It was during this time that Brian and Justin slowly drifted apart. Except for the annual Christmas card, occasional e-mail or text message, they’d all but lost contact with each other. But after Justin informed Brian that he was going to be a first-time father, they’d communicated fairly regularly ever since.
Growing up, they were completely inseparable. But it wasn’t just the two of them. They were part of a trio. The other third was Craig Rubin. It was rare when the three of them weren’t seen together as youngsters doing the many things kids did, from mischievous to good old-fashioned fun.
This weekend would be no exception. Craig Rubin would also be traveling to Michigan, but not until after the football game. After all, Brian only had two tickets. But as fate would have it, the New York Jets—their favorite NFL team growing up—would be in town to play the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Brian had three tickets for that game.
But Justin couldn’t see past the Michigan-Ohio State game. As long as he could remember, he always wanted to see a game from inside Michigan Stadium. The very thought of it elevated his excitement even higher.
Schroeder was a tall and lanky man. At 6'4" he had a long, narrow frame which supported long sinewy arms and even longer legs. His face was long and thin. He had big brown eyes, a long thin nose and wavy blond hair. Blessed at birth with a sturdy athletic build, Justin wasn’t very athletic. He wore thin, wire-framed glasses. According to his wife, Heather, they helped magnify his already magnificent features all the more.
While the coffee was brewing, Schroeder double-checked his itinerary to make sure everything was in order. He still couldn’t believe he was taking this trip. He thought back to the day he jokingly told Brian Mulrooney that if he ever got tickets to a Michigan football game, he’d be on the first plane out. He never dreamed it would be this soon, or for a game of this magnitude!
From his home in Colorado Springs, Justin could almost feel the frenzy still building in Michigan. Nevertheless, he managed to keep his enthusiasm in check. Though excited about the football game, he had something of vital importance to share with Brian and his family and friends back East. As exciting as the big game promised to be, it couldn’t compare to Schroeder’s unshakable faith in God.
When Schroeder was a junior in college, he was invited by one of his fraternity brothers to attend an off-campus Bible study in Boulder, Colorado. At first, he declined. He declined on several occasions, in fact, claiming he had too much studying to do and couldn’t break away for ten minutes, let alone for an entire evening. His fraternity brother persisted until Justin finally caved in.
Schroeder tried talking himself out of it a million times up to the very last minute. Unable to come up with a viable excuse, he finally threw in the towel. Besides, he was promised a good meal if he went. For many college students, a nutritious meal was a rarity to be sure.
If for only that reason, he decided to go. At the very least, he remembered thinking back then that attending would finally get his fraternity brother off his back. Hopefully for good!
The Bible study was held at the home of a prominent Boulder businessman. Schroeder was instantly impressed by the quality of the people in attendance that evening. Black people, White people Hispanics, Asians, Indians, athletes, cheerleaders, class nerds, alumni, coaches, local businessmen and women, and even a professor from the university all came together as one.
Nowhere was there a class nerd being bullied by a jock. Nowhere was there a cheerleader looking down on the other women as if from a lesser breed. Professors didn’t try outsmarting everyone else. Coaches weren’t too demanding. Businessmen and women weren’t trying to sell their goods to everyone else. Everyone appeared to be on the same level.
The positive energy flowing that night was truly remarkable. Positive energy was all Justin could call it at the time. Now he knew it was the Holy Spirit at work. He also knew his initial reluctance to attend that night was Satan working behind the scenes doing all he could to prevent him from going.
Thankfully God had allowed him to overcome the Master Deceiver’s powerful lure.
It had literally saved his soul.
Justin remembered asking himself that night if the genuineness was real or just some ploy to try to win him over. In time, he came to realize what he experienced was so real, it got to where he scheduled his entire week around those gatherings. The more he went the more friends he made; friends he knew he could count on and trust with his very life.
As the weeks passed, he started feeling better about himself and about life in general. The more his faith in God blossomed, the more his old, bad habits started fading away.
It was amazing how he no longer had the desire to drink alcohol or smoke that occasional cigar like he did in the past. Justin was quickly losing interest in partying altogether. He was slowly but surely becoming a changed man for the better.
The greatest thing to happen at those meetings, aside from becoming a Christ follower, was meeting Heather Hartman. The moment Justin laid eyes on her, his heart skipped a couple of beats. They both started attending the Bible study at the same time; give or take a week. They hit it off immediately.
The only deterrent for Heather Hartman was that she was a Christ follower for much of her life, and Justin wasn’t. Because of this, she did all she could to suppress her growing feelings for Justin. She didn’t want to be what the Bible called “unequally yoked” with an unbeliever.
Reading the Gospels in bed one cold October evening, Schroeder felt the strong pull of the Holy Spirit convicting him of his sins. With his spiritual eyes and ears opened, the repentant man dropped to his knees and asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior.
Once he informed Heather of his conversion to Christianity, she finally admitted it was love at first sight for her as well. It was then that Schroeder’s stock went way up with her parents.
