25 - Elvis: God reveals the importance of choice!
In August of 1977, we were on our way to the new job in Ketchikan, Alaska. We purchased a large furniture truck, loaded it with our possessions and, towing our car, we headed out for Alaska. It was a wonderful trip however two events occurred that were noteworthy.
We were on the road traveling and out near Montana when we heard on the radio the news that Elvis had died of a drug overdose. Now Pat was, and is, a big fan of Elvis and we have a big picture of him hanging in our home today. For my part, I liked Elvis and enjoyed both his music and his movies; still do, but I was nowhere near the big fan of Elvis that Pat was.
It was that night after hearing the news that I saw Elvis in a dream. It was, in some respects, similar to the vision that God gave me of the dance instructor, as described in the story “22 – A vision of the hitchhiking dance instructor“. I saw that Elvis, when he overdosed but before he died, was full of grief and sadness. His thoughts were evident to me and, as he was grieving, he was thinking that he would give anything to have made different choices with the direction of his life. It was very sad.
Now if I hadn’t had the history of the dreams in which God has similarly spoken to me, or the experience with the dance instructor, I might have dismissed it. But the fact is that I do believe that God was revealing to me what was going on in Elvis’s life and do not believe this dream was one to be dismissed. There is a message in it for all of us, and it is this: choices matter.
On our trip, we traveled close to 4000 miles. We had cleared a lot of rough country in terms of the open spaces, hills and mountains we crossed. The Canadian Rockies were the worst in terms of the strain on the truck but I am glad to say we had no mechanical problems We enjoyed the great view of the countryside we had from the cab of the truck as we traveled.
That said, it was all she wrote when, after unloading from the ferry in Ketchikan, driving up the steep mountainside and pulling into the driveway of the house we had purchased, I turned off the ignition. That’s the last time I was able to start it. We sold it, as is, to a local business man who had it towed to a shop where they discovered that the fuel pump had died the very moment we pulled into the driveway. Additionally the oil pump also required changing out. We had driven through a lot of countryside along the way where a breakdown would have left us stranded along some pretty desolate and remote highways. Being aware of the reality of God, a coincidence it is not; rather I can say that this experience was representative and similar to the oversight of God as described in the story “17 – Everything is in good hands“.
Notes
What is there to learn from the dream in which God revealed to me the depth of the grief that Elvis experienced before he died of the drug overdose?
The dream made me aware that Elvis, despite his fame and fortune, was very unhappy. There have been some books written after his death that described his unhappiness.
The dream made me aware that Elvis, prior to his death, would have given anything to have made different choices in his life. Our choices in life can sometimes have a significant and lasting effect on our happiness, hopes, and future.
As noted elsewhere in this website, I have become aware of the reality of God and that God knows the future. Because of this, I can say that it would be a good idea to ask God for wisdom in making a significant choice. As noted in the story “24- Patricia Trexler Arnold: the girl God brought into my life”, Pat and I did that when we thought about moving to Alaska.
As a side note by the time you walk with me through all of the experiences described within this website, it will be clear that God clearly is, as the scripture says, a very present help in the time of need and that He prospered or established the desires of my heart many times. That said, not everything that occurred in my life is, on the surface, a bed of roses. In particular, the loss of our twins, described in the story “27 – Those who become aware of God’s reality know that death is not the end” is an example of a most difficult experience Pat and I went through. But, having said that, clearly God was present during our trip and through his providence we had no problems with the truck during our trip….until we pulled into the driveway of our home in Ketchikan.
A few scriptural references
James 1:5-6 (KJV) “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing waivering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”
Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”