CHAPTER 14
The rest of grade school and the rest of Jr. High school went by very quickly for both Gene and Mike. The prayers that Gene had prayed about for the rest of his family to get saved were answered, also. Gene’s brothers and sisters were all saved within the next thirty days and they all became great prayer warriors for Christ.
Mr. Bishop went back to Bible College for two refresher courses and then he became one of the greatest preacher-evangelists in the country. Every place he went, thousands of people were being saved. Sometimes, during the summer, he would even take one or two of the Pittman boys or one or two of the Fisher boys, when he was at a church that was close to home. The boys thought it was the greatest thing in the world to be with old man. Oops! It’s not old man Bishop any more, it’s Mr. Bishop. Also, sometimes, Mr. Bishop would take Norman or Larry with him, when their parents would let them go.
Norman and Larry studied very hard after Dewey was killed and all the rest of the way through grade school, they made straight A’s. When Jr. High rolled around, they continued with their hard studies and they had the highest scores of all the students during those years. They both were determined to excel in any and all subjects they were enrolled in. They had made a promise and they were going to keep that promise. They were already looking for a Bible College to go to and they had narrowed the field down to the Bible Institute Of Los Angeles, BIOLA for short, and Calvary Bible College in Kansas City. BIOLA had a reputation, all over the country, for graduating men that would become great preachers of the Gospel. Calvary, also, had a reputation. Their reputation was for being one of the most conservative Bible Colleges in the country and one that took average Bible students and made them into great prayer warriors, teachers, and great preachers.
Their High School years were just beginning and the way they studied and the way they presented the Gospel made them veterans when it came to leading someone to the Lord.
All through High School, the other students would call them names behind their backs. No one ever called them names to their faces. Norman played football and baseball and loved most sports. In football, he was the biggest lineman the school had and he was the second biggest lineman in the state of Oregon. Norman weighed 299 and stood six foot six. Now you know why no one ever called him names to his face.
Larry wasn’t near as tall or as big as Norman. Larry, by no means, was little, either. He was six foot three and weighed 253.
Both boys could go to any college in the country they wanted and play football, but during their senior year, they both decided that BIOLA was the place for them. Their decision was based on a number of factors. However, they wanted to be close to home and Kansas City was half-way across the country. If there was an emergency, it would be quicker to get home from Los Angeles than it would be from Kansas City.
At BIOLA, both Larry and Norman became like Paul and Barnabas. If they did not have to study after school or on the week-ends, they were in the city, leading people to the Lord. The gates of Hell were losing many of their prime customers during those four years that they were in Los Angeles. They, also, had written many books during those four years. Their books became best sellers and 20 percent of the profits were given back to the school to help students that did not have enough money to pay all of their college expenses.
Five of their books went from the Christian Book Stores into the secular book stores. They were so popular, they became house hold names. The first was DOWN ON MY KNEES. It was a book about the way they prayed, after Dewey was killed. They explained the death of Dewey and why they were on their knees praying all the time. When the book first came out, people would not buy the book. However, once people did start buying the book and they saw that praying really did work, the book caught on like wild fire. Even people that were not saved were buying the book and accepting the Lord. The pattern they set was being followed all over the country.
The second book, THE MAN IN THE MOON, would be their best-selling book of all times. The book was the story of the lives of the first men to train as astronauts. As Larry and Norman wrote the book, they guided the reader through the idea that God was the one integral piece of the whole universe. Without God directing the paths of the scientist, a trip to outer space would have been impossible. Their ideas and the classic way that they wrote the book would guide other Christian authors and writers into a different way of presenting the Gospel to a dying world.
When they graduated from BIOLA, they were the most popular young men in school. They were always praying for others and they were always presenting the Gospel to as many unsaved people as would listen.
During their four years at BIOLA, they had led more than 10,000 people to the Lord. Church after church sent them letters about becoming the pastor of their church, but the Lord had other plans for these two great men. The Lord wanted them to attend Seminary. The two greatest Seminaries in the country were Talbot and Dallas Theological Seminary. Because of the great teachers at Dallas, they both decided to finish their schooling there.
