I met him 30 years ago, he was my dad’s good friend, and employee. And by chance I got to go on one of the older men’s fishing trips. The trip had been planned months in advance, all deposits paid. The guys had chartered a man with a four wheel drive that would drive them out on the beaches of Hatteras and fish for what ever was running. It was early December. I was not suppose to go, I was considered to young and my dad that worked so hard to provide for us, deserved what ever break he could get. He arrived home from work and every one was showing up at our house where they were to meet and go on. My father had come down with an illness during the day and it had grown worse by evening. He was sure not to let my mom know, or his part of the trip would be canceled for sure, and if he had not allowed me to go his money would have been spent for nothing.

He said to me when he got home, “Get your stuff ready you can go with us.” I did not know he was sick, the act of wellness for my mothers sake was a good one, even I could not tell a illness was present.

We were off and running for the adventure that would be talked about for years to come, the beginning of a good and perfect gift from above. (One that you can see and know, but no one can touch.) What a trip, My dad, My favorite uncle, and some of my dad’s good friends, and I had no idea I was even going until the last minute, and we where going fishing, the desire of my heart.

We pulled out of the drive in my dads GMC pick up truck that was light duty, but had been jerry rigged to hold the weight of a slide in camper. We had not gotten far down the road when my dad had pulled over and said he felt to sick to drive and left the driving to my uncle. He crawled in the back and that left me in the front between my uncle and my dads good friend. The friend that I would come to know as a real cowboy that could actually do what I thought was impossible?

After several wrong turns and much confusion in directions, we had made it to the Outer Banks, and at that time, nothing on either side except farms. My uncle had confessed that he had, had a few beers but not enough that would not allow him to loose control of the truck he was driving. The back tire was flat and we were in the middle of no where, with out a jack heavy duty enough to lift the truck, not to mention a spare tire that would hold the weight of the truck if we could get it changed.

Dad with chills and fever was trying to instruct his friends on how they would need to lift the camper up first, before lifting the truck because the jack was not heavy duty enough to lift both together. But the instructions came a little to late as the jack had been stripped of it gears and we were officially stranded.

It was so dark you could not see your hand in front of your face and we were next to a pig farm, and the pigs were squealing and we were unaware why, until we heard shouts from my dad’s friend the real cowboy saying, “If we can get this pig in the bed with George it may make him feel better." Just what we needed, I remember thinking, but still laughing, not knowing at the time that laughter, it doeth good like a medicine.

We had two good Samaritans stop in a hot rod car, that knew we needed help and between their jack and ours we got the under rated spare tire on the truck , and proceeded toward our destination, at a speed so as the spare would not over heat. Fifteen hours after our start we arrived at our destination, not bad for a seven hour trip.

The next morning at breakfast, my dad was feeling a little better, but the cowboy’s gesture, with the pig was not enough laughter to make him completely well. And he was to head out to the first doctor open for medicine. And then to a tire repair shop. Dad informed us that we would need to catch one of every fish, that was stuffed and hung on the wall in the restaurant, one of which was a star fish? I was more than willing to catch one of every fish if it was a possibility, but a star fish, I had figured it was impossible to do, on hook and line.

We set out and fished the morning and the Flounder fishing was great and I must have caught between 20 and 30 and my dad’s friend the cowboy was begging me to show him what my secret was. I would just tell him, “You have to hold your mouth right” He would grin, but I could see his frustration. We went back to the restaurant for lunch where we ate breakfast. My dad was waiting for us. He had gotten the tire fixed and been to the doctor and he was looking pretty good. I had informed him that the fishing was everything I thought it would be, and his cowboy friend informed him that I would not show him how I was doing it. And all dad wanted to know was did any body catch the star fish yet. The guide only had room for four passengers for the afternoon trip, one would have to set out. I think because of my enthusiasm he made a spot for me to sit in the back corner of the jeep, and I would have road on top if I could only go.

