The Patience of God on Display

        While feeding the cats one evening this week, I saw God’s patience illustrated in His creation. Dangling precariously from the underside of a shelf hung an exoskeleton of a cicada, For the first time in my life, I observed the laborious way God allowed the adult green cicada to emerge. As I watered tomato plants, checked on cats, and ran the weed eater some, I periodically checked the status of the emergence of the adult green cicada from its nymph case or exoskeleton. What a miracle in ultra slow motion!

First glimpse of the exoskeleton.

        

        The late-planted tomatoes are growing imperceptibly with an occasion blossom appearing. Not just the tomatoes or the emergence of the green cicada, but most progression in God’s creation moves at an unhurried pace rarely seen in our 21st century. 
        Then one morning, I finished edging with the weed eater after mowing the previous evening. The warm morning with its slightly cool breeze made the task almost pleasant. At one point, I had to go old school and get a spade to better edge the sidewalk.

The cicada emerges more.

        As I used the spade to move the dirt and then turned on the power blower, I thought of Grandma Gladys Rainey Smith. She loved the yard work, the expansive (at least for me) flower beds, and rejoiced when every aspect exuded touring a botanical garden. However, she had no power tools – just a hoe, spade, and shears leading to painstakingly slow, hard work.   

First spotting of wings.

        Jesus called God the vinedresser. God, in Jesus’s illustration, and Grandma both served as caregivers of plants. Pruning required cutting away anything endangering the growth or productivity of the plant. In the same way, Grandma’s edging, required meticulous care to remove the culprits of weeds, grass, harmful pests, or anything that impugned her vision for the flower beds
        Jesus called His followers branches on His vine. John 15:2 stated Every branch that bears fruit He prunes. Jesus articulated to His disciples that productive branches can expect pruning. Pruning removed the unproductive aspects of the plant.
        In the lives of the children of God, pruning is a slow and challenging process, almost always painful, as fruitless elements of our lives are removed. Yet it remains extremely important since John recorded in John 15:8, By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. Yielding to His pruning will result in fruitfulness that glorifies Him.

Final photo of nine taken.

        

        Whether observing life cycles in God’s creation or equating our plant or garden care to the Father’s pruning of His “branches,” we see He demands patient waiting. This waiting is so evident in our prayers that we often pray for many years and appear to receive no answers, especially when petitioning Him for the salvation of a dear loved one. Peter expresses articulately this aspect of God’s character in II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

         May we take time to see the patience of God on display in His creation every day. His followers obey and yield patiently to His careful pruning of unproductive aspects of our lives. Our prayer attitude of trusting His answer to come exemplifies our unrelenting trust in Him and His willingness to respond - no matter how long the wait.

Falls Creek Back in the Day

        

Kneeling: Paul Warnock, Darrel Banning (served as a lineman and died in 

1982), Tony Warnock. Standing: Jim Warnock, Linda Laird, Janice Wolf, 

Glenda Wolf, Jean Banning, Nancy LeForce, Opal Warnock, Vonnie Laird, 

Gilbert Domeny (who served his country for 20 years, retired, and died 

in 2019)

        A photo from the photograph collection of my maternal grandma, Gladys Rainey Smith, inspired memories of a newly formed church and its ministry to young people over 60 years ago.

        The Masham Baptist Church originated from brush arbors preceded by all-night prayer meetings. Mother said Brother Ray Hart, the preacher with a burning desire to see people’s lives changed by Jesus, guided in the building of the initial church structure. He taught his congregation the Bible with an unrivaled fervor for them to grow in grace. Mother said those early days of the Masham Baptist Church mirrored the last phrase of Nehemiah 4:6, The people had a mind to work. The congregation’s unity and willingness to work exemplified the first church in Acts.

        A couple of summers, my grandparents accompanied young campers to Falls Creek. Both had been saved as adults so had never attended or chaperoned a week with teens. Even though they didn’t meet the typical criteria for youth sponsors, some of those youth as older adults still comment on their week with my grandparents so many decades ago.

        Grandma was in her late fifties and attended primarily as a cook. She and Mrs. Warnock prepared the “grub” as Grandpa would say. Grandma recalled Brother Jim Warnock, their new pastor, refused to allow any complaint about the meals. Establishing that attitude of respect impressed Grandma.

        Grandpa went as a token male sponsor. He loved the outstanding teaching and preaching that Falls Creek always provided. His easy-going personality with an understated sense of humor emerged years later when Tony Warnock asked me about a little rhyme I had recited as a preschooler. Grandma had taught me to say, “Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.” Grandpa created a second line and I quickly learned, “Saddle up the cat and Nanny got on.”

        Mother recalled Paul Warnock meeting, getting to know in the youth group, and marrying Linda Bright at the Masham Baptist Church. Her usual comment: The Masham Kids were a good group.

