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{Straight From the Heart} *Friend, Enemy, and Family* 1/29/01
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Today we have another great story from Author Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
You may have to go back and read it a second time though, to really
understand the whole story...
Thank you Roger for sharing your wonderful stories with all of us!
Michael
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FRIEND, ENEMY AND FAMILY
By Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
Harold, known as "The Jumper" by his old paratrooper buddies from WW II;
and his wife, June, had left their home in Louisiana. They were
traveling to Germany to look up some long lost relatives, which June had
discovered after joining a genealogy chatroom on the Internet.
"The air feels and smells good this time around" said Harold as he and
his wife disembarked from the airplane, which had just landed in Berlin.
That same air had been somewhat bitter the last time he and his army
buddies had driven down these same streets, in an old army jeep. The
first time, he and his buddies had weapons in hand. This now seemed, to
Harold, to be many lifetimes ago.
After checking into the hotel, Harold and June got a bite to eat and
then returned to their hotel. It was there they laid out all their files
and genealogy papers on the bed and were deciding where to start their
search the next morning. "Schultz would be the most common name to start
with" said Harold.
"I think Clause R. Shultz is from my mother's side of the family,
somewhere," said June as she placed the paper at the top of the bed.
The next morning, Harold got up early and decided to walk down several
of the streets that he, as a twenty-two year old soldier, had driven
down with his young friends more than fifty years ago. All of a sudden
Harold stopped dead in his tracks. "My God! That's the house," said
Harold to himself as he stared in amazement. "I cannot believe that it
is still there" he thought to himself.
In the heat of battle Harold and his buddies had captured a wounded
German soldier and were taking him back to the headquarters building.
The soldier asked them if they might consider stopping for just a moment
when they passed his mother's house just up ahead. The same house that
Harold now stood before. They stopped the jeep in front of the small
white house, and Harold walked up and knocked on the front door. An old,
frail-looking, white-haired woman peeked out through the small crack as
she slightly opened the door.
"American" shouted Harold to the old woman. "No American here. No
American," said the woman shaking her head back and forth. "Momma" yelled
the young German soldier. The woman opened the door and ran toward the
jeep. The Americans raised their weapons and stood silently. The old
woman ran over and hugged the wounded soldier and started to cry.
"Please don't kill my boy. He is a good boy," she cried out.
Harold walked over and pushed several of the weapons, that were still
being pointed at the old woman, to the side. "Your boy will be OK" said
Harold as he placed his arm on her shoulders, pulling her away from her
son. "We have to go now" he told her. Several hours later, the prisoner
had been delivered to headquarters. Harold and his squad headed back
into battle.
Harold nervously, and slowly walked up to the front door of the house
and he knocked. The door opened and a young girl stood before him.
"Excuse me. Is you Mother or Father home?" he asked. "My Grandma is here
said the young girl. Just at that moment an older woman appeared at the
door and smiled.
"Excuse me ma'am. I'm looking for a gentleman that lived here many years
ago. He was a soldier in the German Army and he was wounded in the
shoulder and neck. Would you have any idea who he might be?" asked
Harold.
"Yes," said the woman. "That is my husband and he is the minister of the
church just down the street," she told him. He thanked her and headed off
down the street to find the church. "Sure glad we didn't have to shoot
this guy, him turning out to be a preacher and all," thought Harold.
As he reached the church, Harold opened the large door and entered the
darkened room. He saw no one except the cleaning lady who was wiping
down the pulpit. "Excuse me. Is the minister, or pastor here?" he asked
her. She looked up, said nothing at all and pointed toward a side door,
located at the front of the church.
Harold walked over to the door and reached out to knock. As his closed
fist hit the hard oak door he looked up and saw a small handmade wooden
plaque which read "Clause R. Shultz, Minister."
Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
trampolineone@webtv.net
Send Roger an email and let him know what you thought of this story!
Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. and his wife Judy have been married for five years
and live in Brunswick, Georgia. They have four cocker spaniels (Lady,
Prozac, Precious and Little Bit), a large chow named Cody, as well
as Roger's aquarium with fifteen tiger barbs. Roger loves to fish
(catch and release) on his small fishing boat but rarely went out
the last year or so as he spent most of his time working on his book
"ORPHAN", which hit bookstores in December, as well as working on
child abuse issues, about ten to fifteen hours a day.
You can purchase Roger's book, "ORPHAN"
in major book stores or order from Amazon.com at:
Orphan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580624480/o/qid=975333679/sr=8-1/straighfromthe0a/107-5931457-7011735
If you want to read more of his stories, check out our archives at:
Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com
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If you still don't understand the story above, go back and read the first sentence
of the fourth paragraph. That's the key sentence.
Michael
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REQUESTS:
From: AMMahnke@webtv.net (Angi Mahnke)
My brother-in-law will be having lung surgery on Tuesday, January 30.
Tests have ruled with 80-90% certainty that he does not have lung
cancer, but the doctors and Rick want to be 100% sure. The surgery is
really invasive and brutal and his recovery will be long. Thank you for
your prayers!
Angie
**********
From: pamsmk@juno.com (Pam)
Dear Michael,
I cannot tell you how much your stories, thoughts, & messages touch me
every day. I appreciate what you do for so many of us who look to you to
uplift our spirits. Today I am asking prayers for myself, something I
rarely do. I am in the process of 2 great changes in my life. I have
been roommates with a dear friend who lost her husband a little over a
year ago. This was never meant to be a permanent situation & the time
has come for her to get her life back together - - and for me, too. I
must find an apartment which is close to my job as I depend on either
coworkers or the public transportation system to get back & forth to
work. I need something affordable as well. Also my hours at work have
been changed as of 2/5 & I will work hours that do not coincide with any
of my coworkers. I am trying not to worry about this as I know God will
provide, but I am still nervous. Thank you for your prayers & God bless
you!
Pam Mkhaimer
St. Petersburg, Fl.
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Thought For The Day:
"The worst moment for an atheist is when he is really thankful and has
nobody to thank."
Verse for the Day:
"Only a fool would say to himself, There is no God." --Psalm 53:1a
Kid's Thought For The Day:
Like one little boy said, referring to his mother: "When she starts to act real
weird, you have to look scared and serious. Don't giggle. When
mommies are mad, they get madder when you giggle."
Parent's Thought For The Day:
"Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope
outlives them all." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
Coach's Thought For The Day:
"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"Ever notice that your dog gets mad at you when you blow on his ear, but when
you get in the car he wants to stick his head out of the window?"
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_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com
/_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
\_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
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