The Early Gift

We never experience success without God's faithfulness and favor. Neither are we successful without dependable and unselfish friends and relatives. Tim Gates and Hubert Hutchens supported Dad enabling him to stay in his favorite life's work, raising cattle. Greg and Vonda Goad and Mother's son-in-law, Ben Bradley, have provided equipment and maintenance for Mother to live in the Bend where she most wants to be.

I began cattle care on the farm with Dad’s vintage 1990 F-150 truck modified by Tim Gates, Dad's nephew, with a winch to put out round bales. Hubert Hutchens, one of Dad’s closest neighbors and friends, used his welding prowess to create a “dandy” spike. I wore out two winches which my brother-in-law replaced.

My brother-in-law cautioned me sternly to drive extremely carefully. He warned me to remain mindful or, “You’ll break that axle.” For the first few years of dry, mild winters, I managed to care for the cattle. My brother-in-law’s maintenance kept the old pickup running.

Some wintery weather changed the situation for putting out bales. Vonda Goad would call with an offer to help get a bale out for the cattle. Over and over, she and Greg extended a helping hand.

 Vonda and Greg offered graciously their Dodge Ram with a hydraulic bed and hay fork at its back. For several years, they loaned the 1998 Ram to Mother and me. Every time I needed to use the four-wheel drive feature of the truck, I gratefully thanked the Lord for Vonda and Greg’s generosity.

Even though I used Dad’s vintage truck every time I possibly could, we needed to locate a dependable truck for Mother to buy. Along with my sister and brother-in-law, I conducted an unfruitful search for over three years.

During the summer when visiting with a friend, I indicated I had written in my prayer journal my request for an updated pickup with a four-wheel drive and a hay spike. She said. “That’s a God-sized task!” 

This is the entry in my journal. I remember wanting to put "Ford" since Dad only owned  Ford
 trucks during my lifetime! But that seemed to be asking beyond our need.

In September, when getting a new battery for my car, I met a friend, a seasoned cattleman, who teased me about updating my car. I responded that needing a truck might be more important. I told him I had been told finding a good used truck was a “God-sized” task. He nodded and agreed a truck might be hard to find.

In mid-October, while getting my car serviced in Ponca City, I conversed with an older man from north of Ponca City who ran a dairy in his early years and had retired from his cow/calf operation. His wife was a retired schoolteacher. As we visited, I astounded myself by saying, “You probably haven’t heard of anyone with a pickup with a hay spike for sale. They’re pretty hard to find.”

This pleasant gentleman said, “I might.”

He continued saying his nephew, who leased his land and bought his cattle, used the truck. I responded quickly that he had better not sell it. He let me know his nephew had his own truck, but he would ask him to be sure.

 He provided details – 2009 Ford F-350, Four-wheel drive, hydraulic bed with hay fork. Then he said, “But the color is beige.”

I exclaimed, “I don’t care if it is purple polka dot if it will put out a bale!”

The pickup Mother purchased. I could hear Dad
say to her, "Honey, You got it for a song and you
sang it yourself!" She may be one of the older 
vehicle purchasers in the county but doesn't want
to drive it!

           My brother-in-law wanted to know how soon we could see it. Ten days later, Angie, Ben and I saw the truck for the first time in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Blackwell. Mother at 96 years old sent the personal check which the retired cattleman had told her would be an acceptable method of payment. Ben drove it to the farm. Mother and I had a new-to-us truck.

We marveled how God blessed us. In His own time, He provided exactly what we needed. Jesus explicitly taught us of His Father’s ways with His children.

…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:8

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33

We are celebrating this season of God giving His gracious gift of Jesus as our only way of salvation from our sin. The Apostle Paul wrote of the perfect timing of the coming of the Redeemer in Galatians 4:4-5:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as children.

Lord, thank You for providing for us as we wait for Your answers to our prayers. Our hearts fill with gratitude that You know our needs before we ask and daily you load us with Your goodness. As we celebrate the most extravagant gift You ever gave - Your Own Son. with the Apostle Paul we say, Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

 The only issue for me with the new-to-us truck 
  was the big step into the cab for my short legs. My
   brother-in-law installed a side step for both doors.