Always Tried and Proven Page 14

  She could feel Sam's presence close by, and she knew that he could feel it, too. She could hear him chuckle, and knew that he felt the same wave of love and glory that had just passed through her. They were connected, though they were not touching; they were communicating, though they were not speaking. They were there together.

  And the Lord Jesus was there. Callie knew that He'd been waiting for her to come. He knew every thought and desire of her heart. And it had been He who had caused Jimmie to leave, He who had pulled Dalton and Sean away from her. He’d been the one who had left her high and dry, so that she would turn to Him. She understood this, and felt no bitterness. Not now that she was here.

  She understood that she had been complacent and unwilling until now, to answer His very plain call. She was changed. She didn't know or feel that she was lying on the field grass of a pasture in Vermont; that awareness was far away. She was in the arms of God.

  Some time later, Sam rolled over, and his arm curved around her shoulder. Callie could feel the weight of his anointing fall on her. It made her gasp. Why hadn't she felt it before? There was a great weight of glory and magnificent power, hanging on and all around Sam. And authority! The authority that he walked in, awed Callie. She just suddenly knew that it was there.

  She began to truly glimpse who Sam was. She was awed that this man wanted her, that he even cared about her soul. She felt that she was nothing, compared to this awesome presence in Sam that she knew to be God. She went deeper into the Spirit, as Sam touched her. His wordless prayer for her was felt, and it sent her into new realms of healing and bliss.

  When she was finally able to open her eyes, she found Sam sitting over her, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His eyes were clear and bright, with an appreciative and somewhat predatory twinkle in their depths.

  Callie started to laugh again. She simply couldn’t help it.

  “Laughing at me, are you?” he teased, with an arched eyebrow. “You are not supposed to laugh at me, young lady. I was going to offer to take you to town for something to eat, but I do hesitate, now that you’re laughing at me.”

  “Oh!” Callie gasped, reaching a pleading hand out toward Sam. Somehow, she was starving!

  “Samuel, stop tormenting that poor girl, so that we can scrape her up and go get something to eat.” Sadie complained.

  “I’m doing my best. I even threatened to leave her here.” Sam objected. “I think she’s going to be here all night long.”

  “We could carry her out.” Sean suggested.

  Sam shook his head uneasily. “I don’t want to interfere with one thing that’s happening to her. I want to see a complete work. I’ve sweated and prayed and waited too long for this.”

  “Well then, let’s leave her here and check on her when we get back.” Sean mumbled.

  “No, I don’t want to leave her, either. You guys go ahead. Why don’t you bring us back a sandwich, or something?” Sam suggested.

  “That’s a great idea.” Sadie agreed immediately. “What would you like?”

  “Anything is fine. We won’t be picky.” Sam answered.

  Callie was very still after most of the people left the tent. She was just so heavy and mellow that it took too much effort to do anything else. But after awhile, she began to feel chilly, and she shivered. She felt Sam walk away, but soon he returned. He picked her up and lifted her into his arms.

  “Mm mm.” She groaned.

  “Shh. Don’t let me interrupt.” He hushed her. Callie felt nothing but bliss as she complied. Being in Sam’s arms was sheer heaven. He took her out of the tent and across the meadow. She could feel the light, cool night breeze on her face. Then, he put her down on a soft bed and covered her with a warm, fleece blanket. He pulled her boots off, and tucked her feet under the blanket. Callie smiled – and it didn’t take long before she drifted into a deep, sweet sleep.

  The morning sun awakened Callie. It was too hot under the warm fleece that covered her. Still, there was a fresh, sweet breeze on her face. She opened her eyes, and blinked. She had absolutely no idea where she was. She looked out a window at a blue sky and a sweet, mown meadow. Birds were singing and there was a big, old, full-limbed Oak tree close by. Callie furrowed her brow and looked up.

  She was in a travel trailer. A very large, new and modern travel trailer, but she had no idea how she’d come to be there. She looked the length of the trailer and saw Sadie sound asleep in the bed at the other end.

