Category: Spiritual

My thoughts on God and his love for us

A Thanksgiving Day I’ll Never Forget

What is gratitude? Isn’t it that we should be thankful to God for all his benefits and to be thankful always to those who care for us like our military, police and firemen? Of course, that we should do on Thanksgiving Day as well as every day. But how about that poor family you know of, that single mom who you know doesn’t have much to live on or that widow who lives alone in the house she used to share with her husband and children. We should also think about the homeless folks. In this day of high prices and low employment, there are many, some whole families, living in their automobiles! Yes, we should not only think about them but do something like visiting them and bringing them something they need even if it is only a visit.

Today, I’m thinking about our little Hideaway chapel that I led from 1971 to1992. We always gave groceries and a turkey to families the school told us needed food at thanksgiving time. One year we gave eight baskets. My husband and I delivered one to a mother and son who lived in a small trailer in the woods.They were both inside and had no heat. It was a cold November day. She told us her husband had left with their only car and had never returned. She was ill and could not go out to get work.

They were left with their travel trailer and only the food in the trailer. The son, nine years old, had walked to the nearest town and asked if anyone had a job he could do. He told people his story but nobody believed him. The man running a grocery store finally gave him some groceries he was about to throw out. The boy was happy and went home to his mother.

We gave them the basket and my husband gave him the money he had in his wallet. They were overjoyed! We went into town and told the story to the police. They said they would go out there and bring them into town. They would see that they were taken care of. We have checked on them and found the mother is better and has a job. The boy is attending the local school and they live in an apartment. But what would have happened if we didn’t have those Thanksgiving baskets?

Maybe there wis someone who needs your help this cold season of the year?

A Veteran’s Day I Remember

I was planning to write this blog on Veteran’s day but it turned out it was very windy and cold on that day and the wind took out my internet and cable TV. It turned out I had an old fashioned day without those tools!

At one time, November 11 was called Armistice Day to celebrate the end of World War I. The name was later changed to honor all the veterans who have served this country. One such Armistice Day is one I’ll never forget.

The upper midwest was hit with a surprise snowstorm on November 11, 1940 and it stunned farmers, hunters and townspeople. It immobilized most of the state of Minnesota and surrounding states. The storm killed about 60 people and changed many lives.

For me, a young girl going to our small school that day seemed ordinary. Oh we had a reading about different veterans that lived in our town so we were aware of what the day meant. The day started mild. There was no indication a storm was brewing. My dad was driving that day to visit a lady who has been very ill. He was a pastor in  the Lutheran church in our little town and made visits nearly every afternoon. He had no reason to think he had to hurry with his visits. He did feel it was getting cold.

The snow, or rather the blizzard arrived quickly, the snow blowing in several feet high depths on highways making it difficult for drivers. Many of them were stranded right where they were and died there. Some couldn’t even make it from their barns to their homes. Their bodies were found miles from home.

My dad slid into a ditch and couldn’t move because he was stuck by his steering wheel which was bent. He was saved by a farmer who had driven up to the highway in his tractor to save as many as he could. He brought him to his farmhouse and we were left to find out where he was or what happened to him.

The phones were not working so we didn’t find out about Dad for three days! The farmer took him by tractor to the doctor in our town. He had broken several ribs and was having trouble breathing. We were all very happy when he arrived back home. He was laid up for several months and we had substitute pastors preaching at Dad’s four churches.

That is why I remember November 11th. However, I had a husband who was in the European theater during World War II and know how important it is to honor our veterans.