It is 1960; Mickey Johnston and Marty Davis are just starting their first day at Middle City High School in Houston, Texas. Mickey Johnston is from a wealthy cattle raising family. His parents own 1300 acres of the best and most fertile land in Houston. His dad also owns a thriving John Deere tractor dealership.

Marty Davis is from an extremely poor family. His dad left his mom when Marty was about eight years old. His mom does her best to raise Marty and his two younger sisters by herself. Marty’s mom cleans houses for a living, but it seems there is never enough money to pay all the bills.

Marty is a terrific kid, always ready to help anyone in need. One evening, Marty hears his mom crying at the kitchen table as she looks over a stack of bills. Marty asks his mom what’s wrong. “Nothing, son, cause the good Lord knows exactly what we need.”  “Mama, don’t cry. I will go tomorrow and see if I can get a job to help on the bills.”

Marty’s mama grabs him and hugs him real tight as her tears fall on his shoulders. “Marty, you are the best son a mama could have but, my boy, you are too young to work. Why son, you are only fourteen years old. Besides, you must stay in school and keep your grades up, so you can get in college and be somebody. Son, this world is cruel to those who ain’t somebody.”

“Mama, I won’t never be somebody until my mama quits crying about something she cannot help.”  “You’re right, son. Please forgive me for having this self-pity party.”  “It’s okay, Mama. The preacher always says God knows about every tear that falls, and one day He will wipe them all away.”  Marty’s mama smiles though her tears and says, “Marty, you have so much wisdom. Jesus will use you in a big way someday.”

It is the first day of school, and Marty is hurrying to his first class, when he rounds the corner and wham! He runs right into a skinny little kid and knocks him to the hall floor. Sure enough, the skinny kid is Mickey Johnston. As Mickey tries to get up, all of a sudden a large, brawny hand wraps around his and pulls him up. Mickey adjust his glasses that are now sitting crooked on his face and says, “Who are you dude, Superman?”  “Superman, have you ever seen a redneck superman?”  “No, but I’m sure he couldn’t be any stronger than you.”

No doubt, Marty is a stout young man, even at the young age of fourteen. He is six foot one and a hundred and eighty-five pounds. He can bench press two hundred and ten pounds with ten repetitions without breaking a sweat. Marty is not only strong, but he has a passionate zest for life and loves kids. He always told his mama he wanted to help those who were in need.

Mickey and Marty hit it off that day in school and become best friends. They are an awful unlikely pair of friends, but each one loves the other like a real brother. Yes, they are the consummate odd couple, one rich, one poor, one strong, one weak, one saved and one lost.

Now, with only just one day before graduation, Marty tries to get Mickey to go with him to a tent revival that has just set up on the outskirts of town. Marty

just knows if he can get Mickey to the preaching revival, the Word of God will convict his heart.  “Come on man, I ain’t got time for some screaming sanctimonious preacher!” Mickey says. Finally, Mickey agrees to go with Marty to the revival, but he tells Marty, “Man, I’ll go in with you, but don’t expect me to do anything but sit there and laugh my head off.”

Marty says, “Okay Mickey, we’ll go in, but be calm, because it is not a smart idea to laugh at any preacher man.”  Sure enough, when they show up at the revival at 6 p.m. the place teems to capacity with at least five hundred people. An usher speaks to them and tells the boys that he has two seats up near the front, and to follow him.  Mickey says, “What is wrong with all these people? Won’t they have more fun going to a movie or shopping?”  “Come on, Mickey, you just aren’t seeing things clearly. These people are hungry for the Word of God.” “Hungry for what? This ain’t a restaurant.”