Faith

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Faith is like an elevator - an excerpt from my novel Can a Snake be an Angel?



Chapter Eighteen

Tracey always marveled at the things God could do and he began to smile as he came to a door at the far end of the hallway. A three-by-five card was taped to the door and neatly printed on the card, with a black Sharpie, was the words TEEN QUEST.
He stood at the door for a brief moment and listened to the muffled voices coming from inside the room. He straightened his tie and wiped the dust from his boots by swiping them on the back of his pant legs.
He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He needed to clear his mind of bikers, mountains, and troubled teenagers. It was enough, just for the moment, trying to keep up with this group of young, energetic people that he was about to face. He regained his composure and reached for the door knob.
He noticed, when he entered the room, that there was a heated conversation taking place. Several of the group was seated in a tight circle, and each one had a bible opened on their lap.
“What’s going on?” His obvious surprise was reflected in the tone of his voice. “Are we really having a serious bible study? Did ya’ll decide to start without me?”
All heads turned, and all seven people began blurting out his or her argument in unison. Tracey stood facing them with hands on hips. He allowed the storm of voices to continue for several minutes as he tried to pick up pieces of the discussion. He was quite pleased to hear that the debate was on something other than which boy likes which girl – or vice versa.
He finally smiled and held his hands up for silence. Then he waited patiently for the murmurings to stop so he could be sure he had their undivided attention. “Do I understand this correctly?” He took a seat near the group and asked, “Is this a discussion about faith?”
They all began answering at once, and Tracey held his hands up again. “Wait! Wait, please! Let’s try and do this one at a time. Okay?”
There followed a brief moment of silence with everyone staring at him as if he had just flown in from Mars. It was Cindy, sixteen years old, with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, who was the first to speak. “I was reading this passage from the Book of Hebrews, chapter eleven, about faith last night?” Her face twisted in confusion as she continued... “And, no matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to understand it.”
Larry Belton, the dark haired, star athlete of the High School, interrupted... “She thinks it’s talking about blind faith.” He began leafing through his bible. “But I’m not so sure I can agree.”
Robbie Carlton was shaking his head and looking very much as though he might have the answer to this embracing question. Tracey called out to him. “Robbie, tell us what you think. You usually have an opinion that sparks debate.”
A few giggles were heard as Robbie got bug-eyed and looked so surprised that Tracey had acknowledged him. “Me? What? I... heck, I don’t know.”
They all laughed at Robbie’s embarrassment. Then Cindy quickly voiced what they all really wanted to say. “Why don’t you tell us what you think faith is, Tracey?”

