puts his staff back to the use of walking as he steps up to you.

"Poor fellow, you're in the outlying lands of the Haston City-state.  I'm William the Shepherd.  And the town's lord may not be much of a Christian, but he's no black-hearted sorcerer either.  We'll set you to rights as much as may be in a trice."

He pulls out a chunk of cheese, and some bread, and a leathery bag full with what smells like wine.

"Eat now."

PT

I nod and smile thankfully.

"You are very kind.  Thank you."

I sit in the grass, taking the offered cheese in one hand and the offered bread in the other.  Indicating my own trusty tupperware container full of water, I politely decline the offered wine.

Before eating, I bow my head, speaking softly but audibly.

"Dear LORD, thank you for this food, and for the gracious hands that provided it.  I pray in Jesus' Name... Amen."

I look up again at William as I begin eating.

"A faerie ring?  I don't know... but something strange has happened, for nothing here is familiar to me."

I regard him, pondering his words thoughtfully, murmuring them back to myself.

"... and stepped out a hundred years later... "

I pause.

"Could you tell me more of this place?  For I am a stranger here..."

"And if you don't mind my asking... when are we?  What is today's date?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:21, Thu 23 Feb 2006.

He shrugs uncomfortably at your praise, and joins in your prayer with an 'amen' at the end.

"Friend, it is the Year of Our Lord 1342.  Aye, lad, I can see its a shock to you.  Haston is no great town, and for many years we struggled without a wizard to guide us, but then Lord Mike came, a most odd man, and now they need all my sheep's wool I can shear.  But, we are but one town, surrounded by many others, of more might than we, and some were used to us being supine, so they could plunder us more easily,a nd now they think our strength an insult."

He sighs and shakes his head.

"Its a sad world."

PT

I indeed look shocked...

:The Year of Our Lord 1342!:

:My wife.  My children.  Not born for over six hundred years???:

A wave of stunned grief overwhelms me, and I pray silently.

It takes several moments for the rest of his words to sink in.

"I'm sorry... you did say 1342?"

A pause, and a deep breath.

"Yes, it is a shock."

Another pause, slowly shaking my head a few times, as the mind slowly works through his words.

"What do you mean, a wizard to guide us?"

"Aye, that I did. Lost a hundred years have you?"  He pats you on the shoulder, and you find your throat seizing up in the grief.

"A wizard, well, we were a smallish town, with no wizard or sorcerer, thus prey to all the gargantuans, the giant cats, megaelephants, oversized turtles, and the Dreadful Salamander that breathes in fire, and of course other sorcerers and what not.  And then along comes Lord Mike, an odd man true, but with a ready laugh, and a good singing voice, and he began to sing for wizardry, and to bless us, and we naturally made him our lord.  Can't get things done without the blessings of God as worked through his wizards."

He paused.

"Now, some, and even Lord Mike himself, says he's no wizard, but I don't believe him.  I've seen him summon a dragon myself with his song, and he's a goodly man, he does not worship the Infernal, so what else could he be, I ask you? It only makes sense, it does.  But then I'm a simple man, although one with much time to think, and as you can no doubt tell, not enough people to talk to.  My sheep get used to me talking to them, but it lacks something it does."

PT

Again, I pray silently, and ponder these tidings, as he pats my shoulder.

:They aren't dead.  Nor am I.  And if I somehow came to be here from there, then must not there be a way to return?  Perhaps to the very second that I left?:

:But this doesn't seem to match the history that I know.  It seems less like a 'Time Patrol' scenario... more like the 'Infinity Patrol'...:

:Well, they are in the LORD's hands, as am I.  And if I ever hope to return, I had better keep my wits about me...:

I push the grief aside for the time being, and try to focus upon what William is saying.  And by force of will, I try to slowly continue eating, to keep my strength up for whatever lies ahead.

I look at him in response to his words, and nod.

"Well, you have an honorable vocation, for is not the LORD Himself called our Shepherd?"

"And since I am ignorant of this time and place, it is a blessing to have you here to talk to me, telling me of all these things I do not know, and need to know."

"Knowing what you know, what do you advise?  Should I stay with you for a time of adjusting, and try to help you with your duties, even though I am unlearned in the ways of shepherding?  Or should I go as soon as I am able to seek out this Lord Mike for his counsel and assistance?"

