I have excerpted this from http://www.truthminers.com/truth/vincent.htm
It's the president as we have come to know and love him. You may need a Kleenex.
Original Message:
For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our President, here is an excellent piece — worth every minute it takes to read it.
This is from a man, Bruce Vincent, from Montana who received an award from the President.
He writes: I've written the following narrative to chronicle the day of the award ceremony in DC. ...
... Nominated by the Forest Service for the first ever Preserve America President's Award ... given at a White House ceremony on Monday, May 3 [2004 apparently] in the East Room ...
I was also able to bring PJ and all four children. In the East Room ... When the ceremony concluded, the First Lady stayed for a bit in the Green Room and chatted and posed for pictures.
... the four national award winners and the entities that nominated them were taken to the Oval Office for the official award presentation by President Bush and First Lady Bush. There were eight of us in total. Stepping into the Oval Office, each of us was introduced to the President and Mrs. Bush. We shook hands and participated in small talk. ...
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 [Putin] 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.
... President and Mrs. Bush relaxed and initiated a lengthy, informal conversation about a number of things ... 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.
When asked what the biggest challenge of the Presidency was, he talked about the daily frustration of partisan politics. ... He said that when he was elected he promised that he would do in DC what he had done in Texas and that was build alliances and coalitions that bridged party lines in order to move the nation forward. He had quickly learned that there are those in the nation's capital that would rather see the nation dismantled than work together to achieve a common good. That, he said is a bitter and continuing disappointment.
... He talked about family and place and faith helping to build the person you end up being and noted that the Oval Office reflected who he is. He noted that it would be a mistake to come to the Oval Office and entertain a mission to 'find yourself.' He said that with all of the pressures and responsibilities that go with the job, you'd best know who you are when you put your nameplate on the desk in the Oval Office. He said he knows who he is and now America has had four years to learn about who he is. ...
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. ... 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 ... 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 have a favor to ask 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 he 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 hope 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.
I'm stunned, not with surprise, with awe for this man we have elected as our President.
Dear Lord,
Continue to bless this man whom you have chosen to lead us for the next four years. Grant him wisdom in all his endeavors and peace when he lays his head on the pillow. Surround him with a hedge of protection to keep him safe from all who would do him harm. Bless, too, Mrs. Bush, the twins and their extended families. We are most grateful for this opportunity to see You at work through this Godly man.
Amen
Rejoicing on this Inauguration Day!
Wonderful!! Sad to think that that very story is why some people dislike this great man. Mindboggling!
Oh, he's the real deal alright. None of us agrees with him about everything he does, but he's the best man we've ever had in the office, imo.
***He's not what I had hoped he would be. He is, in fact, so very, very much more.***
GEM, That is beautiful. Thank you so much for posting it. It's a saver.
No surprise there. The prez is the real deal.
bump from DC, last night's dinner was fun, the snow made it difficult to travel...rto
God bless President Bush and his family. I am very thankful we have such a man as he in the White House. Thanks be to God.
ty, Gretchen, for sharing that with us all.
He sat at the kitchen table and wept as he read it.
It is an incredible man we have reelected to lead this nation. An incredible man whom God has chosen to lead us through these challenging days.
I am in fervent prayer for him, for this day, for this nation. THANK You, dear Lord for your mercy and answered prayer!
Thanks for posting that
(& for the ping)
placemark for later
Tears.
Yes, I had seen that marvelous account some time ago, but it brought tears to my eyes once again. The man is a gift from God to our nation.