Then they all got brave and chimed in. “Hey yeah, tell us what you think.”
In the back of his mind Tracey was thinking how this is probably a cute little ploy to interrupt the bible quiz that he had planned for this session. But, then again, he thought, this is a pretty important topic. I suppose I might try it.
“Okay!” He opened his bible, and everyone sat up tall and straight, directing their full attention to this man, whom they all loved and respected.
Tracey had been their leader for almost a year now. They all knew of the tragedy in his life, and they all shared his pain whenever they noticed him drifting, staring into space. They were aware, from the painful look that would come upon him, that he was probably thinking back on happier times with his wife, Becky.
Even though he was a fairly new believer, himself, Tracey had been instrumental in leading each of these young teenagers to a vital change in their lives, through the sharing of his knowledge of Jesus Christ.
And now, they sat before him, waiting for another word of knowledge that always seemed to flow from him in such a natural and simplistic manner.
It didn’t seem so easy to Tracey, however, so he quickly, and silently, asked God for help. He began by slowly reading the passage that had so bewildered Cindy. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
He closed his bible and sat cross-legged, in deep concentration. Then slowly, and thoughtfully, he began. “To me, having faith... or rather, practicing faith in Christ, is like riding in an elevator.”
That caught everyone’s attention. Eyes were wide. Jaws were agape. But no one uttered a single word. Tracey asked a question. “How many of you have ever been on an elevator?”
Several heads nodded slowly, uncertain where he was going with this. Robbie Carlton was hesitant, but he was the first to reply. “Well, yeah, I have. I’ve been on elevators in Phoenix.”
Several others joined in with nods of affirmation that they had, in deed, been on an elevator at least once in their life.
Paul Stanford, a rather quiet, unassuming seventeen year old, said... “I’ve been to New York City, and I rode to the top of the Empire State Building on an elevator.”
Cindy Yarnell swung around, her face glowing with excitement. “Yeah, Really? Wow! Did you get to go to Macy’s?”
"Oh yeah, We went to Macy’s and Gimble’s!” Paul was excited now that he had the group’s attention. “And we even stayed at that big hotel, the Waldorf – something or other.”
One of the other boys blurted out, “I thought Waldorf was a salad.”
Tracey had to clap his hands to get their attention. “Hey now guys and gals.” He stood up and faced the group. “I didn’t intend for this to turn into a tour of New York.”
They all laughed and apologized and returned their attention to the subject at hand.
Tracey began pacing back and forth, his hands shoved into his pockets. “Okay, now, we’ve all acknowledged that we have been on an elevator a time or two. Now, let me ask you this. When you got on that elevator...” He stopped pacing, faced the group and asked, “What happened?”
Somebody answered, “I pushed a button.”
Someone else said, “Music was playing.”
Elizabeth Zapata, seventeen, olive skin, with long, flowing, black hair, quietly replied, “The door closed?” Unsure of what Tracey was looking for, her reply sounded more like a question than a statement.
“Right,” Tracey shouted, pointing a finger at Elizabeth. His shout made everyone jump. “That is exactly right! You stepped into the elevator – and the door closed! And then what happened?”
He pointed to Joanna Hufstetler. “You said you pushed a button, and Jeannie McFarland, you said the music started playing. And you are all right! But then what happened?”
They looked around at each other for an answer. Then, like someone turning on a bright light, they all got it at once and sang out in unison, “The elevator goes up!”
“Exactly!” Tracey was pacing again. “You push the button and the elevator goes up – or down.” He rubbed his palms together. His eyebrows bunched up in deep concentration.
Still pacing, he said, “Now, just for the sake of our little illustration, let’s ride with Paulie up to the top of the Empire State Building. Do ya’ll know what makes that elevator work?”
“Cables?”
“Electricity.”
“Electricity? You bet! Cables? Definitely!” He stopped his pacing once again, and faced the group. And he pointed to Paulie.
“Tell me something, Paulie. Did you get a chance to inspect those cables before you allowed yourself to be trapped in that little eight foot square box? Because, remember now, once you’re in there, and it starts moving, you can’t get out!” Tracey’s blue eyes were flashing.
“Huh?” Paulie Stanford looked stunned. “Well, of course not!” He yelled. “You can’t even see the cables!”
“Well, what about the elevator repairman?” Tracey asked with obvious concern. “Did you talk to him? Did you get to question him about the strength of those cables that you couldn’t even see?”
“No, Heck no!” Paulie was becoming exasperated. “There wasn’t no repairman around – not that I ever saw.” He was sitting on the edge of his seat. Everyone else in the room was quiet – mesmerized.
Tracey appeared confused. “Do you mean to tell me that you would close yourself up in a little box – which you cannot get out of – once it starts moving, and just expect that thing to take you safely ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP of the Empire State Building?” Tracey raised his eyes as though he could see the top of the building.
They were all staring at him wide-eyed. He stared back at them. He looked from face to face. Slowly, and quietly, he asked, “What about the long trip down?”
They continued to stare, and he stared back. The room was so quiet he thought he heard his own heart beating. “Do you all have this visual picture?” He was speaking very low; so low that they all had to lean forward to hear him. “Now, picture that deep, dark elevator shaft; and that little box you’re in is dropping. It drops forty...fifty...sixty floors. How many floors are there in the Empire State Building?”
At any second that cable could SNAP!” He clapped his hands together and shouted the word. It sounded like a gun shot in the stillness of the classroom, and everyone jumped. Jeannie McFarland shrieked.
Tracey stood motionless, giving them time to settle down. Then he continued; almost in a whisper, so that they had to strain to hear. “You have closed yourself up in that little elevator box – you cannot see the cables – you have never seen the man, whose job it is to maintain those cables and gears and whatever else.”
His voice gets louder as he continues; “You know absolutely nothing about this man! And yet, you have put your very lives in his hands.”
He was whispering again. “You know what I call that?”
In a bad attempt to break the heavy tension in the room, Robbie Carlton barely speaks out, “Stupid?”
Tracey shook his head and frowned at Robbie.
Cindy Yarnell, with her eyes wide, face blushing red, whispered a single word, “Faith.”
Tracey nodded and reclaimed his seat. He released a loud sigh and allowed the tense emotion to drain as he relaxed. Then, in a mellow, controlled voice, he added, “We have never seen Him; but we know so much more about Him than we will EVER KNOW about the elevator repairman. But, that’s the kind of faith He wants us to have in Him. He wants us to put our very lives under His control.”
“No, it isn’t necessarily a blind faith; because we have to do our part. And, as long as we are doing our level best to live our lives according to His will, God will make sure it turns out right. That’s what it means in the Book of Romans, chapter eight, verse twenty-eight.”
“And, to me, that’s what faith is. It’s like riding an elevator.”
Tracey sat quietly, waiting for any questions or comments. But everyone sat still, lost in their own thoughts. He thumbed through his bible, allowing several quiet moments to slip by, and realized that no one was going to say anything. So he closed his bible, stole a glance at his watch, and stood up. The scraping of his chair brought everyone out of their reverie.
“Well, I have a question. Are ya‘ll still having your weekly meetings?”
“Yes sir!” It was Robbie Carlton. He appeared to be relieved that all the seriousness had finally come to an end. He started to say something more, but Paulie Stanford interrupted.
“Actually, Tracey, we’re meeting twice a week now.” He blushed with embarrassment at the thought of interrupting the flamboyant Robbie, who was staring at him in disbelief.
Larry Belton joined in. “It’s just during the summer that we’re meeting twice a week. On Tuesday, we all meet at Cindy’s house; and on Friday, they all come over to my humble place.” That brought giggles from around the room.
Tracey smiled with satisfaction. “What exactly are you doing at the meetings?”
“Praying a lot,” smiled Joanna Hufstetler.
“Studying the bible,” added Cindy Yarnell.
“And goofing off,” chimed in Robbie Carlton.
“Hey, that sounds like a good mixture.” Then Tracey quickly added, “By the way, remember to pray for me tomorrow, would you please? I’m going on an assignment that I’m not too crazy about.”
They all understood not to pry into police business. But they also knew that Tracey would share it with them if, and when, the time was right. So they nodded their affirmation as they scooped up bibles, notebooks, and purses; and raced for the door.
“Oh, wait a minute!” Tracey shouted and brought them all to a screeching halt at the doorway. “Do ya’ll know Judy Preston?”
“Who doesn’t know Judy Preston?” Robbie mumbled. The others agreed that they knew her by curling up their noses in disgust, or simply nodding their heads.
Tracey pleaded with them. “Please keep her in mind at your prayer meetings.”
“Why?” They all sang out in unison.
Tracey gave them all a stern look. “Hey now, remember where you all were not too long ago? And, remember the help you all received? Well, Judy Preston is in need of your help now.”
Then, with a brighter note, he added; “That’s all; get on out of here.” He dismissed them with a quick wave of his hand; and in a flash, they were gone.

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