---------------------- Forwarded by Jackie Hewett/ET&S/Enron on 03/07/2001 
03:55 PM ---------------------------


Ronnie Brickman
03/06/2001 01:15 PM
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Subject: The Room

This is an old story, maybe you haven't heard or seen it before. I thought it 
was worth passing on.

???? I  think it will touch your heart.............

>>>? About this story - Here is some  background on the author that you
>>>? might be interested  in.? Procrastinating as usual, 17-year-old
>>>? Brian  Moore had only a short time to write something for the
>>>?  Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting. It was his turn  to
>>>? lead the discussion so he sat down and  wrote.
>>>? He showed the essay, titled "The Room" to his  mother, Beth, before
>>>? he headed out the door. "I wowed  'em." he later told his father, Bruce.
>>>? "It's a killer,  It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote."? It
>>>?  also was the last. Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay  when
>>>? a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's  locker at Teary
>>>? Valley High School. Brian had been dead  only hours, but his  parents
>>>
>>>?????desperately  wanted every piece of his life near them - the crepe
>>>? paper  that had adorned his locker during his senior football season,  
notes
>>>? from classmates and teachers, his  homework.
>>>
>>>? Only two months before, he had  handwritten the essay about encountering
>>>? Jesus in a file  room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's
>>>?  life. But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and Bruce  Moore
>>>
>>>?????realized  that their son had described his view of heaven. "It makes
>>>?  such an impact that people want to share it. You feel like you are  
there."
>>>? Mr.? Moore said.? Brian Moore died May  27, 1997 - the day after Memorial
>>>?  Day.
>>>
>>>? He was driving home from a friend's  house when his car went off
>>>? Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway  County and struck a utility pole.  He
>>>
>>>?????emerged  from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line
>>>?  and was  electrocuted.
>>>?????Brian  seemed to excel at everything he did. He was an honor  student.
>>>? He told his parents he loved them "a hundred  times a day", Mrs. Moore
>>>? said.? He was a star wide  receiver for the Teary's Valley Football team
>>>? and had  earned a four-year scholarship to Capital University in  
Columbus
>>>? because of his athletic and academic  abilities.? He took it upon himself
>>>? to learn how to  help a fellow student who used a wheelchair at school.
>>>?  During one homecoming ceremony, Brian walked on his tiptoes so that  the
>>>? girl he was escorting wouldn't be embarrassed about  being taller than 
him.
>>>? He adored his kid brother, Bruce,  now 14. He often escorted his
>>>? grand-mother, Evelyn Moore,  who lives in Columbus, to church.? "I always
>>>? called  him the "deep thinker", Evelyn said of her eldest  grandson.
>>>
>>>?????Two  years after his death, his family still struggles to  understand
>>>? why Brian was taken from them. They find  comfort at the cemetery where
>>>? Brian is buried, just a few  blocks from their home. They visit daily. A
>>>? candle and  dozens of silk and real flowers keep vigil over the  
gravesite.
>>>
>>>?????The  Moore's framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among  the
>>>? family portraits in the living room. "I think God used  him to make a
>>>? point. I think we were meant to find it and  make something out of it,"
>>>? Mrs. Moore said of the  essay.
>>>
>>>? She and her husband want to share  their son's vision of life after
>>>? death. "I'm happy for  Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see
>>>? him again  someday." Mrs. Moore said.? "It just hurts so bad  now."
>>>
>>>?  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>>
>>>?????The  Room...
>>>
>>>? In that place between wakefulness  and dreams, I found myself in the
>>>? room.? There were  no distinguishing features except for the one wall
>>>? covered  with small index card files. They were like the ones in
>>>?  libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical  order.
>>>? But these files, which stretched from floor to  ceiling and seemingly
>>>? endlessly in either direction, had  very different headings.
>>? >
>>>? As I drew  near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention  was
>>>? one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and  began flipping
>>>? through the cards. I quickly shut it,  shocked to realize that  
>>>
>>>?????recognized  the names written on each one. And then without being
>>>?  told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small  
files
>>>? was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were  written the actions of
>>>? my every moment, big and small, in  a detail my memory couldn't  match.
>>>
>>>?????A  sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred  within
>>>? me as I began randomly opening files and exploring  their content. Some
>>>? brought joy and sweet memories; others  a sense of shame and regret so
>>>? intense that I would look  over my shoulder to see if anyone was  
watching.
>>>
>>>?????A  file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I  have
