Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

The Box in the Corner

A Confrontation with the TruthBy David Sadring

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 David Sadring
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-8852-1

Contents

Introduction: Fiction or reality......................................................................ixCHAPTER ONE IN THE BEGINNING: Rex's town – the way it used to be...............................1CHAPTER TWO TRUST AND FAITH: The test of Rex's faith in God..........................................8CHAPTER THREE THE DAY THE SKY FELL DOWN: Rex's world gets torn apart.................................11CHAPTER FOUR THE AFTERMATH: A time to reaffirm, a time to heal.......................................19CHAPTER FIVE FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A REASON: The start of the end..................................23CHAPTER SIX WORDS IN THE NIGHT: Listen, for it might be God..........................................31CHAPTER SEVEN THE BOX: Wisdom or torture.............................................................40CHAPTER EIGHT THE VISION: Dealing with mans back pages...............................................47CHAPTER NINE TATTERED GRACE: The people we meet......................................................56CHAPTER TEN THE REQUEST: A walk with Jesus...........................................................70CHAPTER ELEVEN BREAKING BREAD: A step forward........................................................82CHAPTER TWELVE A TIME TO DREAM: Of change for the future.............................................95CHAPTER THIRTEEN A FOND FAREWELL: The never-ending connection........................................100CHAPTER FOURTEEN FOR EVERY THING THERE IS A SEASON: A time for renewal...............................106CHAPTER FIFTEEN FROM DEATH COMES LIFE: Elk Valley has been reborn from the ashes.....................114Living in prayer: The place of peace and of hope......................................................118AN ALTERNATE ENDING: If life had a different ending...................................................129NOTES.................................................................................................135

Chapter One

IN THE BEGINNING: Rex's town — the way it used to be

I would watch Rex sit out there on that knoll for hours, when the reason for his sitting out there was finished, be it a long talk with God, or taking time to just to think of the day at hand, he would stand and head back to his home. He would come past me, his eyes all watery, and his tones at times gruff, and at times they were tones of sadness, but nevertheless, they were always honest and true.

I asked him one day as he walked past me on his way to his front door, "Why do you sit out there if your allergies get you so upset?" Rex stopped for only a brief moment and stood before me, without contempt or disregard, Rex did not look me in the eyes at first; he stopped and took a deep breath as he looked out at the distance and then into the sky, he always looked up at the sky like a long lost friend. Then he trained his eyes on me. "Its conflict, it's that damndable conflict, why does everything in this world have to wrap itself around conflict?" Rex patted me on the shoulder then gave it a tiny shake and he walked away with a sniffle, with some words still being spoken, "maybe someday, we will all grow up, huh, take care Pard." Rex turned and walked into his home.

It saddens me at times to see Rex and others go through what Rex is going through, as a father, but it wasn't always that way, life has always been better before, and will be again, that is the path of life, the river always flows that way.

Would you like to hear how Rex came to sit out on that knoll everyday, with watery eyes? Well, take a seat, here take a sip of water, don't worry I have plenty, more than enough to get through the account of Rex and his family, ah, it will work out good for him, he is a good man beyond the gruff exterior, and a good son.

It is as though, in this little valley, at one time before mans life took a drastic change, that time had stood still in the dense forest of the Northwest. God's country, as many of those that have and still do live here have called the lands from the mighty Columbia River to the north and to the south where the Rouge River flows free to the sea. From the Snake River to the east to the rugged Pacific on the western edge where the land falls with its ragged beauty into the ocean.

A small town, with its people coexisting in peace the way that life should be, helping one another with gladness, with the bottom line being life, for in Elk Valley, life was never a burden. As their ancestor's lived, living in conformation of God's word, not the word of man. A town of forgotten values in the rest of the country, in this small country town; where hope, freedom and life sprang eternal.

Rex grew up in this beautiful little country town, a slice of America where Rex and his friends would lie out under the star filled skies at night for hours with their youthful eyes gazing over the gateway to the universe in search for falling stars, star formations of Greek gods, animals and Sputnik's, or maybe wishing that someday they too would walk on the moon.

The town of Elk Valley sat nestled amongst tall pines that without much effort reach towards the heavens for their own blessings of God. In the lowlands stood beautiful moss covered oaks and maples that gave the golden fall seasons of the valley its warm beautiful autumn colors of reds and ambers.

The areas forest were always thick and lush, even a passerby on one of the highways in the area couldn't ever tell if the forest had ever been harvested by one of the many loggers in the area; though it had been harvested and many times over through the years. Logging had always been the means of an income for the inhabitants of the area; the residents of the Elk Valley relied on the forest for their livelihood. And those that lived there knew how to care for the forest, and still get revenue from their harvest without depletion of its natural resources; the forest sustained their lives for more decades than those that lived in the area had been alive.

Rex worked as a mechanic with the help of a couple of other mechanics; he was kept busy in his own business of repairing the log skidders and graders that were used out in the forest, amongst all of the other equipment that the logging companies in the area use, right down to the chainsaws.

The days were long and it was hard work; but Rex knew that hard work was worthy of life, therefore Rex enjoyed what he did to earn his living. It was not toil or drudgery to him, to Rex, working was a way of life, and he did it with honesty. That is why his customers of many years trusted him with all their expensive equipment; and why they kept coming back to his shop for their needed repairs.

While in his late twenties, Rex met the love of his life; her name was Amy, a beautiful young lady with soft skin and brunette hair. Amy had a smile that made Rex melt and all the while, she was filled to the brim with country charm. Her name, as with her beauty and her humbleness made Rex feel alive, little did Rex know that Amy would become in his life what her name means, Beloved, and that is what she came to be for Rex, his beloved Amy.

Rex's smiles became more prevalent whenever she would come around the shop or the chance meeting in town, Rex always felt a slight quiver right below the ribcage above his stomach whenever they met or said goodbye. Amy had a way...