Читать книгу I'm Out to Change My World - Ann Kiemel - Страница 10

homesick gi

i boarded a plane in san antonio

and i had been speaking to 500 teenagers that week

and i was exhausted.

i asked the stewardess,

“would you mind if i had a seat by myself,

i’m just so exhausted.”

she said she understood

and she put me by a window

with the whole row cleared of everybody else.

i looked out the window,

i was going home,

and i love to go home.

i was going home knowing that 500 teenagers in texas

believed with me for my world.

and the sky was yellow and orange

and the sun was setting.

there were other people on board

but i just started to sing:

this is my story

this is my song.

i really felt like singing.

praising my Saviour

all the day long.

oh Jesus,

i want to sing about you.

i want people to hear me

sing about you.

this is my story

this is my song.

praising my Saviour

all the day long.

and out of the clear blue sky

i heard a man’s voice say,

“uh, ma’am,

do you hate to leave san antonio?”

and i turned around

and there was a young kid

and i wondered where he came from.

“uh-uh,

i don’t mind at all.

do you sir?”

“yes, ma’am, i do.”

his face got sober.

“you see, i just got back from viet nam

about two weeks ago

and i saw two of my best buddies

murdered before my very eyes.

and then when i got home

my wife was gone

and all the family i have left

is right here in texas

and i’m going back to war.”

“i’m sorry, sir.

i didn’t know your world

was so ugly.”

“lady,

was that you singing

a minute ago?”

“yeah, it was.”

“lady,

what makes you so happy?”

and i turned and looked him in the eye.

“sir, my name is ann.

do you really want to know?

you see, i’m a Christian

and Jesus is the Lord of my life.

He laughs with me

and cries with me

and walks lonely roads with me.

and, sir,

He and i are out to change the world.

and, sir,

He can change your world.”

the tears began flowing

down that young gi’s face.

and he looked at me.

“i never knew a God like you have

how do you find Him?”

and i opened my purse

and pulled a card out

and wrote a prayer on it.

not a special prayer,

a prayer off my head,

i just wrote it on a card

and handed it to him.

“sir, if you’ll pray this prayer

and mean it,

Jesus will become your friend

and Lord of your life.”

and that’s all that was said the entire flight

and i had taken a nap

and the plane was on its descent.

suddenly, he leaned over to me and said,

“ann, excuse me,

i know you’re tired and everything

but i wanted to tell you something.

i wanted to thank you.

i prayed that prayer

and i don’t feel alone anymore.

and ann, i think God and i—

we can make it.”

and i reached out and took his hand.

“sir, you and God,

you can make it.

anywhere and through anything.

remember this:

God and i,

we’re walking with you.”

and i deboarded that plane

and there were thousands of people in the airport

but i really believed,

that i had the most important mission

of any of the people hurrying about me

because i had changed my world

in just a little way.

i’d reminded a broken, lonely gi

that Jesus lived and loved

and would walk with him.

lonely eyes.

i see them in the subway.

i do—we have subways in boston you know.

people burdened by the troubles of the day.

men on leisure

but they are so unhappy,

tired of foolish games they try to play

lonely voices fill my dreams.

do they yours, sir?

your voice sounds lonely, your face looks empty.

sir, take my hand. i’ll walk with you.

i’ll be your friend.