"Well, thats quite a question.  I don't rightly know.  I suppose I'd say stay with me, as I don't mind the company, and have plenty of food.  In fact, I usually have a helper, but with the new looms there is no helpers to be found.  I can't pay loom prices for workers.  But then, maybe you ought to go see Lord Mike.  He's going to know more about more things than I."

He cants his head back and forth, weighing the two different courses in his mind with a frown of concentration on his stubbly face.
PT

I ponder as well, and silently pray, seeking guidance.

"Perhaps I should stay for a short while, so that I learn more of the ways of this land.  Then I would be better able to talk more knowledgeably with Lord Mike when I go to see him."

"But are you sure you wouldn't mind my staying, just for a bit?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:18, Sat 25 Feb 2006.

"Not at all.  Did I not say, I usually have a helper?"

He whistles and calls in his pair of dogs, and introduces you to them, and then you begin to learn the basics of being a shepherd's assistant.  He is leading them from one pasture, cross-country to another pasture about a mile away.

In the first twenty yards, you have to rescue three lambs who catch themselves in a thornbush, and one who decides to go west while everyone else is going north.

It gives fresh appreciation to those Bible verses about humans being like sheep.  They seem to be possessed of anti-intelligence, as if there was some guiding system in their head that would automatically lead them toward the one obstacle in their path that they would then hang themselves on.

PT

I nod my thanks to William, and squat down with hand extended for the dogs to sniff.  After they get used to me, I make eye contact with them as I gently ruffle the fur around their heads, and smile.

As I gently untangle the lambs from the thorn bush, I sing gently to them...

"'My Shepherd will supply my need,
Jehovah is His name,
In pastures fresh He makes me feed
Beside the living stream;
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His way,
And leads me for His mercy's sake
In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death
His presence is my stay,
One word of His supporting grace
Drives all my fears away;
His hand in site of all my foes
Doth still my table spread,
My cup with blessings overflows,
His oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
Oh, may Thy house be my abode
And all my work be praise;
There would I find a settled rest,
While others come and go;
No more a stranger nor a guest,
But like a child at home.'"

As I bring back the one who goes west, a memory verse comes to mind...

::'All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all...'::

Indeed, having spent my life as a city dweller, looking after the sheep is a challenging task.  And they are dirty, and smelly, and contrary, and not too bright.  But did not the filth of our sins make us infinitely worse to a Holy God, who still cares for us like a Shepherd for His sheep?

I stay alert for any difficulties they may encounter, while at the same time enjoying a curious feeling of fulfillment, and the simple pleasure of leading them through the green hills and cool crisp air...
This message was last edited by the player at 21:41, Mon 27 Feb 2006.

After your song, the sheep straighten out.  They follow the sensible path with none breaking loose to try to trot over and fall down the one steep hillside in the area.

You are enjoying the walk, and thinking that you've got the hang of this sheep-thing when you notice William looking at you bug-eyed.

"You can sing!!?! You're a wizard! Why didn't you tell me?" He burst out with once he sees you looking at him.

You stop, and the sheep, as if guided halt as well.  On further consideration, it is a bit uncanny the way the sheep are now acting....

PT

I blink in surprise, and look at William in confusion.

"Yes, I can sing... but what does that have to do with being a wizard?"

I look at the sheep, curiously wondering at their behavior...

He stares back at you, trying to fit your comment into some sort of reasonable frame inside his head.  Finally he gives up, and smacks his face with a hand.

"Well lad, thats what a wizard is, a singer.  The sorcerers sing to the Evil One and his minions, and the wizards sing to God and his saints and angels.  How is it that you don't know this? I do clearly recall the worst beating of my childhood, when I as a prank started to sing.  My parents and the townsfolk were that fearful I would summon up some all-consuming fire or giant beast or who knows what.  Of course, I sang badly, a cracked and pitiable thing compared to your voice, but even then with two lines, I could see something starting to happen."

As you listen to him, you realize his voice is lacking in melody and rhythm.  Its not a bad voice, a bit unlovely, but serviceable.

PT

I look at him with even more confusion.

"But... does not the Bible, the Word of the LORD, speak against wizardry?"

"And does not the Bible also exhort us to sing praises to the LORD?"

"How then can it mean the same thing, to be a singer, or a wizard?"

I consider for a heartbeat or two.

"Besides, did you not tell me that even Lord Mike himself says he isn't a wizard?"

