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오피니언 > 아름다운이야기 |
등록일 |
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2006-09-28 |
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관리자 (admin) |
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| 이런 감동적인 이야기가 사실이라면 |
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| GP선교회 조용중 |
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사실 너무나 감동적인 이야기라서 조금은 과장이 있을 수 있겠다 싶어 끝까지 읽는 것을 주저했습니다. 그런데 읽을 수록 저의 눈시울이 적셔 졌습니다.
조지 부시 대통령이 자신을 방문한 한 사람의 기도제목을 듣고 병원에 입원한 그의 어머니를 위하여 그 자리에서 기도를 하여주었던 감동적인 이야기를 본인이 전하고 있습니다.
바쁘다면 그 보다 바쁜 사람이 얼마나 있을까요. 책임이 크다면 그보다 더한 사람이 많지 않을 것 입니다. 그러기에 기도하는 사람이라면 믿어볼 만 하지 않나요.
Too Busy Not To Pray 라는 빌 하이벌 목사의 책 제목이 생각나고,
나는 너무나 바쁘기 때문에 더욱 기도한다던 마틴 루터의 말이 생각납니다.
제가 여러분을 위해서 기도하지 못했던 것을 사과드립니다. 개인적인 기도제목을 보내주세요. 사무엘이 말한 것 처럼 기도하지 않은 죄를 범하지 않겠다는 생각을 다시 해봅니다.
조금 길다 생각되지만 영어공부 한다 생각하고 읽어보세요....
힘드시면 뒷 부분부터 읽으시구요.
오늘 저는 병원에서 이멜을 받아 읽고 이 글을 쓰고 있습니다.
빈센트 라는 분이 조지 부시 대통령을 방문하고 쓴 이야기
Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President
and Mrs. Bush.?We shook hands and participated in small talk.?When the
President was told that we were from Libby, Montana, I reminded him that
Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts
about Governor Racicot.?I have to tell you, I was blown away
upon entering the office.? he man that
inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can
only be described as penetrating.?Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly
penetrating.?I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man.?
I think all of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our?vote.?
I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment --that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my
fantasy world.?This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but
just my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream.'?
Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and,
standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while
posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush.?With the mission
accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy,
informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group.
He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office.?
It is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to
President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the Oval Office with hope.?
He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around Laura,
he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.?
================================================
After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go.?By then we were all
relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend.
The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees,
shaking hands and offering congratulations.?When the President shook my
hand I said, "Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family."
He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly
turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his
handshake and said, "Thank you -- and God bless you and yours as well."?
On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west
side of the office.?I was the last person in the exit line.?As I shook his
hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure to tell Marc hello
and give him your regards."?
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I then did something that surprised even me.?I said to him, "Mr. President,
I know you are a busy man and your time is precious.?I also know you to be
a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of you."?
As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it."?I
told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell,
Montana, having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great
deal to me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day.?He
grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So
that's it.?I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart
today.?I could see it in your eyes.?This explains it."
>From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his
seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?"?He then jotted a note to
her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer.
When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis.?I
told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and
that, if it is, they can get it all with this surgery.?
He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now.
Would you pray with me?"?I told him yes and he turned to the staff that
remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave.
He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer."?
As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his.?I was prepared
to do a traditional prayer stance -- standing with each other with heads
bowed.?Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling
gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder.?With his left arm on my
mid-back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.
He started to pray softly.?I started to cry.?He continued his prayer for
Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done.?I cried some more.?My body
shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter.?He closed by asking God's
blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months.?I stepped away
from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his
shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president.?I thanked him as best
I could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for him
and his.?
As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell
you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and
believing.?I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he
is.?I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office.
George W. Bush is the real deal.?I've read Internet stories about the
President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting
accounts.?Each time I read them I hoped them to be true and not an Internet
perpetuated myth.?This one, I know to be true.?I was there. He is real. He
has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day -- and yet he is tuned
in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart.
He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing
for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son,
husband-to-husband, Christian-to-Christian prayerful embrace.?He's not what
I had hoped he would be.?He is, in fact, so very, very much more.?
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