Why on earth would you say that? :)
Posted on 07/17/2006 2:47:03 PM PDT by Hand em their arse
Ever wonder about our President and his faith ? Read on.....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Story by: Bruce Vincent
For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our President, here is an excellent piece--- Worth every minute it takes to read it. This is from a man, Bruce Vincent, from Montana who received 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 have a favor to ask 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 notecard 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 he 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 hope 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.
If you decide to forward this story...please do not add to it. Let his encounter stand as he wrote it.
WOW! What a story! I have tears on my cheeks. Thank God for George Bush.
That picture has been my screen savor for about a year, Gianni...
"Since I am sure that President Bush is aware of this fact, it casts the entire story in doubt..."
Not for me...
bump for later
This recollection left me very moved.
I am so glad the Lord made it happen that this man would lead our nation.
Why on earth would you say that? :)
Not for me...
---
It should.
The story of President Bush comforting that dear girl will never get old. Thank you for reposting it.
No, it shouldn't, the story has been vetted, it's true. I'm sure that saddens you
Thank you for checking. I was wondering about that, since as wonderful as I think President Bush is (most of the time, LOL!), the story almost sounded too good to be true.
I'm glad it's not. :-)
You are right that the truth about Putin's church affiliation is an important matter. It's not good to spread untruths about anyone, especially in that regard. I'm definitely willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt that he was under a false assumption and not trying to be disrespectful. It's still a good story despite the apparent mistake, IMHO.
Thanks for posting that. I had written it off as urban legend. I got to hte part where it says the president took the man's head and put it on his shoulder and decided it was urban legend.
Since the man confirms that he wrote the story, I believe it. I love our President. I pray that his successor can fill his shoes. :-)
No!
J
The athiest reference appears to be an assumption on Vincent's part. The story does not say that the President said anything about Putin being an athiest. It appears to be Vincent's description of Putin. I'm as certain as I can be, without having been there, that the President would not have referred to Putin as an athiest in casual conversation.
Someone might say that without Bush saying "the athiest Putin", the story would make no sense, since the punch line was that the athiest exclaimed "oh my God" upon seeing the Oval Office for the first time.
I look at the story this way. The point Vincent was making was about what it's like to enter the Oval Office...especially with the President there. The majesty of it all, and of course the history. It is an overwhelming, strongly emotional experience. The precise telling of the story's details might vary, depending on who told it or who later repeated it. For instance, the point might have been that Putin is from the Old Soviet Union...a Communistic and athiestic regime to be sure, yet upon entry his first words mentioned God. But in retelling it might have changed to Putin himself being an athiest.
Regardless, I agree with you that Bush wouldn't have intentionally claimed that Putin is an athiest.
And there is no quote attributed to the President...none at all...in this instance. It is Vincent relaying his impression of the story.
ALERT: James Bond Joey Wilson will be on OLBERMANN IN 15 MINS., AFTER CHRISSY.
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