The Broken Stem and Personal Christmas Preparation

As uncanny as it might seem, this photo of the
broken zinnia and its wilted leaves was not
retouched. Patches of green grass is visible.

                A vibrant volunteer zinnia sprouted and flourished in the summer right next to one of the Celebrity tomato plants. Dad and my grandmothers planted these pollinators in their gardens.
               The volunteer zinnia grew on the east side of the cellar. One morning, I discovered a large zinnia flower on its tall stem laying down and broken off from the plant – perhaps from cats launching off the cellar door. Hoping against hope, I propped the broken stem against a tomato cage.
               Of course, the broken stem remained bolstered by the wire tomato cage, but the leaves began wilting. The healthy green of the vigorous, volunteer zinnia faded from the badly damaged stem, leaving it an ashen gray. Its beautiful flower’s brilliant color began losing its luster, eventually turning brittly brown.
               As I mourned briefly over its loss, the teaching of Jesus the last night He was with His disciples came to mind. His teaching on the absolute necessity of abiding in Him is recorded in John 15. Jesus’ final discourse with His eleven apostles the night before His crucifixion offered the setting for Jesus’ comparison of His relationship with them as a vine giving life, nourishment, and fruitfulness to its connected branches. The droopy, broken stem with a withering, once-prolific zinnia demonstrated the opposite of what Jesus wanted for His followers. The shriveling zinnia pictured the demise of a believer’s effectiveness making choices to “disconnect” with Christ.
               In an article entitled "The Grammar of Faith," Jen Pollack Michel wrote of the prepositions associated with our relationship with God. She identified “with” as the most intimate preposition - descriptive of a vibrant, on-going relationship with Jesus.
               God inspired Isaiah to prophesy of the virgin birth of Jesus and revealing His name Emmanuel “which being interpreted God with us.” Then Matthew quoted from that very prophecy that Isaiah wrote about 700 years before the birth of the Messiah to Mary in Bethlehem.
               Jen Pollack Michel discussed the thought of God with us in conjunction with Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches. How insightful His words as recorded by the Apostle John are in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.”
               Then Jesus gave a sobering reminder to the believer who lagged back from abiding with Jesus in John 15:6 - “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” The renowned Bible teacher, Dr. Warren Weirsbe, expounded on this verse in his second volume of the New Testament from The Bible Exposition Commentary. He wrote, “It is a tragic thing for a once-fruitful believer to backslide and lose his privilege of fellowship and service. If anything, John 15:6 describes divine discipline rather than eternal destiny.”
              As we begin the advent season, recall the prophecy of Jesus being “God with us” and Matthew restating it as a reminder of Emmanuel, the name given the tiny King, meaning “God with us.” As we plan Christmas celebrations, may the undergirding thought of “God with us” sustain us through the complications of 2020. When feeling overwhelmed, may we whisper,

“Emmanuel, You are with me.

Nothing is too hard for you.

Calm my heart.

Grant me clarity to think thoughts in line with Your Word.

Give me courage to obey,

Being confident You are with me.”

Wisdom and the Deer Season Event

Two years ago, this devotional published online. It seemed so appropriate for it to reappear as deer season is in full-swing this week in Oklahoma. In the devotional, I simply recounted a chance brush with a couple of men who exuded the attitude, "If deer can be hunted and killed, we can do it so much better than anyone else."

An impromptu photo snapped by my
 brother-in-law recently. He, Angie, and I 
saw about three or four times more than
the ones captured in the photo.

These guys were “outsiders” hunting deer. What gave it away? A high-powered pickup towing a classy trailer loaded with two expensive all-terrain vehicles had pulled off the state highway to gas up at the only gasoline pumps in our little town. These men were not overtly rude, just dismissive and aloof in attitude. Hunting whitetail deer was preeminent in their thoughts. Never would they have guessed that the short, retired schoolteacher saw deer on a regular basis without even looking through a rifle sight. How could they have known this nondescript female could point out a meadow where she had counted 15 deer one snowy morning?

King Solomon told of a little city that was being threatened in Ecclesiates 9:16  A wise, but poor, man provided a strategy to rescue the city from certain destruction. (ESV) Yet no one recognized what a contribution the poor man’s astute plan had made to their entire population’s safety.

Many times, we discount wise people who God brings across our life’s path. An elderly person with a soft, halting voice, a middle-aged woman restricted to a wheelchair, a precious preschooler, or a battle-worn man in a soup kitchen may have learned greatly from experience in following the Lord and studying His word. Sometimes their wisdom has been gained from initially making poor choices. The wheelchair-bound individual learns from adversity thrust into her successful life. The elderly often has gained wisdom as they have proven God’s promises through life experiences, both negative and positive. The little child simply lives her life with the innocence that Jesus said we should model.

As we go through our day, may we pause and listen each time God brings wisdom from an unlikely source. May we never judge God’s use of people in our lives based on their appearance, age, societal status, or any other stereotypical categorization. God’s wisdom comes in unlikely forms. Don’t miss it!

Survivalist? We Lived That Way Every Day!

