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Passages: Fletcher’s Rebellion I

Album: 34: In Your Wildest Dreams

Episode: 422

Lesson/Theme: Trusting God

Bible Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6

Characters: Tom

Writer: Paul McCusker

Sound Designer: Rob Jorgensen

Original Air Date: September 18, 1999

Last Air Date: September 5, 2009

Description:
At a diner, Tom Riley meets Alice, a childhood friend of his son, Timmy. Alice wants to disclose an amazing adventure that she and Timmy had while they were at a summer camp as children. Timmy died the year after the experience, and Tom is glad for the chance to talk to someone who knew Timmy. The story begins as Alice and Timmy are wandering in the woods one day and find themselves in a strange place, another world called Marus. They are frightened when they see some wild men on horses shooting as they ride around a cabin, but they soon meet a handsome, friendly man named Fletcher. As they talk, Fletcher says the wild men are Adrians who have invaded Marus and are oppressing the Marutians. Soon Alice's eyes began burning and change color, and Fletcher knows it is a sign that she is a messenger sent from the Unseen One. Alice tells Fletcher that the Unseen One wants to use him to deliver the Marutians from the Adrians. Though Fletcher feels unable to be used in this manner, Alice assures him that the Unseen One will work through his weakness. Fletcher devises a strategy for the defeat of the Adrians. First, he and Timmy create confusion by causing a stampede of cattle which scares the Adrians away. Then, Fletcher sets the Town Hall in Drivain on fire, while Timmy watches from the bank roof. Timmy is arrested and thrown into jail by the Adrians, who suspect his involvement in the fire. The next day, Fletcher rides into town to tell everyone he has burned the Town Hall and to appeal to the Marutians to help him defeat the Adrians in the name of the Unseen One. With direction from Alice, Fletcher downsizes his army twice so it will be obvious that the victory is from the Unseen One. First, he commands every fearful man to go home, and then he brings water for the men. He watches how the men drink, and chooses the 300 men who drink from a shared cup. Under Alice's direction, Fletcher and Timmy sneak into the Adrian camp at night, and overhear two Adrian soldiers sharing their nightmares of being destroyed by the Marutians. Upon returning to their own camp, Fletcher orders his men to prepare for battle by bringing every noisemaker and source of light they can find. The army surrounds the Adrian camp, and at the signal from Fletcher, shines their lights, makes noise, and shouts, "For the Unseen One!" The Adrians drop their weapons and flee in terror. The Marutian army chases them, and captures an Adrian general. Timmy and Alice watch from Madarra Hill, and the battle is over in minutes. The Marutians applaud Fletcher and Alice, who attribute the entire victory to the Unseen One. Alice believes they are allowed to experience Marus so they will have greater reliance on God in this world. Later, Tom finds some obscure references in Timmy's journal that fit Alice's account of their journey into Marus. He wonders if it could be true... The story continues in part II...

Questions:
Fletcher said that the Unseen One in Marus was God. He mentioned how the Unseen One was the Creator of all things. How else was the Unseen One like God? Alice, as a messenger of the Unseen One, told Fletcher that he must rebel and drive the Adrians out of town. Do God's instructions ever seem difficult to you? Do you remember a situation where it was hard to obey God?