Now, as Jason held the Bible and flipped through the pages to the book of John, he was wondering about that whole ‘God has a plan for his life’ thing that Kyle had mentioned. Where exactly in the Bible does it say that? And does it really apply to everyone? Even him? Maybe he should look into that.
But first Jason resolved to read what Kyle had assigned. So he silently read John 3:16. And for the first time he actually thought about it.
Jason remembered the story of the crucifixion of Jesus from his reading of the Bible years ago. He wondered what it must have been like to be nailed to a cross, left hanging by nothing but the strength in your arms and shoulders for hours, struggling painfully to raise up on trembling legs. He could picture Jesus in his mind, wasting away in the hot sun, bleeding and dying one agonizing minute at a time.
Jason knew the story. He was not sure he exactly believed it. But he found it compelling nonetheless. If Jesus had died on the cross, and if his death did somehow provide an opportunity for eternal life, then where exactly did that leave people like Jason? Near as Jason could figure, he had done absolutely nothing to deserve eternal life. Jason wasn’t even sure what eternal life meant. He resolved to ask Kyle. Kyle would have the answer.
Besides, in asking the question, Jason would show Kyle that he had done his homework. He had read his assigned Bible passage.
Chapter 7
Early the next afternoon Jason had a break between classes. He was sitting in his dorm room drinking a soda when he noticed the Bible lying on the corner of the desk where he had set it before falling asleep the night before.
Something was still bothering him, and he couldn’t get the thought out of his head. Once again it was because of what Kyle had said: ‘God has a plan for our lives. For you and for me.’
So Jason decided to research the business of God’s plan a little bit. Because more than anything, Jason respected Kyle. And trusted him. If Kyle thought there was something to this whole ‘God has a plan’ business, then it was at least worth looking into.
Jason picked up the Bible and turned to the Concordance in the back. Then he flipped the pages until he found ‘Plan’. There were several dozen entries for ‘Plan’, ‘Planned’, and ‘Plans’. There were hundreds more referenced under the headings of ‘God’ and ‘Life’.
Jason started looking up passages.
‘I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted.’
Job 42:2
‘In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.’
Ephesians 1:11
‘The Lord Almighty has sworn: Surely as I have planned, so it will be; and as I have purposed, so it will stand.’
Isaiah 14:24
‘From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill My purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.’
Isaiah 46:11
It was time for dinner when Jason finally gave up. The passages were beautiful, like poetry. They were deep in metaphors, strong words, and promises. But there were too many verses, and too few answers. And the idea that someone, somewhere had some master plan for his life was still more than he could begin to understand. He wasn’t schooled enough in religion for that.
Jason had more questions for Kyle, more issues with the journey.
Chapter 8
Jason sold his first car at Garrett Motors just three days later. He had arrived at work just after 6 PM on a Thursday. His last class had finished at 5:15, so there had been just enough time to hit a Mexican drive-thru on his way to the dealership.
He waved at Gus as he pulled into the parking lot. Then, grabbing the paper bag containing his dinner from the front seat, he slammed the car door and jogged over to where Gus was sitting.
Gus was the second-shift Sales Manager. Kyle had introduced the two the day after offering Jason the sales job, and the three had spent the better part of the afternoon talking about sales procedures, Honda automobiles, and the paperwork required to create a contract, register a car, and transfer title.
An amiable black man his late-sixties, Gus certainly didn’t look like a salesman. He was overweight, his shirts were at least one size too small for his girth, his slacks had never seen an iron, and his tie always looked like it had been knotted by someone with no thumbs. Gus looked more like a bus driver, or the guy who takes tickets at a walk-in movie theater.
But to his credit, Gus wore a sport coat to work every day, trying hard to look like everyone’s vision of a used car salesman. But it didn’t work. Mostly because it was the same coat every day. Still, no one had the heart to tell him.
Because Gus was a long-time Garrett Motors employee. And one of the best. He loved to tell customers the story of how he got his job at Garrett. It seems Gus used to catch the mid-town bus at the bus stop in front of the dealership. In those days he worked as a janitor in a downtown San Diego office building. One morning Kyle’s dad had struck up a conversation with Gus while he was waiting for the bus. They had talked about the weather, traffic, sports, and family -- all sorts of things. Everything but cars and work. When the bus arrived, Gus didn’t get on. He went to work for Mr. Garrett.
Kyle’s dad was a good judge of character.
Gus lived modestly with his wife of forty two years in a two bedroom bungalow in a run-down area of Pacific Beach, just five blocks from the dealership. Gus didn’t even own a car. He walked to work every day. He took the bus everywhere else.
But Gus was a walking testament to Christian integrity. He worked part time in the West Bay Baptist church thrift shop and at several downtown charities for the homeless and disadvantaged. Gus was not the least bit concerned about giving more than he had. As he told Jason the first day they had spent time together, “I came into this world with nothing, and I suspect with God’s guidance I’ll likely leave with the same.”
