Prairie Prayers

Many years ago, my dad and Charlie, his long-time friend, set out to sell Bibles. They were very nice Bibles from the Hertel Bible Company of Wichita, Kansas. They had a lot of success as they traveled around the state, for people were usually pleased to purchase such a valued treasure, especially from such polite and earnest gentlemen.

Fast forward some 30 years to when our oldest son, Mark, was pastor of a church in a small Kansas town. One Sunday he happened to mention that his grandfather used to spread the Word by distributing Bibles across northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas. After the service, a church member approached him with an interesting observation.

"I think I met your grandfather," he said to Mark. He recalled that one time he, a farmer, had come in from the field for a bite of lunch. His wife, who was expecting a baby, was working at a school cafeteria, so he was on his own. He told about two men in a big Buick who drove up and knocked at the door.

He described them and said he invited them in to hear their presentation. (I must admit that Daddy, with his soft voice and persuasive way with words, and the older gentleman who looked like Burl Ives, would be a hard pair to resist!)

"I bought the Bible," the man said, "And after they left, I got to reading it. I found I couldn't put it down, and didn't go back to the field. It touched me so that I got down on my knees at the sofa and gave my heart to the Lord."

He went on to say that he wasn't established at that time, but as the years passed he became very prosperous. The two sons that were born into the Christian family grew up to be very successful. They started a magazine, a copy of which I saw at Mark's house once.

My husband was reminiscing about this a few days ago and gave Mark a call. Mark filled in a lot of details we didn't know. A son of Mark's church member amassed a fortune, becoming a billionaire (he even said trillionaire) and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

In later years, Howard was on staff at a Kansas church and was making hospital calls one day, when he visited a patient that turned out to be the man who had bought the Bible from my dad. He reiterated the story of the salesmen calling on him and the blessings that followed. The Word goes on forever!

The Wait

"Did Anne-Marie get the birthday present yet?" I asked her dad on the phone recently. I had hurriedly mailed the package that was scheduled to get there in two days, the eve of our granddaughter's birthday. She was turning 12, and I had been mystified as to what she would like.

"I can't get her a toy," I mused as I spoke with my daughter on the phone a few days before. She agreed, as the birthday girl was growing up and probably leaned toward teenage interests. We settled on something from a bath and body store, and I was gratified to find a gift of lotions, creams and fragrances. The sparkly cellophane dotted with glitter and hearts gathered with a ribbon made for a festive bouquet of the shimmering tubes of warm vanilla balm.

Next came the mailing. I found a box that would fit, inserted the present and wrapped the box in brown paper, taping carefully to make it secure. My husband, who has a wonderful script penmanship and prints all our labels, addressed the package for mailing. He was a little off his game though, (I might have wakened him from a nap) and the result was a little messy, but legible.

Almost daily, I inquired about the package. "Not yet," was always the answer. Poor baby. I felt so bad that her present hadn't arrived on time. Finally, I gave it up as lost. Or maybe crushed and discarded. Everything went through my mind. Hubby Howard had asked the postal employee if he should re-do the label, but she said, "Oh, I can read it. It's okay!"

I stopped inquiring. I apologized to Anne-Marie about it when I saw her at Thanksgiving. Then yesterday I got a call from my son. "Anne-Marie's present came," he announced calmly, to my happy surprise! It had been nine days! I almost felt like Daniel when his prayer wasn't answered for 21 days!

Daniel 10:12 relates the angel's explanation to Daniel for the wait: Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. (13) But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."

Well, my predicament was nothing compared to Daniel's, (although I did pray about it) but things can happen that do seem like the enemy's doing. Dreams and plans are lost. Hopes and aspirations are crushed. Our intentions may not be clear and are misread. But God is still on the throne, and your answer may come any day, like my package!

In Due Season

I just saw a lady bug on the window sill! A lady bug in this cold weather, and out of season? It cheered me to see the little creature, as I have always loved lady bugs.

I was reminded of the scripture in 2 Timothy 4:2, "Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine."

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:8 that he was born "out of due time," presumably referring to seeing Jesus in a vision, although not personally, as the 12 disciples had. He also referred to himself as "last of all," perhaps meaning he was chosen as an apostle after the others.

Sometimes it may seem that we were born "30 years too late" or "30 years too soon," as the old saying goes. But actually, we were born at the right time that God had in mind for us.

Acts 17:26 tells us, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation."

It seems amazing that God would know and care for all the creatures of the earth, even the lowly lady bug!

My Dog Jack

Well, I call him that even though it's Howard's dog, but I think he likes me better. When it comes to a choice of hitching a ride on the riding mower with Howard (which he loves to do) or staying beside me, I can see he is torn until I tell him to go on.

Jack is still a puppy, really, but he is growing by leaps and bounds. He used to fit easily through the doggy door, reserved for the inside pet, Pebbles, but now it is a tight squeeze. Jack is content to stay outside, especially since he is no longer tethered to the doggy run that confined him until recently.