Four years later, the young couple were married. Justin graduated college with excellent grades. He fielded many lucrative offers from engineering outfits coast to coast, including a very attractive offer back in New York City, nearly thirty grand a year more than the others.
In the end, Schroeder ended up choosing a local engineering company in Colorado Springs. But it was more than just his deep love for Heather that kept him from pursuing offers outside of the Centennial State. The simple-truth was that Justin felt so much more at home in 15 years in Colorado than he did in 18 years in New York City. He was connected to a vast network of believers, and no amount of money could pull him away from that.
Yes, Justin Schroeder was proud to call Colorado his home. At 33 years of age, he had a beautiful wife and home, a child on the way, and a faith in God that was so strong he was willing to share it with anyone. Well, almost anyone. Anyone except his family and friends back home. If he did, they’d think the Rocky Mountain air had shaken a few rocks loose in his head.
Oh, how he wanted to share the Gospel with his loved ones back in New York! He was still waiting for the right approach. Hopefully the ice would break this weekend. Lord willing…
Pastor Jacob Monroe from his church in Colorado Springs kept reminding him above all to be patient. And loving. “The salvation God offers through His Son, Christ Jesus, is one-hundred percent Grace, one-hundred percent Gift, one-hundred percent God! And it happens in God’s perfect timing, not ours!”
Justin had heard so many from his church proclaim it was their loving patience for their unsaved loved ones, along with constant prayer, that was paramount to winning them to Christ Jesus. Each time they tried force-feeding their beliefs down a loved one’s throat, it was usually countered with skepticism and sarcasm.
“If you wanna be brainwashed by some religious kook, that’s on you. But don’t try it on me,” was one thing Justin remembered hearing from a fellow churchgoer
after coming on a little too strongly with an unbelieving family member.
Another was, “Keep your newly-found religious beliefs away from my sound, traditional doctrine!”
With these thoughts constantly ringing in his head, Justin remained patient. But being a Christ follower for more than twelve years now, how much more patient could he be? He believed time was slipping away with great rapidity, that the end of the world as Earth’s inhabitants knew it was near.
How could he not when the signs were all around him?
Schroeder didn’t want death to devour any of his unsaved loved ones before they finally learned the Truth, that Jesus—and only Jesus—was the Way, the Truth and the Life. They needed to know salvation came through Him and no one else.
If they learned this eternal Truth upon dying, it would be too late...
4
MOVING EVER SO SLOWLY on Route 14 eastbound, windshield wipers intermittently wiping freezing rain from the windshield, Brian Mulrooney looked out at the landscape—the leafless trees, gray skies and cold weather.
Now, this is football weather!
Mulrooney reached for his mobile device. When life got too hectic, he tended to be forgetful. Tapping his finger on the record button on his phone screen, he spoke, “Pick up case of beer before heading to the airport…Justin lands at eight fifty-one...United flight seven-six-five...Weather Channel says possibility of snow in Denver…Perhaps four inches...Might be a delay…Sure hope not.”
Brian stopped recording.
Justin Schroeder was scheduled to leave Colorado Springs at 2:45 p.m. MST and connect through Denver. He would leave Denver at 4:15 p.m.—6:15 p.m. Detroit time—but Brian didn’t record that much. All he needed to know and was hoping for, was that Justin’s flight would take off on time, and that it would arrive in Detroit at 8:51 p.m. EST.
With so many check-ins and banquets scheduled at the hotel, three of which were alumni gatherings, Mulrooney knew he wouldn’t leave work until 7:30 p.m. at the earliest. He would monitor Justin’s flight from his PC at work to make sure his plane left Denver on time. If so, there was a pretty good chance his friend would land in Detroit on time, or shortly thereafter.
Once he arrived, they would have a beer or two back at Brian’s apartment, before venturing out into the Ann Arbor nightlife. They would party hard tonight, just like old times. The only difference was geography. It wasn’t New York City, but partying was partying regardless of location.
All bars and restaurants would be packed with crazed college football fans. South University Avenue and State Street would be full of people wearing maize and blue colors for Michigan and scarlet and gray colors for Ohio State.
There was even a midnight rally and bonfire planned.
After that, bar-hopping would fill the remainder of the evening.
Hopefully they would get a few hours of sleep before attending the pre-game festivities in the morning. If they wanted breakfast, they’d need to leave the apartment at 8:30 a.m. It wouldn’t be the first time they staggered into a restaurant with the stale taste of beer on their breath. They would tough it out like they’d done so many times in the past. No pain, no gain!
Besides, Brian would officially be on vacation after his shift and would have plenty of time to recuperate before going back to work next Saturday.
When he and Schroeder got together, sleep was rarely an option. But that was then...
Mulrooney arrived at work with only a minute to spare. It was another close call. What once took 20 minutes to drive now took nearly an hour.
Walking to his office, Brian couldn’t help but notice the envious looks from some of his co-workers. Everyone wanted to go to the football game, but there were only so many tickets to go around. And he just happened to have two of them.
