Starting Today: Dangerous Calling
Reverend
Jim Goodman was lost in the wilderness. He gazed at the sky hoping to spot the
big dipper or some such constellation which could help him find his way. The
pastor saw nothing helpful. Heaven seemed to be mocking him with its twinkling
orbs.
“Some
westerner I am,” He said to his horse. The pastor recalled the letters he had
sent to Amanda back in Boston. Tales of how he was living like a dime novel
hero, dealing with hard cases. Such tales would surely make her realize that he
was a far better catch than Henry Yates the bank teller.
“A
man shouldn’t lie to the woman he loves,” Reverend Goodman whispered. In fact,
he had never dealt with outlaws in his position as the associate pastor of The
First Methodist Church of Dallas. The main trouble he had encountered was with
the senior pastor of the church, who didn’t like his assistant and had found a
way to give him the boot.
Reverend
Goodman’s thoughts flashed back to last Sunday. Bishop Karl Larkin had stood in
the pulpit and smiled benignly. “Our associate pastor, Jim Goodman, has heard
the Lord calling him to a ministry in Antioch, about fifteen miles northwest of
here.” Bishop Larkin’s voice was as silver as his hair. “I’m asking the
officers of the church to come forward and lay hands on Jim as we all pray for
him.”
Goodman
laughed bitterly. The church officers came forward all right, most of them
smirking. They knew what was really going on.
Would
Amanda be willing to marry a preacher with a church in a small, dusty western
town? He had written her about his new “calling” a few weeks ago and repeated
his plea for her to marry him. So far there had been no response.
Jim
Goodman’s mind returned to the present. He spotted smoke coming from a distant
grove of trees. Smoke probably meant a campfire, and a campfire meant people.
He
rode briskly toward the thin wisps of smoke, grateful for a well- lit night.
For the first time since leaving Dallas, the pastor felt a small surge of
optimism.
The
pastor stopped his horse. This was odd. A thick line of trees ran in front of a
stream. The smoke was escaping from inside the grove. He could spot a faint
light. Why take a chance on building a campfire in a place where there was a
good chance the fire could get out of control? They could easily have made camp
in front of the trees.
Jim
Goodman felt uneasy as he patted his horse. Of course, there could be several
answers to his question, but one was obvious. He may have stumbled onto an
owlhoot camp. The men were trying to conceal their fire because they were
outlaws. An unusually bright night had betrayed them. Maybe he should ride on.
Reverend
Goodman’s horse nickered. He could hear movement from inside the grove. He had
no choice now, “Hello the camp!”
There
was silence then a voice shouted back. “Welcome stranger. Ride in. You’re
welcome to a cup of joe.”
The
voice was deep and the friendliness artificial. Goodman wanted to spur his
horse and ride off. But if they were outlaws they could catch up with him
easily enough. Besides, he was hopelessly lost. Maybe the Lord had guided him
to some friendly strangers.
Jim
Goodman gently spurred his horse and rode into the camp.
Tomorrow:
Episode Two of Dangerous Calling
