MY SWORD
My name is Lawrence Tyler Scott, my story begins after many years of searching for the meaning of life, especially my life. My heart was still void of that which I was searching for. One night as I was staying in a little room where a girl said if I was ever in need of a place to stay, could use that room. She was just a friend and no more, if you know what I mean? So it was that night in May, I believe it was Monday the eighteenth of May, 1977. Just before I was to turn in, I was used to always kneeling down and thanking God for keeping me safe one more day. But, this night was different. I prayed a prayer to God I had never prayed before. I asked him, "If you can hear me pray, please help me. 0 God I prayed, I have been looking to fill this void in my soul these many years. And though I have traveled down many a winding road, sometimes dangerous roads in my search for truth and why there is so much pain, lying and murder and unhappiness etc., in this world. I said, Father, I give up and ask you Heavenly Father to take my life in your hands and if there is anything left that you can use, please help me see the meaning of life, and the meaning of my life here on earth." Well, that was my prayer that night. So, I got into bed and pondered my prayer and so I went to sleep without knowing if God heard my plea for help or would my life continue to be the same.
Well, on the next day, Tuesday, the 1 9th, called a friend to see what he was up to. He asked me if I wanted to go over to his friend’s house. I did not know who his friend David was, but I said OK. So I picked him up and off we went. The house we went to was not to far away. My friend John introduced us and we went inside, which was to me a very interesting place. Because, the owner had some cool things to look at that he had collected over the years. One of the things I found particularly interesting was a sword which hung on his wall. That sword was just fascinating and I told him I wanted it. He told me he would not even think about selling me his sword, let alone give it to me. He began bragging about the sword, saying there was probably not another sword like his anywhere in the world. I told David, I was going to get one somewhere and come back and show him that I could get one also. I’m sure David thought I was just talking and that he would never see me again, especially with a sword like the one he had. After a couple of hours, we left and I took John to his home. Then I went to stay the night at my father and mother’s house. Although in my twenties, I still had an open invitation to stay with them any time I wanted. It really was the primary place I would stay. So that night when I went to bed, I could hardly sleep. I just kept thinking where I might find a sword like the one David had on his wall. I had a thought cross my mind, "I think I will go to the pawn shop, they have almost everything you can think of." On Wednesday, the 20th, I left the farm house to go to Minneapolis to the pawn shop on Hennepin Ave. When I got there, I could see they were open. I walked inside hoping I would find what I was looking for, that fascinating sword just like David has on his wall. The clerk asked me if I needed help, I told him no, that I would let him know when I find what I am looking for. I started on the left front of the shop and worked my way to the back. I notice all sorts of items like, TVs, radios, watches, switch blades, knives, musical instruments, etc. but, look as I may, I did not find what I was looking for. I now worked my way from the back to the front on the other side of the shop. Last chance to locate the sword I hoped to find. Well, about halfway, I looked over the counter and noticed a big barrel about the size of a 55 gallon drum. Low and behold, it was full of swords of all kinds! The barrel was located behind the counter so, from a few feet away, I started to look very carefully for the one sword that looked just like the one David had on his wall. I could only see the top portion of the sword but, to my joy it looked like the one I was looking for. I called the clerk over. Pointing at the barrel of swords, I asked to see the particular one I was pointing to. It took the clerk three tries to pull up the one I had my eye on. The third time, I told him it was the one with the helmet on the handle. As the clerk grabbed the one with the helmet on it, I could see that it truly was just the same as the one that David had on his wall. The very one he bragged about, saying it was the only one of its kind. Boy was he going to be in for a surprise! The price on the sword was fifty dollars plus change. I paid the man the money and closed the door behind me.