During their first year at Dallas Theological Seminary, they knew that the Lord had something very special planned for them. The Lord was going to make them into the greatest preachers the world would see during the twentieth century. Watching Mr. Bishop deliver the Gospel and the methods they learned at Dallas, could only mean one thing, millions of unsaved people would be saved and have eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Now, let me get back to Gene and Mike. Just as fast as the Jr. High years and the High School years went by for Larry and Norman, the time flew by for Gene and Mike, also. They had one decision to make and it would be the biggest decision of their lives. That decision would be about which Bible College to attend. They could go to BIOLA with Larry and Norman, or they could attend a number of other schools that they were interested in. However, they both were thinking more about Multnoma Bible College. Everything they had heard made them feel more comfortable about Multnoma and then, when they went to visit the campus with their parents, that visit was the one thing that made up their minds. The campus was not at all what they had thought about a college campus. Everyone was friendly and the professors seemed more interested in the person and what type of education they would receive. Now, that is not to say that BIOLA and Calvary were not like that, because they were just like Multnoma. They all wanted the best for their Christian students. But Mike and Gene were being led to Multnoma by the Lord.
It is very interesting. Almost all colleges are interested in getting as many students to attend their schools as possible. They hardly ever think about their feelings or if they will succeed or not. They know that a certain percentage of the students will not make it at the college and they will just drop out. Who cares what happens to those students and who cares if they come back or not. That is not the way it is with Christian colleges. Christian colleges care about their students. They will go completely out of their way to help with any matter that may come up or any situation. The true Christian college wants the Christian student to achieve their goals and they want them to graduate and to be a positive character factor in the community.
The atmosphere at most Christian Colleges was that of a family, not of an institution. Also, if you needed financial help or if you needed help from a tutor, that was there for the asking. Even though you are supposed to study in college and not be looking at the girls, both Gene and Mike noticed that most of the girls were really good looking. They both had the same idea; just maybe the Lord was going to provide a wife from this college for them.
Gene was the nicest, best-looking guy on campus, but he did not let his good looks go to his head. He knew that he could go out with any girl on campus, however, he wasn’t interested in seeing how many girls he could date. The one thing that he was interested in was finding that one girl, who the Lord had chosen, just for him. He knew she was out there some place and it may just be she was here at Multnoma. If she was here
, then he must be open to the leading of the Lord in meeting her and finally asking her to be his wife.
The first girl that Gene set his eyes upon was one of the most popular girls in school and her looks would even make the college professors stop and look. After a couple of dates, he knew she was not the girl for him. She was very forward and she let Gene know in no uncertain terms that she wanted to marry a man that was going to be the most popular and the most important preacher in the country, if not the world. Her qualifications of a husband were far from what Gene had in mind for his future. All he wanted to do was to find a real good Christian woman that cared and loved him and he wanted to find a small church that wanted the Gospel preached.
Gene dated one girl after another and none of them were what he was looking for. One night in his room, while praying about the right girl, he asked the Lord why all the girls he had dated were not the one for him. In a soft voice that could not be heard by anyone else, Gene was told why “miss right” had not appeared. The Lord told Gene that he had to be patient and not get in a big hurry.
“The right girl is there, but you must proceed at My pace, not yours. All the girls you have dated had certain qualities that you liked and they all had something that you did not like. Some of the girls you dated, you dated because they were good looking and you thought that was what you needed. Some of the girls were popular and that is what you thought that you needed. What you need is for Me to guide and direct you in the direction of the girl that is perfect for you. She is out there and she is here at Multnoma. Just be patient and let Me work. Always remember, you must first like the girl that you are going to marry, and then I will allow love. However, if you do not like the person you are going to marry, your marriage will not last. That is the main reason most people get a divorce. They are going on looks or popularity other than a person they can be best friends with.”
In the spring of Gene’s junior year, he was having trouble with one of his courses and he had asked if the school had someone that could tutor him? The school had the right person for Gene. Her name was Sandy. She was what some people would call a nice girl. She was not nice looking to the boys at school and, as a matter of fact, Sandy had not had a date either in high school or in her two and one half years at Multnoma.
