Friday, 12 December 2008
31
Stuart thought he would be able to find Josh easily, and he was right. Head for the gym, and that’s most likely where Josh would be. Stuart liked the gym as well, but not in the same obsessive way that Josh seemed to need it. He could work hard when he put his mind to it, but more often it was fun to do a bit of a workout and then spend time chatting with all the other guys who hung out there. Sometimes Stuart would join Josh for a set, and leave the gym with his muscles quivering and useless. The pain could be fun. But not too often.

“Hey there Brickhouse!”

Josh looked around and saw Stuart coming towards him.

“Thought I’d join you for a while – show you how to really shift some metal.”

Josh smile. “With pleasure my little friend. I think there are some hand weights the girls aren’t using…”

Stuart sat down on the bench and looked at the loaded bar on its rack. “You really are pushing it pal. Let’s see you do it.” Stuart stood up again while Josh lay back on the bench, grasped the bar and began bench pressing the vast weight, his muscles rippling and curving under the strain.

“Tell you what,” said Stuart. “Let’s have a little competition. If I can bench press half of what you’re doing then you have to race me on the treadmill.”

Stuart knew that Josh hated running. He just wasn’t built for it anymore. Josh also knew he hated running, but he didn’t like to turn down a challenge.

“How long a race?”

“I dunno… let’s make it first one to a mile.”

Josh thought about this for a moment. A mile. That wasn’t too far. His power should be able to get him through it. And anyway, he wasn’t convinced that Stuart would be able to lift even half of what he had just been shifting. Josh began to unload the bar, removing weight after weight, until it was down to the right load.

“Go on then Stick Boy. Lets see what you’ve got.”

Stuart got back on the bench, while Josh and Steve – one of Josh’s training buddies – held the bar. He gritted his teeth as he got hold of the weight, the bar pressing against his chest, and pushed with everything he had. It felt like all his joints were going to rupture, but to his and everyone else’s surprise he managed to extend his arms and hold the weight there long enough for Josh to position it back on to the rack.

“Not bad,” said Josh. “You could do alright with a bit of commitment.”

Stuart wiped the sweat off his face and stood up, feeling ridiculously tired for just one lift, but also ridiculously pleased with himself.

“OK partner. That’s my side of the deal done – now if you would be so kind as to make your way to the treadmill…”

Word of the challenge had spread and a small crowd began to gather around the two of them as they got on to the machines. Stuart was still puffing from lifting that weight but he felt very confident about being able to beat Josh at this game while Josh was smiling awkwardly – he knew that this was probably not going to be very pretty. Steve began to get people cheering and clapping as the treadmills started to turn. Josh had no idea how long this was going to last, but Stuart knew exactly what he was doing. Many times over the summer he had set himself this challenge. This was the first time he had done it with a crowd watching, but he knew the pace he could sustain, and rapidly cranked up the speed. At first Josh tried to keep with him, but time seemed to be slowing down, every second felt like a minute, and every minute like an hour. His eyes fogged and the blood roared in his ears. It was agony. Only three minutes had gone and Josh felt he could go no further, when out of the corner of a bleary eye he saw Claire. “Damn it,” he thought and started to push on faster, huge arms pumping, sweat flying. Losing to Stuart was one thing, but being humiliated in front of that girl again would be too much. Still, everything

Wednesday, 10 December 2008
30
“You’re doing great Jack. I’m so impressed by the way you and Sharon are helping those kids.”

Pastor Mark pushed his chair back and put his feet up on the desk. The room was full of books, the desk, a couple of chairs, and not much else. Jack liked visiting Mark in this den. It was somehow comforting and reassuring. All those books seemed to make the place warmer, and at times it was almost as if Jack could feel the shelves leaning in towards him, as if the thousands of volumes were trying to listen in on the conversation, and offer some advice of their own. Often Mark would get off his chair, go to a shelf and pull something down. It was a rare visit on which Jack left without a book and a cheerful warning to make sure he read it – and then brought it back!

