Subject: GW
WHAT AN AWESOME TRIBUTE TO GEORGE W BUSH!
PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE STORY NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION IS OF HIM. YOU WON'T REGRET
IT...
Story by: Bruce Vincent
For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our
former President, here is an excellent piece -- worth every minute it
takes to read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby , Montana who
had gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the
President.
He writes:
I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award
ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but the
White House press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it.
When the photo comes I'll ship it out. When you get done
reading this you'll understand the dilemma I face in telling this story
beyond my circle of close friends.
Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President
and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk.
When the President was told that we were from Libby , Montana ,
I reminded him that Marc Racicot is our native son and the President
offered his warm thoughts about Governor Racicot.
I have to tell you, I was blown
away by two things upon
entering the office. First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is
unreal. The President later shared a story of Russian President
Putin entering the room prepared to tackle the President in a tough negotiation
and upon entering, the atheist muttered his first words to the
President and they were "Oh, my God."
I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones. Second, the
man that inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a
look that can only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully
engaged, disarmingly penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about
meeting the man. I think all of us have an inner hope that the most
powerful man in our country is worthy of the responsibility and authority
that we bestow upon them through our vote.
I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let
down by the moment -- that the person and the place could not meet the
lofty expectations of my fantasy world. This says nothing about my
esteem for President Bush but just my practical realization that
reality may not match my 'dream.'
Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business and,
standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time
while posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the
mission accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated
a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things with our
entire small group. He and the First Lady talked about such things as
the rug in the office. It is traditionally designed by the First Lady
to make a statement about the President, and Mrs. Bush chose a
brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect 'hope.' President
Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with hard work and
faith in God there is every reason to start
each day in the Oval Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked
about the impact of the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm
casually wrapped around Laura, he said that he thought the place may be
hard on weak marriages but that it had the ability to make strong
marriages even stronger and that he was blessed with a strong one.
After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all
relaxed and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a
friend. The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line
of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the
President shook my hand I said, "Thank you Mr. President and God bless
you and your family." He was already in motion to the next
person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave
me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said,
"Thank you -- and God bless you and
yours as well."
On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the
west side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I
shook his hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure
to tell Marc hello and give him your regards."
I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, "Mr.
President, I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also
know you to be a man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of
you."
As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name
it." I told him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital
in Kalispell, Montana ,
having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to
me if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. He grabbed
me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So
that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart
today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it."
From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with
his seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?" He
then jotted a note to her while discussing the importance of family and
the strength of prayer. When he handed me the card, he asked about the
surgery and the prognosis. I told him we were hoping that it is not a
recurrence of an earlier cancer and that, if it is, they can get it all
with this surgery.
He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer
right now. Would you pray with me?" I told him yes and he turned
to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to
step back or leave. He said, "Bruce and I would like some private
time for a prayer."
As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was
prepared to do a traditional prayer stance -- standing with each other
with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand
and pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder.
With his left arm on my mid-back, he pulled me to him in a
prayerful embrace.
He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer
for Loretta and for God's perfect will
to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried and he
just held tighter. He closed by asking God's
blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped
away from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on
his shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president. I thanked him
as best I could and told him that me and my family would continue
praying for him and his.
As I write this account down and reflect upon what it
means, I have to tell you that all I really know is that his simple act
left me humbled and believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to
be was the man that he is. I know that our nation needs a man such as
this in the Oval Office. George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read
Internet stories about the President praying with troops in hospitals
and other such uplifting accounts. Each time I read them I hoped them
to be true and not an Internet perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be
true. I was there. He is real. He has a pile of incredible stuff on his
plate each day -- and yet he is tuned in so well to the here and now
that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart. He took time out of his
life to care, to share, and to seek God's
blessing for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to-father,
son-to-son, husband-to-husband, Christian- to-Christian prayerful
embrace. He's not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so
very, very much more.
NOTE: If you decide to forward this story... please do not
add to it. Let Mr. Vincent's encounter stand as he wrote it.
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