Emotionally Bulletproof--Scott's Story (Book 1)

by David Allen

  “I told him I have to buy a bunch of new tools to finish this job and I’m already behind schedule and now down a man. God, you say you care in your word. Do you really? I have a wife to take care of, and I’m struggling. So I’m going to claim your promise. Tim gave it to me.

  “Trust in him at all times, ye people, Pour out your heart before him. God is your refuge. Psalm 62:8.

  Tim also said I could borrow his tools so I could finish this job without going in debt. He said he trusted me, and that I needed to trust you to provide, but that you often work through people. He said he’d help me on his day off if I needed him to.”

  The journal entry ended abruptly at the end of the page. Laura looked up. “Did he ever tell you about that?”

  “No, he didn’t.” Scott shook his head, “I remember my uncle as always being a successful guy. I had no idea that ever happened.” He leaned back. “Of course that was a year before I started working for him, 1984 was the date entry, right? A lot changed since then.”

  Laura leaned forward and turned a couple more pages. “His next entry isn’t until July 27.” Her finger followed the line. “You want me to read it?” Scott nodded.

  “July 27, 1984 – Dear God, I haven’t written here for a while, I have been so busy, but good busy. Thank you so much for helping me get this job done. I finished the framing on Happy Lane with Tim’s tools, you know, and I just got my final check. $600. I think I can afford to get more tools now.

  “You and Tim helped me finish right before the deadline. Thank you for coming through just like Tim said you would. [Of course he helped me frame too!]

  “God, I know you know my thoughts, but I want to tell you, since Tim said I should even if you already knew, he said it would help me. So here’s what I’ve been thinking. Tim’s been talking about trust an awful lot lately. He said the reason I was struggling with my relationship with you was because of my view of you. That’s because of how my dad never cared for me. Tim says I have colored glasses on that say you don’t care for me either, since you’re my father, too. He said I needed to take off those glasses and smash them up, so that I can see the truth – that you really do have my best interest at heart. It makes me want to be close to you. Strange, because I hate being around my dad.

  “I feel like you have a purpose for my life, but I don’t know what it is. I’m going to start my own business now. “Honey, Do Less” finish carpentry and custom home remodeling. Tim says I’ll do well as long as I follow the principles of trust. And he’s given me a boost getting it started too. He says he wants me to know that you care about me in a real tangible way, and you’re working through him to do that. Tim says one of the fundamental principles of trust is getting the job done. I guess it’s in the Bible. He said this guy saw this starving, cold, naked guy in the street, and said, ‘God bless you, be fed, warmed and clothed and depart in peace.’ Then turned and walked away without doing anything, leaving the guy the same way he met him. Tim says God isn’t like that – he gets the job done. He doesn’t just make promises he can’t keep. So, to have people trust in my business, I have to get the job done for them too.”

  Laura folded the book over as the journal entry ended. She noticed Scott’s eyes were a little moist. She reached across the table hesitantly and set her hand on top of his. He didn’t move away. She squeezed. “You okay, Scott?”

  Scott felt his heart do several extra beats when Laura’s hand touched his. He had sat listening as she read. The words took him back, and the memory of his uncle and what Matthew had taught him before he had died made him feel like crying. It felt good to have this beautiful woman here with him, and she had just squeezed his hand.

  Just then an image of a different girl splashed through his mind. Janet. Instantly Scott’s arm tightened, and he unconsciously

  jerked his hand away from Laura ever so slightly. She noticed and let go of his hand. “I just noticed you were moved by the journal. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine, just to hear my uncle, and what he tried to teach me. Brings back feelings.” Scott swallowed. “Thanks for reading, I appreciate it.”

  Laura set the journal down. “Why don’t we read more later. Let’s eat our food and talk about something else for a while.”

  Scott hadn’t even noticed that two baskets of fries and burgers had arrived. He had been too involved in the story to notice the waitress.

  Laura took a bite of her burger. “You know, reading that journal made me think.” She wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “I guess this might be weird to say.” She looked at Scott. “But one of the reasons I’m divorced is because my ex-husband never got the job done. He’d say he was going to do something, and he would never do it. He was fi red from almost every job he took. You couldn’t depend on him.” She picked a French fry. “I soon realized I couldn’t trust him with anything.” She stopped. “I won’t bore you with my drama, though.”

  “No, no, you’re not boring me. I’m interested,” Scott responded.

  Laura looked up doubtfully. “Well, I’m a nurse now, because when I got divorced, I needed a good job, so I went to night school. I guess you could say desperation made me really good at getting the job done.” She stared into her glass and twirled the ice cubes with her straw. “Those where some tough days.”