Mark wasn’t much older than Jack, but just that bit more experienced to make a difference. And Jack felt he could trust him. He knew Mark would be straight with him, ask him the tough questions, and be honest about himself. They tended to bump into each other on a regular basis, but also had these scheduled times to review the youth and student ministry at the church. Often though they would spend far longer talking about their own lives – their wives and kids, what was going well, what temptations they were facing. Jack admired Mark, was happy to be led by him. And for Mark’s part, Jack was in his top team.

“You know, you and I weren’t that different from Stuart a few years ago.”

“Tell me about it,” said Jack. “That’s what I keep saying to him – its not like I don’t understand what he’s going through. We’ve all been there.”

“I remember when Alicia and myself first hooked up,” mused Mark. “Man, I was so hot and horny I thought my trousers would burst. There’s nothing quite like it is there. Anyway, we were both blessed with having good friends who looked out for us, and by being old enough to get married pretty quickly. And I think Alicia’s old man would have killed me if I’d messed things up!”

Jack laughed. “Yeah, there’s nothing quite so successful in maintaining a girls virginity as a 250 pound father with a shotgun! But that’s Kate’s problem – she’s never had a good man to look out for her. Its not surprising that she feels so strongly about Stuart – he is a good man, who could look after her. He just needs to keep his lust in check for a while.”

“I love Alicia’s dad, you know,” continued Mark. “He was such a great father to his kids, a brilliant role model for me. That’s what you and I need to be too – and not just for our own kids but for the likes of Kate and Stuart. And you know what, I think that’s just what you are. You and Sharon can be the making of them.”

It was funny how much Jack liked hearing Mark say this kind of thing. It wasn’t exactly as though he lacked self-confidence, but it always felt good to get his pastors approval. He knew it wasn’t given cheaply.

“What’s the next step in your strategy?” asked Mark.

Jack thought for a moment, scanning the shelves of books.

“I think the key thing is not so much what I do but what Stuart and God do.”

Mark nodded, waiting for Jack to continue.

“I think what Stuart needs is a real blitz from God. He knows all the stuff, been around church all his life, believes it too. But the thought of Kate’s butt has suddenly become far more real to him. He needs a fresh encounter with Jesus. He needs to get it, that Jesus is the most precious prize in life, and not worth giving up for anything else. If he can just get that priority order right, he and Kate will do just fine.”

“Well, we’d better pray about that,” said Mark.

This was how their times together invariably ended. On their knees, calling out to God, with all those books looking on in silent witness.

Sunday, 12 October 2008
29

Just then Stuart walked in, saw the girls and came over to them, smiling broadly.

“Hi there ladies. What are you talking about – like I can’t guess!”

“Actually Stuart,” began Kate, “Claire was just telling me about…”

Claire interrupted her, “Kate was saying something about elephants – any idea what she’s on about?”

“Yeah I do. Though it’s a bit personal... So Kate, you haven’t told her all about it yet then?”

“No I haven’t. I wasn’t quite sure how to put it – and then I got interested in what Claire was telling me about Josh.”

“Kate! You weren’t meant to say anything about that!” Claire was blushing.

“Josh? What about him?” quizzed Stuart.

The girls looked at each other for a moment, and then Claire – with a ‘oh-what-the-hell’ type sigh – told Stuart the story.

“I can’t believe it,” he exclaimed when she was done. “Although I suppose I can see why you might appeal to Josh – with you being so into having the perfect body and everything.”

“I am not so into having the perfect body!” Claire sounded indignant. “I just like to look after myself.”

“Yeah, by drinking frappachinos,” laughed Stuart. “Don’t take offense – it should have been a compliment. You’re a good looking girl.”

“Hey!” said Kate. “Watch where your eyes are going!”

Stuart laughed again. “Don’t worry about that gorgeous – I’ve only got eyes for one woman.

“Do you want me to talk to him about it? I know him pretty well.”

“Well… I don’t know. What do you think? I don’t want him to think I’ve sent you to ask questions. But if it happened to come up in conversation…”

“Sure – leave it with me. I’m well known for my tact and discretion!”

Kate rolled her eyes. Man she looked good when she did that.

“Anyway,” Stuart continued, his eyes on Kate, “Shall we tell her about the elephants?”

“Oh please do – anything but talking about Josh.”

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