My Father's Eyes

By Michael Osborne

In a time far removed from our memories...

...there was a great flood that wiped out all life on this planet except for the inhabitants of a solitary ark, the first destruction of Earth. Could there have been other survivors? Today half of the world’s population vanished in a split second, plunging humanity into cataclysmic ch

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atmosphere Press
• Release date: May 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647646523

Michael Osborne

Michael Osborne is Professor of Adult and Lifelong Learning , Director of the Centre for Research and Development in Adult and Lifelong Learning, and Co-Director of PASCAL, University of Glasgow

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My Father’s Eyes

Michael Osborne

atmosphere press

Copyright © 2020 Michael Osborne

Published by Atmosphere Press

Cover photo by Kat J on Unsplash

Cover design by Nick Courtright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,

and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance

to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced

except in brief quotations and in reviews

without permission from the publisher.

My Father’s Eyes

2020, Michael Osborne

atmospherepress.com

This book was written especially for Michael (Mikey) James Osborne Jr. My guiding genius and harshest critic who will live forever in my memory and my heart. One life, no matter how brief, changes the course and thoughts of many.

This book is dedicated to all Disadvantaged and Medically Fragile Children and adults everywhere, you are the Angels among us.

Dear Dawn, Thank you for believing in me. Always remember that anything you ever found special in me is because of you. Love, Mike

In memory of Owen J. Osborne Sr.: my founder and Father.

Much gratitude to Ryan, Dakoda, Timothy and Josh: my greatest and most influential teachers.

Very special thanks to Mom, Angie, Michelle, Arv, Korey, and last but very far from least, all of my grandchildren.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came unto men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown.

Genesis 6:4

Introduction

My Father’s Eyes is a story of one man’s journey from early childhood to the end of time. That's all it is, a story. There is no intention of the author to claim that this is any prophecy or a look into the future. It’s just a story with the simplest of messages. Every life discovers love, but it takes child-like faith to give and receive unconditional love.

Albert Einstein said three crucial things that have stayed with me through life, and I tried to capture all three concepts in my writing. First; Imagination is more important than knowledge. Second; There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Third; If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old you don’t understand it yourself. You can spend many days reading classic quotes to gain a perspective on how the world is revealed through the genius of Albert Einstein, merely to find out that he thinks just like we do, quickly discovering that the difference is he thinks without the malice and prejudice that engulfs the rest of us.

I am as fascinated by writers as much as I am by writing. Simple quotes calling on pure conventional logic to make observations that elude the rest of us such as Stephen King, who said, God is cruel, sometimes he makes you live. Mark Twain said, Write without pay until someone offers to pay. I don't know who said, If you can't write a book with a pencil, all the software in the world can't help you. I can't find any record that anybody ever said it. If that’s the case, I will gladly accept credit.

Two quotes that I am living by in the present time are all mine. Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end the faster it comes off the roll, and If I don't live to retire, I’ll be pissed.

May God bless all of you.

Prelude

My Father’s Eyes

God inspected the Guf¹ in Heaven and found the most superior soul inside.

Enlightened beyond human experience, God took that spirit aside.

Take my hand, God said, I have a mission for you.

Walk with me; I need to tell you of the many things I need you to do.

Earth has fallen prey to Hell, I’m afraid. Go there and see.

Leave Heaven behind, be born, live life, and then return here to me.

Live as a helpless fragile child, so that I may assess mankind.

So I may see who will rescue you. I’m very afraid of what I will find.

Only you will influence my decision, on when the time is right.

Order will be restored, when I destroy the earth and extinguish her light.

Not many souls will be spared, for they followed the wrong path.

Man scorned and put aside helpless children. They deserve my wrath.

In life, you will know little happiness, as you find so few who care.

Know that those who take care of my children, I will humbly spare.

Endure life. I love you as you are. It is I who knows the soul inside.

You will be my mightiest general in the end: leading my Armies forever by my side.

Love,

Dad

Prologue

The thing that hath been, it is which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 KJV

There is no place like home. There is no place like home, a line from my all-time favorite movie. During life, I have been thrust into another realm by a whirlwind. Where I was aided and trained by little ones. I traveled the yellow brick road there, in search of answers and reawakened into this reality discovering in it no change. I know this reeks of insanity or wanton substance abuse. Neither is true, but soon you will find the truth as my story unfolds.

