Week of January 2
Four grandparents wait for the arrival of a granddaughter. I’m sure this baby, three weeks overdue, will be here by years end for I had prayed for that and heard a clear ‘yes.’ Midnight—no baby! The message had been so clear. Did I misunderstand?
At 12:15 the new father reports baby is here. I ask when was she born? “At 11:45,” he says apologetically, “ I’ve been busy cleaning her up.”
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
Friday, December 24, 2010
Pray Specifically
Week of December 25
She is introduced as Ms Jeannie You don’t use last names when you are running. She rode a bus to Florida with one suitcase and the clothes on her back. She had been directed to a shelter for abused women and given a meal. The next morning she went looking for employment.
“I was able to wait on tables and within a couple of weeks I had enough tips to rent a small apartment. What I really needed was a car to go on interviews and find a better job. So I prayed very specifically for a four-door Camry (she had had one once) so I could take people to church with me. I wanted a clean beige or brown car.
“A few days later I received a call from a caring organization that donates used cars to needy people. They had heard of my plight and called to say they had a car for me.
“When I arrived to pickup my car I was told the donor had taken it to a car wash. A few minutes later a car entered the parking lot and I knew it
was a gift from God. It was a sparkling beige four-door Camry.”
Ms Jeannie
New York, New York
She is introduced as Ms Jeannie You don’t use last names when you are running. She rode a bus to Florida with one suitcase and the clothes on her back. She had been directed to a shelter for abused women and given a meal. The next morning she went looking for employment.
“I was able to wait on tables and within a couple of weeks I had enough tips to rent a small apartment. What I really needed was a car to go on interviews and find a better job. So I prayed very specifically for a four-door Camry (she had had one once) so I could take people to church with me. I wanted a clean beige or brown car.
“A few days later I received a call from a caring organization that donates used cars to needy people. They had heard of my plight and called to say they had a car for me.
“When I arrived to pickup my car I was told the donor had taken it to a car wash. A few minutes later a car entered the parking lot and I knew it
was a gift from God. It was a sparkling beige four-door Camry.”
Ms Jeannie
New York, New York
Monday, December 20, 2010
Christmas Eve
Week of December 19
Its Christmas Eve and I'm feeling Bar Humbug! I'm in Panama, courtesy of the U.S. Army and its my first Christmas in the tropics. And I'm feeling alone.
I'm tired of carboard snowmem,fake snow, plastic evergreens and lights on palm trees. Bar humbug!
Some enterprising soldiers parked a tank and eight jeeps at the edge of the parade field, connected them with ammunition belts and have a stuffed santa waving from the tank. Bar Humbug!
My depression is getting worse by the hour. I grew up with Currier and Ives Christmases with real snowmen, the smell of freshly cut Christmas trees, and a cold wintry wind greeting you everywhere. Here it is 80 degrees, no wind, and a musty smell everywhere. Bar Humbug.
Evening comes and I make my way to the base chapel dressed in slacks and a sports shirt. Inside the chapel is lit by candle light and familiar carols are sung and the traditional scripture passages of the birth of the Christ child are read.
I don't remember what the sermon was about but the message I heard was lound and clear. The first Christmas was held in a desert...no pine trees, no snowmen, no Santa but a lasting gift of love for all.
Mal Salter
Sarasota
(The above was experienced 55 years ago this Friday)
Its Christmas Eve and I'm feeling Bar Humbug! I'm in Panama, courtesy of the U.S. Army and its my first Christmas in the tropics. And I'm feeling alone.
I'm tired of carboard snowmem,fake snow, plastic evergreens and lights on palm trees. Bar humbug!
Some enterprising soldiers parked a tank and eight jeeps at the edge of the parade field, connected them with ammunition belts and have a stuffed santa waving from the tank. Bar Humbug!
My depression is getting worse by the hour. I grew up with Currier and Ives Christmases with real snowmen, the smell of freshly cut Christmas trees, and a cold wintry wind greeting you everywhere. Here it is 80 degrees, no wind, and a musty smell everywhere. Bar Humbug.
Evening comes and I make my way to the base chapel dressed in slacks and a sports shirt. Inside the chapel is lit by candle light and familiar carols are sung and the traditional scripture passages of the birth of the Christ child are read.
I don't remember what the sermon was about but the message I heard was lound and clear. The first Christmas was held in a desert...no pine trees, no snowmen, no Santa but a lasting gift of love for all.