I look back with some perplexity at the patiently waiting sheep, and experimentally take a single step forward to see their reaction...

He looks at you, and then shrugs.

"I think you would have to talk to a a priest of the Holy Reman Church. Father Thomas is a good and wise man.  I don't know.  I mean, I can't remember what the Bible exactly says on that, its been so long since I've heard a sermon on it."

He considers your second question.

"I think so, but we do that in our heads, not in our voices.  But, like I say, ask Father Thomas, he has a good copy of the Bible he will be happy to read to you."

"Oh, Lord Mike is an odd one, that is for sure.  But I think he is a wizard.  He's just humble. Saying you're a wizard is like saying you're the Hand of God on Earth after all."

The sheep look up attentively, and make ready to rise.  When you step back, they lay back down and go back to cropping the grass under their chins.  Definitely unnatural.

PT

"Well, I have a copy with me, so I can look it up now..."

I open the velcro flap of my right jacket pocket, and take out my pocket King James Bible.

As books go, it is slightly unusual, for the three sides without the binding are enclosed by a zipper to protect the pages.

I unzip it, and start looking for the relevant passage.  Since I'm without the electronic version from my laptop, or even my larger Study Bible with Concordance (as they are with all the other stuff I stored under the bridge), it takes a bit longer to find a relevant passage.  The relatively small font size doesn't make it any easier, since my eyes aren't getting any younger.

After several long moments of searching...

"Here is one example: 'A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.' "

"So whatever strange powers a singer seems to have here, they surely must not be wizardry..."

I look at the sheep, and back to William.

"What kinds of marvels has Lord Mike done with his singing?"

"You can read as well?!?"  He seems utterly shocked.

"Aye, but I'm a simple man, and I would want a priest to explain this to me."  He says in response to your quote, although you can tell he is a bit disturbed by it.

"Oh, Lord Mike sealed the roofs on his new loom buildings, and he made a moat around the town, or fixed it more like, and he also tends to summon himself cold black drinks in in glass jars.  I saw him do the drink thing at one party myself."

He brightens.

"It was a fine feast last summer, and he bends over, and I watch his hands, and he sings just a little bit, and bang, his hand is full of this ink-like drink."

PT

I nod thoughtfully, and look back at the sheep.

After a few moments, I spot the one who had been most entangled in the thorn bush, and walk over to gently sit next to it.

I tenderly ruffle the wool around its head as I look at its face once again.  Yes, the scratch on its cheek that it received from the thorn bush was still obvious.

I pray softly, yet loudly enough for William to hear if he wishes.

"Dear LORD, my God, truly you are a God of wonders.  And you have brought me to a place of wonders."

"Would You have this creature be healed?  And would You use me as a means to hasten it?  Let Your Will be done.  I pray in Jesus' Name... Amen."

I focus upon the wound, and begin singing softly.

"'Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God.

I am the Lord that healeth thee,
I am the Lord that healeth thee,
I am the Lord that healeth thee.

In thee, O Lord, I put my trust,
In thee, O Lord, I put my trust,
In thee, O Lord, I put my trust...'"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:28, Tue 28 Feb 2006.

You can feel life surging through the lamb, and a dear Presence in the air, and the wound knits itself shut, and closes over with not even a scar to show it was there.

You feel a little tired, and a lot exhilarated.  The moment stretches on, until the lamb, not so sensitive to spriritual feelings decide to try to nibble your fingers, and brings you back to mundanity.

"Aye, you're a wizard, and not a pennyweight one either."  William says.  You remind him that its God that gets the glory, you're just an instrument, and he laughs.

"Aye, definitely a wizard."

PT

I nod thoughtfully as the wound closes, and bow my head briefly to give thanks to God.

In response to William's last words, I ponder...

"It would seem that God blesses singers with some special power here, for His good purposes, to His glory alone."

"But what of others who have this power?  Will Lord Mike, for example, see my arrival here as a blessing?  Or will he perceive me as a threat?"

"I do not wish to intrude here..."

"I-I don't know. I mean I'm a simple shepherd."  William pauses.  "But he has entertained wizards, and sadly sorcerers as well, and shown proper behaviour as a host, Christian hospitality even to the wicked which is good.  He would not slay you out of hand, but if you wait long in his country without telling him you are here, that is a breach of a guest's duties.  He might suspect you of plotting rebellion then."