It's funny, but I am not usually a dog person. I don't like them in the house, and I've never been as crazy about them as is my spouse. He is a dog person, big time. But Jack stays outside. He is friendly, affectionate, smart and obedient! And he likes me! Especially when I pet him or massage his back! He has a beautiful, shiny brindled coat that ripples in satisfaction during a rub down. He is a bulldog.

When I was a child, we had a family pet for years, our dog Tige (for the tiger stripes he wore). He was especially loved by my big brothers. We played in the Oklahoma blackjack woods and rocky hills and often encountered snakes! Tige was an expert at killing snakes. He would shake them mercilessly between his bulldog teeth until they were dead. I remember crying unconsolably when the snakes' poison finally got him. My sobs and tears were as the rain that sluiced down our window where I witnessed his last moments.

One other time I felt affection for a dog. We rented to a young couple living in a mother-in-law apartment attached to our house in Mississippi. One night they asked me to keep their puppy while they went out. The puppy wriggling against my chest as I held him, his little heart beating fast, melted my heart. I hated to give him back when our neighbors got home.

Our friend who gave us Jack told Howard that the dog's mother had been very good-natured. I see the same traits in her offspring. I think he is a keeper!

Ups and Downs

What a surprise to wake up to a winter wonderland! Snow coated everything this morning! I couldn't wait to don boots and wraps and tramp around getting a few shots on my phone. Relishing the warmth in the den, we stayed cozy inside until time for lunch. Howard suggested going for a burger, but I had perfectly good stew to warm up from yesterday. We could even have peach cobbler, leftover too.

I got the stew warmed up and set out bowls, but my spouse was interested in TV and was a little slow in responding. Oh well, it could wait a few minutes, I thought. The stew was getting cold, so I turned on the burner again, rewarmed it and filled our bowls. I noticed that it didn't seem that hot, though.

Just as we were sitting down, everything exploded! Pellets of glass and peach cobbler were shooting all over the stove and table! What happened? Then I realized why the stew was not warm. I had turned on the wrong burner, which was under the glass baking dish holding the cobbler!

Everything was ruined and I was traumatized, to say the least. After we got everything cleaned up, we went to town to eat! On the way back, we stopped and bought some gloves and a few other items, then got in the car. Suddenly an employee collecting carts came to our window with the news that we had a flat tire! She even took a phone pic and showed us! Thankfully, it was not far to a service station, so we made it home safely.

God has a way of turning an upside down day into a pleasant ending. I was making cabbage rolls for supper when the phone rang with a delightful call from my brother Johnny. Between our hilarious reminiscing of days gone by (he called to remind me of a blizzard on November 12 many years ago) and the warm memories we shared, I was cheered and thankful to sit down to a comforting supper raved over by a hungry husband!

No Charge

Returning from an errand in town, Howard wanted to stop at Macdonald's for a Dr. Pepper. He spoke his order into the drive-thru, then pulled up to the pay window to pay. "Can't take your money," the attendant said. What? My husband was so taken aback, he gave him a scripture card he passes out.

Then we drove to the pick-up area and was handed not only the drink, but a bag with a burger, fries, yogurt, and a toy! "No charge!" the smiling girl in the window said, "No charge!" waving us on! What a nice surprise! We didn't know what was going on, but we enjoyed it!

No charge. I was reminded of a song popular some years ago called, No Charge. A little boy asked his mother to pay him for miscellaneous small chores he did around the house. He tallied up what he thought the chores were worth, then his mother responded with the song: No Charge.

She reminded the child of her care of him throughout his life, his knowledge he'd gained and the cost of his college, and many other things, but there was no charge. When she looked at the list he gave her again, she read Paid in Full.

When we think about how good the Lord is to us, we are overwhelmed by his kindness to us ward. His protection, His provision, and His plans for our future are unlimited. He even gave His life for us, that we might live forever with Him. All this at no charge to us, for He has paid the debt in full!

Love in a Box

We had finally filled the shoe box, adding to those to be sent with the others from our church and community for Franklin Graham's "Operation Christmas Child" ministry. We had visited the headquarters in Boone, North Carolina several years ago and found it fascinating. We got there after hours for the tour, but a friendly employee gave us a private tour of the entire operation.

I thought about the restrictions in the box she outlined when packing our own box: No chocolate, nothing perishable and no military toys, to name a few. (I didn't realize the little paratrooper to be tossed in the air to float down in a parachute was a military toy until I saw the word, Army, on the packaging after I had bought it, so I removed it.)

Dropping off our shoe box at the church office, we enjoyed visiting with the receptionist, who was a volunteer that day. Our conversation drifted to where she grew up, which was in a small town known as Shidler. "Shidler!" my husband remarked, then reminisced that his brother, 10 years his senior, used to call on a store there when he had a sales job for a Cracker and Cookie company.

I had heard the story many times of how Howard's older brother would bring home samples of the products he sold. My future husband, 9 or 10 at the time, was treated to the excess merchandise. He remembers lying on his back in the yard and slowly relishing every bite of the unlimited supply of cookies.

