My California Trip

January 26, 2025
 
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius
My friend is dying of a debilitating lung disease. He lives in Simi Valley, California. So, recently, Armona and I flew out there to see he and his wife.

Understand that his disease has confined him to bed and he is pretty immobile. Not only that, he is on oxygen 24/7. He’s able to talk and we had a wonderful visit about times gone by, family, and best of all, God.

As we flew out there, this was my thought. “What if there’s an earthquake while we are there?” Day one, was uneventful…until evening. No earthquake, but the Santa Ana wind began to blow and like the wolf in the three little pigs fairy tale, I thought it would blow the house down. The next morning, we awoke to the news of the terrible fire storm only miles away. Unimaginable! But to continue, the electric company shut off the electricity. By God’s grace, my friend had a generator to run his oxygen machine. Off to the gas station we went for gas to fire up the generator. Try to find a gas station at night when there is no electricity. Then, once procured, we’re up at 3:00 AM to fill the generator. There’s a whole memorable story about that experience without electricity. But one of my funniest lines—according to Armona—was saying to my friend, “If I had to spend 4 miserable days with someone, I’m glad it was you!”

My friend is a collector of antique bullet pencils. If you don’t know what they are, they are a pencil that looks like a bullet. Every farmer used to carry them in their bib overalls. So, on the last night that we were together, my friend said, “Take a couple of these bullet pencils to remember me.” I put two in my jacket and hugged him with a “Love you and see you later.” (I never say good-bye.) Then….I cried.

Now we’re at the airport. TSA scans my jacket, which is in a bucket. Instead of it coming through, as did our other carry-on items, ZING, my jacket is whisked away to the other side of the security area. I knew right away, I was in trouble. The TSA guy searched my coat and pulled out what he thought were bullets, I texted my friend this message. “O.K.---the bullet pencils got me pulled over at TSA. The officer had never seen a bullet pencil before. I said, ‘I hadn’t either but my friend gave them to me.’ The police should be at your house soon.” 😊

Here's my advice, don’t take a bullet pencil to the airport and always say, “See you later when leaving a dying friend.” I know, I’ll see my friend again at the throne of Jesus.

See you later….
Pastor Allan
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