A furious maelstrom of decadence and corruption hastily annihilates the pulse of our continuation as a viable species on this planet. Extravagant and unconstrained drug abuse and aimless belligerence facilitate exorbitant disposal of life. Contrived restraint of effective cures for fatal disease invokes unnecessary suffering and ex- termination. Medicines are known but abandoned due to unmitigated greed, and the audacity of placing profit before human needs has swiftly evolved into an adopted mindset that providing useless or ineffective treatments for a fee will generate an endless cycle of income and trim the surplus population. Refusal to offer cures that may slow or idle the wheels of some enormous and powerful industries, which resolutely refuse to think about the future. There is no thought of building a healthy population and redirecting those very same wheels that may generate even more profit through health and well-being. Everything has indeed become all about the money. The game of life seemingly has become whoever collects the most money before they die wins. The anticipation of the prize nullifies the memories and accomplishments of the winner. Everything but memories permanently dispersed to a waiting entitled generation.

Indolence has become the new standard while hard work continues to invoke disdain and contempt. There still are those that persevere to maintain moral excellence and an exceptional work ethic. They have become the minority and are tired and broken down in the pursuit to support the majority. I do my best as a part of that minority to cling to hope for the possibility of reform but am reminded each day that better things are just one more day removed. In the process, I have lost all faith in God and man. Destruction seems imminent, whether it is by God or by our own hand.

Practical thinking and lucidity prevents me from sincerely trusting what are presumed to be universal certainties. Inside the confines of my mind, universal truths are reduced to elaborate prejudiced opinions. I feel it is my obligation to believe in God and Heaven, but I cannot. A deficiency of proof blinds me; I’m remorseful to the very heart of my soul. Shortly, I fear I will realize ruin. I have abandoned prayer due to an absolute absence of peripheral responses. It appears to me that organized religion has been reduced to engineered popularity contests and an active medium to produce an enormous profit. Both ludicrous concepts are inappropriate to the origin of our belief system. I struggle with the necessity to believe that we are all supplied with an owner’s manual. Regrettably it was written by men, allegedly inspired by God. Is the Bible merely a fairy tale that invents circumstances to help us more readily accept our impending expiration? I feel that the unadulterated faith I require to believe sincerely is beyond my grasp.

First, I am a logophile. I possess a great love of the correct usage of grammar, words, and vocabulary. I have an urge to write that borders on obsessive. My head is so filled with words that I need to transfer to the paper that I’m afraid the dam in my mind is about to break. The first time I picked up a pencil as a child and was able to put words on paper, I discovered my real passion in life. I was born with poor communication skills, alienated from others due to stuttering. Writing became my lifeline to the world outside my mind. The words filled my head, but could not navigate the path to my mouth. I soon discovered that as in reading books, if I did not appreciate the world that contained me at that particular moment in time, a pencil in my hand could create any existence I wished. Many years later my oral communication skills improved, as my passion for writing continued to increase. While writing in an electronic age may seem redundant and may lead to criticism and rejection it is never an exercise in futility. There is always that one slight chance that it may turn out to be that one small spark that ignites a raging fire. The hope that I can produce that one sentence that stays your attention would entice me to create my perfect world.

Almost seven years ago to this day, the critical moment of the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon exploded onto the scene, the Earth’s final cataclysmic war to end the last chapter of good versus evil. Inciting the events that will play out, culminating in the complete devastation of the world and mankind alike. The residence that we have termed Earth since our beginning with the emergence of creation that long pre-dated Adam and Eve and will cease to exist shortly. A single trumpet blast from an archangel ushered the appearance of Jesus Christ in the sky to seize complete control of our situation as he descended from Heaven. All of the righteous dead and those still alive were caught up to meet him in the air. Everyone in existence that remained on the ground witnessed that event. I was not among those taken.

Seven years later, I am now Levi Yoder. One that inherited the use of holy fire like that of the Two Witnesses, foretold in the Book of Revelation. I did not exist in this capacity until recently. In an instant, everything I knew changed. Quickly, as in the time it takes to see a lightning flash, complete faith in God filled my being. With one worldwide trumpet blast, God revealed the reality and literal content of the Bible to the entire population. Due in part to self-preservation and a Godly command to spread his message at any cost, I have been forced to render many damaging acts of destruction, resulting in the killing of more people than I can count. I have used every weapon known to man, some of my own creation. I have been an assassin of The Supreme Leader of the Earth, now known as Terra, renamed by The New World Order. Yes, they had the audacity to rename the planet. I have also protected many, training them in scripture and teaching them the love of God. I also qualified them for the use of weapons to aid in their continued survival and nurtured more people into health and well-being than I have killed. Only God knows the number that I have saved. Only God knows the number that I have reluctantly sent on to the next realm. My punishment for the assassination of The Supreme Leader came swiftly. Publicly in front of the entire population, I was maimed, shot, burned and killed. Resurrected thru our Heavenly Father three and one-half days later to return to this terrible place for His glory and I am anxiously waiting to be collected and taken away from here again to fulfill the Biblical Prophecies that I have studied my entire life, many of which I still do not understand. I hope that in time, understanding will offer me validation and most importantly redemption.

