Last evening my teen-aged granddaughter and friends came in to watch a movie. I hadn't seen it, to be honest, never wanted to, but with one eye on the TV, another on the stove and the kitchen floor, which needed mopping, I got interested in it, I Walk The Line, the story of Johnny Cash. He was treated horribly by his dad. When his brother died, the dad, with young Johnny listening, cried out, angrily, "God took the wrong son!" Seeing that one scene made me understand the darkness in his soul and the need, on down the road, for drugs and alcohol. The reason this is important is the song I had on my mind since early this morning. It is special to me because of the person who played the piano and sang it often, back in the day, you know who you are, and is "I Saw A Man". I didn't know that it was written by Mr. Cash until I Googled it to find the lyrics, wow. This piece is dedicated to the person who sang this, through his own broken heart, and I wonder if he reached into his dreams seeking "the Man", the man who would love and respect him for who he was, who would take up for him when he was abused, who would offer the helping hand of encouragement in a time of need. This person who wrote great short stories, poems, played piano, and made all A's in school, all without the love and approval of that one person he needed it from most, yet, he beat the odds, he is a very respected person in his community. There was another man that saw a man on the road to Damascus, and it changed his life. This was a man educated in the finest manner who sat at the feet of Gamaiel, a respected teacher in that day, a Pharisee of the highest standing, he was "serving God" by persecuting those of "the Way". Dragging them out of their houses and to their death, because they were following Jesus. He stood and watched as Stephen, the evangelist, was stoned to death. Paul gave his testamony to everyone. Recorded in the book of Acts, this account is found in 22:6-10 “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.“And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me. “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told every thing you are to do.’  Paul became the great Apostle, the writer of the greater part of our New Testament and died as a martyr for the very One he had so ardently persecuted. I have spoken of three men, a tortured songwriter, a persecuted young man, and a persecutor, what is the common thread? They all saw "the Man", and He gave them each the chance to become something better than they could have imagined, whether recognized by their peers or not. Jesus can make the difference in your life, if you will just really see Him, for yourself. I can't talk you into it, you have to want to see Him and want the change that only He can bring into your life. A few words from the song: "Last night I dreamed an angel came he took my hand, he called my name, he bid me look the other way, I saw a man, I heard Him say, He said if I be lifted up I'll draw all men to me,He turned and then I saw the nail scarred hand that bled for me, I touched the hem of His garment that fell round him there, my life, my heart I gave, my soul was in His care."  Seek to find, and see the Man, He gave His life, for yours. Be blessed, feel the love.  harolene@att.net