Mal Salter
Sarasota
(The above was experienced 55 years ago this Friday)
Saturday, December 11, 2010
God's Healing Touch
Week of December 12
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Saturday, September 2nd, was a gorgeous, end-of-summer day. Marla and the four boys spent the day at Uncle Rich’s house in Monson, Massachusetts, as Chip flew back from an out-of-state conference.
Jared, age 31/2, was walking along the lawn at the top of a six-foot retaining wall next to the driveway when he slipped in some sand and fell to the pavement below, landing on his forehead. Uncle Rich heard the impact as Jared hit the driveway and ran over as Jared stood up bawling and clutching a big scrape on his forehead.
Rich brought Jared inside to Marla and laid him on the couch. She said, “Jared, open your eyes.” He did—and one eye looked at her, while the other was angled strangely away toward the ground. Fearing a serious head injury, 9-1-1 was called.
Jared continued to cry, and Marla, Rich and the boys gathered around him and began to pray. Marla
laid her hand on Jared’s head as she prayed specifically for healing.
Ben and Brian did their best to help by announcing each emergency vehicle as it arrived. Chris was very upset and crying, first staying near Jared, then hiding in the house as rescuers arrived. Police officers arrived, then Monson Fire Department EMTs came on the scene and quickly immobilized him on a backboard. As they were strapping him in, Jared suddenly cried out “Ow, it’s burning!” and grabbed at his forehead. After this he was more calm and subdued.
Marla rode with him in the ambulance on the 25-minute trip to Bay state Medical Center in Springfield, while Rich followed with the boys in the van. On the way, Jared became less and less responsive and then fell asleep. Was he exhausted from crying and missing his nap? Or was this a sign of brain swelling? Concerned about this change, the EMTs tried to keep Jared awake and called for a paramedic unit to meet them on the way to the hospital.
Jared’s left eye was now totally swollen shut, bulging from the bleeding behind the eyelid, and scowling a dark, angry purple.
A paramedic unit from Ludlow Fire Department met up with the ambulance, and the medic started an IV, hooked up a heart monitor, and gave other advanced life-support care. Knowing that everything was being done that could be done, Marla was able to let her tears flow. As a pediatric nurse, she had cared for many children with head trauma and was well aware of the potential for a devastating outcome.
At the ER Jared was scanned, X-rayed, poked and prodded. His brothers got to see Jared, and had their many questions answered by the excellent Child Life staff person. Chris was afraid Jared would be operated on and was very relieved to find no surgery was needed. Jared was diagnosed with a non-displaced skull fracture over the left eye, extending into the eye socket.
Thankfully the doctors could detect no bleeding in the brain. He was admitted for observation and, after finding a bed on the pediatric unit, he quickly fell into an exhausted sleep. Uncle Rich took the
other three boys to his house overnight and left a message on Chip’s cell phone with details of the accident.
Chip landed at the airport at 10:30 p.m. and got the message off his cell phone. It was a quick trip up I-91 to Bay state, all the while making phone calls to
mobilize prayer support. Chip walked onto the pediatric floor to find Jared asleep, being cuddled by Marla. His left eye was bulging, black
and blue, so swollen the lashes were out of sight. He had a three-inch circular abrasion on his forehead, scrapes on his face and left ear, and an IV slowly dripping into his arm. Marla slept in the bed with him, and he was being awakened hourly to check responsiveness. Interestingly, Jared never
complained of pain.
We prayed over him. He awakened around 1:00 a.m. and spoke clearly with Marla about the entire incident. Marla felt her worries melting away, replaced with a peace and assurance that Jared would be okay.
By the next afternoon his spirits had improved. He got to play with toys and ride a tricycle around the pediatric unit. Uncle Rich brought the three other boys to visit, and Grandma and Grandpa drove up to see him. By late Sunday afternoon the pediophthalmologist pronounced him fit for discharge, and he was home for dinner.
The swelling should have taken about a week to disappear, but it was nearly gone in three days. His bruising could have taken two to three weeks to fully disappear, but it was gone in one week. We were amazed at his quick recovery.
We know that with God involved we should not have been surprised, but it was rather incredible to see the healing!
