The glitz and glamour in seeing the pantheon of stars turn out for the Academy Awards was always impressive watching it from CanaDa.
Since I unexpectedly and powerfully came alive to God on February 1, 1975, I have experienced many unexpected surprises and wonders. One of them was during the 1976 Academy Awards.
Nine months after that awakening at the age of 30 going on 31, I sold all my possessions in Montreal and put on a back pack, entering the Unites States to discover the Spirit of ’76. That Spirit led me to so many places I never could have imagined prior to February 1, 1975.
I spent some time in Venice Beach, California. It was an awesome time for me, especially because it was my 1st winter in a warm, sunny climate. I had a free place to stay half a block from the ocean. I was invited to party more than I could accept.
I held two jobs. At 7am, I set up the tables and chairs on the patio of the Sea & Shore Restaurant on the Boardwalk. For doing just that, I received a full breakfast, and I could sit on the patio whenever, and drink free coffee until closing. It was a wonderful place to meet and greet, discussing the issues of the day.
My other job was washing dishes for $1/hr at Suzanne’s Kitchen Friday to Monday, also on the Boardwalk. I toured to other places in between. Suzanne was a part time actress and an excellent cook. Her most famous movie part I am aware of was in ‘The Parallax View.”
Graceful words dripped from her lips like milk and honey. Then there were times when it seemed she just suddenly snapped and her words were like icy daggers, making everyone within hearing distance feel like they were guilty for whatever it was.
For the 1976 Academy Awards, she brought a portable television to the Restaurant so we could watch the spectacle. I marvelled I was so close to where it was happening for the 1st time in my life. History was made that night. For the 1st time ever, a live trans Atlantic TV broadcast with Diana Ross in Amsterdam was part of the show.
During the presentations, a stranger I had never seen before came into the Restaurant and handed me a brown paper wrapped package and disappeared into the night before I opened it and could ask questions.
To my great wonder and surprise, it was a black leather bound book with the gold embossed title, ‘The Words of Jesus.’ It contained only the words of Jesus from the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
To me, it was much more valuable and uplifting than getting a golden statue/false god/idol. I view those things, like Grammy’s, Nobel Prizes, etc. as they’re described in Daniel 3 of the Bible.
The king of Babylon gave a command to ‘all People, Nations and tongues,’ that whenever they heard the sound of any musical instrument wherever they are, they bow down toward the Golden Statue erected in the Capital of Babylon, like Muslims bow toward Mecca. The penalty if anyone was caught not bowing down was to be burned alive in a fired up furnace.
It was most probably rare for the average person to hear a musical instrument in those Times, and actually be caught not prostrating according to the king’s command. If that commandment was still enforced Today, not much work would get done.
This theme is carried over to the last temptations of Jesus recorded in Matthew 4 when the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
and said to him, all these things will I give you, if you WILL FALL DOWN and worship me.
Jesus said to him, Get outta here, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.
My back pack with the Book in it was stolen at The Liberty Memorial in Kansas City months later. I resigned myself to the probability this was meant to be. I could relate with Job – The Lord gave. The Lord has taken away. Blessed Be the name of The Lord.
On the inside front and back covers of the Book there were words written: to be given to – and there were many names written in the Book between the covers. There was one name written I did know, my Sales Manager in Montreal in 1967, nine years earlier. Chances are it was the same name, but not the same person. The next recipient was probably living in Kansas City.
June 1, 2014 – The marvel of the Internet. I had no contact with Suzanne since I moved on in 1976 and she just contacted me Today with pictures from her Kitchen. See her comment below.
