Tribute to George W. Bush

WHAT AN AWESOME TRIBUTE TO GEORGE W BUSH! PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE STORY NO
MATTER WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION IS OF HIM. YOU WON'T REGRET IT...

Story by: Bruce Vincent

For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our former
President, here is an excellent piece -- worth every minute it takes t=
o=A0read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby , Montana who had
gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the President.

He writes:
I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award
ceremony in DC. I'm still working on a press release but the White House
press corps has yet to provide a photo to go with it. When the photo comes
I'll ship it out. When you get done reading this you'll understand the
dilemma I face in telling this story beyond my circle of close friends.

Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President
and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk.When the
President was told that we were from Libby , Montana , I reminded him that
Marc Racicot is our native son and the President offered his warm thoughts
about Governor Racicot.

I have to tell you, I was blown away by two things upon entering the office.
First, the Oval Office sense of 'place' is unreal. The President later
shared a story of Russian President Putin entering the room prepared to
tackle the President in a tough negotiation and upon entering, the atheist
muttered his first words to the President and they were "Oh, my God."

I concurred. I could feel the history in my bones. Second, the man that
inhabits the office engaged me with a firm handshake and a look that can
only be described as penetrating. Warm, alive, fully engaged, disarmingly
penetrating. I was admittedly concerned about meeting the man. I think all
of us have an inner hope that the most powerful man in our country is worthy
of the responsibility and authority that we bestow upon them through our
vote.

I admit that part of me was afraid that I would be let down by the moment--
that the person and the place could not meet the lofty expectations of my
fantasy world. This says nothing about my esteem for President Bush but just
my practical realization that reality may not match my 'dream. '

Once inside the office, President Bush got right down to business
and,standing in front of his desk, handed out the awards one at a time while
posing for photos with the winners and Mrs. Bush. With the mission
accomplished, the President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy,
informal conversation about a number of things with our entire small group.=
He and the First Lady talked about such things as the rug in the office. It
is traditionally designed by the First Lady to make a statement about the
President, and Mrs.Bush chose a brilliant yellow sunburst pattern to reflect
'hope.' President Bush talked about the absolute need to believe that with
hard work and faith in God there is every reason to start each day in the
Oval Office with hope. He and the First Lady were asked about the impact of
the Presidency on their marriage and, with an arm casually wrapped around
Laura, he said that he thought the place may be hard on weak marriages but
that it had the ability to make strong marriages even stronger and that he
was blessed with a strong one.

After about 30 or 35 minutes, it was time to go. By then we were all relaxed
and I felt as if I had just had an excellent visit with a friend. The
President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees,
shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the President shook my hand
I said, "Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family." He was
already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned
fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his
handshake and said, "Thank you-- and God bless you and yours as well."

On our way out of the office we were to leave by the glass doors on the west
side of the office. I was the last person in the exit line. As I shook his
hand one final time, President Bush said, "I'll be sure to tell Marc hello
and give him your regards."

I then did something that surprised even me. I said to him, "Mr. President,
I know you are a busy man and your time is precious. I also know you to be a
man of strong faith and I have a favor to ask of you."

As he shook my hand he looked me in the eye and said, "Just name it."I told
him that my step-Mom was at that moment in a hospital in Kalispell, Montana,
having a tumor removed from her skull and it would mean a great deal to me
if he would consider adding her to his prayers that day. He grabbed me by
the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, "So that's it. I could
tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in
your eyes. This explains it."

From the top drawer of his desk he retrieved a pen and a note card with his
seal on it and asked, "How do you spell her name?"He then jotted a note to
her while discussing the importance of family and the strength of prayer.
When he handed me the card, he asked about the surgery and the prognosis. I
told him we were hoping that it is not a recurrence of an earlier cancer and
that, if it is, they can get it all with this surgery.

He said, "If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now.
Would you pray with me?" I told him yes and he turned to the staff that
remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave.
He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer."

As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared
to do a traditional prayer stance -- standing with each other with heads
bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and pulling
gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder. With his left arm on my
mid-back, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace.

He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for
Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more.My body
shook a bit as I cried and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God's
blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months. I stepped away
from our embrace, wiped my eyes, swiped at the tears I'd left on his
shoulder, and looked into the eyes of our president. I thanked him as best I
could and told him that me and my family would continue praying for him and
his.

As I write this account down and reflect upon what it means, I have to tell
you that all I really know is that his simple act left me humbled and
believing. I so hoped that the man I thought him to be was the man that he
is. I know that our nation needs a man such as this in the Oval Office.
George W. Bush is the real deal. I've read Internet stories about the
President praying with troops in hospitals and other such uplifting
accounts. Each time I read them I hoped them to be true and not an Internet
perpetuated myth. This one, I know to be true.I was there. He is real. He
has a pile of incredible stuff on his plate each day -- and yet he is tuned
in so well to the here and now that he 'sensed' something heavy on my heart.
He took time out of his life to care, to share, and to seek God's blessing
for my family in a simple man-to-man, father-to-father, son-to-son,
husband-to-husband, Christian to Christian prayerful embrace. He's not what
I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.

NOTE: If you decide to forward this story... please do not add to it. Let
Mr. Vincent's encounter stand as he wrote it.