One of God’s most powerful Angels drafted me into this war. I did not volunteer. I didn’t even believe in God or Heaven and Hell at that particular time because I allowed daily events to cloud my judgement and destroy my faith. The war will culminate in the Apocalypse, the complete destruction of Heaven and Earth. All that I have done, I have been compelled to do through tangible divine guidance that has invaded every facet of this new reality. I have done the best I can even though my understanding seems to be limited, at best, a good portion of the time. I continue to be constantly haunted by thoughts of failure; I am often frightened that I may have misunderstood God’s direction at one turn or another. The killing sickens me to my core, but every action was a reaction in self-defense and my preservation. I do not fear death. It has been welcome at my door for a long time, but I am too weak to end it all myself. I cannot fathom the reasoning behind my continued survival.

Within the time before these particular seven years, I lived as Angus Steel, born the son of a salt miner/chemist. I am living in the latter days of this generation of humankind. I led a very average, unassuming and mundane existence with no delusions of grandeur. I did not attain fortune and glory or invent any world-shifting paradigms. I spent my life doing what I had to do to take care of my family and little else. I tried to please everyone around me and very easily managed to stay out of jail. The whole of my life savings and hope for retirement I invested in the maintenance of my family, money well spent. I never intended to leave this life with more than I possessed at birth, which I have convincingly accomplished. I lived a simple every man life, not extraordinary in any fashion. Work and family filled my existence to bursting.

According to my father I am a direct descendent of Tubalcain, the first instructor of every artificer in brass and iron as described in Genesis, the first Book of the Bible. Tubalcain perished in the Great Flood of Noah’s time, but his daughter Yonah married Japheth the youngest son of Noah to continue our family line. There has been a metallurgist or a smithy in every generation since. I am the last. My father told me our family tradition would die with me. He made me aware of this from a very early age. I have been a metallurgist, blacksmith, and goldsmith my entire adult life. A metallurgist is an engineer that uses the science that deals with procedures used in purifying and alloying metals at the atomic level and extracting metals from their ores. In other words, I make useful things out of metal.

I have obtained many titles in my life: son, husband, father, maniac, murderer, teacher and preacher. Grandfather is by far the most impressive of all. My grandchildren all called me Papa, very pleasant music to my ears and psyche, the one reward in my lifetime I received and indeed cherished. God has removed them from me. I try to understand that it is for their protection and continued survival. The nature of my calling and the state of this world require it to be mandatory. I know they are safe and well taken care of, but my heart aches to be near them again. I think about them constantly. Surely, there must be recompense for all that I have endured since their bodies and souls were collected to be with God. I will happily give up any reward that may be granted to me just to be able to hug them again and hear their voices. God, can you please make it so? Do not send them to me, please take me to them. I am more than ready to leave this place. I hope I have worn out my welcome here. Please direct me.

I managed to learn some of the most valuable knowledge I would ever know from my grandchildren. Of course, it was after the fact and came to me only after reflection. It is never the answer that endows wisdom, but always the journey in search of said solution.

For those of you who seek an answer to know if what I am about to tell you is true, please accompany me on this seemingly metaphoric excursion. Hopefully, our trip will deliver a reliable conclusion. Only you can decide whether you gained wisdom, were merely entertained or found nothing to your taste. If my interpretation of the truth is just nonsense or mindless entertainment, then it will quickly be forgotten and quickly disintegrate into dust, just like all other misunderstood misconceptions. I don’t get to decide what is or is not truth for the world; the world must decide individually. All new or missing information passes from one individual to the next until it becomes either a universal truth or dismissed as quickly and decidedly as deceptive or flawed thinking. Every answer begins as a solitary private personal choice to reveal an unimpeded conclusion.

Our small children lead us in the right direction when it comes to understanding our relationship with God. Children exist independently outside of us, even though they are a part of us. We can see, play, hug, argue, and love these almost mirror images of ourselves. All events we experience with our children physically exist apart from us, while our emotions toward our children only exist within us.