The previous post dealt with our unpreparedness during a two-day power outage in October of 2020. When my mother declined the invitation to be a guest of my sister, Angie, and her husband, my sister dubbed us survivalists. Upon hearing her new title, Mother exclaimed, “Survivalist? We lived that way every day!”

During some of our hours by candlelight, Mother recalled her pre-electricity days. In her late teen years, Mother’s parents became members of the local REC or Rural Electrification Cooperative entitling them to electrical power in their home located on the farm leased from Louise Butler Jefferson, the grandmother of Anna Marie and Tracey Jefferson Romine and Tincy Fish. Anna Marie and Tracey lived there with their parents in their early childhood. In later years, CeCe Bledsoe, a great-granddaughter, also lived on the original land allotted to Louise Jefferson's ancestor.  It is now owned by Betty Hutchison.

Once Mother's family had electricity, a used refrigerator was the first large appliance her parents bought. Prior to that they had a small ice box about four feet in height. A block of ice was stored in the upper section.  Perishable food like milk and butter, which was always produced on the farm and never purchased, was kept cool in the lower portion of their little ice box. She recalled all her “Bender” cousins had larger vertical ice boxes for their bigger families. The “side-by-side” doors held the ice block in the upper section of one of the vertical compartments with food stored below and the other side could be filled entirely with perishable food.

Mother mentioned Mr. Hines, a relative of Wanda Nix, Bob Rice, and Revae Baugh, was their ice delivery man. Each family had been given cardboard signs with 25#, 50#, 75# and 100# on each of the four sides. The customer knew the day Mr. Hines delivered ice so was expected to display the card showing the amount they needed positioned at the top of the sign. Mother laughed as she told of Dad recounting the ornery Gates kids turning the sign to a much larger amount than Grandma Gates wanted! Mother then added, “You know the reason they wanted the big amount was so they could chip ice off to eat. And, of course, Edmund’s family got electricity before we did. And they (the Gates kids) got away with way more than I could!”

When we discussed kerosene, Mother recalled their upgrade from a wood stove to one fueled by kerosene. Grandpa was lighting the kerosene circulating heater after it had gone out. He used a piece of cloth to relight it. It began burning his hand. Even though he saw a visible puddle of kerosene in the lighting plate, he threw the cloth in. Mother said it “boomed” loudly and tiny, black soot filled the air, even going behind the pictures on the wall, covering all furniture, and carpet of their living room. Grandma asked him, “Why did you throw that on the oil?” Mother said Grandpa replied loudly, “I saw all the oil, but it was burnin’ my fingers!” Mother laughed before, during, and after she told of this survivalist experience. Extensive cleanup was required. I doubt she was hilarious during that laborious chore.

Most of Mother’s studying and reading were all done by the kerosene lamp since she was 17 before her family had their home wired for electricity. They enjoyed radio broadcasts such as “Fibber McGee and Molly” and “Amos and Andy” on their large cabinet radio with a big battery powered by a wind charger. The harder the Oklahoma wind swept down the plain, the brighter the radio’s lighted dial glowed.

In those days, Mother knew of no houses in the Bend with indoor plumbing. Every home had a privy usually behind their dwelling. Since Mother was an only child, their outhouse was only a “one-seater.” My father’s family had twelve children, so they had a “two-seater” privy. Grandpa Gates never saw a need for an indoor bathroom. A blog post entitled The Little House That Jake Built  tells of Grandpa's veto of  Grandma's plan to include an indoor bathroom in her decision to renovate their home. It can be accessed at https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-little-house-that-jake-built.html

Grandpa  Gates waving from their privy.
Taken on August 2, 1964. 
 He was 87 years old.

Mother reminisced that when she started coming to the Gates home, my grandma still pumped her water from the well several steps outside the house. She was impressed when she and Dad arrived at a family gathering and Dad noticed the empty water bucket. He grabbed the bucket,  pumped it full of water and carried it in for Grandma's use. A cute photo of Steve Gates at the old water pump can be viewed at https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2014/08/remembering-steven-glenn-gates.html .

The evening our hardworking IEC power crew restored the power so many of our statements began “I am so thankful for…” We were thankful for running water, flushing stools, refrigeration, freezers that had stayed frozen, heat, and wonderful light. Although we were still without phone service, we appreciated the internet allowing contact with the outside world.

As we approach the season when we observe Thanksgiving, may we commit  to maintain a thankful heart every day as we follow this precept from Psalm 136:1;

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Survivalists in the Bend

Mother and I thank profusely the IEC linemen and the entire IEC team that worked so diligently to restore power when a large number of their IEC customers were without. My sister offered us their fully furnished guest room. When Mother declined, Angie categorized us as "survivalists." I was leaning toward accepting the brief respite at Angie and Ben's home, but I couldn't leave my 96-year-old mother in the dark!

                As with many of our electrical cooperative's customers, Mother and I lost power mid-afternoon on Tuesday. Soon I headed out to put a bale in the bale ring for our small cattle herd.

                Upon returning to the dark house, I opened the door, calling out “Hello???  Are you here?” while taking off my boots and work clothes. I heard a weak, little voice from the north bedroom. Just hearing that, struck a bit of fear in me. Had Mother gone in the room and fallen? There was no good path for her walker in that room.

