Another sunny day for a drive. After Voice Fellowship today, I took my friend Robert to Michigan. We walked around the site of a campground where his father and uncle were killed in September of 2001. It is a beautiful place, acres and acres of rolling fields and woods. There used to be many buildings – a store, cabins, offices, a big house. But they were all burned in a 5-day standoff with the FBI and Michigan State police which, after an impressive display of force (tanks, helicopters, swat teams) against two guys, resulted in both of their deaths. Now the fields, which were a gathering place for hundreds and thousands of concertgoers and those politically charged to favor the legalization of marijuana, lies barren and empty. These men, who believed and stood for their cause, died fighting for it. (I am not saying I agree with their cause, but I wonder how many of us would die for something we believed in.)
At any rate, seeing all of the destruction and charred remains of my friend’s former life was really strange for me, and I am sure, difficult for him.
Despite all of that, I do pray that Robert’s life will be much different. It is already different. He is in a place where Jesus Christ is the focus of life. He is in a place with godly grandparents who love and care about him. He even left a message of salavation and hope to those who often stop by the former campground that Jesus (not drugs) is where our hope and salvation is. And coming from someone who lost pretty much everything that mattered to him in his life of 13 years, that is an awesome thing.
It was fun goin to the farm with you because I got to see the farm again and it gave me good memeries for the farm. We got to see the old house and the farm with it burned down and the store and the stage. I put a little note on the stage so every one knoes i been there and i still care aboout them. We saw the old bus the was at the farm and i left a little note there to. When we was on are way to my dads grave we stoped by one of my old friends house that i haven’t saw in two years it was fun to see them again and you got to meet them. And it was fun goin to my dads grave and it was really fun spending that day with you.