Gene was very disturbed by the fact that he was going to have to have help from a tutor. His grade point average was almost 4.0 and for him to need help was unheard of. Almost all of the time, people would come to Gene for help. The one thing that Gene did not understand was that it was the Lord that had put a mental block in his mind. Sandy was going to be Gene’s wife and Gene had to see her for what she really was, rather than what Gene wanted her to be.
When I said that people called Sandy a nice girl, what I meant was that most people would say that she was homely or that she was just plain ugly. That is the way the Lord wanted it. He wanted Sandy to realize that she had to depend on Him for a husband. He, also, wanted her to know that she wasn’t for every man. She was there for one man and one man only. Sandy had long black hair that was very straight. She always rolled it up into a bun that made her look like a nun. Her glasses were the most pathetic glasses a person could wear. It reminded most of the students of the glasses that old Professor Smith wore. His glasses were black and so thick that you could use them as a magnifying glass to start a fire.
Even though Sandy was at a Christian College, the students talked about her glasses, the clothes she wore, her shoes, and the way she would fix her hair. One thing I forgot to tell you is that she never, never used make-up to look better. She always thought, "If people don’t like me the way that I am, that is tough."
The day when the school told Gene that his tutor was going to be Sandy Blankenship, it almost made his stomach turn. He thought back to the class he had with her the first semester of school. The class had to break up into teams of four, go over the material and then they had to give a speech. Gene and Mike were on the same team with Sandy and Mary Beth.
Mary Beth was one of those girls that you could sit and look at all day and wished that time would just stop. She made most of the boy’s eyes water. That is exactly what happened to Gene and Mike. When their first get together was over, all they could talk about was Mary Beth. They both forgot what the other girl’s name was and they really were not interested in what it was anyway. She was a plain, old, nice girl. Let me just say, that the other students that talked about the clothes, shoes, and glasses that Sandy wore, never said anything to Sandy. They knew that it would hurt her feelings and that was the last thing they wanted to do. The other students, of course, did not know it was the Lord that had planned all things out for Gene and Sandy.
Monday, at one o’clock, Gene met Sandy at the Education Building and his first tutoring class started. In the back of his mind, he was hoping and praying that he would catch on to everything quickly, so that he would not have to spend a lot of time with Sandy. If he knew that he would spend the rest of his life with Sandy, he probably would not have believed it. The one hour of tutoring seemed to fly by for both Gene and Sandy. Listening to what she was saying and looking at her when she explained something, sent an unusual feeling up his back. That feeling he had, he had never had before and to his amazement, once the tutoring was over and he was heading back to his room, the feeling would not leave. The next day, he had the same feeling and all the other days that week, the feeling would not leave. Each time he was with Sandy, the feeling would intensify and make him want to be with her even more.
After two weeks of tutoring and looking into the green eyes of Sandy, Gene was noticing something about Sandy that no one had ever noticed before. The thing that he noticed was the beauty she had hidden from the world. He imagined her black hair combed straight and long, instead of it being rolled up into a bun. He could see her with a little make-up on and how she would be transformed from a homely, nice girl to a beautiful young woman, who every boy on campus would be staring at. Those big black glasses would be replaced by contact lens or with petite glasses that made her into a feminine goddess. If she had a new pair of shoes, that had two inch heels and the strap that went around her ankle, that would make her look so sophisticated, people would think that she was a model. Also, with some newer, modern clothes, she would be a knock-out in anyone’s book. It was just one thing after another that was coming into Gene’s mind.
It was really the Lord that was putting all of those thoughts into Gene’s mind. Gene was taking a girl that no one had ever noticed before and in his mind, he was making her into the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The way the Lord was working in Sandy’s life, the change was even going to surprise her.
Sandy had already noticed Gene. That first semester when they were on the same team, Sandy had fallen madly in love with Gene. For the next two and one half years, she would look at Gene and wish and pray that he would come into her life and that they would be married. She knew all the talk and things that were said behind her back in high school and she kind of figured the same talk was going on in college. But, for her to get someone like Gene to notice her, it would take a miracle from God. She didn’t have that many friends, but she did do a lot of things with groups of kids at college.