William scratches his head, and pulls off a flea, and crushes it between his fingernails.

PT

I ponder these words, and nod slowly.  From my own cross-cultural experiences, I know all too well the hazards of inadvertently transgressing cultural norms.

"For a simple shepherd, you speak words of wisdom indeed.  I would not want him to think ill of me, and I would not want to be in breach of a guest's duties."

"Perhaps it would be well if I did seek him out sooner, rather than later."

"How long would it take to travel from here to where he is now?  And how long will it be before the sun sets?"

"It is near noon now, and in the early days of summer. You should be able to easily make it this day."

So after eating a bit more, and conversing a bit more, you set out.  You reach the bridge, and perhaps collect your stuff, and walk on several more miles along the rutted track, and reach another bridge, a small, and sturdy arch of stone covered with moss.

On it sits a five hundred pound calico kitty cat.  Sleeping.

PT

OOC: I'll have to break up your post a bit, since what I do later will depend upon what happens earlier... :)



I ponder recent events as I walk to where my belongings are hidden.  And I am thoughtful indeed as I arrive there.

:Wherever I am now, it isn't where I came from.  How long will my contact lens solution last... or the contacts themselves?  And how long will even my glasses last?:

:And what of the moisturizer?  Ever since moving back to LA, it has been the only thing keeping my knuckles and my eyelids from cracking and bleeding.  What will happen when it is used up?  Perhaps it was from the dry climate, or an allergy from the smog.  Perhaps I don't need it anymore.  But perhaps I still do...:

I stand on the bridge under which my belongings are hidden, looking at the flowing water below, for several long moments.

"Dear LORD, my God, you have poured your mercy and your healing power upon that injured sheep, and used me as a means to do so, unworthy though I am."

"By your Sovereign Hand, I have been brought to this place, for your good purpose."

"You know my infirmities, my poor eyesight, my dry cracking skin, my allergies, my aches and pains, and all the rest."

"Would you have this lost sheep be healed as well?  Let Your Will be done.  I pray in Jesus' Name... Amen."

I focus mentally upon my own body's infirmities, and begin singing softly.

"'Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God,
Be still and know that I am God.

I am the Lord that healeth thee,
I am the Lord that healeth thee,
I am the Lord that healeth thee.

In thee, O Lord, I put my trust,
In thee, O Lord, I put my trust,
In thee, O Lord, I put my trust...'"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:03, Thu 02 Mar 2006.

You sing, but as you sing, you feel doubts creep in, and then your mind veers off to a variety of images from your past life, and ...nothing happens.

PT
OOC: Sorry for the shortness, but gotta run.

I open my eyes again, pondering as I watch the water flow under the bridge.

:Perhaps the LORD wishes these minor thorns in my flesh to remain.  For even Paul prayed in a similar manner, and what was the LORD's response?:

:'And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.':

I reflect upon the memory verse passage for a time, and ponder.

:But then again, perhaps there is some other reason.  The LORD may have ordained the strange powers that work here to operate in some specific fashion, according to some set of laws, like gravity...:

:But what has changed between when the sheep was healed, and when I wasn't?:

:Well, I could see the sheep's wound, but couldn't really look upon my own...:

:I was trying to heal another creature, rather than myself...:

:There was an external witness, rather than just my own presence...:

:I was in a different location...:

:It was a different time of day...:

:I hadn't just healed some creature previously...:

I consider the possibilities one by one.  The last one sounds somewhat more likely to me -- didn't I feel a bit tired after the sheep was healed?  Perhaps I need to rest first...

My mind then turns from differences to similarities.

:What was the same?:

:I was trying to facilitate healing...:

:I was singing the same song...:

I blink, and consider.

:Perhaps a given song can only be used once?  After all, the Scripture does say, 'O sing unto the LORD a new song'...:

:What other songs do I know that refer to healing?  Some, I'm sure.  But how to remember all of the lyrics?:

:Well, I don't have to remember them.  I may have left behind an entire bookshelf full of hymnals--:

Here my thoughts pause, as I swallow a lump in my throat.  The grief almost overwhelms me, but I soon feel the LORD's comforting presence, calming me.

:... but didn't I see a hymnal or two with the stuff that somehow ended up with me?:

I look back through my belongings.  Sure enough, there is a copy of my church's hymnal, along with a copy of the Psalter I used most frequently when arranging music for the church choir I used to conduct when living overseas.  Out of all the music books I own, curious how these two are here, and all the others are not...