As a family, we all read “Curious George Goes to the Hospital” and Jared recognized many things from his experience—nurses, name bracelets,
X-ray machines, the tricycles, and the IV. It was a good way for him to talk about his experience and compare what happened to him with what “George”
went through. It was also good for the brothers to see what happened to George and learn that the same things had happened to Jared, lessoning the mystery of “behind closed doors.”
In follow-up exams, Jared was found to have no lasting injury of any kind. We thank God for many things! The fall could easily have injured Jared much more severely, but it didn’t. We had quick responses from competent professional caregivers up and down the chain. Modern medicine was able to quickly dispel fears about the severity of the head injury. Our family was supportive and involved throughout. Rich (who is a single guy) cared for Jared’s three brothers by himself for an extra day and made the key phone calls to Chip and family. We had prayer chains working overtime across the country. Pastor Jey and Joan Deifell personally checked on Jared’s progress about every four hours. God’s spirit worked mightily through the body.
In hindsight, we believe God healed Jared before he was put in the ambulance. Remember Jared saying “Ow, it’s burning?” There are many reports of spiritual healing associated with heat or a burning sensation. At the time, Jared’s cries seemed to be indicating further injury—but we believe
God was healing Jared and then allowed him to fall into a restful sleep in the ambulance.
When we got to the hospital, his left eye was swollen shut, but when the doctor pried the lids apart to check it, both eyes were, miraculously, in perfect alignment. The doctor was baffled by this change from what Marla and the EMTs reported.
Despite his confirmed skull fracture, Jared didn’t complain of pain—but it all makes sense: God was there in power. We believe the relatively minor extent of Jared’s injuries and his fast and
full recovery are due to guardian angels, God’s intervention, and answers to prayer. He is able! He hears and responds! He cares for us! Thank You, Jesus.
Chip and Marla Darius
Cromwell, Connecticut.
Copyright Thanks Be, First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Ct.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Saturday, September 2nd, was a gorgeous, end-of-summer day. Marla and the four boys spent the day at Uncle Rich’s house in Monson, Massachusetts, as Chip flew back from an out-of-state conference.
Jared, age 31/2, was walking along the lawn at the top of a six-foot retaining wall next to the driveway when he slipped in some sand and fell to the pavement below, landing on his forehead. Uncle Rich heard the impact as Jared hit the driveway and ran over as Jared stood up bawling and clutching a big scrape on his forehead.
Rich brought Jared inside to Marla and laid him on the couch. She said, “Jared, open your eyes.” He did—and one eye looked at her, while the other was angled strangely away toward the ground. Fearing a serious head injury, 9-1-1 was called.
Jared continued to cry, and Marla, Rich and the boys gathered around him and began to pray. Marla
laid her hand on Jared’s head as she prayed specifically for healing.
Ben and Brian did their best to help by announcing each emergency vehicle as it arrived. Chris was very upset and crying, first staying near Jared, then hiding in the house as rescuers arrived. Police officers arrived, then Monson Fire Department EMTs came on the scene and quickly immobilized him on a backboard. As they were strapping him in, Jared suddenly cried out “Ow, it’s burning!” and grabbed at his forehead. After this he was more calm and subdued.
Marla rode with him in the ambulance on the 25-minute trip to Bay state Medical Center in Springfield, while Rich followed with the boys in the van. On the way, Jared became less and less responsive and then fell asleep. Was he exhausted from crying and missing his nap? Or was this a sign of brain swelling? Concerned about this change, the EMTs tried to keep Jared awake and called for a paramedic unit to meet them on the way to the hospital.
Jared’s left eye was now totally swollen shut, bulging from the bleeding behind the eyelid, and scowling a dark, angry purple.
A paramedic unit from Ludlow Fire Department met up with the ambulance, and the medic started an IV, hooked up a heart monitor, and gave other advanced life-support care. Knowing that everything was being done that could be done, Marla was able to let her tears flow. As a pediatric nurse, she had cared for many children with head trauma and was well aware of the potential for a devastating outcome.
At the ER Jared was scanned, X-rayed, poked and prodded. His brothers got to see Jared, and had their many questions answered by the excellent Child Life staff person. Chris was afraid Jared would be operated on and was very relieved to find no surgery was needed. Jared was diagnosed with a non-displaced skull fracture over the left eye, extending into the eye socket.
Thankfully the doctors could detect no bleeding in the brain. He was admitted for observation and, after finding a bed on the pediatric unit, he quickly fell into an exhausted sleep. Uncle Rich took the
other three boys to his house overnight and left a message on Chip’s cell phone with details of the accident.