  She felt mellow, very warm and pampered. The bed she was in was very cozy and soft. It was a feather bed of the best variety. “What on earth? Where am I?” she said quietly. She sat up and looked around her, with growing confusion.

  Then, she looked out the window and saw Sam. He was wearing a pair of Levi’s and a brown leather belt. He had a shirt on, but it wasn’t buttoned. He carried a towel and had damp hair, having just obviously showered. His tan chest was beautiful, and his abs were sculptured, and divine.

  He unlocked a burgundy van, and appeared to be going through a suitcase. He put the towel over the luggage rack and secured it with clothespins. Then, he walked over to the trailer where she was, and soundlessly opened the door. When he saw Callie sitting up, looking bright-eyed but tousled, he grinned and sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Good morning.” He greeted her softly.

  “Good morning.” She responded shyly. “I suppose I spent the night in your bed and you roughed it someplace else, eh?”

  He grinned. “There are showers in the club house, if you want to…”

  “Samuel Stringer,” she warned.

  He looked at her innocently. “Am I in trouble?”

  “Depends on where you slept last night.” She advised.

  “Well, if I’m in trouble, you see, you have to say ‘Jesse’.”

  “Jesse?” she repeated quizzically.

  “Uh, huh. Then I know to watch meself. And duck, if necessary.”

  “Jesse.” She repeated again, blankly.

  “Samuel Jesse Stringer.” He explained sheepishly.

  “Oh. I see. Well, Samuel Jesse Stringer, where exactly did you sleep last night?”

  He grinned at her sheepishly. “I was very comfortable in my van.”

  “Because I was in your bed.” She accused.

  He grinned, and his eyes glittered. “I’m not sorry.”

  She heard something in his voice that made a gladness and exhilaration course through her veins.

  “I’ve been thinking about getting you there, for some time. It’s a big step in the right direction.” He chuckled.

  Callie looked down, sure that she was blushing brilliantly.

  “So, beautiful lady, what brings you to Vermont?” he asked quietly.

  “Sam, you kind of stole my band.” She complained crankily. She hoped it was clear that she was teasing.

  “All I did was pray for them.” He protested. “I never even mentioned the possibility of them traveling with the tent.”

  “Well; they’re here, aren’t they?” she challenged.

  “Well, yes.” He acquiesced.

  “Even Jimmie.” She emphasized, rolling her eyes.

  “Isn’t that a surprise?” he asked with a grin. “God got his heart and healed him up at the same time. He’s got a powerful testimony to share.” Sam laughed. “He just couldn’t figure out what made this tent thing tick. Guess he got a bit too close to the fire and fell in, eh? It will be interesting to see what he does with it. But you, Miss Callie. You were the hardest nut to crack. Tell me what your presence here means.” He asked with keen interest.

  Callie lowered her lashes to shield herself from his eyes. “It means I don’t know what to do, Sam. You blew into town and turned my whole world upside down. Then you blew out again, and left me completely alone. I have no life, no job, and no man. And damn you, now I want one. What am I supposed to do, but come running after you?” She met his eyes defiantly, but he quickly disarmed her anger with the love that his eyes offered. And h
is crystal, clear eyes saw much more than she wanted him to.

  “That would be most satisfactory for me. But what about you, Callie? Do you truly want to come?”

  Callie withered under the scrutiny in his gaze. “I think so, Sam.” She answered uneasily. “I can’t find any musicians. I can’t keep my apartment after this month is up, and … I don’t know.”

  He looked at her with worry. He was stung by her answer. “Callie, you can’t come with the tent just because you don’t feel like you have any other options. The work is too hard and intense. You’d be completely miserable.”

  “It’s not that, Sam. I could easily live with my mom. It’s just that ... It’s all happening so fast that it’s hard for me to sort out exactly what I should do. I just knew that the first step was to come up here and give my life to Jesus.”

  Sam looked relieved. “All right. That's a very good place to start. Come on, then.”

  “Where are we going?” she ventured as she vaulted off the bed and smoothed out her jeans.

  “For a walk.” He answered, his voice not welcoming further questions.

