At the Movies
While reading the May 2009 issue of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's (LDS Church's) "Liahona" magazine earlier this morning, one of the articles, "Come Let Us Go Up to the Mountain of the Lord" by Elaine S. Dalton, evoked in me a powerful reminder of a past experience.
It was a memory from many years ago, when I still was living with my parents in Hagerstown, Maryland; probably right after I had been newly baptized and in my last year of college.
Some of my old neighborhood pals from my youth had decided to go see a drive-in movie at the State Line drive-in movie, North of Hagerstown and just across the Maryland-Pennsylvania border.
They invited me to join them, and I agreed.
As the movie began and I was sitting in the back seat of the car, it quickly became abundantly clear to me that the movie was pornographic and that I shouldn't be watching it.
Although I now cannot imagine not knowing the kind of movie it would be prior to agreeing to go see it, I distinctly do remember being filled with remorse and even panic that I was there.
I also have a clear memory of sitting in the back seat of the car, with my eyes averted from watching the screen, and silently as well as fervently praying for a way for me to escape that self inflicted predicament.
When I just about had decided to endure the embarrassment of simply getting out of the car and attempting to hitchhike back home, a heavy fog suddenly closed in upon the theater lot.
The fog was so dense that it quickly became impossible for the visual images to be projected upon the outdoor movie screen, and the theater management stopped the movie and refunded the ticket price to all in attendance.
Prayers are answered, often in ways that we don't immediately discern, but also sometimes in ways that simply and completely dumbfound us.
It was a memory from many years ago, when I still was living with my parents in Hagerstown, Maryland; probably right after I had been newly baptized and in my last year of college.
Some of my old neighborhood pals from my youth had decided to go see a drive-in movie at the State Line drive-in movie, North of Hagerstown and just across the Maryland-Pennsylvania border.
They invited me to join them, and I agreed.
As the movie began and I was sitting in the back seat of the car, it quickly became abundantly clear to me that the movie was pornographic and that I shouldn't be watching it.
Although I now cannot imagine not knowing the kind of movie it would be prior to agreeing to go see it, I distinctly do remember being filled with remorse and even panic that I was there.
I also have a clear memory of sitting in the back seat of the car, with my eyes averted from watching the screen, and silently as well as fervently praying for a way for me to escape that self inflicted predicament.
When I just about had decided to endure the embarrassment of simply getting out of the car and attempting to hitchhike back home, a heavy fog suddenly closed in upon the theater lot.
The fog was so dense that it quickly became impossible for the visual images to be projected upon the outdoor movie screen, and the theater management stopped the movie and refunded the ticket price to all in attendance.
Prayers are answered, often in ways that we don't immediately discern, but also sometimes in ways that simply and completely dumbfound us.
posted by Larry D Kump | 10:46 AM
1 Comments:
I have to comment on this one. Congratulations on eschewing what has trapped so many and is one of the most prevalent habits amongst some members, in secret of course. I have known personally one who had this weakness and whom I personally challenged. I think but am not entirely sure that he conquered it.
drcharpink@live.com
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