When I was maybe 16 going on 30... John Spence, Curt Johnson, Bill Bailey, Jim Majors, Mark Brim and I all went to Johns Grand Fathers home out in the sticks near Vinita, Ok. We had set out on this journey to find a place called Robbers Cave. Now Robbers Cave was quite a jaunt from Johns Grand-Pas farm. Come to find out John wasnt 100% sure he knew how to get to this particular spot in the Oklahoma countryside. Having said that Johns Grand-Pa Spence did know and he hadnt been there since his childhood. Johns Grand-Father was a character, you could tell in his younger days had been; much like his Grand-Son, fun, outgoing, honest, and a bit onery running and tracking game all over this countryside and he knew every square inch of it by heart. Johns Grand-Father told us exactly how to get there. He told us to walk down this road, and cross this fence, go until you get to the River and cross it. He even told us about how deep the River would be and that it could be crossed at this spot. He mentioned an old road... We are talking a real old country road not paved, not graveled but you could see the ruts in the ground. The trees on either side of where this road had been were two, three, up to five feet around. The trees growing up in the old road were 2-4 inches around. You could actually see the ruts in the old road from the wagons, and Model Ts that had passed through this way on another day and from another time. Finally we came upon this bluff not really a cave more of an outcropping, but enough to keep the weather off of you and definitely back into the country. Deep enough that you could hear and see someone trekking through those woods to either get out of there way or confront them and make a stand. It was these visions we had all conjured up in our heads of Indian Territory outlaws and that adventure that was driving us all. Johns Grand-Pa proceeded to tell us many other stories. Tales of how these woods were full of haints, spirits, ghost lights, and how as just a boy, these woods were also home to outlaws, Indians, and moonshiners. He told us of the night his beloved wife passed and showed us that cross of light that filled Christs picture the night she died in his now all too quiet family home. Sure as there is a God in Heaven... we all walked into the living-room and there was this cross of light plain as the nose on your face. Sure enough it was the light from the barnyard hitting the back screen door and scattering the light in such a way that this Crucifix appeared across this old portrait of Jesus. Nobody ever saw that crucifix before that night. He said. It had been there shining on that portrait of Christ the night she passed into the Lords precious hands and every night since. He said that he was just sitting in his chair and looked up at that picture just as he had every night of his life before he went to bed there it was this Crucifix of light; directly, perfectly, as if it was intentionally placed there, embellishing the portrait of Christ. He new that it was a sign... and immediately went in to check on his dear love of 60 plus years he found her still, silent, lifeless, body. You know, the shell of our mortal remains... the part that we leave behind while God prepares our new bodies for heaven. He knew before he went in to their bedroom that she was casting her crowns at the feet of Jesus. He knew that she was gone he could feel her spiritual presence leaving. He told us other stories from his youth about visions of Black Hearses traveling 4 feet off the ground pulled by four raven black steeds, nostrils flaring and eyes glaring, seamlessly moving like lightening through the air. He said that after seeing these visions; [ Joel 2:28 - And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.] that the next day another family member passed away. You see our kin, our elders believed as we should all believe, of an afterlife in God almighty [ 2 Samuel 7:12 -.When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.] They were taught that everything has a season. [Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.] I thought that my journey with Mr. Spence was over when we packed out and left that farm. The thoughts still run through my mind about that trip, the stories, the precision of this mans memory, the adventure we all shared. All In all, just an amazing time. A few year after this adventure I was driving home from Miami, Oklahoma. I was attending N.E.O. A.& M. and a 1949 model Chevrolet with a man and a woman (probably in their seventies) were stranded on the side of the Highway. They were both dressed very nicely He had on a suit and tie, She was wearing a nice dress. They seemed to be relatively distressed and normally I probably would not have pulled over, however, my very soul was screaming stop this car and see if they need help... So I did. Now I had longer hair back then, and more than likely rolled up listening to Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd blasting out of my Buick Skylark. I got out and asked them if they needed help they assured me that they were okay and help was on the way. I didnt want to leave them on the side of the road and you have to remember this was before cell phones so communication wasnt instantaneous like it is today. I could tell they were glad someone had stopped but they were unsure of me... as they should have been. so I tried to break the ice and told them how nice they both looked and as the conversation continued I asked them where they were going. They said that had just attended a funeral and were going to the Cemetery when their car broke down... This is where this story gets really wild. So I had remembered his name from our introduction and his last name was Spence... I know right. So I had to ask him if he was related to a John Spence from Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Sure enough he was and the funeral he was attending was none other than... Wait for it.... Johns Grand-Father... You could have knocked me over with a feather. Why Johns Grand-Father felt the need to let me know he had passed Ill never know. I have always felt as if he was was just saying I remembered you, and wanted to say good-bye. Ask me if I believe in an afterlife... ABSOLUTELY!!! This is not the end my friends. Photo:
Posted on: Tue, 13 May 2014 13:40:19 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015