While there are no edibles in the shoe boxes mailed to underprivileged children over seas, I can imagine their joy at opening the boxes, exclaiming over and treasuring the contents, even as a young Howard did with the cookies.

Also included in the boxes before they are shipped from the facility in North Carolina are booklets and material with the story of Jesus and the plan of salvation, clearly explained and illustrated on an age-appropriate level for the recipient.

Our gracious guide that day told us many stories that had come back to them as a result of the shoe boxes. In one of them, the sender had included her name and address to a little girl who would receive her box, telling her that she had no children of her own. The child wrote back to her that she had no mother. As more letters and arrangements transpired, the American woman was able to adopt the child and bring her to the United States. A happy ending from a cardboard box carrying a dream come true!

The Evangelist

We voted yesterday, and Howard finished filling out his ballot before I did. I was scrutinizing the back of my ballot, trying to digest it, when from my booth I heard my gregarious husband chatting with the vote workers at their table nearby. The snippets of conversation seemed to be his testimony of surviving an armed hold-up in New Orleans and his decision to enter the ministry. They were obviously hanging on every word.

As we were leaving, I heard one of them ask if he had any more cards. Then I knew he had given out some of the scripture cards he carries with him. "Do you have any more?" one of the workers asked. Another said she needed some, too.

Later that afternoon, we stopped at the farm supply store where a worker called out, "I still have that card! I read it every night!" He had given her one with the scripture, "O taste and see that the Lord is good." (The one at the voting precinct read, "Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, He it is that does go with you. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee.") Deuteronony 31:6.

We were hungry by then, so we stopped at a diner famous for their delicious burgers. Filling my glass with tea from the dispenser, I heard a conversation at our booth between Howard and the friendly restaurant owner. As the proprietor listened intently, my wonderful spouse related how he had heard God's voice as he waited to be connected to the Armed Robbery Division of the New Orleans Police Department. The Voice spoken into his ear said, "I've kept you through two of these things, and I'll never keep you through another. Now go do what I've told you to do."

Howard says he knew from an early age that he was meant to preach the gospel, but life rushed in and he neglected the call. He went on to preach and pastor for the next 23 years. He is still spreading the Word.

Duty

I voted! It gave me a feeling of exhilaration to think that my little, insignificant vote could have an effect on our nation's election! It made me feel like I was part of this big, wonderful family that is our country! All together, our votes culminate to put a leader or leaders in power to direct our nation.

In a way, it makes me think of prayer. We may think that our simple, unsophisticated prayer that we may pray for someone or ourselves is not powerful enough to get results. We don't have the right words, or we're not spiritual enough. But Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

He goes on to say in the next verse, "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

We know that we are to pray for our leaders, for the Bible tells us that. I Timothy 2:1-2 reminds us, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."

Many countries do not have the privilege of having a say in their government, as we do. There are dictatorships and authoritarianism governments where the people live under oppression. They may have to hide to have secret meetings to worship God.

Our government may not be perfect, but thankfully with Christian and/or upstanding leaders elected, we can live in the "land of the free, and the home of the brave." Thus we vote!

Time Change

Daylight Saving! (Or rather, the reversal of!) I was staggeringly sleepy last night, but the clock showed it was only 8:00 p.m.! How could I stay awake any longer? It had been a busy day, me waking up at the usual time of 6:00 o'clock to get things ready for church and Sunday dinner.(Not to mention we had attended the Carman concert at our church Saturday night!) Then I looked at my phone in the darkness and saw it was only five a.m.! I tried to go back to sleep, to no avail. No wonder it was such a long day!

Truly, I like going back to regular time, it will just take a while to get used to it. I wish the powers that be would leave time alone! In the book of Daniel, Daniel says in verses 2:20-21, "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding."

We live in a world of speed, hurrying, and instant results--in food mixes, communication, microwaves and much more. I find myself tired from going and doing, though nothing like those who are younger and busier.

Tomorrow is election day for the mid-terms. The news is frantically reporting on the equally frantic scenarios of politicians, speeches, and loyal supporters. We will vote tomorrow. If I could, I would vote for normal time all year round!

Egg-zactly!

I'm so excited! I finally learned how to cook the perfect egg! I've always had trouble getting an egg "over easy" (the way my husband likes them) without breaking the yolk and making a mess. Well, I saw a hack on FB that fixed my problem.

All I have to do is drop the egg into a hot skillet, add a couple tablespoons of water, and put a lid on! After a few minutes on low heat the egg has a film over it, the white is firm, and it slides right out of the skillet! How beautiful all three eggs (I cooked one for me, too) looked on our plates!

Many years ago, I was helping out at a restaurant my parents had, when a man came in and asked for a "basted" egg. I had no idea what that was, but now I can make them effortlessly! In my later experience, I found that to baste an egg requires plenty of oil or bacon grease in the pan, sloshing it over the egg, and getting a burn if it splashes on one's hand.

Eggs are healthy, in spite of the past notion that they were bad for you due to cholesterol. (We have farm eggs, so no worry.) Jesus implied the value of an egg in an illustration on the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:11-13:

"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? of if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

I wonder how Jesus liked his eggs?