We set out for the afternoon trip and I do not know how it could have gotten any better. It was my dad, well, my favorite uncle, and my dads friends, the cowboy and the seafood salesman, and the good and perfect gift I received, I got to squeeze in, and the fish were biting. We saw a sea turtle as big as a VW bug, we saw a guy that tried to drive his jeep across a small creek going into the ocean, I should say the rear view mirror and the top of his windshield that was all that was visible. And the fishing was only as good as any fisherman could have asked for. What could top off this day. The day was drawing to a close and the tide was coming in and our guide informed us that it was time for us to go. My dad’s friend the cowboy that had become discouraged, had let his line sit, and he had come to believed that it was just not in the stars for him to be a fisherman. He reeled in for the last time of the day, and he had a star fish on his hook and line. I was amazed because not only did I think the day could not get better, but I had seen what I thought was impossible happen. A star fish on hook and line and my dad’s friend the cowboy had caught it. He was impressed by me all day, and I was impressed with him that evening.

That trip was so enchanting that it would never be forgotten. It was a good and perfect gift something you can see and know but no one can touch.

Years later as I pursued the same career my dad had. I met up with the cowboy friend of my dad’s and he worked for me, He had lost his license and before I became his boss his work attendance was poor, I quickly told him that if he could not get a ride to work that he should call a cab and not me. and He never missed a day. He was good at what he did and on occasion he would have the answers to problems that would have me stumped, and let me know that if I stuck with him he would make me a super star. As time went on and I found out exactly where I stood, as he asked me for help, I told him, “I think that if you stick with me I will make you the superstar.” He was good at what he did but he had not yet come to understand the enemies of God with His Word in his life and the Lord had placed me in his life, so that he would. He was not only a good book binder, a guitar player, but his gift was being a cowboy. If you could see this guy with a horse you could tell his true gift in life was horses and horse training. But he had an under lying problem that only God would know of, and only a person that was being led by God would ever see.

The devil had deceived him to believe that the more you loved something that the more bad stuff would happened to it. The devil had taken control of his life and because of what the devil led him to believe, he felt the best way to deal with it was alcohol, this he called smile. I felt this was such a strange name for beer, but he felt it was the only way he could smile. He could escape, and alcohol was the only way he could find that worked every time, with out fail. He had been let down by organized religion and saw it as a fairy tale that was not true.

Imagine thinking that every thing that you drew close to was going to be put through pain, that every person or animal you ever came to a true love with, was going to be harmed or taken from you. And if you just had it and did not love it, it would all be okay for them. And all you had to do was stay drunk so you could smile. The devil had him in a corner and he knew no way of escape.

He had entered competition with his favorite horse in life and as far as the world was concerned he was a blue ribbon winner, but as far as he knew that even after he achieved blue ribbon status and won the cowboy buckle to prove it, he was still empty. And the devil was always there to prove, what he believed, even if it was not God’s will, and his horse that made him the blue ribbons had been taken away. It was his life, and he had come closer to that than anything to include his parents , brother, wife or child. After all it was best not to get to close to people you loved or they would have to endure, sickness or sorrow for it.

The last ten years of his life he became my friend as well as my dad’s. I drew close enough to him to find out what he believed. As a christian you can do this just by listening to what people say, because the fullness of the heart is what they will speak. And you can know what they believe and you can at least let them know the truth that will lead them to freedom. And if they take it, that will be their choice.

As he drew closer to our family he was once again reassured by the devil, once again, that what he believe to be true, was. And my niece, that he came to love was taken from him and us at three years of age. And his hopes of ever coming to the truth where slim, so the devil thought? I said a prayer to God that was more intense than I had ever prayed and He answered that prayer, and He answers it daily. He allows me to have just enough each day that will allow me to know the Master plan. It is His will and fits His word to the letter.

As I opened my heart to this cowboy and let him know the truth about life, he grew to respect me, my wife, and all my children and he would confess how pleased and proud he was of each of us, and how he appreciated the example to follow. He even felt us worthy enough to purchase his horses. After all if you want to live on you must find someone to love the things you did as much as you do.

The last I saw of him before he passed away, He came to my dad’s 50th wedding anniversary, he hugged me, and kissed me and told me he loved me, and he was a real cowboy! I am so happy that I had the pleasure to know, thanks to God and my dad.

When you get to heaven you will meet him, He will be training horses and loving them, and now he knows that it is not God that takes the things you love away. And he can smile without help, and he can love without worry. And he may even be able to fish and catch fish, and stop trying to wait to the last second to show the impossible. Who ever heard of a real cowboy that could catch a star fish on hook and line, and a real cowboy that would tell another man he loved him and kiss him, because he helped him know God.