Gatherings

As Fall arrives memories of times together fill my mind. When school starts I know cool winds will soon blow away this sultry summer heat and it will be time to get ready for the holidays. But the memories that flood my consiousness bring an opportunity to continue the legacy by getting together in our home with friends and family making more memories to enjoy. How wonderful our Father is to allow the difficulties we suffered to dim with time while the joy of gathering together is played over and over in our minds like a favorite movie.

Friday and Saturday afternoons were times to gather with family and friends. Mom’s best friend and my Aunt and their families would come often. For my brother, sister and I those were great times spent outside playing games or catching lightening bugs. When everyone was gathered there would be thirteen kids; enough for dividing into teams for baseball, Red Rover or Eenie Einie Over.

Always a lot to do on the farm, some of our favorite things were; exploring the buildings; barns, sheep shed, smoke house etc. We would play tag and hide and seek or play baseball in the sheep pen because there were no stickers there and the grass was short (we always played bare foot). Of course in late summer there were treats like; watermelon that Mom and Dad had iced down in a number two wash tub or home made ice cream. Ice cream took everyone’s participation, the ladies mixed it and poured it into the container, the men put the container into the machine, put the machine into the tub, filled it with ice and turned the crank. We kids vied for our turn on the seat on the towel which was folded and draped across the machine. We were the anchor, so to speak. The rest of the kids waited munching on salty ice from the overflow in the tub or we’d sneak up put ice down each other’s shirts then run like crazy.

The end of summer and beginning of fall were the busiest times at our house. Though money was short there always seemed to be enough to have family or friends come by for a simple supper and dessert. Sometimes there was even enough for Daddy to go to Rock Hill Store and buy the big gingerbread cookies Miss Winnie kept in a huge jar on the counter. They were big enough to fill even Daddy’s hand.

Sometimes I miss those days, but most of the time I am just grateful to have had such good times. How blessed I feel to have wonderful memories and the opportunity, with God's help, to make more memories. I hope you enjoy these wonderful days. And if they aren't so wonderful now rest in the fact that God is with you and difficulties do not last forever. Blessings!

Just Trust

When I was young and everyone was choosing their career the only thing I wanted to do was be a wife and Mom. Being a stay home Mom gave such fulfillment I knew I was doing what God wanted. Now that the boys were older I had to back off and give them to God. They still had a lot to learn but I wasn’t sure they wanted to learn from me anymore, so who better to teach them than the Lord, who loved them even more than I?

About two weeks after I prayed giving God full control of our boys our youngest came to us and told us he was moving to West TX, about seven hours away. We had two days and a night to get used to the idea and frankly I was scared. A quiet voice inside me spoke, telling me I needed to let Steven make his own choices and give him room to grow up. So we didn’t hold him back. We didn’t say the words, “You can’t go”, which is what we wanted to do.

The next few weeks I cried almost constantly when alone. I prayed, I feared, I demanded that God send him home, I worried, I thought about everything that might possibly go wrong and became anxious. That is when God’s voice came through my thoughts reminding me of my prayer, “You gave him to me, just how much do you trust me?”

“Be anxious for nothing, but in all things through prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.” Phil. 4:6 a Bible verse from Sunday school came back to me.

I fell to my knees; asking forgiveness for my lack of faith, and my attitude. Quietly the words came, “Just trust.” This became my lifeline. Every time I would wake in wee hours with fear trying to take hold of my heart, those calming words came to me. I would pray for Steven, other family members and anyone else God brought to mind, eventually falling into a restful sleep.

Yes, God did send Steven a miracle, several in fact. Over the past six years God has given Steven a family of his own, a good job, and the confidence to succeed in this life. And we finally have a daughter, who has given us four sweet, beautiful grandchildren.

Just Trust, is my motto.