:But here are two.  And I have the Cyber Hymnal on my laptop, though I had better not turn that on unless it is an emergency.  That one hour of battery life may have to last me an awfully long time...:

I open my Bible with Concordance, and the hymnal, and the Psalter, seeking a suitable song.

And after a brief search, I again focus my thoughts upon my various infirmities, and lift up my voice to the LORD in song...

"'There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

Sometime I feel discouraged,
And think my work's in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.

If you cannot preach like Peter,
If you cannot pray like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
And say, "He died for all."

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul.'"

You sing, and you can feel an exaltation in your spirit, and a sense of joy hums in the air, and then dust puffs from the ground.  Stones, shaped like blocks shove up out of the grass.

You note that its two columns, about five feet apart, and they climb protruding upward as you watch, and then arch to meet each other.

Fog then fills the space between the columns.

Upon the top of the arch, on its keystone is a cleared spot upon which is engraven "Gilead".

PT

PM

PM

PT

I ponder the redecorated landscape thoughtfully, shaking my head in wonder.

Several long moments pass before I look again through the hymnal, carefully checking the lyrics of the various possibilities.

Finally, after praying once more, and focusing upon my own infirmities once more, I lift up my voice to sing a single, simple verse...

"'Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.'"

You feel a faint tinge of irritation in the air, which surprises you.  And then its gone, and a gust of wind pushes past you, and jolts you, and your foot kicks a stone which rolls, and rolls, and rolls some more, and goes through the fog of the archway, and you hear a faint 'plunk' and then 'ker-plop' from the direction of the archway.

PT

I blink in surprise at the result.

:Could it be?:

:Please forgive me, LORD, as I am all too often slow to see your will...:

I follow the path of the rock, walking under the arch of Gilead, and into the fog...

The fog swirls about you for a moment, and parts, and your feet come down on stone blocks.  A vine and forest shrouded pool surrounded by stone, and dimmed by fog lays in a tiny clearing.

A woman sits with her feet dangling in the pool.  She is wearing a white gown.  She looks...calm, gentle, and after a second, you decide...sweet.

"Welcome traveller. Take a dip."

You look down into the pool, and you see hundreds of little fish with very sharp teeth.  It takes a moment, but you recognize them from a nature show...pirahna.

PT

OOC: You've given a description of how she *looks*... but how does she *feel*?  What spiritual and/or empathetic "vibes" do I get?
This message was last edited by the player at 04:56, Fri 03 Mar 2006.

As she looks.  Although you can add strong and patient to that as well.

PT

I look around the scene for a moment, somewhat disoriented, before nodding to the woman.

"Peace be unto you."

I look into the pool, and back to her.

"I am John... and I have lost my way.  Please, who are you?  And where are we?  And why bid me to take a dip, in a pool with piranhas?"

"And to you, John."

She stirs the water with her fingers.  The pirahna come over, and she pets them with a soft single finger.

"I am the Guardian of the Pool of Gilead, here at the edge between the material and the spiritual realms.  You wished to be healed, then have faith."

She goes back to playng with the pirahna, and after a bit to brushing her hair.

Its quiet here, except for small noises.

PT

I regard the scene, and the speaker, and ponder her words, and nod slowly.

"You know of my prayer.  Please, do you know how I came to be in the place where I prayed?  Or how I may return to the land of my birth?"

As I speak, I walk slowly over to sit next to her near the edge of the pool, and start taking off my shoes and socks.  I smile and watch in fascination as she pets the piranha.

"They like you.  May I pet them as well?"

She shakes her head sadly.

"Such knowledge is not given unto me."

She nods, invites you, and you slip your hand into the water.  The instant you do, you see the fish change to goldfish like a glamor had been lifted off your eyes.

Without waiting further, you slip into the water, and play with the very friendly goldfish.  You see your hands healing, but your eyes are not yet, and then you dip your whole body under water.

You come up, and your vision is blurry.  But otherwise, you feel great.

PT

In wonder, I take my contact lens case out of my pocket, remove the lenses that are still in my eyes, and look around me...

Your vision is clear, bright, and you have a wider range of vision (since contacts cut off a bit of the peripheral vision.)  You'd guess that its 20/15 which is a step better than 20/20.

