It is really  dark.  When people are deprived of light, they strive to maintain sanity.  They struggle for hope, for purpose.  

The path Crazy Larry is on ---is not a path of light. It is not a path of hope. There is no light on this path. And the only hope is to go back and find the light. But there is no knowledge of it ---no striving towards something that there is no knowledge of. You can't go towards something if you don't know it's there. Unless, of course, someone else guides you.

They continue to pray for guidance.  But Shannon prays for ---neither the Chief, nor for Crazy Larry.   She prays for neither by that association.   She prays for …not so much who he is, but who he could become.   And she prays for her Dad.  

The only thing that Crazy Larry strives for is to save Stephen. He sees a special kind of light ---the light of Stephen's eyes. And he goes towards that light. He has to save Stephen. What he doesn't know, is that …the task is already done.

     But he doesn't have to know that.   God knows.  And it is He who does the saving.  That is often not clear to many of us, but it needs to be clear. 

Stephen's direction is clear. While on the island, he will keep his mind spiritually and mentally sharp. He will recite aloud the descriptions of our Lord.

The Lord, God, who heals, sanctifies, and provides ---our Creator, our all-sufficient, Lord, and Maker ---our loving Shepherd, who sets the standard through peace and righteousness ---the Almighty, all-knowing, ever-present, immutable God.

The song of praise rings out in Stephen's head:  

                                                                         

El Elyon, El Shaddai

Jehovah-jireh, Adonai,  

Elohim, Jehovah-shammah.                                                  

El Roi, Jehovah-raah, 

Jehovah-saboath-tsidkenu-nissi-shalom, 

          
     Loving Lord, thank you …Jesus, prepare for me a home.  

Prepare a home for Crazy Larry?

     If Crazy Larry survives, will he leave the island a new man?  This island, Missionary Island, as most call it, gives you the knowledge to light the path, leading to God's eternal home.  They have hope that Larry is not as crazy as everyone has made him out to be.  

This is a critical time for Shannon. Will Dad pull out of it?

     She wants to be there for …Dad.   If he should recover, she wants to be there the very moment he pulls out of it.   


 

Shannon's intentions do not gauge her level of exhaustion. When the body wears down, if we don't take care of it, it takes care of itself. But compared to what Dad is going through, she feels she can at least be able to stay awake. Surely she can endure that!

She is wrong!  

She collapses in her chair.  Sleep will no longer be denied its privilege.   It wins over her desire to stay awake.   

Yet her internal struggle spurs on many dreams ---dreams filled with fear. 

     Shannon has no idea what may be going through Dad's head.  Likewise, she can not sense what is about to go through her own.  While awake, we should be able to direct our thoughts and decide which ones to lay claim to.  But while asleep, our honest struggles often reveal themselves in one form or another ...with no attempt to hide, yet nor is there a clear commitment to represent the truth either.  

     Consequently, it may not make any sense at all.  

It is obvious that Shannon is filled with fear. And what preoccupies her waking hours, now dominates her dreams.

     Covering the past, present, and future ---fear is multidimensional.   Much of the past fear originated when Dad disappeared, carrying on through those many weeks ---to the day the belief of his boating death was revealed.  The present fear possesses the most driving force, directing itself away from destination hope.   The hope that Dad will survive is combated by the fear of the possibility that he might not.  

What about the future? If her greatest fear gets swallowed up within her greatest hope, then hope received, should dispel all fear, right?

     No, it is not that easy.  The future contains its own set of fears.  The potential weighs heavy with fear's linking to the past and present.  That makes the future the most complex of all.  And it involves the fear of rejection.  

Shannon's dream carries her to the past.

It had been a large gathering for her birthday.  She had eaten too much cake and was in the bathroom, near her parent's bedroom.  Dad voices his concern to Mom, "I wish Shannon would just call me, Dad.  I hear the way she says Josiah Stephen.  I see the way she pinches his cheeks and kisses him.  If he's so much like me, Josiah Stephen, then how come the bigger version of him is so unhuggable?"  

     Then Shannon's dream carries her to her favorite short story, the book Dad had given her: The Princess and the Poppy.   She and Dad suddenly become the story, as they run down a hillside of delicate orange flowers.   It is not the flowers they gather up.   They gather each other up in each other's arms. 

The past testifies to the future. There shall be no future fears. There is no fear of rejection ---only regret of it.

