‘Your Shoes’
My testimony to coming back to God
Driving back to the hot humid Valley without AC was something I was dreading, but what
I was dreading more than that was the cold silent treatment that my girlfriend had put on
me. We were in one of our few tense silent, still moments. We had not spoken since we
left her mom's place, back on the Rez about 2 hours ago. And this was getting me angry.
Angry about the cold silent treatment that I know, I did not deserved. And I wanted to
know why. 'Was it because, we left too early from her mom's place?' or 'Was it because, I
forgot to pack the blue bird? (Navajos most sacred Frybread ingredient) ' This was killing
me, so I did the unmentionable. I broke one of the highest unwritten rules that Navajos
adhere too. I broke the 'STAY QUIET UNTIL IT BLOWS OVER' rule.
"What is wrong?!?!" "Did I do something?!?!?" You know...there are reasons why
rules are not to be broken and this is one of those reasons. She counter attacked my
broken rule by hitting me! Hitting me while I was driving our 95 ton blue whale beast (blue
1975 Lincoln Mark IV ). Man!!...we were lucky that I kept control of the car during that
ordeal! Even if I did go off the road, the blue whale would have plowed another road
without the aid of ADOT...... free of charge. Then I realized the wisdom behind the old age
Navajo unwritten rule, so I had to revert back to staying quiet. Staying quiet till we got to
Heber that is...... her sister lived there and I had a plan.
We drove up to her sisters place and I jumped out of the car, opened the trunk, grabbed
my clothes and my white Hi-top Nikes and I started walking (some plan!). Throwing the
car keys to her sister - I said "Here!, Do what you want with it!" Screams and yelling
quickly followed, but I tuned everything out except for my sons cry. I did not know what I
was doing. My emotions had overwhelmed me and I could not turn back now. I started
walking.
I walked to the tree line on the nearest hill and crept back far enough where I could not be
seen, but close enough to have a full view of the main road. I watched and waited for
about an hour and sure enough, I finally saw our blue whale going back and forth. I don't
remember how many times it went back and forth, but when I did not see it again. I knew
she finally had left for good. I waited for another half hour to come out from hiding and
then went to her sister's place. I knocked the door and her sister answered. I asked where
my girlfriend had gone. She said "She went home." I thought to myself 'she must have
gone back to her mom's place'. So out of amusement, I asked "Which home?". She
replied "Mesa.". 'She went back to Mesa? Wow....' I thought to myself.
As I reached the main road, the sun had already set behind the hill. It was Sunday, I had
to work the next day, and she went back to Mesa. 'Now what?' I said to myself. I walked
to the edge of town and now my shadow had left me for the night. Stars slowly filled the
sky and traffic seemed to slow down. It was going to be a long walk and not to mention, a
dangerous walk. I did not want to get hit by a car nor cause an accident. So every time I
heard a car coming, I carefully walked off the road about 10 feet into the waist deep
grass and waited. Waited until the car passed and then I would get back on the road.
What a mess I was in. I reached the top of the hill where the last convenience store stood.
It was now quarter after 11 and I was happy that the store was still open. I reached for
my wallet and saw that I only had enough for a 32oz fountain drink. After I bought the
drink with my last dollar, I walked out the store and took a deep breath. I looked over to
my left and saw a pay phone. 'I could call my oldest sister collect and she could come pick
me up' I thought to myself, but she is going through a lot right now and I don't want to add
any more burdens on her shoulders. Especially when everyone was looking up to her in
place of our mom, who had passed away over a year ago. So, I started to walk again.
It was dark and the only way I knew that I was on the road, was the ease of walking on
the pavement and the faint white painted line on the edge of the road. I look up and see
how bright the stars were, but they were only bright enough to outline the tall dark tower
of trees that lined the roadside. And there I was........ "What the hell am I doing?"......." I
am 130 miles away from home and there is nobody, but me! "......."What am I doing out
here?!? "......" hmmmm?"......." What do you want from me?!?! "........" What do you want
?!? " ......."I know you're listening!! " ..........." I know better than that!!"......." I know
that you can hear me!!!".. ....." What do you want from me?!?!"
