Roger and Me

For clarification, because some of you have asked: Roger is a character from my novel Fast Asleep. Therefore, although he is close to me, he is fictional! Sorry for the confusion...

ME: “I’m here this afternoon with Roger Connors and he has reluctantly agreed to an interview with me. (Laughter in background) Roger is an old friend from the small town we both call home and he went through a bad scrape a little while back. Roger, first off, it’s good to have you here in my blog and I appreciate you coming by today.”

ROGER: “No problem, Shannon. It’s great to be here from my end as well. Thanks for having me.”

ME: “Well, first off, let’s get down to business, shall we? (Roger nods) “Tell me about this big turn-around in your life over the past few months.”

ROGER: “There’s not a lot to it, at least not insofar as it was something that I myself did on my own. I was always a Christian and was raised in church and stuff. I guess after my wife passed away I - how do I say this? I lost my faith a little bit.”

ME: “So you are saying that you were lost again?”

ROGER: “No, that ain’t true. I was saved all along even though I wasn’t exactly living it. I just kind of stopped caring about anything but work and my dog. You know, dropped out of the social scene and definitely didn’t go to church anymore. (Pauses) Oh, and I had a little bout with the bottle going on there, if you know what I mean. Some would say I was in a shell, but it was more like sleep-walking through my life. Yeah. That’s it. But I was never, how did you put it - lost. I believe that once you have the Savior in your heart you can’t lose him. If that was the case we’d all have to get saved daily. It makes no sense to me otherwise.”

ME: “I like the way you put it, Roger. So what brought you back from that place you found yourself in?”

ROGER: (Smiles broadly) “Well, let me tell you. I had a weird summer, unlike any I’d ever seen in my life, or lived through, at least. Let’s see, I lost my job, made a new friend, got involved with some scientific folks, and met a girl. The main part was meeting the girl, Rikki. She’s very spiritual. I guess I wouldn’t be wrong in saying that it rubbed off on me.” (He laughs and looks out the window as if remembering the summer he was talking about)

ME: “Go on, tell us more.”

ROGER: “Most of the big stuff you wouldn’t believe unless you were there. I thought it was over when I lost my job; I had nothing to do and all day to do it by that point. I met this guy and he hired me to do some work over on his construction site, strange stuff they were doing over there. But even though I knew he was strange we hit it off pretty good. It was through him that I met Rikki and the others. He was a good man, even for a Yankee.” (Laughs again) Me and Rik were getting pretty close by the time the others moved out there and…”

ME: “Moved out where? To the construction site?”

ROGER: “Yeah. They were all about some science and figured it would save the world, what they were working on, or at the very least they would save themselves. Turns out they were wrong, but that’s another story. We, being Rikki and me, ended up stuck underground deep in the earth with no way out. But through our faith we made it. God took care of us. There’s a Bible verse she taught me later when I was in the hospital that fit the bill, it goes, ‘He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.’ I think that’s in Psalms 40 if I’m not mistaken. God did in fact pull us literally out of a pit and now He leads us through each day of our lives together.” (Smiles)

ME: “Sounds like a wonderful story. Roger, my time here is just about up, and I thank you again for coming by. Is there anything else you can tell us?”

ROGER: “Only that when you think all is lost and things aren’t looking so good for you or your life, well, that is when you can depend on God to show up, big-time. But you gotta have faith, my friend. It is all about your faith and trust in Him. You have to let go of what you know and what you think you can or cannot do and realize that He has all the answers and all of the power. This is true, I’ve found, no matter how bleak the situation appears to be.”

ME: “How’s Rikki these days?”

ROGER: “She’s doing good. We both are. I love her and I know she loves me so I can’t ask for anything more in the way of blessings – my cup runneth over! (Smiles again, contagiously) She’s at home with Shockey right now. No telling what they are up to.”

ME: “Thanks again, Roger. You take care of yourself.”

Roger: “You too.”