After I prayed that prayer on Monday night, I thought I was just living life as I knew I had always done before. But, low and behold, little did I know, God was at work in my life big time! Now David said he worked construction, so I knew he wouldn’t be home at that time of day. As I stood looking at the sword on the sidewalk on Hennepin Ave in Minneapolis, I noticed the different crosses and insignias on the blade. I thought to myself, since David would not be home for some time, I would go to the library on the other end of Hennepin Avenue. So off I went, parked my motorcycle and went into the library to the information desk. I asked the woman behind the desk where I could find out information on the many crosses and other things that were on my sword. The one David said I would never get in a hundred years. Like I said before, I could hardly wait to show him my sword. The woman at the information desk told me to go up to the second floor and someone would help me there. When I arrived on the second floor, I found a woman putting books on the shelves. I asked her if she knew where I could find books that would help me find out about the etching on my sword. She said she would get the information for me and so I asked her to make sure the books had photos in them so I could match them up to the ones on my sword. She took off to retrieve the books I had requested so, I just sat down and waited for her return. After a little while, she returned with two books. She also helped me locate the information I was looking for in the books. Then she left me at the table with the sword setting on the table and the open books. I started to match up the crosses on my sword to the photos in the books. I did find matches, so I was interested in the information 1 was receiving from all this. To my surprise, I received more than I could have ever imagined. I went beyond looking at the photos to read what the crosses meant. I read about Nero, the fifth emperor of Rome and how he was killing all the Christians he could. When Nero would have a party outside his home, he would put Christians on stakes and bum them to death. Also, in one of the books I read about another man called Constantine the Great. This man was the first emperor of Rome to convert to Christianity. During his reign, Christians who were previously persecuted gained freedom of worship. He was the Roman emperor form 306 to 337. So, let’s think back to the previous night when I prayed, "Heavenly Father, please take over my life and show me why I am here and what life all about." The things I was reading were taking a hold of my soul. I read about Christian people during Nero’s reign and how they would not deny their faith in Christ and counted death as a privilege. They were people who really had something to live for and also something to die for. For the first time in my life, I realized if I chose to be in the company of real Christians, I too would realize a life filled with meaning. Something I would be willing to live or even die for. Remember, I am in the library on Hennepin Avenue. Realizing these things I had just read about was stirring something down deep in my soul. Right there in the library, I grabbed the sword off the table and held it up above my head toward heaven. All of a sudden, as I looked up holding the sword, I seen heaven open up and God the Father sitting in His throne and Jesus next to Him. I opened my mouth and said to the Father and the Son that, if anyone becomes a Christian, a true Christian, they too will have something to believe in so strongly that they too will be willing to live for Christ or to die for Christ. There were other people in the library but, I don’t know if they knew what was happening to me during that vision of heaven. I was oblivious to all those around me. Remember, this all started with a single prayer to my Heavenly Father the night before. I’m not sure how long I stayed at the library but, when I walked out of the building, I thought maybe David would be home. I jumped on my motorcycle and in a little while, I arrived at David’s house. I knocked on the door and it seemed no one was home, so I waited on the porch. In a couple of minutes, David opened the door and let me in. I quickly showed him my sword, the one he said I would never find in a hundred years. David went to his wall, took his sword down and we began to compare the two swords that looked the same. The only difference David said was that the helmet on the top of his handle was a little loose. Oh how happy I felt about the sword and what happened in the library. We talked for hours or at least I was talking to him for hours. Something was moving me in a new direction. David was not a Christian by any stretch of the imagination. Even so, during the time I was talking to him, one of his long time friends came into the house and overheard what I was saying. I did not know at the time David’s friend was a Christian man who loved Christ. This Christian man heard me saying some unusual things to his unsaved friend. I told David we should start a club, of which he inquired what kind of club did I think we should start. I described the club to him as one where a bunch of people getting together, everyone bringing a bible--a bible club. The things coming out of my mind were all new to me. David thought I must be a little nutty! I told both of them what happened to me at the