Chip landed at the airport at 10:30 p.m. and got the message off his cell phone. It was a quick trip up I-91 to Bay state, all the while making phone calls to
mobilize prayer support. Chip walked onto the pediatric floor to find Jared asleep, being cuddled by Marla. His left eye was bulging, black
and blue, so swollen the lashes were out of sight. He had a three-inch circular abrasion on his forehead, scrapes on his face and left ear, and an IV slowly dripping into his arm. Marla slept in the bed with him, and he was being awakened hourly to check responsiveness. Interestingly, Jared never
complained of pain.
We prayed over him. He awakened around 1:00 a.m. and spoke clearly with Marla about the entire incident. Marla felt her worries melting away, replaced with a peace and assurance that Jared would be okay.
By the next afternoon his spirits had improved. He got to play with toys and ride a tricycle around the pediatric unit. Uncle Rich brought the three other boys to visit, and Grandma and Grandpa drove up to see him. By late Sunday afternoon the pediophthalmologist pronounced him fit for discharge, and he was home for dinner.
The swelling should have taken about a week to disappear, but it was nearly gone in three days. His bruising could have taken two to three weeks to fully disappear, but it was gone in one week. We were amazed at his quick recovery.
We know that with God involved we should not have been surprised, but it was rather incredible to see the healing!
As a family, we all read “Curious George Goes to the Hospital” and Jared recognized many things from his experience—nurses, name bracelets,
X-ray machines, the tricycles, and the IV. It was a good way for him to talk about his experience and compare what happened to him with what “George”
went through. It was also good for the brothers to see what happened to George and learn that the same things had happened to Jared, lessoning the mystery of “behind closed doors.”
In follow-up exams, Jared was found to have no lasting injury of any kind. We thank God for many things! The fall could easily have injured Jared much more severely, but it didn’t. We had quick responses from competent professional caregivers up and down the chain. Modern medicine was able to quickly dispel fears about the severity of the head injury. Our family was supportive and involved throughout. Rich (who is a single guy) cared for Jared’s three brothers by himself for an extra day and made the key phone calls to Chip and family. We had prayer chains working overtime across the country. Pastor Jey and Joan Deifell personally checked on Jared’s progress about every four hours. God’s spirit worked mightily through the body.
In hindsight, we believe God healed Jared before he was put in the ambulance. Remember Jared saying “Ow, it’s burning?” There are many reports of spiritual healing associated with heat or a burning sensation. At the time, Jared’s cries seemed to be indicating further injury—but we believe
God was healing Jared and then allowed him to fall into a restful sleep in the ambulance.
When we got to the hospital, his left eye was swollen shut, but when the doctor pried the lids apart to check it, both eyes were, miraculously, in perfect alignment. The doctor was baffled by this change from what Marla and the EMTs reported.
Despite his confirmed skull fracture, Jared didn’t complain of pain—but it all makes sense: God was there in power. We believe the relatively minor extent of Jared’s injuries and his fast and
full recovery are due to guardian angels, God’s intervention, and answers to prayer. He is able! He hears and responds! He cares for us! Thank You, Jesus.
Chip and Marla Darius
Cromwell, Connecticut.
Copyright Thanks Be, First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Ct.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Free Book Offer
Week of November 28
Finally a Go Figure book is in print. This prototype is "Go Figure Sarasota/Manatee."
These 33 true storie come from people now living in these two counties in Florida.
The book is available on Amazon.com.
As we get more stories from other areas we will consider printing them. If you have a Go Figure story you are willing to share e-mail us at Go Figure America@Yahoo.com. We'll send you a free copy when it is published.
By the way, we launched the book at an evening fellowship outside our church in Sarasota. No sooner had we placed the books on a table it started to springle and then rain. People were scrambling for shelter. I prayed... God this book honors You...don't rain on your parade. The rain stopped almost immediately. Go Figure!
Belated Happy Thanksgiving to all.
R.M.Salter
Sarasota Fl.
Finally a Go Figure book is in print. This prototype is "Go Figure Sarasota/Manatee."
These 33 true storie come from people now living in these two counties in Florida.
The book is available on Amazon.com.
As we get more stories from other areas we will consider printing them. If you have a Go Figure story you are willing to share e-mail us at Go Figure America@Yahoo.com. We'll send you a free copy when it is published.
