"THE FELLOWSHIP OF GHOSTS" by Walter Justice

I encourage you to check out Walter's book "The Fellowship of Ghosts." There are not to many books that catch my interest enough to spend all night reading just to finish it, but I did with this one. It's also a book that I will keep around to go back to from time to time. I met Walter a few months ago and the longer I know him, the more I see the love and compassion he has for the people around him. A love that draws people to him, but also encourages them to be all they are meant to be as a child of God. By opening up and sharing his life with you, you see you are not alone in your struggles and you can overcome. Check out his book or drop him a line on his MySpace, he would love to hear from you!

Check out the book.
http://www.classifieds.myspace.com/bounce_redir/?l=1188159363&o=sr&t=xx

Walter Justice's myspace:http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=437613165

DOES GOD LOVE LITTLE OL CRITTERS

Every week we venture down to the park on Sundays, to feed and see our friends without homes. I have a wonderful time with these beautiful people, but three or four weeks ago, I started stopping at the overpass on my way back home. Underneath the overpass is the local skateboard park, as well as home to some of my friends who live outside. I would drive by during the day and see many hanging around and at night you see many who sleep outside, rain, snow, and no matter what he temperature is they are there, camped for the night. There is no camping with in city limits, so it amazes me that the police don’t ticket them or run them off.

On my first visit down there, I met Pops, who I instantly fell in love with. Pops looks like he maybe in his late sixties or seventies it is hard to tell. He stands no more than about five foot five, gray long hair and beard to match. You can’t miss the bright orange beanie he wears and this small frail man disappears in his large winter army coat, it probably weighs more than he does. Pops is usual three sheets to the wind, but when he talks to you, his eyes light up (even though he looks as if he is blind in one eye) and he has the most wonderful smile.

This past Sunday, Pops showed up again. This time I was able to spend a little time talking to him. Pops asked why I come down to see them, no one else bothers with them he said and wanted to know if I was afraid to come down there. I told him that I love to visit with everyone down there and why would I be afraid to go somewhere that God has asked me to go? He looked at me a little perplexed and then asked me to look around and tell him what I see. I said I see downtown, traffic, people and everything else you might see standing under the overpass, I was not sure what he was getting at. Then he said, I see the snow covered mountains that God created, I see the rebirth of grass that died in the cold snow; I see the blue sky that God made for us today. He turned to me and said, I see God in everything around me, and most people are too busy to see him in the small stuff. I was floored and I admit I wanted to cry, because yes, I to get to busy at times to see him in the small stuff.

Pops then looked at me and said that he loves God, but wanted to know if I thought God could love a little OL critter like him? Do you think he thinks of me? Do you think I can do anything for him while on the streets? Do you think when he opens that book and takes a look at my life; will I have anything to show for it? Will he open his arms, welcome me and love me?

With tears in my eyes, I put my arms around Pops and held him tight. I then looked him in the eyes, those beautiful sky blue eyes he has. I told him that God knows he loves him. I know that God thinks of him always and when he does he smiles from ear to ear, you bring great joy to God’s heart. He smiles because he is proud to say this one belongs to him. When you meet him one day, he will welcome you with open arms, ask you to turn and see all the lives you have touched and I told Pops there will be many, many people standing there. I know because you have touched and changed my life just by knowing you and I know there are many more you have touched as well. Tears began to well up in his eyes; he said he needed to go. I put my arms around him, hugged him and told him I loved him. He said he would see me next week and he walked off.

So to answer you question Pops, “YES, GOD DOES LOVE LITTLE OL CRITTERS” and he loves you more than you can ever comprehend.

MOUNTAINTOPS AND VALLEYS

I understand that some are standing on the mountaintop and see things with undistorted eyes, seeing things more clearly. Then there are those who are in the valley, wondering in the dense forest, looking to get to the mountaintops. I asked God to show me the difference between the high peaks and the low valleys. First he showed me the valley, there stood the dense forest we need to travel through. Though our forest may not seem as dense as the forest others are traveling through, nevertheless it appears dense and dark to us. We pick a path and head out in search of the mountaintop. With each tree we pass our pack becomes heavier and we become weary.



Then He showed me the mountaintop. There you could find no obstacles to block your view, you could see forever and what lay before you was beautiful. You could see forever, because you are above the tree line. As you look down on the dense forest below, you realize those trees are crosses. They represent burdens or troubles that you have overcome. They are no longer a dark dense scary place, but a beautiful sight to behold.



As you stand on the top and look around, you realize that there are other forests that need to be conquered and as much as you would like to stay, you have to return to the valley. This time though you return with the new understanding as to how to get back to the mountaintop. This new forest is not alone and there are others trying to find their way as well. They strain and grow weary under the burden and trouble they carry and they ask if you would share in carrying the weight. Wanting to help, you agree. You soon find out that you once again have your own things you must carry and the weight of both is too much for you to bare. You have to give back the load that is not yours to be carried by the other on the path with you. They feel lost, alone and sometime abandoned to search on their own, but you reassure them that there is help. You tell them of the guide (Christ) that is waiting to help with the load and give directions to the mountaintop. You have been down a similar path before and the guide waits for you to call out for him. As soon as you search and cry out to him, he arrives waiting to carry you. Some will cry out to Him, but others will continue to ask man for help and look to them for direction.



We continue down our path to reach the peak. Some will have found the guide and we may even travel together. Others we will have to leave along the path, still crying out for help in the wrong direction. Do we leave them completely? No, we can always yell back to them that there is hope; they just have to look in the right direction. Do we waddle in the fact that some have made it to the mountaintop and have seen the beauty it holds? No, but we can tell them of the beauty and comfort that awaits them there. We each have our valleys we must conquer to reach the peaks, but if we had not found and called upon the guide to help take us there, we would still be lost in the forest. If we did not call upon Him, we could not look back on all that He has taken us through and all that He has bore for us. The mountaintop is a beautiful, peaceful place to be, but in the valley is where I draw closer to Him and find new paths to explore and conquer. I think instead of perching, I would rather be exploring and inviting others on the journey.