  Callie’s eyes widened, but she followed Sam obediently. She shook her hair out as she stepped outside. The meadow grass was surprisingly soft and kind to her bare feet. She stepped quickly to catch up with Sam, and was disappointed that he didn’t reach out to take her hand. She wanted him to. She would have welcomed his reassurance. She smiled grimly, and slipped her hand into his.

  He looked at her with surprise, but didn’t react, otherwise. And he

  didn't withdraw his hand.

  They topped a rise, and Callie found herself looking down at a wide, lazy river. “Oh!” She said appreciatively. They climbed down a path to the river, and Sam parked himself against a birch tree near the river’s edge. Callie found a flat spot next to him and sat, looking up at him expectantly.

  He was quiet for a few minutes, and Callie waited, letting the river soothe her anxiety. She didn’t know what to expect from Sam at this point. But she had to wait. She had to let him take his time. She desperately did not want to blow it with him now.

  “This is my sanctuary. I never have any trouble hearing His voice when I get away from all of man's noise and disturbance. He loves the lonely, wild places that we haven't yet destroyed.” he said. He was quiet for a time.

  “Callie, I want you to know that I really had nothing to do with Sean or Dalton coming here. I prayed for them, but at the time I truly didn’t recognize them. I was praying for people in a line, and they were just two more. I would never intentionally set out to mess with your life, sweetheart.”

  “Oh, Sam. I know that.” She assured him. She touched his arm. “Sam,” she said tenderly. He gave her a guarded look. She was looking earnestly up into his eyes. “I came to see you. I decided that I should think seriously about giving the tent a shot, to see if I can feel about it the way that you do. I need to find out if I can have a place in the tent, and ... in your life.”

  Sam sighed. “Callie, you need to understand something else. I love the tent and what is happening with it. But I may very well walk away from it tomorrow and do something else.”

  “Why?” she asked in surprise.

  “I serve Jesus, not the tent.” He said quietly. “It’s a great work, but I’m very much a starter. I tend to build foundations and then move on to something else. The tent is a great tool for Jesus to reach America, but it’s not my work. It’s His. So the point is, you need to be very sure whether you’re signing up to travel with me… or with the tent. They’re the same thing right now, but they may turn out to be very different propositions in the future.”

  “I just don’t want you to have any misconceptions. I also want you to think about why you want to come with the tent. Is it because of me, or is it because you want to serve Jesus? I know that everything just happened to you last night, but I’m concerned that you make decisions with as much clarity as possible. I don’t want you to be disappointed or hurt again.”

  “And if you want to travel with the tent to sing, and to be with the boys, that's all right. But I need to know. I mustn't fool myself into thinking it's because you want me.”

  She touched his arm. “Sam, I’ll be really honest with you.” She said softly. “At this point, the only thing I know I’m interested in committing to is you. I love you. I’m trying to give my life to Jesus, but I think it’s probably kind of a process.”

  He nodded and smiled. “It usually is. Callie, can I ask you? Did you meet Him last night? Did He make Himself real to you?”

  Callie shrugged and looked at her feet. “Well; something happened; but I’m still not sure what.”

  “I want you to be very sure of your salvation, Callie. I want you to know Jesus without a shadow of a doubt. Let me pray for you again?”

  “All right.” Callie agreed shyly.

  Sam just closed his eyes and reached over. He put a hand on her, and sighed. “Lord Jesus; she’s all yours. Come and have Your way.” He continued to pray, until Callie felt someone looking at her. She turned in that direction, but there was no one to be seen. Yet, someone was undeniably there. The hairs on the back of Callie’s neck stood up, and she was seized by a great fear. There was a presence looking at her that was so powerful, that it sent terror rushing through her heart. Then she realized that the presence was Jesus Christ, and her fear melted into awe.

  “Callie,” He said without audibly speaking, “I will touch you. It will all be well. Just give me your heart.” She felt Him walking toward her. She knew when His hand reached out and came to rest upon her head. She felt as if all of her bones were melting within her. She felt and knew without question, His deep love for her. Then He turned and walked away, and His presence left her. Callie wept soundlessly and laid down in the grass. She stayed there for a long, long time.

