Doing it HIS way

So there is this kid who is aimless and unsure of what he wants to do with his life.  Son of a politician, he was kidnapped at 16 and carried away for 6 years to a strange Druid-kind-of guy who called himself Milchu.  It was weird.

They forced him into slavery and these turn of events can either push you closer to or further from God.  In Pat's case, he started praying . . . a lot.

Six years later while trying to sleep, he heard a voice that said, "your ship is ready" and fled his 'master.'  Over 200 miles away he found a ship that sailed back home to England.  He was grateful for the voice and so he started to study the Bible and get serious about doing something for God with his life.  So  what do you think God does?   Pat starts feeling like his calling in life is to go back to the place he was kidnapped and do good.

So he trains for 15 years and is sent across the sea.  Once he arrives, he shows up at Milchu's place and pays for his freedom.  Can you imagine?  

From that point on, he throws out the rule book on how to approach the locals.  The Catholic rule book at the time was to live outside the settlement and teach them all the stuff of the church (what to wear, how to talk etc).  Instead, Pat lives IN town, learns THEIR language and starts talking about God.  This would get him in trouble over and over with the church.

At first Milchu and his people weren't too impressed.  So Pat decides to get a little dramatic.  The Druid community has this huge festival once a year called Beltane in which a fire is lit and it is supposed to be the largest fire around.  So Pat gets in his mind to build a bigger one on the opposing hill.  It is enormous.  It totally eclipses the King's fire.  

Pat started getting his name out there.

Well, Pat spent the rest of his life loving these people that took him captive.  The church got mad at the ways he would do it (the church always does that).  But you and I would come to know him as St. Patrick.  No you know the rest of the story!