                Soon I learned she was searching for a kerosene lamp. My heart sunk. I hadn’t seen that in ages or at least around seven to eight years. It might be in the cellar.

                After a brief exchange about how I had no idea where that lamp might be, the reality struck of the importance of finding her emergency lamp. She said emphatically, “I need light to be able to read.”

                That statement from a 96-year-old brought clarity into my thoughts. I breathed a prayer, Lord, IF that kerosene lamp is in the house, help me to find it.

                I moved quickly to the north bedroom’s large, enclosed storage area that Grandpa Calvin had built for my maternal grandma. My memory recalled the location of items on most of the shelves. However, the items stored in the lowest section were unclear in my memory. Upon pulling out a couple of items, I spotted the globe setting next to the kerosene lamp itself! Pulling it carefully from its safe place, I carried it and placed it on bed in her bedroom where she was cleaning. We could have celebrated, but we had no kerosene.

The Old Kerosene Lamp - a bit dusty but found

                Immediately, as I snapped a photo of the globe and the bottom of the kerosene lamp, I thought of the parable of Jesus about the wise and foolish bridesmaids from Matthew 25:1-13. He compared His coming for the believers or the true church to a groom coming for the marriage to his beloved bride. Five of the bridesmaids had their lamps trimmed and ready. Unfortunately, the other five, dubbed foolish, had neglected to obtain the essential for their lamps – oil. When the groom swept into the wedding venue, the foolish bridesmaids had left to secure the necessary oil for their lamps. To their detriment, the young women failed to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime event. As the cultural mores of that time dictated, upon the arrival of the groom, the door of the wedding venue immediately closed to any further entrants. The celebrants must have made provision to be inside the wedding venue. For whatever reason, the five foolish bridesmaids failed to be prepared and were left on the outside of the marriage celebration.

                The scripture often symbolizes the Holy Spirit as oil. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1;13 – In Him (Jesus) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in who also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

                The foolish bridesmaids made no preparation for the arrival of the groom. Jesus represents the groom in the parable He told. Romans 8:9 succinctly supports this mandate for preparation, But you are not in the flesh but in Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

                Mother and I survived the 50+ hours of the outage even though we had no kerosene for the old lamp. However, when Christ returns, we must be assured we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us because we have received Jesus. The new life He gives raises us from the deadness of our sin. His Spirit empowers us to have a relationship with Him, having our sins cleansed and being made new. There is no reason for anyone to be unprepared.

The Vulnerable Tomato Blossom

                Each fall as the first freeze approaches, I get a little remorseful when I observe the tiny, exposed yellow tomato blossoms. The inevitable awaits the helpless, miniature, lily-shaped blooms. The green tomatoes can be picked and stored safely for further ripening. Yet there is no way to preserve the miniscule, golden flowers from the harsh cold’s destruction to their tender state. They will never become luscious, red, ripe tomatoes. 

Late Evening Photo of Late October Tomato Blossoms

                As I watered the tomato plants late one evening, I snapped the photo embedded in this blog post. Children of the 21^st century entered my conscious thought. How defenseless are the children in our communities! Families have negated the mandate from our Creator and God of might and power. I have never applied this verse to the protectiveness of children, but the pertinence of its relevancy overwhelms me. Apostle Paul wrote it to the young pastor, Timothy in his first letter to him, in chapter 5, verse 8.

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

                I find abhorrent a negligent parent, unwilling to sacrifice for a helpless child. A selfish, obstinate parent who seeks his own pleasures and desires at the risk of denying his child food and clothing fits the example mentioned above in Paul’s writings.

                Stories have been told of men who didn’t get all the nourishment they needed so their children could have a share of the meagerness of the Great Depression. I have related in prior postings of my paternal grandmother who set aside her talent and love for the arts, especially music and sketching. Grandma Gates had a greater calling to feed, cloth, and nurture her nine children to be responsible, respectable adults. She would have relinquished her giftedness to have seen the three sons whom she and Grandpa buried before any of them reached adulthood grow into strong, handsome young men.

                As despicable as an adult averse to willingly renounce personal interests to provide basic needs of his child, I find more disheartening how many parents are unwilling to guard their children’s hearts by purposefully leading them from infancy through adulthood to understand their Creator and Savior. Instead as the little saffron-hued, delicate blooms face the harsh cold and imminent death before they realize their potential of developing into a gorgeous, tasty tomato, the disregarded child whose spiritual health is neglected will likely confront decision-making in life ill-prepared and sadly be on course for disastrous effects. 

          When the angel, Gabriel, told Zechariah of the upcoming birth of their son, John, who would later be dubbed “John the Baptist” this prediction was given about their much-desired son’s preaching ministry –

And he (John the Baptist) will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Jesus first coming to earth). Luke 1:17

Lord, turn the hearts of the fathers of our American children back to the children. May they obediently instruct their precious offspring in the wisdom of Your Word and prepare them for living a life pleasing to the Lord and for the return of Christ. Use each of us in whatever way you see fit to accomplish Your will in our young families of today.