By the way, we launched the book at an evening fellowship outside our church in Sarasota. No sooner had we placed the books on a table it started to springle and then rain. People were scrambling for shelter. I prayed... God this book honors You...don't rain on your parade. The rain stopped almost immediately. Go Figure!
Belated Happy Thanksgiving to all.
R.M.Salter
Sarasota Fl.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
In God's Strength
Week of November 21
“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
My husband had always planned to do a eulogy when his father died. But he always wondered if he could- not because of poor speaking talents in front of a crowd-he was concerned he would break down and not be able to go on, causing embarrassment.
When he first viewed his Dad lying in the coffin, he broke down completely and just walked away sobbing, all the while saying to himself, how can I do a eulogy for this man? I’ll never get through it.
He went to bed that night with the funeral staring him in the face the next day. He woke up at 2:00 a.m. and started to pray-"Lord, I really want to do this eulogy-please help me." He woke up every hour on the hour and kept praying the same prayer.
When he viewed his Dad later that morning, prior to the coffin being closed, he broke down again. He went off into a room to be by himself, asking God why He had let him down-hadn’t he asked all night for the grace and strength, and where was it?
Following the mass, my niece was to give the first eulogy, and Ron was supposed to follow her. He told my niece he would give the thumbs-up sign- or the thumbs-down if he felt he could not do it.
God is faithful! My husband received such a surge of power and strength during my niece’s eulogy that he gave her the thumbs-up sign, walked up and gave a ten-minute eulogy without a note in his hand. The words just flowed! When he was finished, he received resounding applause.
At the luncheon following the service, family and friends kept telling Ron what a great job he had done and without notes no less. And Ron kept repeating the story in detail of how God came through for him when he needed His grace the most.
Judy and Ron
Summerfield, Florida
Reprinted with permission from Thanks Be, First Church of Christ,Wethersfield, Connecticut
“And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
My husband had always planned to do a eulogy when his father died. But he always wondered if he could- not because of poor speaking talents in front of a crowd-he was concerned he would break down and not be able to go on, causing embarrassment.
When he first viewed his Dad lying in the coffin, he broke down completely and just walked away sobbing, all the while saying to himself, how can I do a eulogy for this man? I’ll never get through it.
He went to bed that night with the funeral staring him in the face the next day. He woke up at 2:00 a.m. and started to pray-"Lord, I really want to do this eulogy-please help me." He woke up every hour on the hour and kept praying the same prayer.
When he viewed his Dad later that morning, prior to the coffin being closed, he broke down again. He went off into a room to be by himself, asking God why He had let him down-hadn’t he asked all night for the grace and strength, and where was it?
Following the mass, my niece was to give the first eulogy, and Ron was supposed to follow her. He told my niece he would give the thumbs-up sign- or the thumbs-down if he felt he could not do it.
God is faithful! My husband received such a surge of power and strength during my niece’s eulogy that he gave her the thumbs-up sign, walked up and gave a ten-minute eulogy without a note in his hand. The words just flowed! When he was finished, he received resounding applause.
At the luncheon following the service, family and friends kept telling Ron what a great job he had done and without notes no less. And Ron kept repeating the story in detail of how God came through for him when he needed His grace the most.
Judy and Ron
Summerfield, Florida
Reprinted with permission from Thanks Be, First Church of Christ,Wethersfield, Connecticut
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Family Mystery
Week of November 7
It is one of those unexplained things in our family. Grandfather had come from his house on the Rhode Island shore to spend the better part of the week helping dad replace the front porch on our home near Providence. On the second day my grandfather announced he had to go home. My dad protested but ‘Papa’ was firm.
Papa didn’t know why, he just knew he had to get back to his wife, who was blind, and their adult daughter. My father reluctantly drove Papa to the bus station.
The next afternoon I stood on the unfinished porch with my dad watching the rain and wind blow by the house. At five and a half years old I was holding onto the porch railing and my dad was holding onto me. Suddenly, without making a sound, a tree in the lot across the street toppled over. It didn’t snap or crack it just blew over and was uprooted. Then another tree fell. My dad had seen enough and took me inside.
Dad gathered our family on the inside wall of the dining room, away from the windows while he stood in the opposite corner by the telephone. He called the fire department to discuss the large elm next to our house. While he was talking, we heard a thump and saw the massive tree fall past the window. A branch grazed the house but the main part of the tree fell harmlessly into our driveway.