  The next hour passed quickly. Laura told Scott about life in Idaho a little and Scott told her about Alaska.

  Before they knew it, lunch was over, and Scott was paying the bill. He was quiet on the way back. He seemed to be in the midst of troubled thoughts about what Laura had read. She sensed it and couldn’t help but think about it herself.

  “So, thanks for the ride and going to lunch with me,” Scott said. “I have your number and you have mine. We’ll have to hang out again soon.” He stood outside of his Uncle John’s house, leaning in the truck’s window.

  “Okay,” Laura replied. “I had fun too.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Scott noticed his aunt’s car was parked in the driveway as he closed the gate behind him. It looked like he wasn’t alone. He knocked, then opened the front door.

  “Hi, Scott, you were gone a while. What did the doctor say about your foot?” Ruth was arranging the pillows on the couch.

  “It didn’t take hardly any time at all, actually.” Scott reached into his pocket and held up the small bottle. “The doctor gave me this ointment to put on every day. I wasn’t at the doctor’s for more then ten minutes. It was great.” Ruth looked up, puzzled. “Oh I went out to lunch with Laura. We drove off base and went to Dina’s diner,” Scott explained. “Have you been there before? They have great burgers.”

  “Actually, I never have. I should take John there sometime,” she responded. “We don’t leave the base all that often. John’s work keeps us pretty busy here. It’s funny how we live on a tropical island, but we don’t hardly get out to do things enough.” Ruth laughed. “You’ll be hungry for dinner though, won’t you?” she asked. “I’m cooking up some tacos.”

  Scott could smell the aroma of spicy meat and cilantro drifting from the kitchen. “Smells good. I’ll be hungry.” He sat and took his shoes off. “We actually talked for quite a while after we ate, so I’m already working on a dinner appetite.”

  “Oh,” Ruth said. “So you enjoyed your time with Laura?”

  “Yep, actually, I did.” He set his shoes on the rug and walked into the living room. “We read in a journal Uncle John gave me yesterday, and talked about Alaska and stuff. She’s a really cool girl.”

  “I see.” Ruth was back in the kitchen, stirring peppers on a sizzling pan. Scott stood watching her for a second.

  “I’m going to go to my room and read for a while. If there’s not anything you need help with,” he said.

  “Oh sure.” She looked up from where she was now chopping an onion. “I’ll call for you when John gets home and dinner is ready.” She smiled. “Enjoy your reading.”

  Scott went into his room and closed the d
oor. Flopping out on the bed, he lay thinking about talking with Laura, and Matthew’s journal. Time for his mind to catch up.

  “I won’t read now,” he decided.

  A few minutes later, John arrived home from the office. He walked into the house and greeted Ruth with a hug and a small kiss.

  “I’m still cooking dinner, so why don’t you come talk with me in the kitchen?” Ruth said.

  “Smells good, don’t mind if I do,” he responded.

  John sat on a barstool while Ruth talked. “Scott didn’t get home until just 15 minutes ago. He’s in his room reading now.”

  “Oh really?” John began to sit up alarmed. “ Is it serious? The doctor kept him that long?”

  “Oh, no, ” Ruth held up her paring knife. “He was out talking with Laura at Dina’s diner. His foot is healing fine, he told me.”

  “That’s good.” John relaxed. “So he’s hitting it off well with Laura, then.” He picked up a chunk of cheese and popped it in his mouth.

  “Yes, he is, and I’m happy about that.” Ruth lifted her eyebrows. “But, I’m a little worried, too. I hope I didn’t help start something that he can’t handle. I don’t know if Scott’s ready for a relationship.”

  “Well, I guess we can’t worry about it too much. He’s twenty-one,” John observed. “If Scott learns what I hope he learns from his uncle’s journal, I think he’ll do okay with her.”

  Ruth pulled the taco shells from the oven and set them on the bar. “I hope so, dear. Can you go call Scott? The tacos are ready.”

  Dinner was a pleasant affair. Informal and tasty. Scott wasn’t very hungry, but he couldn’t help but eat three tacos, despite himself. His aunt knew how to cook. The bar was lined with all the ingredients and they sat on stools in the kitchen talking.

  Scott told his uncle what the doctor had said, and a little bit about going to lunch with Laura. He didn’t tell that they had read the journal together, though.

  John was making another taco, piling sour cream and green sauce onto the top. “That’s the thing with tacos,” he said. “They don’t make the shells big enough for all the good stuff Ruth makes for them. So there’s a guy I was talking to in my office today. An Air Force mechanic. I won’t tell you his name, just because as a chaplain we maintain confidentiality.” John set his taco on his plate and swung his bar stool to face Scott.

