Old Dog I
Do You Hear The Drums Beating?
Bob Neumann
A funny thing happened on the boat to heaven, Maybe that is the wrong way to start, but I just can not get that song out of my mind. I have worked five out of the last 7 days, averaging about 14 hours a shift. And frankly I was just too physically exhausted to turn on the PC, or climb the stairs to go to bed. So I sat back on the sofa, turned on the TV, and passed out. Somewhere along the line I heard a persistent VOICE trying to awaken me. As I opened my eyes I looked up into pitch darkness and I could hear crickets chirping and occasional bird calls. I have never found myself entering a “dream” or “vision” as sore and exhausted as this was. Many end that way, but never start on such a slow note.
I heard a whisper, “THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BE CAUGHT SLEEPING.” And I looked over at THE LAMB LOOKING “out”, AND “down”. It was then that I heard the rough repetitive cadence of drums in the night air. And once again we were looking out and down into the VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, And the only thing that came to mind was the line, “THE NATIVES ARE RESTLESS TONIGHT”, from some old movie, or many movies, at the point I could neither remember or care where it originated. I just sat sprawled at the side of THE MASTER. HE LOOKED down at me and smiled, and shook HIS HEAD. And all HE SAID was “THEY KNOW YOU ARE COMING, DOG.”
At this point I sat up and my mind began to race in several directions, and HE LAY BACK with HIS BACK upon that rock outcropping we have sat frequently on in the past.
And out of nowhere I thought, “who let the secret out!” and began to laugh. No one has ever described visions or dreams of THE GLORIFIED JESUS/Y’SHUA with laughter in HIS EYES, and a grin on HIS FACE, and a CHUCKLE that can freeze the blood. And I thought of one little bible verse, O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. And out of nowhere I thought of Jerry, THE PROPHET JEREMIAH, and I remembered that that line preceded, Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. And I looked up at HIS GRINNING FACE and asked the dumbest question I have ever asked, “I don’t have a choice about this, do I?”
And all HE DID was shake HIS HEAD slowly from side to side. So I slowly stood up, stiff and tired. “EVERYONE HAS BEEN GIVEN MANY CHOICES, DOG.” He began slowly, carefully, it seemed. “THE PROBLEM IS THAT WITH EACH CHOICE A DECISION IS MADE AND STEPS ARE TAKEN. YOU SEE THINGS MUCH DIFFERENTLY THAN MANY SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE. SO YOU ALWAYS TEND TO LEAN IN A SET DIRECTION. AS EACH SITUATION AROSE AND A DECISION WAS MADE, YOU SLOWLY MADE YOUR WAY TO THE HERE AND THE NOW.”
Now that was a lot to choose from, to chew on. So I had to ask, “Here and now this “walk” begins”, I stated, pointing towards THE VALLEY, and out of nowhere came an old verse, Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. “YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE LONG AGO, OLD DOG. IN FACT I KNEW WHAT YOU WOULD THINK AND SAY SINCE I LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD. JUST CALL IT ONE OF THE PERKS OF BEING OMNISCIENT AND OMNIPOTENT.” again I had to think a bit, but before I could get anywhere HE SAID: “IT IS NOT THE DESTINATION DOG, BUT THE WAY YOU GET THERE THAT COUNTS. THE ENDS NEVER JUSTIFY THE MEANS. I MIGHT HARVEST WHERE I HAVE NEVER SOWN. AND I WILL TAKE THE HARVEST WHERE I HAVE NEVER PLANTED. BUT THAT CHANGES NOTHING FOR THOSE SERVANTS THAT TOOK ME LIGHTLY AND HAVE DONE NOTHING WITH WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN.” and I thought about the scriptures concerning “lazy” servants, “wicked” servants and a new chill ran up and down my spine. And I looked out into this VALLEY I was once again crossing and I thought about the idea of DESTINATION, I thought of GOSHEN, of ZION, and I saw the play on words.
HE SMILED, and once again I heard the DRUMS in the NIGHT, and I remembered some old line from some old movie, about it “being safe” as long as they beat on the drums. When the drums stop, then comes the attack, and HE JUST STOOD THERE SMILING, GRINNING, and the “light bulb” went on in the old noggin, when were we told that we had to play according to the dragon’s rules? Let the dragons shuffle and deal, play global banking games and run in the arena of geopolitics. And out of nowhere I saw “Uncle Sam” selling hot dogs, and I had to laugh,
And then my laughter stopped cold. And I realized the little fact that all the LOGOS and all the RHEMA mean nothing, until a person makes a choice and “steps” are taken. And I thought of the many images I have had with THE SHEEP, and THE CHILDREN, and THE SERVANTS, both the WISE and FAITHFUL, and THE WICKED, and THE WALKING DEAD, my brothers/sisters, and THE DAUGHTER OF ZION,
It’s all easy as P I E I thought, and HE STILL SMILED. And for the first time in a long time I wondered, could I do what I need to get done. And I watched HIS SMILE softened and HE SAID SOFTLY, “I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING WOULD BE OKAY.” and I nodded, the “cost” and the “means” matters little as long as I run and keep running. And I woke up to see my wife had turned off the TV. but I could hear Stubby Kaye singing. And I thought of Nathan Detroit and SKY MASTERSON, what a play on words, and I hear them saying to me, sit down, sit down, sit down you’re rocking the boat, but I hear that sweet soft voice up in the SKY, THE SON, MY MASTER, is saying get out of the boat, and I remembered an old joke from my CAPTAIN about dragons, “what can you do with a dragon?” HIS ANSWER, “FIRST YOU FILLET THEM, “. Uh, I guess you should have been there,
Old dog