        Recently, Vonnie Laird Robbins passed away. This brought many memories and mourning for Mother. (This link shares more about Vonnie: https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2023/08/singing-about-lilies.html)

        Vonnie’s sister, Linda Laird, sang with a beautiful soprano voice. Dad always connected with her at the Pawnee Sale Barn when he sold cattle. He would say, “I saw Linda when she gave me the check.” He delighted telling Mother any family updates Linda shared. Linda’s death brought such sadness to Mother’s heart.

        Nancy LeForce proved to be a committed Bible student--taught by Grandma in upper elementary grades, and then Mother in the high school years. Nancy sang with her sister, Janie, and Linda Laird in a trio that blessed many of the worship times at the Masham Baptist Church. Nancy’s grandparents served the Lord faithfully in many ways even hosting youth parties in their rural Masham home.

         Mother often commented, “It was always Nancy and Janie.” The girls were so close in age with Nancy being just slightly older, but Janie’s strong, determined personality belied that.* Mother was heartbroken when Janie and her son, Brett, were taken in a car accident in 1986.

        Janice and Glenda Wolf heralded from the rural Morrison area. Mother remembered Janice at the house parties, which were thoroughly enjoyed by the high schoolers. Recently, Janice sent a note expressing her appreciation to Mother for her influence in her salvation and spiritual journey. With Mother’s ministry opportunities being minimal, Janice brought encouragement to Mother’s heart. 

        Brother Jim and Opal Warnock, Jean Banning, my grandparents, and possibly Alwilda Laird had sacrificed a week of their summer to allow these young people to be immersed in Biblical teaching, preaching, and fellowship. May all who have a life committed to Jesus follow the Apostle Paul’s personal plan from I Corinthians 9:19 

Even though I am no one’s slave, yet I have made myself a slave to everyone. I have done this so that I might win more people to Christ.

*Our pastor commended Nancy LeForce Wills and her husband, Charles, for their willingness to serve the Lord faithfully week in and week out. He had served many years with them in the Pawnee Baptist Church. I enjoyed serving in VBS under Nancy’s directorship as children’s lives were influenced for eternity.

Remembering the Three Edmunds on Father's Day

             As a child, June was always the birthday month celebrating the two Edmunds in our family. Dad, Edmund, Jr., was born on June 15. My grandpa, Edmund, Sr., was born on June 16. Grandpa was almost 42 years old when Dad was born in the Bend on their farm located on the Arkansas River. My grandparents had purchased the small farm just two years before Dad’s birth.

          Grandpa had been born in Girard, Kansas in 1877. Grandpa was the first-born child of my great grandparents, John Fredrick and Elizabeth Studebaker Gates, both deaf. Grandpa’s first language was American Sign Language. https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-first-language-of-edmund-gates-sr.html

          The first Edmund Gates known in our family history was born on May 15, 1805, according to a contribution by his wife, Passingfair Shore Gates in History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois.

The First Edmund - born 1805

          Edmund was born in Iredell County of North Carolina, to Joseph and Elender Traylor Gates in 1805. He married Passingfair Shore in 1828 in Morgan County, Illinois, about 30 miles west of Springfield, Illinois. They settled on a claim in Jo Daviess County in the northwest corner of Illinois. The north Jo Daviess County line borders Wisconsin while its west county line bumps up to Iowa.

          The will of Joseph Gates, the first Edmund’s father, was proved on June 24, 1851, with his wife receiving one-third of his real estate and personal property. The remaining two-thirds of Joseph’s holdings were bequeathed to his son, Edmund.

          The other four descendants living were left one dollar. At first glance, based on the insistence on equity in the 21^st century, Edmund’s will written in the 1850s smacked with unfairness.

          Upon a brief, further investigation, the three of the four adult children, beside Edmund, listed had already relocated to Macon, Missouri, and were doing well in their own right at the time of their father’s death.

Edmund Gates, Sr.  - born 1877

          Edmund and Passingfair’s youngest child, John Fredrick, was around 11 years old when his Grandpa Joseph died leaving the bulk of his assets to John’s father. On June 16, 1877, when John Fredrick’s wife, Elizabeth Studebaker Gates gave birth to their first child in their Kansas home, they named him Edmund after John’s father, Edmund, who had died 2 years earlier in Illinois.

          Edmund, Sr., my grandpa, relocated to the Bend, leasing land until he purchased the Gates farm in 1917. It reached centennial status in 2017 when it marked the 100th year it had been in the Gates family. My Aunt Lou Gates lives on the farm. Her son, Tim Gates, owns this landmark farm.

           In 1919, my father was born on that farm on June 15. Grandpa immediately chose to give my father his name since my father was born only one day prior to his own birthday.

Edmund Gates, Jr. - born 1919

          The meaning of the name Edmund is “prosperous protector” or “happy defender.” The first two Edmunds seemed to fit the first meaning, but my own father was the epitome of a happy defender of our family and all he held dear – his loved ones, his rural way of life, his country for which he served in World War II, and his strong spiritual beliefs grounded in God’s Word.

The father of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God) shall greatly rejoice, and he who becomes the father of a wise child shall have joy in him. Proverbs 23:24 Amplified Bible – Classic Edition