Chris and I went to church last night, anticipating the standard mid-week Wednesday night service. It pretty much was such a service- with one exception. An older gentleman, Mr. Pack, decided to give his testimony. Now we all know the Christian walk is often a walk of faith, “ …substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen..” Hebrews 11:1, but sometimes we are given a moment, an occurrence frozen in time, to hold on to when those dark nights come and our faith wavers. We then revisit those moments and we know that we know that we know He is real. Mr. Pack described one such moment for him. We stepped back in time as he described his mother, her name was Bell and she was one of those women whom we all want to be. Determined, innovative, and dedicated. It seems one dark and stormy night Bell took her young son, (our now elderly Mr. Pack) on their mule to church. They rode across mountains and came out on Calf Creek in Martin County to attend a revival. Church broke late in the night and while other church attenders begged Bell to not start out with her young son for home, Bell knew she must. Bell’s husband and older sons had to get up at 4am to go to work and Bell knew she had to be home to wake them up. She loaded up her young son behind her on her mule and headed out across treacherous paths along the mountain ridge trying to get home. Water gushed and the mule trembled as he tried to find his way in the ink black night. At one point the mule came to a creek and faltered. The mule went down and Bell and her young son were thrown into the darkness. The young boy began crying and his frantic mother was crawling to where he was at. “Keep crying” she said, “so I can find you.” She wrapped her arms around her son and there on her knees she cried out to God to help them. The mule rose to its feet and Bell once again climbed astride the old mule and pulled her child up behind her. All of a sudden a bright light appeared in front of the mule and it moved as they moved, guiding them across the hills and hollers until they arrived home. It went out as they came upon the doors of their barn. The next day neighbors, who had saw the light move along the ridges above their holler, asked Bell what kind of light she had used the previous night to get home. She told them it wasn’t her light but one that God had sent them to show them the way home.
Mr. Pack then told us how he never, ever doubted from that day on that God was real and really cared about him. I have such a story as well and I will share it with you the next time I blog..
Little Wils just loved playing in the old playhouse in the family room. Mamaw and Papaw had to squeeze in and join him. He even ate his dinner in there!
Papaw sitting there enjoying his family.
All the kids love their Auntie Sunny!
Papaw sitting there enjoying his family.
All the kids love their Auntie Sunny!
Sunny and I getting ready to leave for church.
