In last week's column I shared with you many warm thoughts on accepting challenges in life, with a heart filled with thanks. Each day brings us new challenges and changes in our lives. And sometimes it seems unbelievable in our way of thinking about challenges.
It was a quiet moment in my prairie kitchen, when suddenly the telephone rang early in the morning - the day before Thanksgiving. I was surprised to receive calls so early from my daughter Kathy in Texas. The lives of their family are very busy as her husband serves a large parish in Texas. I had an intuitive feeling that something must have happened for her to call so early in the morning, and immediately my thoughts wandered as I lifted up the receiver of the phone. "Mom, our church burned down last night," she stated loud and clear. For one moment I could not believe what I was hearing. I had to believe what had happened, as I listened to her relate the details and events of the past few hours of the life of that large congregation of members. "It's a miracle no one else in the building at the time. We are so thankful. And even though the church is in ashes, the fire departments were able to save the family center near the church."
It is now the evening of Thanksgiving Day, and the telephone, again, rings. Kathy is again on the line sharing the events of the past 24 hours. "Mom, we were able to have four Thanksgiving services in the school. I was able to share with the congregation and the media, my experience when I was 12 years old." Memories of another church burning on a windy March day is still very real for Kathy and her siblings. The legacy of her father, who was pastor of that parish at the time, and the words he spoke to her, and the unspoken wisdom is now touching the lives of many through her testimony. Through the grief and the pain of the loss of a church building, there was a spiritual growth that was phenomenal and will be long remembered. She told me that when she viewed the ashes of their burning church, she saw the cover of a book that had not been consumed by the fire, entitled "The Abiding Word." And as she stood there holding it, she observed a parched piece of paper on which were these words, "Keep looking to God, your source. Keep expecting miracles."
A very warm thought: Expect miracles. Remember, God loves you. God bless you, dear readers, with a blessed Christmas season.
Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner
November, 30 1995
Published in the Marion Record
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Till next time,
Trina