  “The guy reminded me of myself when I was younger, actually.” John’s eyes looked reminiscent. “He told me how he was searching for truth, but he didn’t know where to look.” John took a bite of his taco. “And of course he has some personal issues since he turned his back on God’s principles. It took him a while to admit that though.” John chuckled.

  “Integrity is very important, I wish I could better show these young guys how keeping it would remove so many heartaches.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Have you started reading your uncle’s journal yet?” He looked at Scott, who nodded.

  “Just a little bit. I read about him having his tools stolen, and a few other things.”

  “Well, if you keep reading, and carefully too, you’ll learn three principles about trust. They can change your life if you follow them. I’m not gonna tell you what they are, though.” He raised his hand. “You gotta find them yourself.” He crunched on the last of his taco and stood and walked to the sink, carrying his plate. “When you’ve found them, why don’t you come tell me, and we’ll see what we can learn from each other?” John rinsed his plate and set it in the dish rack. “Great tacos, honey. Why don’t I start on these dishes, and we can all go and play some dominoes after dinner is done?”

  *****

  After playing a couple of runs of “Mexican train” with John and Ruth, Scott politely excused himself. “I’m going to see if I can find those principles of trust you where talking about, Uncle John. I bet I can find them before the night’s over.” Scott stood from the table.

  “Tell me when you find them.” John chuckled. “But don’t stress about it, they’ll come if you just let the journal flow.”

  Back in his room, Scott shut the door and lay out on the bed, propped himself on his elbows, and took a deep breath. Time to really get into this thing.

  He flipped the journal open and flicked past the first pages.

  August 10, 1987, was the next entry.

  I finally started my own business, I don’t know what to expect, but I’m excited. I got a contract to do framing with some guys in Anchorage working on new construction. Will see how things go. Got to get some sleep it’s getting late.

  The line ended abruptly. I wonder when I come into this picture? Scott thought. It was at the end of that summer his uncle had first hired Scott to work for him.

  Scott thought back. He had been bumming around home that August, irritated with his dad who was always trying to analyze and teach him. His dad had been critical of his brother-in-law, telling Scott how he didn’t have it together. He claimed that he, the psychotherapist, could have fixed all the problems of his brother-in-law if he only listened to him and not Timothy. It was the same thing he told Scott, so the fact that his dad didn’t approve of Matthew only increased Scott’s admiration for him.

  His uncle had started his business that summer and he offered Scott a job towards the end of that August.

  Scott turned the page. It was like he was re-viewing the whole thing through his uncle’s eyes now.

  August 29,1987 – My brother-in-law, Robert, has never approved of me. I think that he doesn’t agree with my new Christian beliefs and thinks I’m too simple. Can’t help that much. I met his family the other day. He and his oldest son, Phillip, seem a lot alike. He’s grooming Phillip to go to college and work with him in his practice. His wife seems reserved and didn’t show too much personality. She seems to just agree with whatever her husband said, They have a younger son, but he’s different. His name’s Scott. I can’t help but like the guy. He’s the underdog, and his dad is always on him, but he still seems to have a spark in him—

  August 30,1987—Today I asked Scott if he wanted to work with me. He said he wanted to get away from his house and earn some money, so we agreed. So, now I have my first “Employee.” And he’s my brother-in-law’s son! At first I didn’t think Robert would let him, but he shrugged his shoulders, and said it would be “better then having him around there.” On to other things. My wife and I found a “new” place to rent in Anchorage. So we are getting more settled. Tim says I have a good opportunity, working with my nephew. That I can make a big difference in his life too.

  Scott bent forward, his eyes focusing on the page.

  —Scott’s 15. He seems to be a very angry young man, though he probably thinks he hides it very well. I suppose as long as I don’t push his buttons like his dad does, he’ll be a good employee. I think he has a lot of potential.

  Reading about these events put Scott into a dark place emotionally. He didn’t see how this would give him the principles of trust. But he wanted to answer his uncle’s challenge, so he continued reading.

  September 1, 1987. Brrr. It sure is getting cold, but the work is good. I was worried that I couldn’t find any, because Alaska is just coming out of an economic crash, but Tim has given me recommendations so I have not suffered from it.

  September 19, 1987. My wife and I have had some disagreements. She is angry at me for working so much, and thinks I don’t listen to her. I don’t know what to do. I do listen, but I don’t think she notices. If I don’t work, I can’t pay the bills. I do love her dearly though.

  Hopefully I won’t have to work so much soon, life is getting more routine, and Scott is becoming a big help. I taught him how to frame and he’s an iron man. I like being able to pay him big bonuses, like I just did. He helped me get a job done almost a week early. I’m glad he’s going back to school for his sake, but for mine I’ll miss the guy. He’s fun to be around.