“Hey, Gus, want a burrito?” Jason asked as he approached the show room.
“No thanks. That stuff will kill you.”
“You’re probably right. But ‘til I sell a car or marry rich, most of my meals are going to be coming at me from a drive-thru window.”
Gus laughed. Then he looked out across the lot and pointed, “Lady looks to be a little old for you, but if you talk real nice and remember what I taught you, maybe you’ll be able to afford a steak tomorrow night.”
Jason followed Gus’s gaze to an elderly couple who had just walked onto the lot. They were reading the window sticker on a dark blue Accord. He left the bag in the chair next to Gus and walked over to where the couple was chatting.
“Hi, I’m Jason.” He smiled broadly.
“Hello young fella. My name is Ray. This is my wife, Martha.”
The two looked like they had just climbed off the train from Iowa. Probably mid-seventies. Could be anybody’s grandparents, stopping for a quick look at the car dealership before moving on down the street to cash a Social Security check.
“We were looking at this blue Accord here. Actually, we’re back for the second time. We were hoping maybe the price would go down.”
“How much were you wanting to spend?” Jason asked helpfully.
“We only have about five thousand dollars,” replied Ray.
Jason looked at the sticker. Then he looked at the elderly couple. He knew from the sticker what Garrett had paid for the car. He doubted he could knock that much off the price and still make margin for the dealership.
“To be perfectly honest,” Jason began, “this is my first day here. And you’re my first customers. I’m just not sure I can go that low.”
Before Ray or Martha could respond, Jason asked, “You mind if I ask you folks what brought you to Garrett?”
“It was the ad,” Martha offered cheerfully.
“You mean the ad for this car?” Jason asked, reali
zing he had neglected to check the ads before coming to work. He had no idea whether the car was featured in the newspaper or web advertisements for the dealership.
“Oh, no,” said Martha. “I meant the part where it says ‘Christian, family-owned business’.”
That was it. Right then and there Jason resolved that he was going to make his first sale to this kindly old couple. He took the couple inside, called Gus over to help him close the deal, and an hour later had made his first commission. Before it was all over, Gus, Ray, and Martha were chatting like they were long-lost high school classmates.
And just like that, Jason had his steak dinner. Not the kind you over-pay for in any of the thousands of restaurants in the San Diego area. Nope. He was having dinner the next night at the home of Ray and Martha Turner.
As he grabbed a cold burrito from the bag on the chair, Jason thought to himself, ‘So that’s the way business is done at Garrett.’
Jason realized that he liked that way. He liked it a lot.
Chapter 9
Jason rounded first and dug hard for second base. He dove in head first, wrapping his left hand around the corner of the bag as his momentum carried the rest of his body careening toward center field. The second baseman slapped him with a hard tag on his left thigh.
“Safe,” barked the umpire.
Jason popped up and yelled at Kyle, who was coming to the plate. “Come on, Kyle, bring me home.”
It was a Tuesday night. Intramural softball night at USD. Softball under the lights. It was a beautiful, clear night and still warm in the early fall of mid-September. The sun had just gone down, and the pink haze of the sunset hung just above the horizon. There weren’t many people in the stands. Just the usual collection of girlfriends, family, players waiting for the next game, and the occasional bored student looking for somewhere else to be.
For Jason, this was just about his favorite day of the week. He loved baseball, slow-pitch softball, and just about anything he could do that involved hitting something with a bat.
Kyle stepped into the batter’s box. It was the bottom of the seventh inning, and they were one run down with two outs. If Kyle didn’t get a hit, the game was over.
“You can do it, Kyle,” came the encouragement from second base.
Kyle dug himself in. The pitcher looped in a couple of pitches that just missed, and Kyle fouled one long into the left field corner, working the count to two balls and a strike. A hitter’s count. Kyle was ready.
The next pitch came in flat, and Kyle ripped the ball, turning his hips and driving a line shot toward the gap in left center.
From the moment it left the bat, the ball was destined for the wall. Or so it seemed. As if in slow motion on instant replay, the left fielder appeared from nowhere. He went airborne just short of the warning track, spearing the ball in the webbing of the glove on his outstretched left hand.
Game over.
Jason trotted off the field toward the dugout, catching up with his friend. “Nice try. Too bad the guy chased it down.”
“It happens,” replied Kyle.
*****
Jason and Kyle removed their spikes and stretched out in the bleachers, watching the next two teams drag their gear into the just-emptied dugouts. Neither seemed in a hurry to go their separate ways. Jason had a Marketing paper to finish. Kyle had some of the same, just for a different class.
“By the way,” Jason began, “in case I forgot to mention it, I finally got around to that Bible verse you asked me to read. So check me off your list.”
“Which verse was that?” Kyle asked, even though he already knew the answer.
“John 3:16.”
“And?” Kyle asked expectantly.
“And what?”
