The Fourth Big Brute - a true story

Note: This is a true story that a friend shared with me. Names and some details may have been changed to protect the identity of those involved, but the main storyline remains unchanged.

It was December, and Miss Nancy wanted to be baptized. The pastor was excited to baptize her. There was no reason to hold her back, but there was just one problem: Miss Nancy was a quadriplegic. She could not walk.

The pastor thought of several different things: Maybe she could join the church by profession of faith, but no, she really wanted to be baptized. Maybe he could run her wheelchair into the river, but then they’d have to wait until next spring. Maybe he could find, in his own words, “four big brutes” who could stand around the baptistry and help lower her in, but in their rural Midwest village who could he find that would fit that order?

So the search for the four big brutes began. In a couple weeks he’d found Dave, a friend; Tom, a relative; and Nathan, a church member. But that was three, and he needed four.

One month went by, then another. The pastor just couldn’t find anyone to be the fourth big brute. Finally, in desperation, he asked Miss Nancy if she could think of anyone. “Well,” she replied slowly, “As a matter of fact, I think I do know someone who could help.”

Two weeks later, Miss Nancy was baptized in the church’s baptistry. Dave and Tom held the back of a plastic chair submerged in the water, tipping it back to baptize Miss Nancy, and Nathan and Jerry held the front of the chair so it didn’t float away. The pastor said the words and watched Jerry as they proceeded with the baptism: his face was glowing, and he looked as if this was the most amazing thing he’d seen in his life!

You see, after Miss Nancy had told the pastor that she might know of someone who could help, she had picked up the phone and called her ex-husband, who she hadn’t spoken to for 16 years, asking if he’d drive the hour to her church and help baptize her. He said yes, brought his girlfriend, and held the front of the chair so Miss Nancy could be baptized!

After the baptism, the pastor’s wife led a song service while everyone changed into dry clothes. Shortly Miss Nancy came out, looking fresh and happy. Then Dave and Tom and Nathan came out, looking happy too. But Jerry and the pastor were nowhere to be seen.

The pastor’s wife, waiting for Jerry and the pastor to appear so they could carry on with the service, sang song after song and marveled at what she saw: There, on the front pew, was her friend Sally. The pastor’s wife had invited Sally to the baptism, but had been sure the woman wouldn’t come, being very proud of the fact that she was an atheist. But for some reason Sally had decided to come, and now she sat on the front row, smiling in joy and singing with gusto. But that wasn’t the only miracle the little church would see that Sabbath.

Finally Jerry and the pastor came out and the service continued. What had happened was this: after Miss Nancy’s baptism, Jerry had asked the pastor some questions he’d always had about Bible prophecy. The pastor thought it was more important to answer his question than to go back out and finish the church service, so he’d taken the time to give Jerry an explanation from the Bible. When he’d finished, Jerry had announced, his face all aglow, “You know what? I want to be baptized too! And even though it’s an hour away, my girlfriend and I are going to start coming here every Sabbath!”

When Miss Nancy heard the news, she said, “I think I know why we weren’t able to find a fourth big brute here in town!”