The following is a true story, only the names have been changed to protect
the guilty. Two men worked in an office, a Mr. Vincent Dictive, known as Vin,
and a Mr. Stuart Pidd, known as Stu. Stu was the younger of the two, married,
no kids, and an eye for beauty, as he called it. In truth it was lusting for
other women. Vin was married, kids, and was Stu’s boss, and had tried to bring
him along despite Stu’s attitude of how he knew it all. Stu wanted to start at
the top, and had, slowly working his way down, but was too prideful to see it.
Vin was patient, and almost protective of him, but one weekend that all
changed.
Stu had been eying a new secretary, and had coerced her into going to Lake
Tahoe with him for the weekend. He told his wife it was with the boys, and she
believed it, as he had taken other trips previously. But his big mouth was
about to get him into trouble at the office, as he bragged of how and when he
was going to sleep with the new secretary, and it upset the others, particularly
Vin. They too were tired of hearing about his sin, but things were to change.
So off Stu and the secretary went, driving from San Francisco to Tahoe, a drive
of over 4 hours. They checked in, had dinner, and had just seen a show, and
Stu’s plans were working to success, at least he thought. When they got back to
the room, a message was waiting for him. Emergency-call this number
immediately! Not his home number, he was relieved, but an unknown one, still a
Bay area prefix. Anxiously he called, and the man who answered identified
himself as Ensign Smith of the US Coast Guard. The Ensign went on to explain
that a strange squall had come up, and certain boats on the dock had been tossed
about and damaged. He wanted to verify with Stu if he was the owner, and if he
could come and ID it. Now Stu’s heart sank, for his prize possession was his
speed boat, he lived for it! Almost in tears, he cried out “yes she’s mine,”
and hung up, telling the Ensign he would be there in the morning, and ruining
his so-called romantic mood. After fretting for awhile, he decided to go back
that night, driving 5 hours in the dark, leaving the secretary alone, promising
to return after he got the boat business taken care of. But what he was greeted
with at the dock was not what he expected...
There had been no squall, and there was no Ensign Smith of the Coast
Guard. It was a man impersonating the Ensign, and at first Stu was mad, them
glad, then wondering who would play a joke like this on him-it certainly wasn’t
funny, and it had ruined his weekend and his plans. Exhausted, he decided to go
home, the first smart thing he had done in 24 hours, with more stories to tell
to his wife. And hopefully get some sympathy. But what he would never know was
who called him, but they had done him a favor, and maybe saved his marriage. It
was Vin who had planned the call, he was tired of Stu and his arrogance, and
wanted to teach him a lesson. One that might change his life, insure his
career, and let him still be a married man. And Vin had done it...Stu somehow
learned from this, no word from the secretary, but it is rumored Stu would have
been in for a let down there too. She was also in it for what she could get,
and was using Stu to get out to Tahoe. And it seems all ended happily ever
after.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, Stuart Pidd was Stu Pidd, or Stupid.
Vince Dictive was Vin Dictive, or Vindictive. A play on words for names, but a
lesson to be learned. Which raises the question, do two wrongs make a right?
Stu was wrong, but so was Vin, but with better results. Scripture tells us ALL
men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Proven here. But it also
states the ALL things work out for those who love the Lord, and here God used
all things, those even bad, to save Stu’s marriage, and used Vin’s charade to do
it. God uses everything to bless us, many times without us knowing, or giving
our permission. “Vengeance is mine,” He says, and God’s ultimate vengeance is
us looking at our sin, and turning to Jesus. Facing how bad we were, and
allowing God to change us from the inside out. For Stu it must have been a
horrifying ride to the Bay, with good news awaiting him. For Vin it was using
his own means to teach a lesson, but it really ended up saving friend from
disaster. And in both cases, God had His way.
Now we don’t know what happened afterwards, but we know Stu’s life had
changed. Just as ours changes when we come to Christ. Sometimes it takes a
life changing event for us to respond, sometimes it takes the threat of losing
something valuable, sometimes it is just survival. Funny how his sexual sin was
overshadowed by his lust for his boat, and finally returning to his first love,
his wife. For he like us, wandered away from his first love. And Jesus is
there to reunite us with His Father so we can have life. Sometimes it takes a
vindictive man to point the way, but God can change the bad to the good. Study
the story of Joseph sometime, Stu’s story was nothing compared to Joe’s. So
today you can make the choice, you can be stupid, like Stu, mad at life and take
things into your own hands like Vin Dictive did, or turn to Jesus and be
forgiven. Even in the midst of sin, God’s grace was ever present. Just a story
of two men?
But is it? Is it really a tale of three men, remember Jesus who saves? If
you don’t, you will be Stu Pidd the rest of your life. And always looking to be
Vin Dictive. Leave it to Jesus, He knows best. Oh the secretary’s name.
Sindy. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Never thought she was Mercy or
Grace. Things only found in Jesus. Whose name never changes. To protect the
guilty.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com