Baptized Below Flat Top
Here’s how Tom tells it in a letter to his Pa who lived on a place near San Angelo:
Hey, Pa! I’ve got somethin’ to tell ya!
Now, understand, we was movin’ a herd of cows and bulls north up to the Flat Top country. The boss decided to locate a herd up there on the Top.
The Flat Top has about 15,000 acres. It’s some of the flattest no count land you ever run across. It’s like back home only flat. Sometimes, a cow will have to walk more than five miles to find enough to eat just to be able to chew her cud. We’ve got about 400 cows to take up there, and I reckon it will be near to overstocked! But I’ve been told that if it rains this country will turn green with tall grass.
When I made it to camp, there was something different goin’ on. The feller we call Missionary Bill was there and was goin’ telling stories of Jesus. While I sat down to some coffee and what was left of the beans, I listened to what Bill was sayin’ about why Jesus came. He told about how God loved the world such that He gave His one and only Son, and that whoever believes in Him won’t ever die but will live forever! I remember how Ma used to talk about some of these things before she died.
Bill went on to tell that since Adam and Eve, we’ve all sin. I was sittin’ there thinkin’ how I tried to be a good guy and a gentleman. Pa, I know you tried to tell me. But Bill was telling us that Jesus once said that if you ever lusted after a beautiful woman, then you’ve already committed adultery in your heart. He told about how David had been a man after God’s own heart. But David looked at some young woman named Bathsheba and he didn’t just look, he focused in on her. It was so bad that he sent for her and he had relations with her even though she was the wife of one of his honored soldiers; a fine man named Uriah. David ended up murdering Uriah just to cover up the whole mess.
Well, I know I done some things that I’m not too proud of. Like the time I took that money that was sittin’ right there in the seat of the boss’ buckboard. I think it must of fell out of his pocket when he got up. Anyway, I helped everybody look for it knowing it was there in my pocket the whole time. There was a time, years earlier, when I flat-out lied to you about getting’ them strays that had drifted beyond Lil’ Mesa. I told you how I had looked and looked but didn’t find ‘em. Actually, I found a nice fishin’ hole and never made it out to look up them strays. I like to pride myself on ridin’ for the brand, but I remember thinkin’ that I needed some time off for me.
Anyway, Bill went on to tell a story of a religious man named Nickordeemus wanting to know more about Jesus. Nick knew Jesus came from God just by the miracles Jesus was doin’, but he had other questions concerning God and such. Jesus told Nick that for a feller to enter God’s kingdom, he must be born again. Nick didn’t see how that was possible.
Missionary Bill told a number of other stories and he told us that they came right out of the Holy Bible. He told somethin’ ‘bout ridin’ some animal called a camel through the eye of a needle, but I forgot the jist of that one.
And Bill also told about an Ethiopian guy that Philip was talkin’ to. Philip was talking to him about Jesus and how that if one believes in Jesus, he should be baptized. The Ethiopian said, well, hey, there’s a creek, what’s to keep me from being baptized?” Philip said, “nothin’, let’s get ‘er done!”
So I just thought you might want to know. I got ‘er done, too! Yep, I’ve been born again and been baptized in a creek!” Love, your son, Tom
Choose Jesus, choose life and let your light shine! And find a Bible believin’ church where you “fit in” and know, grow, and follow Christ! Tell others! See y’all at church and keep PRAYIN’ for HIS HARVEST! Pray for the rain! Amen.