As far as he knew, he was the only employee lucky enough to have tickets for the game.
Some took it well. Others didn’t.
Mulrooney didn’t take it personally. I won the contest fair and square!
With that, he greeted everyone and began his day...
5
JUSTIN SCHROEDER POURED HIMSELF a cup of coffee, grabbed his Bible off the living room coffee table and went outside. The front porch was his favorite place to read the Word of God.
Schroeder sat on a padded, wicker love seat and wrapped a black and red checkered, flannel blanket around him for added warmth. The cold air felt good on his face.
Pikes Peak loomed large in the distance, snow-capped for the first time since early summer. Situated twelve miles southwest of downtown Colorado Springs, the majestic National Historic Landmark towered 8,000 feet above the city. It was a breathtaking view—one the Schroeders never took for granted. It was one of the key selling points for them.
Schroeder sipped his coffee and watched the snow falling from the Colorado sky, landing peacefully on trees, fences, cars and rooftops. Evergreens and cedars, especially, looked spectacular as they struggled to support the weight of the snow resting on their many limbs and branches.
It was picture perfect, especially this early in the morning.
But in no way was Schroeder fooled by his peaceful surroundings.
Fascinated with Bible prophecy, each time he read the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, he was convinced Jesus was talking about the times in which he was living. There were too many parallels to simply ignore it. Jesus talked about wars, and rumors of wars, plagues, earthquakes and famine. Jesus said all these signs would be the beginning of birth pains.
Like the rest of the world, Schroeder was ever mindful of the many wars being waged in the world. It seemed every couple of months or so a new war broke out. Never in recorded history had there been so much conflict going on simultaneously. Even scarier were the new rules of engagement. Nothing was out of bounds anymore, including women and children. And the weaponry used today was nothing short of horrific!
As a result, troops worldwide were low in numbers and even lower in morale.
According to Jesus, it would only get worse.
Jesus also talked about pestilence and plagues, both of which were on the vast increase. More than 50 new diseases had sprung up worldwide over the past 20 years, most of which were spawned from animals—cattle, monkeys, pigs, birds and mosquitoes, topping the list. Some diseases still had no cure. Nor were scientists close to finding a remedy.
Then there were the old diseases which had all but been alleviated back in the twentieth century; some were coming back with a vengeance. In some cases, penicillin, along with many other cures which once helped neutralize and prevent the further spreading of various diseases were no longer effective. Many had mutated and adapted to the supposed cures. It was becoming an epidemic.
Just last Sunday, Pastor Monroe explained to the congregation what Jesus meant by birth pains, “Like birth pains, which come slowly at first, so, too, will come the earthquakes, wars, famines and plagues Jesus warned about. Much like a woman in labor, once the birth pains begin, they’ll increase in intensity and rapidity until the baby is born. Or in this case, until Jesus returns to Planet Earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom.”
It was a frightening thought, to be sure.
Justin was fully convinced what was happening in the world was the increase of birth pains Jesus spoke of. Millions of other Christians also believed they were living in the end times, including his wife, Heather.
The challenge was in getting those who weren’t followers of Jesus to believe it. Why wasn’t it crystal clear to them as well?
Schroeder knew the answer. They were spiritually blinded, just like he used to be, which meant the last thing they wanted was to draw close to the Most High God.
Justin understood how they felt. Prior to becoming a Chri
stian, he always considered himself to be a pretty good guy. A little wild at times, but all in all, a pretty good guy.
If anyone asked if he was a sinner back then, he would have said, “Sure, I’ve done bad things. But I never robbed a bank and I never killed anyone. I’ve helped lots of people. Even donated and raised money for good causes. The good things I’ve done far outweigh the bad. God will let me into Heaven when I die!”
Now he knew better. Being a good guy and not killing anyone were good and decent traits. But good and decent traits couldn’t atone for one’s sins. Only Jesus could!
“Thank You, Father, for opening my spiritual eyes,” Schroeder mumbled skyward, deeply moved by how much Jesus loved him, a wretched sinner. He often wondered, who am I that the King of kings and Lord of lords would die for me?
Justin felt so undeserving, so unworthy, especially knowing he could never repay his Maker for the wonderful soul-saving Gift he received back in college. But the true miracle of Christianity was that he didn’t have to pay Jesus back. It all came down to God’s saving grace and forgiveness. Nothing more. Now, if I can only get my unsaved loved ones to believe it for themselves...
“Good morning, honey!”
Justin watched his wife wobble out the front door. Heather was five-months pregnant and really starting to show. She looked beautiful as ever. She plopped down next to her husband, kissed him on the cheek and stole a sip of his now lukewarm coffee.
“Excited?”
A smile broke across his face. “Could hardly sleep last night.”
“Finished packing?”
“Just about.”
Heather looked out at the snow. “Think you’ll get out on time?”
“Hope so. A couple inches shouldn’t affect my flight.” Justin searched his wife’s eyes, “Are you sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone?”
Chaos in the Blink of an Eye Page 3