For about 30 minutes or so, I softly shared my gentle thoughts with God. Yeah right!.....I
was arguing with God. I was arguing with God because I did not want to do, what he
wanted me to do. I was just trying to avoid the issue. I was selfish and I wanted to live my
life! But I knew what I was doing was wrong. I was living with my girlfriend without being
married. I was convicted and I knew that I had to marry my girlfriend. But before I
marry my girlfriend, I knew I had to get straight with God. "Dear God" ......." I know
what you want me to do"......."forgive me Lord"......"Forgive me"..... "I have no right to
act like this"......." I know better than that "......" Mom taught me better than that"......
......"Forgive me" ..... " I know what you want me to do Lord"....... " I know"........."and I
will do it" ......... "I will marry her and be the husband and father that I need to be" ......."I
will do it your way, Lord"......"I will do it your way" .... "Thank you". And for the first
time that night, I felt better and I had peace for the first time in a long time.
As I continued walking in the dark, I started singing old hymnals that we use to sing at our
home services. Home services that Mennonites missionaries use to hold for us every
Tuesday night. For about 20 minutes, I was singing until I realized that I needed to get
home. The peace of God was with me, but I still needed to get home. Well, I was about
125 miles away , it was past midnight, and started to wondered 'How am I going to get
home?'. Then I said to God with a smile " Lord...... I need a riiiiide". And no more than
15 minutes later, I heard a car coming. And what did I do......... I walked off the road about
10 feet into the tall grass and waited. Why? Because, I did not want to get hit by a car
and cause an accident. The car was a truck and it passed. I took a deep breath and held it
and waited for the truck to stop. I waited........ and waited..........and......waaiiiteeed...."Ok,
you can stop now" ............"anytime Lord"..............."Ok, this is good"..............." Jokes
over"..........."Hello, I need a ride"......... The red lights disappeared over the hill.
'AAHHH COME ON!! You got to be kidding me!!' I yelled out!...... ..................OK,I am
kidding........the brakes lights did come on and the truck did stop.
I ran to the truck and their were 2 Navajo guys going back to Mesa. I asked them how
they saw me and they said ... "your shoes" (my white hi-top Nikey shoes hanging from my
bag). Within 2 hours, I was dropped off within a half mile from where I lived. With an
empty fountain drink cup in my hand, I reached the apartment complex and said "God, if
she is there, I will marry her "..... And lo and behold... she was sitting on the stairs crying.
We hugged and then I told her that we are going to get married. Soon after that, she told
me that she had locked herself out of the apartment and that our son was alone in the
apartment. I had the extra key.
The first Wednesday night, we went straight to church, I rededicated my life to Christ
again and I asked the Pastor to marry us. 2 weeks later with marriage counseling,
marriage license, borrowed rings and borrowed clothes, we were married. We did not have
a beautiful wedding with hundreds of guests. It was only my sister, her family, my cousin
and the Pastor, but in God's sight, it may have been one of most beautiful wedding there
ever was. Our reception after the wedding was great, considering if you like 'Little
Caesar's' Pizza and Coke, but I was at peace and I was straight with God.
Marriage is a precious thing. And if you are shacking it up together or living together
without being married, I pray that you will get counseling and get straight with God. No
excuses. No - ' We are saving up money for a wedding.' or ' I am waiting until we feel
right.' or ' Marriage is just a piece of paper.' or ' We are waiting until Summer.' or my
favorite one ' We are living together to make sure we are right for each other?' Stop
making excuses! Marriage is sacred. Get straight with God......
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.”
Proverbs 18:22 NKJV
Last note:
I never got the names of the two Navajos that gave me a ride that night nor did I ever see
them again. I just knew one of them was from Gallup NM.
Also, I have been married to my wife for over 19 years now, have 4 kids and a 4 legged,
hairy, little 'Cujo' (Chihuahua-Poodle mix) named 'Skittles'.
God Bless......
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To Encourage and Fellowship with Navajo Christians