library. I know David thought it all sounded far fetched. But, his friend that came over to visit came up to me and asked me if I have been to church lately. I told him I hadn’t been to church in years. He then asked me if I wanted to go to a mid week church service. I found myself saying I would go with him. He told me to meet him there the next evening and that he would drive us there in his car. He was probably hoping his unsaved friend David would come along with but he didn’t, I don’t think he wanted any part of me. Well, the next night, the 21st of May, I met Preston there. I walked up to his car and as I got in, I put the sword next to me on the seat. Preston asked me if it was necessary for me to bring the sword to church. I told Preston, "As I said last night, where ever I go, I am going to carry this sword. If anyone asks me why I have the sword, I’m going to tell them what I have found out, "If anyone becomes a true Christian, they too will have something to live for or to die for." He just replied, "Ok, you can bring it if you want" In a short time, I found myself in a church that used to be an old theatre or movie house. My normal attire, at that time, was a black leather jacket, jeans, long hair and a beard. Remember, I drove a motorcycle and I guess I dressed the part but, was never in a motorcycle gang. Anyway, we started off in the back of the church. He knew most of the people there, because he started to introduce me to everyone who came close by. These church people were being very nice to me. A lot of them even gave me a hug and said they were glad I was there. It had been years since I had been in church, but I had never remembered being hugged before and treated so nice, especially the way I was dressed. Well, it didn’t seem to matter to them at all. After a while, we went and sat down. We were seated four rows from the front. The pastor of the church was a Pentecostal man named Pastor Olson. Although, at that time I didn’t know what Pentecostal even meant. Well anyway, we sat down with the sword placed between us. As the church service began, the words the pastor spoke from the pulpit were going down deep into my soul. Every word he preached from his bible went into my soul. Lighting up my understanding enough to realize, it wasn’t the natural sword I needed to carry, it was the sword or bible the pastor was holding and preaching from. That was the real sword! While I thought on this revelation, the pastor took a pause in his preaching to take up an offering. I decided that when the usher came to me with the collection plate, I would give him my sword. When he got to me, I held out the sword and whispered, "Here, take my sword." He tried to convince me that this is not something they take up in the collection but, I would not take no for an answer. After a few moments of discussion, he tucked it under his arm and off he went. As the pastor spoke again from the bible, again I said to myself, "That’s the sword I need to carry. When anyone asks me why I have the bible, I will have a chance to tell them, "If they will become a real Christian, they too will have something to live for and something to die for." At the end of his preaching, he asked if anyone wanted to come to the altar. I guess you can call it an altar call. I had never even knew or seen an alter call in my life. He asked if anyone would like to receive Christ Jesus into their heart to be Lord and Savior of their life. He also invited those who were in need of prayer for healing, or any other need, to come to the alter. Well, to my surprise, I saw people going up to the front and being prayed for. In my heart, I felt I must have him pray with me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I made my way into the line. I made sure I was the last one because, I wanted to see what was happening to the ones who were ahead of me. I listened intently to the pastor pray with everyone ahead of me and everything seemed to go along just fine. When it was my turn, there was no fear at all. I stepped up to the pastor and said, "I want to say the sinner’s prayer, please help me." He instructed me to repeat the prayer he would say as he laid his hands on my head. I found myself saying, "Dear Jesus, please forgive me for I am a sinner. I want a new life with you. Please come into my heart, I welcome you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you Jesus for taking away my sins and I look to follow you all the days of my new life with you." At the end of my prayer to Jesus, I found a heavy weight that lifted away from my body, and I felt clean. I heard the Heavenly Father say to me, "Son, I have a job for you to do." That’s all He said at that moment. Well, I started to cry and as the tears rolled down on my face, they felt so holy. I did not want them to drop on the floor, so I rubbed them all over my face as I returned to my chair. Thanks be to my Heavenly Father and Jesus my Lord and Savior. And in all these years, since I asked Jesus to come into my heart, I have not regretted one moment of my new life with Him. He said, "I came to give you life and life more abundantly." He has truly helped me to overcome evil with good. His goodness in me and His life in me has truly made the difference between life and death. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me. The bible says in John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."