Divine Appointment

I walked out on the patio of Locked & Loaded last night during another Friday of karaoke. There sat a successful looking couple who turned out to be David and Rebecca, who's last names I did not get. They stopped me and complimented me on my Elvis songs I had done over some time. They indicated that they had come multiple times, although I had never noticed them and had enjoyed my renditions better than any of the tribute artists (formerly known as Elvis impersonators) in Vegas and around the country. They both said I captured the "essence" of Elvis and that it seemed to come from deep within.
This opened a discussion about the Mississippi Flash. David had seen Elvis in Philadelphia on the same tour as the Madison Square Garden performances the year I had seen him (1971) in Baltimore. His dad MADE him go. His dad was no Elvis fan until the Hillbilly Cat sang "How Great Thou Art." From that moment on, David's dad was a dyed in the wool Elvis fan. We spoke of Elvis' generosity, and the times we had seen him. I started to speak of Elvis' receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and hesitated.
David and Rebecca have been to Graceland many times. I finally "spilled the beans" that I am a Pentecostal. Not only that, but a Pentecostal HOLINESS! David and Rebecca are as well. David shared some experiences with me not uncommon to my own. He had a burden in his heart for Elvis' soul. I then shared that Elvis had received "his Baptism" at the age of nine and immediately gave his bicycle away to a kid he thought "might need it more than me."
David has rubbed shoulders with many of Elvis' insiders and shared that he spoke with Bill Baze, who sang high tenor for the Stamps and who also is Pentecostal. David gave a note to Bill to give to Elvis. Bill shared that he was forbidden from giving anything to Elvis directly, that he had to give it to Charlie Hodge who would decide whether to pass it along. David was living in Atlanta at the time, but was moving in a month. The note had his phone number and a message to Elvis about salvation. Elvis was to appear a week after David moved. One night, David got a strange call from his mother. She said she ALSO got a strange call. The voice on the line asked if it was a specific number. It was not, it was David's. She told David that the voice sounded unmistakenly like Elvis. Who knows?
There are "Christian Nightclubs" in Atlanta, or there were. David was in one and sat at a table next to Dottie Rambo. He shared with Dottie his burden and asked if she knew Elvis was saved. Dottie said that he was, and that he'd gotten the Baptism at age nine, but that he was struggling with problems. (Failures) She then produced a prayer in Elvis' handwriting that he had given Dottie and asked her to pray it daily "so I'll know every day SOMEBODY is praying for me!"
David and Rebecca encouraged me as we spoke of my current unemployment and prayed for me. While the discussion of Elvis was great, the highlight was our discussion of spiritual matters. I shared my testimony and they noted how my eyes lit up when I spoke of Jesus. Amen