>>>? betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the  outright weird.
>>>? "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told,"  "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes 
I
>>>? Have Laughed at."?  Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: 
"Things
>>>?  I've yelled at my brothers".? Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I  
Have
>>>? Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My  Breath at My 
Parents."
>>>? I never ceased to be surprised by  the  contents.
>>>
>>>?????Often  there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes  fewer
>>>? than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume  of the life I had
>>>?  lived.
>>>
>>>?????Could  it be possible that I had the time in my years to write  each
>>>? of these thousands or even millions of cards? But  each card confirmed 
this
>>>? truth. Each was written in my own  handwriting. Each signed with my
>>>?  signature.
>>>
>>>? When I pulled out the file  marked "Songs I have listened to," I realized
>>>? the files  grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed  
tightly,
>>>? and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found  the end of the file.? I
>>>? shut it, shamed, not so much  by the quality of music but more by the 
vast
>>>? time I knew  that file represented.? When I came to a file marked  
"Lustful
>>>? Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I  pulled the file out 
only
>>>? an inch, not willing to test its  size, and drew out a card. I shuddered 
at
>>>
>>>?  its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had  been
>>>?  recorded.
>>>
>>>?????An  almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my  mind:
>>>? "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever  see this room! I 
have
>>>? to destroy  them!"
>>>
>>>? In insane frenzy I yanked the file  out. Its size didn't matter now. I
>>>? had to empty it and  burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and
>>>? began  pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card.  
>>>? became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it  as strong as
>>>? steel when I tried to tear it.? Defeated  and utterly helpless, I
>>>? returned the file to its slot.  Leaning my forehead against the wall, I
>>>? let out a long,  self-pitying sigh.? And then I saw it. The title  bore
>>>
>>>?????"People  I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter  than
>>>? those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on  its handle and a 
small
>>>? box not more than three inches long  fell into my hands.? I could count 
the
>>>? cards it  contained on one hand.? And then the tears came.? I began  to
>>>? weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt.? They started  in my stomach and shook
>>>? through me. I fell on my knees and  cried.? I cried out of shame, from 
the
>>>? overwhelming  shame of it  all.
>>>
>>>?????The  rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one  must
>>>? ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and  hide the key.? But
>>>? then as I pushed away the tears, I  saw  Him.
>>>
>>>?????No,  please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched
>>>?  helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I  couldn't
>>>? bear to watch His response. And in the moments I  could bring myself to
>>>? look at His face, I saw a sorrow  deeper than my own. He seemed to
>>>? intuitively go to the  worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?
>>>? Finally He  turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at  
me
>>>? with pity in His eyes.? But this was a pity that  didn't anger me.
>>?  >
>>>?????I dropped my  head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry
>>>?  again.? He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said  so
>>>? many things.? But He didn't say a word. He just  cried with  me.
>>>
>>>?????Then  He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at  one
>>>? end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one,  began to sign His
>>>? name over mine on each card. "No!" I  shouted rushing to Him. All I could
>>>? find to say was "No,  no, " as I pulled the card from Him. His name
>>>? shouldn't be  on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich,  
so
>>>? dark, so  alive.
>>>
>>>?????The  name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.  He
>>>? gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and  began to sign the
>>>?  cards.
>>>
>>>?????I  don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but  the
>>>? next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file  and walk back to 
my
>>>? side.? He placed His hand on my  shoulder and said, "It is finished." I
>>>? stood up, and He  led me out of the room.?? There was no lock on  its
>>>? door.There were still cards to be  written.
>>>
>>>?????"I  can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil.  4:13


>>>
>>>? "For God so loved the world  that He gave His only son, that whoever
>>>? believes in Him  shall not perish but have eternal  life."
>>>
>>>?????If  you feel the same way forward it to as many people as you can  so
>>>? the love of Jesus will touch their lives  also.
>>>
>>>? My "People I shared the gospel with"  file just got bigger, how about
>>? >  yours?