We didn’t know it then but we were witnessing the destructive hurricane of 1938 that would claim 682 lives from Long Island, Providence and the Southern New England coastline. There was no radar in those days and there had been no warning of the approaching danger.
For two days after the hurricane my dad tried to reach Papa but the phone lines were down. Finally, on the third day my dad decided to drive. He told us later he didn’t realize how catastrophic this hurricane had been until he approached the ocean. Where there had been a row of homes there was now empty space. The road was obliterated in places by sand and he had to detour around large boats and wharfs left stranded in the middle of the roadway.
He finally arrived in Tiverton only to find that the Old Stone Bridge to Island Park where Papa lived was gone. Dad hitched a ride over by boat.
When he reached the island he found everything in shambles. Many of the buildings he was familiar with were gone or reduced to rubble and my dad was disoriented and in shock. There was so much devastation. A metal street sign still in place told him he was at Papa’s road. All the cottages on the street were crushed or gone, except one. There was Papa’s house still standing with minimal damage.
Papa said when he awoke the morning of the storm he saw the ominous clouds, and boarded up his house, including the cellar windows preventing water from flooding the house. Papa, gramdma and my aunt rode out the ferocious storm in that single story house that Papa had built himself.
What had produced that overwhelming urge for my grandfather to return home? He never tried to explain it. When asked how he knew he had to return home he would just shrug his shoulders.
“Something was telling me I had to go home,” was all that he would say. He just heeded the message. And it is well he did. Like my Papa, today I pay attention to any strong inner messages. I know the source.
“Whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33)
Jody Estes
East Providence, Rhode Island
It is one of those unexplained things in our family. Grandfather had come from his house on the Rhode Island shore to spend the better part of the week helping dad replace the front porch on our home near Providence. On the second day my grandfather announced he had to go home. My dad protested but ‘Papa’ was firm.
Papa didn’t know why, he just knew he had to get back to his wife, who was blind, and their adult daughter. My father reluctantly drove Papa to the bus station.
The next afternoon I stood on the unfinished porch with my dad watching the rain and wind blow by the house. At five and a half years old I was holding onto the porch railing and my dad was holding onto me. Suddenly, without making a sound, a tree in the lot across the street toppled over. It didn’t snap or crack it just blew over and was uprooted. Then another tree fell. My dad had seen enough and took me inside.
Dad gathered our family on the inside wall of the dining room, away from the windows while he stood in the opposite corner by the telephone. He called the fire department to discuss the large elm next to our house. While he was talking, we heard a thump and saw the massive tree fall past the window. A branch grazed the house but the main part of the tree fell harmlessly into our driveway.
We didn’t know it then but we were witnessing the destructive hurricane of 1938 that would claim 682 lives from Long Island, Providence and the Southern New England coastline. There was no radar in those days and there had been no warning of the approaching danger.
For two days after the hurricane my dad tried to reach Papa but the phone lines were down. Finally, on the third day my dad decided to drive. He told us later he didn’t realize how catastrophic this hurricane had been until he approached the ocean. Where there had been a row of homes there was now empty space. The road was obliterated in places by sand and he had to detour around large boats and wharfs left stranded in the middle of the roadway.
He finally arrived in Tiverton only to find that the Old Stone Bridge to Island Park where Papa lived was gone. Dad hitched a ride over by boat.
When he reached the island he found everything in shambles. Many of the buildings he was familiar with were gone or reduced to rubble and my dad was disoriented and in shock. There was so much devastation. A metal street sign still in place told him he was at Papa’s road. All the cottages on the street were crushed or gone, except one. There was Papa’s house still standing with minimal damage.
Papa said when he awoke the morning of the storm he saw the ominous clouds, and boarded up his house, including the cellar windows preventing water from flooding the house. Papa, gramdma and my aunt rode out the ferocious storm in that single story house that Papa had built himself.
What had produced that overwhelming urge for my grandfather to return home? He never tried to explain it. When asked how he knew he had to return home he would just shrug his shoulders.
“Something was telling me I had to go home,” was all that he would say. He just heeded the message. And it is well he did. Like my Papa, today I pay attention to any strong inner messages. I know the source.
“Whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure without fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:33)
Jody Estes
East Providence, Rhode Island
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