1976.2.2
Today was a very interesting day. I started out selling in downtown Hot Springs. It's a unique town, situated on top of natural hot springs that many people believe have therapeutic and even healing powers. There's a slight smell of sulfur in the air, but I quickly got used to it. A lot of places I went into to fundraise were spas where the thermals had been turned into pools or tubs that you could pay a fee and soak in. I think I would like that, especially after being on my feet running around all day, but no time for that now.
This morning during morning service Richard spoke again about finding God in ordinary people because everyone, even fallen man, has some spark of their original nature, God's nature, still living inside. In some people their heavenly nature is more obvious because they are so pure and righteous, but in other people it is harder to see. So we have to pray and look beyond the external to see it, and when we can see it, then the spirit world can inspire that person to give.
It came into my head that God could, and probably does, take a physical form sometimes, maybe fully inhabits the body of an ordinary person briefly. I decided my internal goal for today was to meet God. After I prayed about it, I believed that someone I spoke to today would actually be HF, so I had to treat everyone like they might be the one.
I had been selling in downtown for a couple hours and I wanted to stop for a few minutes to pray and re-energize and refocus. I went into the bank and went straight to the restroom in the back of the lobby. I didn't want to fundraise inside yet, just in case I got kicked out, which was possible. So I went inside the restroom and prayed to be united with Richard's spirit.
When I came out, there was Richard in the lobby. It was quite a shock to see him. At first I wasn't sure what he was doing, but then I saw him hand over two bulging vinyl bank pouches that we kept our money in. I realized he was wiring our team result from the last few days to MFT headquarters in New York. It made sense. It was several thousand dollars, and it would be foolish for us to carry around that much money for no reason. Satan would be tempted to steal it back. I waited a few minutes and then Richard left. He didn't see me.
A few minutes later I was in the bank vice president's office, sitting across from him behind his big wooden desk. Something about him seemed familiar. He reminded me a lot of the man in the Mercedes convertible who picked me up in San Francisco and took me to Imoe's house after I had left Jerry at Big Sur. He had the same hair and same build and same calm, fatherly appearance.
And I just started pouring my heart out to him about the Unification Church and Reverend Moon and how much joining the church had changed my life and made me want to be a better person. I don't remember exactly what I said, but he said I reminded him of his own son, who was away in the military. Then he got up from behind his desk and walked over to me and hugged me, a deep, long embrace like a parent. He smiled at me and told me how grateful he was I had come into his office. He gave my $5 and told me to get myself a nice hot lunch.
I was overwhelmed with emotion. I went down the street to the lunch counter and ordered the special, a plate of ribs with two sides. I cried the whole time I was eating, knowing God himself wanted me to be strong and healthy so I could accomplish my mission.
After lunch I went back out with a higher spirit and more determination than I'd ever felt before. It seemed everyone gave, and it a short time I had $70. I was going shop to shop in a black section of downtown, still doing well, and some dude took my box of candy and started heading for the door. At first I wasn't sure what to do, so I followed him outside and just called out to him and gave him my spiel as he walked away, pretending to ignore me. I didn't know how, but I was determined to get the candy back somehow. Then he ducked inside another business and went into the bathroom.
I didn't follow but stayed outside the bathroom and prayed for guidance. Then he came out and said he was going across the street to get me my money. I stayed with him. Eventually he just gave up and pushed the box back to me, saying he was just playing with me. I was glad to get my product back, but the experience complete ruined my concentration and momentum. I felt completely off center. I hardly sold anything after that.
Later I ended up outside a Piggly Wiggly, fundraising the parking lot as people came out with their groceries. It was a perfect situation to sell because they had to take a minute to put the bags in their car, which gave me the opportunity to give them my spiel. A lot of people would say they spent all their money in the store, or that they were diabetic, but sometimes a person would buy a box of candy just to make me go away. I didn't care why they bought. I needed to make my goal.
Then two cars showed up. One was from Ohio and had a license plate 9559HB and the other was from New Mexico with a plate AK5599. The similarity of the numbers seemed more than a mere coincidence, since nothing happens by chance or accident, but I couldn't figure out the significance. I wish I knew more about numerology. According to the Principle, the number 5 has something to do with the five senses, and the number 9 represents the stages of growth back to God. So I guess it could have been a sign to remind me that I had to restore all of my five senses -- my five physical senses and my five spiritual senses -- through all the growth stages to return to God.
That night when we were blitzing bars and restaurants I went over to the bowling alley behind McDonald's. I wasn't selling anything and felt I was still off-center from almost having my product stolen earlier in the day. Then I spoke to the cleaning lady at the bowling alley, a woman named Mae, and for no apparent I was suddenly overwhelmed with incredible love for all the people there. Even though I had fundraised to everybody and sold nothing, I wanted to stay there with them. Then the manager came over and kicked me out.
Tomorrow starts a 120-day prayer condition for Yankee Stadium.