“And what did you think?” Kyle prodded.
“Well, it’s like you said. I remember the verse from when I was a kid. So it really wasn’t anything new. It’s a good story, the crucifixion I mean. And it might actually be true. I mean, it probably is true. I’m just not sure.
“And I’m not sure I buy into the whole idea of everlasting life. I mean, I guess I hope there is such a thing. But can we really know? It’s not like someone ever came back from the dead and told the world that there was something waiting on the other side.”
As soon as he said it, Jason knew he had blundered.
“Not true,” said Kyle. “That’s exactly what happened. Remember that Jesus was resurrected after his crucifixion. He came back from the dead, proving to the whole world that there really is life after death. In John 14:2-3 Jesus says:
‘I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.’
“So to those who believe, eternal life is a given. No debate. And the thing is, it’s available to anyone. Anyone who believes and accepts the salvation of Jesus Christ.”
On the one hand, Jason was upset. What Kyle was doing reminded him of his parents. He’d do the chore he’d been assigned. Then when he’d done that, they’d give him something else to do. Same thing with Kyle. Jason had read the verse. Now Kyle was giving him something else to do, something else to think about.
On the other hand, Jason wanted answers. He wanted to know more about what his friend thought, why he believed what he did. There were too many loose ends. He hated it when he couldn’t figure things out. This was one of those things. He needed more information, so he could either buy into Kyle’s argument or reject it based on the information provided. That’s just the way he was wired. Nothing but the facts.
“So let me get this straight. If I believe the story in the Bible about Jesus’ death and resurrection and accept that His death was meant for my salvation, then I get eternal life, whatever that is. Is that right?”
“Yep, that’s it.”
“And there’s nothing more I have to do.”
“Nope. Just ask God into your life. And ask him to forgive your sins.”
“So why do they need a whole Bible full of other stuff if that’s all there is? Seems to me there could be a condensed version.”
“Well, the point is, God has a lot to say,” replied Kyle. And the Bible is God’s word. It’s about people like you and me who struggle to understand what God wants them to do. It’s about people who make mistakes, just like we do, and about people who seek forgiveness and are granted redemption. It’s also about people who reject God. Ultimately, it’s about the choices people make.
“It’s like most things in life. People don’t understand it if you just tell them. They have to experience it for themselves. That’s what the Bible does. It lets us experience the word of God through the lives of others who have struggled in the same ways we do. The Bible speaks of the past, but it’s timeless in presenting the promise God makes to those who believe in Him.
“The Bible is all about God’s message and his promise. God’s message is love. His promise is eternal life.”
*****
Jason and Kyle walked in silence to the parking lot. Jason leaned against the rear fender of Kyle’s silver Honda Ridgeline. At least he thought it was silver. It was hard to tell with all the dirt. Kyle sat on the tailgate, pulling off his sweat socks. He pulled on his flip-flops, then dangled his feet off the back of the truck.
Jason was definitely struggling with what Kyle had said. He was used to being filled with academic notions and obtuse concepts. He had to memorize meaningless information all the time. Heck, he was actually good at it. But somehow this seemed like more than an academic exercise. This, after all, was about the ‘forever after’, whatever that was. Sunday school had not adequately prepared him for this.
But Jason figured he owed it to himself, to Kyle, and maybe even to God to give it some more thought. He still wasn’t sure about the God part. But he figured the stakes were pretty high. He probably ought to at least consider it.<
br />
“There is one more thing,” Jason began again.
“What’s that?”
“Well, the other night, when I was reading that Bible passage you asked me to look at, I got to thinking about something else you once said, about God having a plan for my life.
“So I looked up some passages that I found referenced in the back of the Bible. And guess what. I’m more confused now than I’ve ever been. If God really has a plan, then what’s left for me or anyone else to do? Has everything already been determined? Have all the decisions been made? Are all outcomes pre-ordained?”
Kyle turned abruptly to look at his friend, who was still leaning against the truck. In doing so, he almost tumbled off the tailgate. He had to grab the drop chain to keep himself from falling.
Jason laughed at his friend’s predicament.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kyle said, after pulling himself upright. “Now you’re into one of the most argued concepts in Christianity.”
Kyle turned to face Jason. “People struggle with this all the time, especially when something bad happens. A baby dies in childbirth. A teenager gets killed in a car accident. That sort of thing. And people ask, just as you have, whether what they do in life really matters, whether the decisions they make are even theirs. People want to know why bad things happen. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says:
‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
“How come you always know a Bible verse for every question I have?” interrupted Jason.
“Because I’ve spent years reading the Bible and memorizing verses. Because it’s important to me.”
Kyle hopped off the end of the truck and continued. “The answer to your question is complex. It’s wrapped up in Biblical principles like original sin and free will and in the realities of evil and the frailties of man. Then there’s the fact that our view of God’s universe is very much limited, which means we can’t always understand what God plans for our lives or why he does what he does.