As I contemplated these ideas, I realized how helpful and practical Gideon had been. He was trying to show me the way to a more glorious life. His method of teaching was simplicity itself. His was a lifetime of love and understanding, and because I felt his concern, I responded by learning many lessons extremely quickly. He used examples from everyday life and imparted to me not only knowledge, but understanding at the same time.
I remember driving along on a super highway once, accompanied by Gideon. It was a beautiful day and all seemed peaceful. I was, as usual, questioning Gideon about my concerns. “What is the meaning of life, Gideon?” I asked, more to aggravate him than anything else.
“Life has no meaning, John.”
“No meaning, Gideon?” I was shocked.
“Life has no meaning. You have meaning. You bring meaning to life,” he calmly replied.
At about that moment there was the terrifying sound of squealing brakes and honking horns. I reacted quickly as a green sports car cut in front of me without even so much as a signal. It continued weaving in and out, disrupting the synchronized flow of traffic that had prevailed for the last half hour or so. I was visibly shaken. “That idiot!” I shouted. “He could have caused an accident. Look at him speed, Gideon! He may still cause a wreck.” “He certainly is in a hurry, John,” Gideon replied. “How can you sit there so calmly? The jerk almost ran us off the road! We could have had a horrible accident. What do you think about that?”
“ ‘Could haves’ don’t count. It doesn’t matter what could have happened. Only what is really happening is important. Listen, calm down and let’s keep going. No harm has been done.”
These were the times when I wanted, more than anything else, to yell at Gideon or grab him by the neck and squeeze until he abandoned his attitude of calmness. How could someone always maintain such balance? I knew he had abilities beyond the ordinary, but nevertheless, it was extremely frustrating, and at the same time strangely comforting, to see him responding instead of reacting to circumstances and events.
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