She had rejected Dad, but she would never have to fear being rejected by him. Dad loves her. And if there be fear of what possible love she may have in return, she can simply dispel that fear by showing her love. 

     But fear makes its final bid.  Up until this point, she has never shown Dad that she loves him. 

     What if he really needs that love ---to help him pull through?     

     What if he needs to know someone is there, to give him hope?     

     What if he is in danger?    

Shannon dreams that she falls asleep by Dad's side. She could have asked someone, anyone, to relieve her. Any number of people would've gladly sat by her Dad's side, to help monitor him …if she would have only asked! But she hadn't asked. And now she hadn't endured. She had fallen asleep.

She had let Dad down, when he needs her the most!  

He is in danger! 

Shannon snaps out of her sleep ---screaming!  

She doesn't understand what she sees.  Crazy Larry has a razor and he is at Dad's throat!    

Crazy Larry puts the razor down, having finished his last stroke in completing the shave. He hadn't quite finished, but he is finished for now, having been startled by having startled Shannon.

Larry explains, "I thought he'd probably look more like your Dad if he had a clean shave."   

Shannon notices that Larry is also cleanly shaven. She also notices Maggie. When Maggie found out that Chief was actually Crazy Larry, she didn't know how to act. Crazy Larry had been responsible for saving the life of the man whom she in turn married. Obviously, Maggie knew Larry better than anyone else, but she now realizes how much a mistake it was to risk the trust that others may not share.

     It was not difficult for Larry to see the whole world as condemned, waiting to face eventual judgment.  And that made it even easier to  accept the salvation message. Larry had spent his entire life being condemned, culminating in the judgment by the gavel that sent him to prison.  He had faced judgment …it had not been rightly considered whether he was innocent or not --- he was doing time.  He knows how it would feel if the judgment would be lifted and he'd never have to go to prison again.   

Crazy Larry not only knew how it'd feel if someone took up his case and saved him ---from having to do any prison time ever again, he also understood very well how he needed saving from the judgment the world will eventually face.   

     The message of salvation was received by Larry the second day after he came out of his coma-like state.  And there was much rejoicing throughout the island.                                                                                                                    
     Most  rejoiced ---except Shannon.  She did not blame him for  what had happened to Dad.  She had prayed a prayer of thanks to God for Larry's recovery ---and also for his acceptance of Jesus as his Savior, God's righteousness for our sins.   But she could not rejoice.  She had other expectations.  Since Dad got his medicine two days after Larry had received his ---Dad should be pulling out of it any time now.    

Maggie spares both Shannon and Larry of any further awkward introductions or explanations, "Sorry, Shannon …I should have waited until you woke up.   I just wanted to surprise you with seeing your Dad  the way he used to look.  Actually, it seems like that's what helped Larry pull out of it.  I had just finished shaving him, and slapped on some aftershave.   I don't know if the slapping helped or not, but Larry said he was aware of the overwhelming smell of aftershave.   Why don't you try it, Shannon?   It can't hurt to try.   We can't just sit here and stare at him all day.   We've got to try something!"  

Larry apologizes, "I'm sorry, Shannon. I should have let Maggie shave him. I didn't mean to scare you. I've done so much damage, I just wanted to do something to help ---but I guess I didn't."

     Shannon picks up the aftershave, "It's not your fault.  You were just trying to help.   I want to thank you.  Actually, he does look much better now." 

Shannon doesn't know what to do. Larry said the aftershave workded on him, but that seems so crazy ...and coming from Crazy Larry.

 But still she tries it!

Shannon gently slaps the aftershave on Dad's cheeks, then steps back in anticipation. Several long minutes go by, and to her dismay, nothing happens ---the greatest of hopes, dashed.

A tear runs down her cheek, then she half-laughs, "Dad never did like aftershave."

     Overcome with emotion, Shannon cries, "I know what you do like."

     She grabs him by the cheeks, "You are so cute!"    

     She kisses him, then whispers in his ear, "I love you, Poppy." 

  

Her vision floods with tears.   She doesn't immediately see what Maggie and Larry see …but she feels it!  With her cheek resting against his, her tears streaking both their faces, she isn't sure whether she imagines it or not, but Dad's head seems to turn slightly.  Then she feels it ---a kiss on her cheek.   

Shannon wipes her tears enough to see what Maggie and Larry are already seeing.

     Dad's eyes are open, a tear moving down his face ---swallowed up in a wonderful smile.   




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