We all have a false sense of security that we can control our children. We cannot, they are merely our extensions containing their minds and personalities. We cannot experience what they feel but can share in their contentment and disappointments. Children are a real message on how to build a lasting relationship with God. We soon realize he does not control us but does share in our every endeavor. Thankfully, he is resolute in sharing grace and mercy.

We seem to be very adept at problematic behaviors in our ways of living and thinking. I have quickly come to understand one simple truth. Never look for a relationship with God outside yourself; if anyone tells you that they know how you can find a personal relationship with God they are leading you on a journey down the wrong path. We exist outside of God, even though we are part of him. Each is a distinctively different part. Our emotions to the acceptance of the truth of God can only rest independently within us. As a higher species, we search for the truth of God in all things in our universe. We never need to look for a relationship with God outside ourselves.

The inside of our bodies, primarily our mind, is the only temple we will ever need to use for worship. If you attempt to establish a relationship with God outside yourself you kill any chance you have to build a personal relationship with him, thereby killing God in this world one person at a time.

Because there is only our God that created us all, humanity has created a myriad of stories to try and explain his existence. The straightforward explanation is; He created us, we are a part of Him, and we are all connected. One God, our humanity, built on one foundation, and time always reveals the truth.

It has been almost seven years to the day that God saved his people from this ongoing nightmare. He instantaneously lifted them to Heaven or a nearby waiting place to protect them from the atrocities that have followed this known event, an event that is repeatedly presented and discussed since the beginning of time. An event that came to be almost entirely dismissed as myth by arrogance we term as human sophistication emerging as pure reality in the twinkling of an eye. More than fifty percent of the world’s population vanished in the time that it takes for a heartbeat.

I am not sure where they all went, but I do know they are safe and in the presence of God. The last seven years are the most horrific interval that humans have ever endured on this planet. I believe that a good measure of the people that made the decision to strand themselves here to die or to repent never were subject to or have taken advantage of the teachings of the Bible. Others were too arrogant or weak to care about anything but self-gratification.

As for the leaders of what are now Christianity and me, we are fulfilling an ancient Biblical prophecy, in a continuing effort to reestablish God’s Church on Earth that He removed through rapture. Most importantly, we are seeking redemption in the process. It was our choice to be here. I once unequivocally believed but allowed my faith to slip away due to dwelling on the moment and consciously ignoring the facts that were right in front of my face. Facts that I believed in but lost sight of in the struggle of what I perceived to be the constant impedance of adversity. I allowed the injustices in the world to influence my thinking so completely that I’m sure conservation of my permanent assignment is in danger of permanent loss.

Neither advance nor retreat from your opinions, merely tolerate all ways of thinking. Toleration became the anthem of the world populace. Toleration of all things has led to our ultimate demise. I unwittingly permitted my thinking to be influenced by the masses.

Suffering and expiring through plagues, fatal sicknesses, famine, earthquakes, and extreme weather events. Asteroid and comet strikes, and all manner of pestilence, day in and day out. Remaining alive on Earth during this time was our final chance to prove our allegiance. The whole seven years have been a literal trial by fire, with very limited options. Believe in God and Jesus or choose destruction. Each and every one of us individually pushed to the extreme limit of irreparable loss. The anguish and the expiration of life are unprecedented in our human history. Before the Great Flood, God removed all his people before destroying the entire population, albeit only eight righteous souls were saved while billions perished in the deluge.

I know in my heart that some of us have managed to return to being His people and are still here because He has yet to fight the final battle terminating in absolute destruction. He will not start that fight as long as one member of his flock is still misplaced here. I pray that I belong to Him so that he will retrieve me. I hope I do not see the first-hand knowledge of the final and horrible outcome of complete annihilation, or perhaps, safely looking down on the final battle from afar, protected by the Heavenly Host.

Faith

Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy City and appeared too many. Now when the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, truly this was the Son of God.

Matthew 27:50-54 KJV

Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the Son of God?

St. Luke 3:38 KJV

The commencement of all creation is contained only in our minds; it is always through passion and hard work that allows it to advance to completion. There is no such thing as luck or magic, which are brilliant concepts but, unfortunately, do not or never have existed. There is only boldly facing the hard reality of everyday life. Despite the pitfalls we all endure, we relentlessly demonstrate faith on a daily basis by looking towards tomorrow.

As human beings, no matter what befalls us, we, for the most part, choose and cling to our lives. Praying that no matter what, we live to see and survive another day. Fearing our deaths and dreading the