Laughing, you slip down into the water, and sit there in the shallow end, and just enjoy the use of your new sight.

PT

I look around in wonder, then bow my head in prayer.

"Dear LORD, my God, thank you for your tender mercies."

"For I, and all of fallen sinful mankind, deserve disease and death, yet you give me health and life."

"And I, and all of fallen sinful mankind, deserve eternal punishment, yet you give me eternal life."

"O LORD, you healed ten lepers, yet only one returned to give praise to you.  Please grant that I would never forget your tender mercies, and never forget to give you thanks and praise for them."

"I pray in Jesus' Name...  Amen."

I open my eyes, and ponder, thinking back over all that the LORD has done for me.

And suddenly, I wonder.  For as the years have passed, my memory has grown more and more forgetful.  Difficult to remember so many things, like names of familiar faces, or childhood, or past events, or even hymn verses.

And I wonder, for my body has been healed.  But what of my mind, and my memory, and my ability to retain and recall?

I think back to my neighbors, and my colleagues, and my brethren at church, the names of all too many I have been unable to recall.  And I try to recall them...

OOC: Those extra benefits did not seem to be the point of the miracle, but I gave you a GE roll (that is a 3d10, and if you got '5' or less for the sum total, I'd give it to you.  But nope.

Now, you could certainly try for a restore memory miracle, or a restore youth miracle, but this is more of a restore to normal functioning health of average person.  I don't think the ten lepers were restored to youth, but instead to freedom from their disease, and perhaps good muscle tone, and if they had lost any body parts (not sure if the Biblical leprosy is the same as today's....).

IC: You feel a strong sense of Presence and of Joy, and the lady by the pool joins you in a song of rejoicing.  After which, she speaks.

"Now, friend.  The time is not yet for you to go into Joy, there are wars still to be fought. So go."

PT

OOC: You mean my current state of memory and recollection is "normal functioning health of (an) average person"?  What a depressing thought... ;)

I stop suddenly, pondering her words, and nod slowly.

"Yes... and I thank you for your kindness."

"Please, when I prayed, an archway was created that led from where I was to this place."

"I may encounter others who are in need of healing.  Will the archway also bring them here if I show them the way?  Or will the way be closed to others?"

"And if I am ever in need of healing, will the way still be open to me?"

I put my socks and shoes on, and rise to take my leave.

"Thank you once again.  'The LORD bless thee, and keep thee'..."

With a final look around, I walk back in the direction I came from...
This message was last edited by the player at 15:18, Mon 06 Mar 2006.

"The door will be closed, but if the Lord wills, you may open it again, and send those who wish to be healed through it. They must come alone through the door.  This will continue until it doesn't according to His plan.  You may certainly come."

She sketches a cross in your direction as you leave through the fog, and arrive back on the grass.  The arch is there, but then the fog blows away, and you can now look through the arch without any tinge of seeming magic to the view.

And as I recall, there was a small stone arch bridge with a five hundred pound kitty cat asleep on it...He doesn't seem to have moved.

PT

OOC: I'm still tarrying a bit before proceeding... :)


I look around, then look back to see the fog blowing away, and nod thoughtfully.

And I stand, pondering the world, literally, through new eyes.

:The LORD has been so gracious as to make my body whole.:

:Yet it is all too evident that in the place he has brought me to, much will depend upon my mind and memory being whole as well.  My usual absent-mindedness may not do at all in this culture.  I need to be able to recall who the LORD puts in my path to meet, and what He teaches me here... and to remember what He has taught me in the past which may be useful in this place.:

:But what song should I sing to ask for such a thing?  I don't remember the lyrics to most of the songs I know well enough, yet I need to remember in order to ask for the ability to remember...:

I ponder, then sit, looking thoughtfully through my Bible, and hymnal, and Psalter...

Minutes pass.

Suddenly, with a jolt, I remember a song sung recently in my church choir.  And the more I reflect upon the lyrics, the more excited I become at how apropos they are.

I bow my head in prayer, and in thanksgiving.

Then I stand, and raise my voice in song...

"'Praise the LORD, o my soul,
And forget not all His benefits.
Praise the LORD, o my soul,
And forget not all His benefits.
Who forgives all your sins,
And heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit,
And crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

Praise the LORD, o my soul,
And forget not all His benefits.

Praise the LORD, o my soul,
And forget not all His benefits.

