Part 4 1940
Glen and Corina loaded their car and a four wheeled trailer with their meager belongings and along with their three children got a morning start to a new life in Des Moines. What did the future hold for them?
They had only been on the road for an hour when a strong south wind came up. It tugged at the trailer, whipping it if Glen drove much over 20 miles an hour! Each slight grade had to be negotiated in second gear. They soon knew they'd never make it to Des Moines in one day.
The small town of Marshalltown was about half way and became their goal. By late afternoon a bank of black clouds came blowing in. Lightning began streaking across the sky, followed by peels of thunder.
Gas was getting low but Glen knew of a gas station about eight miles before they would get to Marshalltown. If only they could make it...they did. But alas...the gas station was closed!
Glen measured the amount of gas by sticking a ruler into the tank. The end of which barely got wet. Oh no. He began to think they'd never make it to Marshalltown. It was a hopeless situation. But Corina...was not giving up so easily.
"Hasn't God called you to preach?" she asked. "Aren't we doing everything we can to answer that call? I've been praying every mile, and I believe He will see us through."
"I know you have," Glen replied. "So now, I'm going to explain our anxiety to the Lord in minute detail. He already knows it, but I'll tell him anyway."
"Dear Lord," Glen began. "We're in trouble." Now in the 30's and 40's most folks, including Glen and Corina, prayed using King James vocabulary. But on this day, Glen approached the Throne of Grace with intense, mid-western English. "We must reach Marshalltown before dark on account of this open trailer that has no lights. Our load of furniture must be under cover before the rain. If we have one flat tire, we'll never make it. If we run out of gasoline, we'll never make it either. All we're asking is that our tires hold up, out fuel holds out, and we beat the darkness and the rain to Marshalltown. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen."
They began slowly moving on their way. "God is answering our prayers," Corina whispered as they passed the city limits.
"Yes," Glen answered. "We've barely beat the darkness and the rain. I see a garage where maybe we can get under cover." Glen turned into the drive and blew the horn. A mechanic opened the big door just as the first drops of rain began to fall. Moments later there was a torrent of rain!
Inside the garage, the mechanic told them they had a tire going down! He could hear it!
"Sir," he said, "If you'll move your car to the back of the shop, I'll change it for you. I'm the night man."
"Thank you," Glen said gratefully, as he began driving the car to the back. The motor suddenly sputtered and died! They were out of gasoline!
Glen and Corina were in awe... "Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 146:10a
Does God answer prayer? Well, not always this dramatically. But, yes, God always answers prayer; not always the way we want, but God does answer prayer.
So began life for the young family in Des Moines, Iowa, in the early years of the 1940's.
To be continued...
Glen and Corina loaded their car and a four wheeled trailer with their meager belongings and along with their three children got a morning start to a new life in Des Moines. What did the future hold for them?
They had only been on the road for an hour when a strong south wind came up. It tugged at the trailer, whipping it if Glen drove much over 20 miles an hour! Each slight grade had to be negotiated in second gear. They soon knew they'd never make it to Des Moines in one day.
The small town of Marshalltown was about half way and became their goal. By late afternoon a bank of black clouds came blowing in. Lightning began streaking across the sky, followed by peels of thunder.
Gas was getting low but Glen knew of a gas station about eight miles before they would get to Marshalltown. If only they could make it...they did. But alas...the gas station was closed!
Glen measured the amount of gas by sticking a ruler into the tank. The end of which barely got wet. Oh no. He began to think they'd never make it to Marshalltown. It was a hopeless situation. But Corina...was not giving up so easily.
"Hasn't God called you to preach?" she asked. "Aren't we doing everything we can to answer that call? I've been praying every mile, and I believe He will see us through."
"I know you have," Glen replied. "So now, I'm going to explain our anxiety to the Lord in minute detail. He already knows it, but I'll tell him anyway."
"Dear Lord," Glen began. "We're in trouble." Now in the 30's and 40's most folks, including Glen and Corina, prayed using King James vocabulary. But on this day, Glen approached the Throne of Grace with intense, mid-western English. "We must reach Marshalltown before dark on account of this open trailer that has no lights. Our load of furniture must be under cover before the rain. If we have one flat tire, we'll never make it. If we run out of gasoline, we'll never make it either. All we're asking is that our tires hold up, out fuel holds out, and we beat the darkness and the rain to Marshalltown. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen."
They began slowly moving on their way. "God is answering our prayers," Corina whispered as they passed the city limits.
"Yes," Glen answered. "We've barely beat the darkness and the rain. I see a garage where maybe we can get under cover." Glen turned into the drive and blew the horn. A mechanic opened the big door just as the first drops of rain began to fall. Moments later there was a torrent of rain!
Inside the garage, the mechanic told them they had a tire going down! He could hear it!
"Sir," he said, "If you'll move your car to the back of the shop, I'll change it for you. I'm the night man."
"Thank you," Glen said gratefully, as he began driving the car to the back. The motor suddenly sputtered and died! They were out of gasoline!
Glen and Corina were in awe... "Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 146:10a
Does God answer prayer? Well, not always this dramatically. But, yes, God always answers prayer; not always the way we want, but God does answer prayer.
So began life for the young family in Des Moines, Iowa, in the early years of the 1940's.
To be continued...
2 comments:
oooh. I'm enjoying reading your true-to-life story! Thanks for sharing... this is a precious gift (to write your stories) for your grandkids. Our grandma wrote us a handwritten book, and all of us grandkids have a copy, so some stories don't have to be lost.
I'm so glad you're enjoying these true life stories.
Post a Comment