However, to have a real relationship with someone, that never happened. She was still a virgin as was Gene. Sandy always said that her virginity was very, very special and she only wanted to give it to her husband.
Gene felt the same way. He had many, many opportunities to go to bed with as many girls as he wanted to, in high school. For him to give his body to someone for thirty minutes of excitement and lust was not what he was going to do. At Multnoma, he did not have to worry about any of the girls trying to go to bed with him. They were all Christians and they all knew that they should remain a virgin until they were married.
During the third week of tutoring, Gene decided he would try something that he never thought
he would ever do. He asked Sandy if she would like to go out the next Friday night for a date. He said they could have dinner at one of the good restaurants in town. To Sandy’s amazement, she said, “Yes, I would love to go out.” It really was amazing, if you remember, I said that Sandy had never been out on a date before.
After the first date, Gene and Sandy were seen every place together. Every boy at college was wondering what Gene could possibly see in Sandy. She was the one girl at college that none of the boys wanted to be seen with. But for Gene, not only did he want to be seen with Sandy, but he was falling in love with her. He wanted to be with her all the time and when he was not with her, he felt empty. Let me say, also, that during those first two weeks of tutoring, Gene found that he liked Sandy more than anyone he had ever met, except for Mike.
Gene enjoyed being with Sandy and he liked having her look at him. The looks that she gave Gene always made him feel like he was special, very special. There were the times when they both would turn a page together and he would touch her hand. The softness of her skin and the tingle he would get almost made Gene go crazy. The desire he was feeling was something he could not explain. The times when she would touch his hand and she would give his hand a little squeeze, it would send chills down his back and make him sweat like it was July.
On May 2nd, Gene talked Mike’s girlfriend, Mary Beth, and some of her friends to give Sandy a gift for her birthday: a new hair style, a manicure, a pedicure, and a complete facial, with a slight bit of make-up. The rest of his gift was taking her shopping for a new pair of shoes, two new dresses, one pair of jeans, and two new blouses. It did set Gene back a little, but he had been working on the week-ends for a little extra money and when you love someone, you want the best for them.
The new clothes were bought on Saturday and the “make over” would be done right after class on Monday. At the dorm, the girls were having a ball. As they worked with Sandy, they all began to see what Gene saw in her, inner beauty. They knew, with a few little changes, she would be very attractive on the outside, too. As each and every detail was finished, the girls could not believe their eyes. It was as if God was making a new person out of the clay of the earth. It might be said it would be the same when a person accepts Christ. They are completely changed. They could not wait to reveal her to Gene.
With the facial and light make over, Gene watched with intense eyes as his nice, plain Sandy walked into the room, a woman everyone was going to look at. Gene looked at Sandy and knew that the girl, who no one wanted to be with, had been transformed. A metamorphose had occurred. God took that same caterpillar and turned it into one of the most beautiful butterflies that had ever been seen.
That night, Gene and Sandy sat and talked about what had just happened and how she wanted to please the man that loved her, as she was before. However, with her new look, she would be able to please him even more by being more desirable and by showing him that she cared for him more than anyone else in the world. Sandy thanked Gene for seeing something that she had never seen before.
That night, Sandy thanked the Lord for what had happened to her. She realized He wanted her to be very plain, so the desire from other boys would not be there. He told her that the person she was now, is the person that will be from this day until forever. She now felt better about herself and more confident that she would be more usable by God, with this confidence. “You will always remember how it used to be and how is it now. You will remember that it was Gene that saw your true inner beauty and the possibility of your outer beauty and he helped you reveal it to the world.”
Before the semester was over, Sandy would accept Gene’s proposal of marriage. One other thing that came to Gene was the idea of how a person that is a sinner is able to be changed, once they accept Christ. Looking at Sandy, he saw the change on the outside. When a person accepts Christ, the change is on the inside. He could see the drastic change to Sandy and he knew that the change on the inside of a person that is a sinner is even more drastic than anything he could imagine.