Praise the LORD, o my soul,
And forget not all His benefits.'"

A long taloned hand attached to an even longer, house high arm reaches up out of the soil which blackens in its wake.

And then a giant truck sized, demonic head pierces the soil.

It smiles its spiked teeth, and you see a fluttering madly, piece of paper there in its teeth.

"Nice song-prayer, wizard."

It swallows the paper.

"Since you woke me up, I figure I'm due compensation.  And since I ate your prayer, well, I have a hankering for some conversation from my, err so sorry indeed, with my, oh, that sounds baaaaa-d too. Conversation with my dinner...get it.  That could mean, you're dinner.  Anyways..."  He rubs one eye as a teardrop of flame rolls down and splatters the ground. "I suppose I should be grateful. You waking me up from this enchanted sleep, but frankly, gratitude isn't much the thing Below."

ooc: yup,,,botch

*blink*  *blink*

OOC: What is a botch, in the Multiverser system?  And how likely is it to occur?

I'll bump up the botch post for you to read. Short answer...not very, but it changes per the skill of the person, and the difficulty of what they attempt.

PT

*blink* *blink*

:Note to self -- next time using choir music, sing the melody, rather than the tenor part...:

:Dear LORD, my God...  Give me wisdom, and help me to be faithful.:

I look at the creature calmly, yet with wide eyes, torn between shock, fear, revulsion, and pity.

"My life, and yours, are in the LORD's hands.  'Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.'"

"And if God be for me, who can be against me?  'Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.'"

I look at the creature in perplexity.

"I do not understand you, or your brethren.  Why have you chosen rebellion against the Sovereign LORD, knowing the doom that awaits you as a result?  Why will you not turn now, and choose life?"

He tries to put his hand over both ears at the same time.  Once you've stopped quoting Scripture, he puts his arm down.

"Listen, pal, the faerie tales you read don't really have a whole lot of relationship to the real world.  I joined this side because we're going to win.  Granted, your side has some power, but they don't know how to use it. You are a perfect example to be frank...human body, very fragile.  But he gives you the power to move mountains, and you use that power and mess it up.  Me, I wouldn't waste my precious power on some newbie.  Not unless, I get something good first.
Its just like this whole Peninsula is going to belong to the sorcerers before long.  You don't want to die, do you?  So, I'm going to make you an offer, one you should seriously consider accepting. The drug lords on your world called it silvre et mordre, which means silver or death.  So quit your delusions, and your pity, and join the winning franchise, hmmh?  You'll have to work hard, but you'll earn your power, and feel justly proud of what you have accomplished, and by the time we're finished with you, you won't be weak and fragile anymore."

PT

I look perplexed, and skeptical, folding my arms.

"The winning franchise?  How?  How will the whole Peninsula belong to the sorcerers?"

"We have better management techniques is why we will win.  The Legions of the so-called Dammed are going to wipe the floor with the Host.  As to the Peninsula, well, you woke me up, and now I'll be helping out the sorcerers.  Shouldn't be hard. I'll think of something."

PT

I listen to his words, all the while wracking my brain to come up with a suitable song.

Alas, if only my memory had been restored as well!

I pray silently.  And a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, a straw to grasp, comes to mind.  Perhaps, with a little creativity...

I lift up my voice once again.

"Near the village, the peaceful village
The demon sleeps again
Near the village, the peaceful village
The demon sleeps again...

He-e-e-e
Will see no more the day,
He-e-e-e
The LORD shall send away...

Near the village, the peaceful village
The demon sleeps again
Near the village, the peaceful village
The demon sleeps again..."

OOC: Big Grin...

IC: The demon roars as you begin to sing, but itd protest changes to a yawn.  And then he slumps, tries to raise himself, but your song goes on.  And then he sinks beneath the soil with only a faint rumbling noise to mark his slumbering spot, and a bit of blackened and burnt sod.

"Well, that was very impressive, wizard."  The cat says, as it hops off the bridge to saunter away.

PT

OOC: Was the cat here, on this bridge where I hid my possessions, to witness this?  Or was the cat "several more miles along the rutted track"?

If the kitty isn't here, my actions are below.  If the kitty is here, I'll try to chat with it a bit before it departs (still to be roleplayed), before doing the actions below...


I breathe a sigh of relief, and bow my head to give thanks to the LORD for his deliverance.

Lifting my head, I ponder these events...

