State fails to serve old man
The year is 1987. Our family has just survived an airplane crash that totally
demolished the plane. Yet, by the grace of God, all four of us walked away with
only minor injuries. Because of the crashing of the plane, the media caught hold
of who I was and the foolishness of "Flying by Faith, not by License." I believe
the plane crash was God’s vehicle for allowing me to bring His message to
thousands of people across Oregon. "For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the
power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18
Channel 6 television news came out to the Embassy with cameras and spent two
hours interviewing us. One comment I made was that the state doesn’t know what
to do with me. This comment, plus many others, displeased the state. Within a
few days two deputy sheriffs arrived at the Embassy and hauled me to jail.
One evening as I sat in jail, a group of deputies appeared and called out the
old man’s name. I didn’t respond, but a deputy forced me to the window where
another deputy was shoving citations through the opening. I took one look at the
name on the citations and said emphatically:
"That’s not me."
"Oh yes it is. Look right here - it says aka Paul Revere."
"My name is not ‘aka Paul Revere.’ Therefore, that’s not me."
The deputy pushed the citations on through the window and they fell on the
floor, "You’ve been served," he proclaimed. One of the inmates who had gathered
to watch picked up the citations, slid them back through the window and yelled,
"He has not been served."
Later, as I was being released from jail a deputy again tried to serve the
citations which were now crumpled up. "Go ahead and take these. They’re you’re
property." I snuck a look at the crumpled yellow papers and quickly shoved them
away from me. "Those aren’t mine." The deputy looked surprised, took the
citations in his hand and threw them in the wastebasket. That’s the last I ever
heard about them.
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