Walking Through the "Valley of the Shadow"

Much of this came through an experience early in his ministry there. When God's blessing on the church so delighted one long-time member, formerly a Captain in the Texas Rangers and now Dallas Chief of Police, J. C. Arnold, that he invited George to join him and his bird dogs for a day of quail hunting in Johnson County. During their return in the late afternoon, as George trudged behind his host along the forest trail that would lead them home, the relaxed and contented pastor shifted his hunt-ing rifle from one arm to the other and in so doing jolted the trigger on the hammerless gun. The weapon discharged and a full load of bird shot struck Chief Arnold in the calf of one leg. The wound did not appear severe and Captain Arnold made light of it but George Truett felt a strange premonition that the outcome would be serious.

The doctors and nurses they reached in Dallas several hours later also reassured them that all would be well, but George paced the floor day and night for most of the week under an anxiety of self-condemnation for what he felt was his carelessness in handling the gun. He could neither sleep nor eat and by the time of the regular Wednesday evening prayer service supplication for the consolation of their strangely heart-broken pastor matched that offered for the full recovery of the police chief.

His congregation could not understand the strange agony of spirit which gripped their beloved leader. But when Captain Arnold died that very evening, apparently of heart failure which could have been initiated by the accident, all Dallas was shocked at the sudden and unexpected death of their Chief of Police (James, 1939:85-90).

A Sleepless Night

Messages of sympathy for Pastor Truett poured in from all over the city and beyond. Apparently no one except George ever felt that the Chief could die but he was so broken he believed he could never preach again because of the tragedy he had brought upon his dear friend. Although his mother, father, and his wife's parents all came to offer support he seemed beyond consolation. Truett told his wife, Josephine, that he felt that the blood of his friend had forever stained his character and, accordingly, he planned to leave the ministry. She stood by him quietly as he pored over his Bible, especially searching through the Psalms and the book of Job seeking relief from his agony.

No one knew if he could face the pulpit on the coming Sunday and it was not until the early hours of that morning that he finally fell asleep quoting the text, My times are in Thy hand. Sometime during that night, he later told his wife and close family, Jesus appeared to him vividly and realistically three times in dreams saying, Be not afraid. You are my man from now on. His son-in-law and biographer records that he shared this experience only in private, and then with great reluctance, but that it marked a turning point in his life and ministry. From that point on he lived as one who was now directly commissioned by Christ to proclaim His Word with unusual power. (James, 1939:88-89).