  When at last she was returning to normal, she sat up and found Sam lying on his back in the deep grass. He opened a lazy eye to look up at her. “Are you all right?” he asked gently.

  Callie nodded her head, to assure him. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about His presence; that He had cared enough to make Himself known to her. She understood now that He withheld His presence from man not because He lacked the power. And men, in their arrogant ignorance, went on about their business, unaware of Him. “He will only manifest Himself to those who truly seek Him.” She said brokenly. “Whether they know they are seeking Him, or not.”

  “Yes.” Sam agreed gently. “Do you know now, what you want to do?”

  “Yes. I will come with you.” She answered immediately. “I want to help.”

  He nodded. “Then I’ll wait a little bit and see how things work out for you. And we can talk about us, at our leisure.” He suggested.

  Callie was a little bit crestfallen. But she smiled, and tried not to let it show. She supposed that Sam had every right to be a little bit cautious with her. She knew that she’d given him nothing but deep pain, in the past.

  “What are you going to do about your apartment and your furniture?” he asked.

  “I can put my stuff in my mom’s basement and I can leave my truck in her barn, if that’s what works best. Or I’ll bring the truck with me, if it’s needed.”

  Sam nodded. “Have Sadie work on the arrangements for you. And let Clyde know. You can start working on the worship team if you want, and you can continue to sing a solo every night, if you would.”

  Callie smiled tightly. “Thanks, Sam. Is there any other work I should be doing?”

  Sam shook his head. “Probably not. I want the musicians to have all the time they need, to prepare for worship. There are probably little things here and there you could do, but please don’t get too bogged down with chores.”

  Callie smiled, but she was feeling a little bit stung by Sam’s distance. It was nothing she could put her finger on, but he seemed to have withdrawn from her.

  He smiled and held a hand to her, and helped her to her feet. She reached up and p
ut her arms around his neck. Sam looked down at her with trepidation in his eyes.

  “What’s the matter, Sam?” she asked bluntly. “Don’t you love me anymore?”

  He looked totally shocked. “Callie; why would you say that?”

  “Because you act as though you wish I’d go far away.”

  “No, Callie. No.” he denied strongly. “Honey, no. Just give it a little time, all right? This is… kind of a shock to me.” He laughed uneasily. “I mean, yesterday at this time, I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. I’m very glad to see you, honey. And I’m adjusting very quickly, love, but … I just haven’t caught up with it all yet. Give me some time to let all this sink in.”

  “You don’t trust me.” She challenged sweetly. She was looking hurt.

  “Callie, no. Please don’t see it that way.” He urged her kindly. “Just give me a little time, all right? Everything is going to be fine. My biggest concern has just been taken care of.”

  Callie looked into his honest eyes, and nodded, pressing her lips together. “All right.” She agreed. She couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t disappointed.

  “I'm afraid that I do have an appointment soon. Why don’t we go back, and you and Sadie can get busy with plans to get you here, and on board with us.”

  “Sure.” She agreed evenly.

  Sam put an arm around her shoulders as they walked back, but Callie was convinced that she’d ripped it with Sam. He cared about her soul; he was very happy to see her saved; he wanted her to come with the tent; but she didn’t think he wanted her anymore. Refusing to marry him had torn a big hole in their relationship. Letting him go to Vermont without contacting him had shaken his confidence in her.

  Hadn’t he been in New York for most of the month, while she ignored his presence? She sighed. If only she hadn’t been so stubborn, she could have accepted Jesus that much earlier, and she’d be married to Sam. She was convinced of it. Now? She sighed. Only time would tell if she could get him back to where they'd left off in New York.

  Callie was pretty close to the mark. Sam was feeling a little bit gun shy. He felt it necessary to see if Callie’s conversion was going to stick, before he let his heart get into deep waters again with her. He didn’t trust himself around her; he was very vulnerable, and he’d just finished re-dedicating his life and ministry to the Lord, in the wake of his last encounter with the lady.