:That was close.  Praise God for helping me come up with something that would work on the spur of the moment.:

:But if nothing else, this confirms how essential it is to be able to remember well all that the LORD has given me, and will give me, to experience in my life.:

:But now, how?  The most applicable song I had has been used already.  I'll have to find another one...:

I ponder the song I sang already, finally remembering the reference, then check the Psalter for a suitable version of Psalm 103.

In a few moments, I find something, since I now know where to look.  And with a bit of creative repetition of the most apropos verse, and some suitable emphasis...

I bow my head in prayer, before lifting it up as I lift up my voice in song again:

"'O praise and bless the LORD, my soul,
His wondrous love proclaim;
Join heart and voice and all my pow'rs
To bless His holy Name.

  O praise and bless the LORD, my soul,
  And ever thankful be;
  Forget not all the benefits
  He has bestowed on thee.

He freely pardons all thy sins,
And He is strong to save;
He heals thy sickness, soothes thy pain,
And ransoms from the grave.

  O praise and bless the LORD, my soul,
  And ever thankful be;
  Forget not all the benefits
  He has bestowed on thee.

He crowns thee with His grace and love,
And, with His strength endued,
Thou mountest up with eagle's wings,
Thy joyous youth renewed.

  O praise and bless the LORD, my soul,
  And ever thankful be;
  Forget not all the benefits
  He has bestowed on thee.'"

OOC: Oops. Several more miles down the road.

You sing, and feel an increasingly familiar feeling of exaltation, and suddenly you feel your mind clearing, your thoughts flowing with their old, accustomed speed.

You also see flashing through your mind every time you gave thanks to God for something.  Eventually it comes to a close, and you're left with a mind clear.

PT

I experience these things in wonder, and thanksgiving.

I'm not quite sure what I had actually expected, having had a vague goal of retroactive total recall, yet not having had the lyrics to match.

But as I reflect, I am thankful for the outcome, and for the LORD's wisdom in the nature of the blessing provided.  For retroactive total recall would have been a decidedly mixed blessing, remembering every painful detail of the bad along with the good.

Instead, I remember with crystal clarity the many blessings which gave me cause for thanksgiving.  And since my most thankful moments include the times when I have had the privilege and joy of singing praises to the LORD, I remember every word of the sacred songs I have sung, giving me the resources I need most to face this strange world.

Clarity of thought, to choose the right song to sing, and even to creatively modify lyrics on the fly if needed.

Clarity of recollection, to remember the words to the songs.

:Praise the LORD.:

Thus prepared, I set off toward the town…



I regard the cat quietly, striving to get a feel of what nature of creature and personality lay within.  Benevolent, or malevolent?  That is the question...

OOC: That is part of the problem with this world.  Its easy to do magic, but you're partially confined by the song lyrics.  And the song lyrics also can change what happens in ways you don't expect...so easy to use, but somewhat limited and unpredictable.

IC:

"Hello, tasty little mouseling...do you squeak good when tossed in the air?"  The cat rises, stretches its magnificent muscles, and extends its word-sharp claws.

PT

I give a quick silent prayer as the cat begins to rise.

:Uh, oh...  Time to see just how well this ol' noggin works now...:

I lift my voice up again in song, even as I wrack my souped-up brain to create a suitable final verse on the fly...

"I love you, you love me
We're a happy family
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too?

I love you, you love me
We're best friends like friends should be
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too?

I love you, you love me
Let all creatures that I meet
Be it now, be it later, be it here, or anywhere,
Want friendship with me to share!"

You pray for your miracle, and suddenly you get the feeling that wasn't the wisest thing you could have asked for.

Then the five hundred pound kitty leaps on you, and licks your face, squashing your chest so that you can hardly breathe.

You see ants climbing up out of the ground, seek your face, and settle down.

You try to sing a song, but with five hundred pounds of cat on your chest, you can't hardly breathe.

And then a huge blot darkens the sun.  A dragon has arrived.  It knocks the cat aside.  Scoops you up.

The cat leaps, with its claws on your back.

"He's my friend." It yowls.

"Roar!" Is the dragon's reply, and it jerks you high, and up out of the reach of the cat.  In the process, abusing you a bit more.

And then you can feel the miracle ending.  The dragon looks at you with puzzlement, and you feel your life's blood drip out from the dragon's over-affectionate embrace....

PT