Pressing Upward

Well, we had planned to head back home to my sister Amy's house, leaving the wonderful Vegas book signing of The Tower Builder extravaganza behind. My two gigs signing books were over, all my duties complete, when Tony (the tower builder himself) called. He begged us to stay because there was a ham radio operator's reception that evening, and he felt I would have a roomful of potential book buyers. We had already checked out of the hotel, but Amy found us a hotel attached to the convention center for $30. A nice hotel. $30. It seemed God wanted us to stay. We booked it.

We had a few hours till the reception so Amy and I went walking, but stopped and explained the Gospel to the men passing out nude photographs of prostitutes. Some got angry, some looked ashamed. We became better and bolder as we moved along the boulevard. We stopped and talked to each one we met. You never know where a seed planted might bear fruit.

Then on to the reception. We had brought books to give away for the raffle at the reception, and the three people who won told me they were thrilled. Each of them, in some way, had a connection to the book's subject that made them anxious to read it. Before the reception, I texted my brother John, a ham radio operator, and asked him what to talk about with this group, that would make me appear less ignorant than I was. It was all fine, however. They were overjoyed to meet an author, and all wanted to chat, and have me sign their books.

We had hoped we would have a sumptuous spread of food, since it was held at dinner time. Nope. Pretzels, and chips. yum yum. Then the publicist who has been helping me all along had a brilliant idea. Have the announcer give away a book to the "oldest ham radio operator." Instantly, an 84 year old woman came racing up, claiming she was the winner. She had been a belly dancer in her youth.

I asked her to show us a little of her belly dancing, and she wiggled her hips a bit for the crowd. Then, someone tapped me on the shoulder. "I think I'm older," he said, "I'm 88." Well, we couldn't take a book from the belly dancer, so we offered another book to the 88 year old, who was the real winner.

By now, I had photographers from Radio World, and National Association of Broadcasters taking my picture. There were broadcast directors from NBC, CBS, and an assortment of TV/Radio divisions. I was getting exposure to some of the most influential broadcast people in the nation...and they were coming to talk to me. I can't tell you what a thrill this was.

Meanwhile, Amy was faithfully always nearby. She even posed as a camera tripod for the publicist, Peggy, who was recording everything, and every moment when I met someone famous.

When the reception ended, Tony, the tower builder and subject of my book invited Amy and me to dinner. Since our dinner had been pretzels and chips up to that point, we said yes eagerly. Here is what we ate with Tony, and his partner in his tower company they own:

a tad better than just pretzels and chips, huh?

Afterwards, we trudged back to our hotel, exhausted but elated. Today, we really are going home. Cinderella will return her glass slippers, and her coach will become a pumpkin again. It sure was fun being a princess.

This book that went to Vegas was written as a labor of love for my brother. It never seemed likely to be very successful, or make any money. It was too quirky, and hard to categorize. Yet I have never had as much fun or unanticipated acclaim as I have had from this book. As my friend the tower builder, Tony, is fond of telling me, it is the spontaneous opportunities one seizes in life that sometimes lead to the greatest rewards. This is true. It is the leap of faith that God is leading, and opening doors, and half the time our failure is not because we aimed too high, but that we aimed too low. Aim for Heaven, Jesus begs us, and find not only Me, but fulfillment.
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Philippians 3:13-14 

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

2 Chronicles 15:7 

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

Habakkuk 2:2-3 

And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.